Two weeks after fifteen religious/political extremist groups launched an ad campaign claiming lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people could change their sexual orientation, several major media outlets have examined that egregious claim at some length -- with varied results. Here are some of the highlights:

Nightline:

Forrest Sawyer, substituting as host of ABC's Nightline on July 30, moderated a debate between Andrew Sullivan, editor the New Republic and Center for Reclaiming America Director Janet Folger, who engineered the ad campaign.

Sullivan asked repeatedly whether Folger supports laws allowing imprisonment for having sex with someone of the same gender. After Folger gave several non-responsive answers, Sawyer pressed, "Ms. Folger, forgive me. He is asking the direct question, 'Do you support laws that advocate the imprisonment of people who engage in homosexual behavior?'" Folger answered, "I guess if you're looking at sodomy laws, there are sodomy laws on the books that I very much support."

USA Today:

An Aug. 4 Life section cover story examines various aspects of the so-called "ex-gay" movement -- while firmly stating that the bulk of scientific opinion questions its effectiveness. Reporter Kim Painter writes that the American Psychological Association "says that there's no evidence such therapy works and that it may do more harm than good."

Sadly, the piece carried a thoughtless headline on one of four accompanying sidebars. The headline, about an "ex-gay" couple, reads "Once gay, now they're a family" -- giving the incorrect impression that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals do not have families.

Overall, however, Painter makes strong points about the true nature of the ad campaign, and points out the potential dangers of "conversion therapies," noting that they can do active harm to individuals and their families.

Washington Post:

A July 31 article examining Washington, D.C.-area "ex-gay" groups leads with a vignette of "ex-gay" Corey Welch, who "escaped from what he considers the clutches of a depraved underworld and entered the welcoming arms of the Transformation Christian Ministries" – a group that reporter Hanna Rosin says, "shepherds gay men and women away from the 'devil's temptation.'" …

The Village Voice:

An Aug. 11 article by Mark Schoofs, entitled, "Straight to Hell: When Gays Go Hetero, the Consequences Can Be Anything But Redemptive," says some survivors of the "ex-gay" programs call them 'psychological terrorism.'" Yet they've "suddenly gained media credibility, simply because conservative political groups, such as the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council, shelled out $200,000 for a high- profile ad campaign." …

Philadelphia Inquirer:

"Christian gays caught in a conflict," reads the front-page headline. "Some in Phila. choose faith over sexuality." Like the Washington Post report, the article describes a support group for persons unhappy with their sexual orientation. Despite of a brief quote from GLAAD Communications Director Jennifer Einhorn, the Inquirer devotes only perfunctory space to telling the other side of the story. …

The New York Times:

In the Aug. 2 "Backtalk" column, former Green Bay Packer David Kopay -- the first professional football player to say he's gay -- tells current Green Bay Packer Reggie White (right) that "Sexual repression, alcoholism, spousal abuse, child abuse, drug addiction, loneliness, hate and ignorance are the real enemies we face. Lighten up on gay folks because we are not the enemy." White repeatedly has made homophobic comments and is featured in one of the conservative ads.

Contact:

Nightline, 1717 DeSales St. NW, Washington, DC 20036-4401, fax: 202.222.7976, e-mail: niteline@abc.com or via WWW: http://www.abcnews.com/onair/nightline/email.html

Howell Raines, Editorial/Opinion Page Editor, New York Times, 229 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036-3959, fax: 212.556.3690, e-mail: letters@nytimes.com (include phone number when sending e-mails)

Susan Weiss, Life Section Editor, USA Today, 1000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA. 22209-3901, fax: 703.247.6580, e-mail: editor@usatoday.com (include name, address and phone)

Robert G. Kaiser, Managing Editor, Washington Post, 1150 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20071-0002, e-mail via WWW: http://www.washingtonpost.com

Doug Simmons, Managing Editor, Village Voice, 36 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003, fax: 212.475.8944, e-mail: editor@villagevoice.com

William Ward, Managing Editor, Philadelphia Inquirer, 400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130-4015, fax: 215.854.5884, e-mail: inquirer.letters@phillynews.com

Sins of Omission

The Aug. 2 cover of The Washington Post Magazine shows a hand raised in a Boy Scout salute. The headline reads, "'And Morally Straight' ... Gay Men v. the Boy Scouts."

The article tells of two men in Washington, D.C., who took the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) before the city's human relations commission after the BSA revoked their memberships because they are gay. District of Columbia law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation, thereby giving grounds to their case.

The article explains the men's distress over the BSA's reaction to the disclosures of their sexual orientation. Among those quoted by reporter Tracy Thompson is local Scout leader Roger Brown. In the piece, Brown argues, uncontested, that the two men "made a choice in their lifestyle, and all these other people with kids in Boy Scouts have chosen a lifestyle, too. And those two are not compatible."

The article also tells that the BSA brought in child psychologist George A. Rekers, who now "spends much of his time treating youngsters with 'gender identity disorder,'" (GID) as a witness at the human relations commission hearing. The reporter notes that the American Psychological Association considers this controversial therapy's goal to be "inappropriate, which is why Rekers resigned from the APA several years ago." Sexual orientation is "a matter of choice," Rekers is quoted as testifying. No contradictory testimony or opinion is quoted.

"GID" diagnosis and therapy for children has been labeled specious and possibly damaging by individuals and groups within both the American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association. Its use to force the treatment and institutionalization of children and adolescents who don't conform to "gender norms" in clothing, play and behavior has drawn sharp criticism throughout the scientific, medical, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

The cover story's failure to acknowledge this years-long controversy makes Refers' testimony seem far more-accepted and uncontroversial than, in reality, it is. The writer also allows a Scout leader to refer to being gay as "a lifestyle" and a "choice," without giving equal weight to the widely-held contention that sexual orientation is innate.

Please write The Washington Post Magazine. Let them know that you appreciate their inclusion of an important issue, but express your deep concern with the blatant omissions in this piece and tell the editors of the dangers of "conversion therapy" and the questionable validity of "GID."

Contact:

Tom Frail, Managing Editor, Washington Post Magazine, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071-0002, fax: 202.334.5693, e-mail: 20071@washpost.com