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Contradicted by Long Term Study |
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Compiled by GayToday
New Orleans, Louisiana--So-called conversion therapy has a dramatically high failure
rate, results in long-term damage to many clients and often is conducted in
ways that violate the ethical principle of informed consent. Those are among
the findings of a long-term study on conversion therapy conducted by
researchers Michael Schroeder and Ariel Shidlo.
Preliminary findings were presented Wednesday at the American Psychiatric Association's annual conference in New Orleans and stand in stark contrast to another study released by Robert Spitzer, who is associated with the anti-gay group National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality. NARTH views homosexuality as a developmental disorder. In the study conducted by Schroeder and Shidlo, 88 percent of those interviewed were unable to "convert" their sexual orientation. Another 9 percent reported that they were struggling or celibate. And just 3 percent reported being successful and living contently as heterosexuals. "Just imagine a drug company putting a product on the market that had a 88 percent failure rate and only a 3 percent 'success' rate," said Tim McFeeley, political director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
"It is snake oil posing as science," McFeeley said. "Anti-gay groups like NARTH will grasp at any straw in their effort to ostracize and attack the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Fortunately, in increasing numbers, the public is rejecting their bigoted attacks." To read Calculated Compassion: www.ngltf.org/downloads/calccomp.pdf. The report documents the links between the ex-gay movement and the religious right's retooled assault on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. It was published by NGLTF, Political Research Associates, and Equal Partners in Faith in 1998. American Psychiatric Association on "conversion" therapies: www.psych.org/pract_of_psych/copptherapyaddendum83100.cfm American Psychiatric Association guidelines for lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients: www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/guidelines.html |
