The federally-funded National Mental Health Association (NMHA) has rejected the application of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) for booth space at their summer NMHA convention happening this week in Washington, DC. The rejection was based on the PFOX view of sexual orientation change.
In a letter received May 17, Becky Roser, Marketing Manager with the NMHA, wrote, “NMHA feels that your organization's principles diverge from our core mission.” After examining the PFOX website, Ms. Roser wrote, “having PFOX exhibit at our conference would indicate to participants that NMHA condones “reparative” or “corrective” therapy. As this is not the case, it would be disingenuous to have your organization participate in our Annual Conference….” Ms. Roser enclosed the NMHA pamphlet, “What Does Gay Mean?” to present the NMHA “viewpoint on gay and lesbian issues, which claims that “…attempts to “cure” lesbians and gay men may help change sexual behavior temporarily but will also create emotional trauma.”
Warren Throckmorton, Ph.D., Director of College Counseling and an Associate Professor of Psychology at Grove City College, reacted to the NMHA decision with surprise and dismay. “I am shocked and disappointed to learn that the NMHA has determined to discriminate against an organization working to promote awareness of former homosexuals,” said Thockmorton. Dr. Thockmorton, who as president of the American Mental Health Counselors Association several years ago worked along side NMHA, noted that the very psychiatrist who led the charge to have homosexuality removed from the list of mental disorders recently released a study affirming the effectiveness of reparative therapy.
“If the NMHA were true to their mission, they would read psychiatrist Robert Spitzer's study of ex-gays carefully. In his work, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior in October, 2003, Dr. Spitzer found that before entering counseling, over 40% of his former homosexual research participants were markedly to extremely depressed. After they had reoriented their sexual preferences, 1% of men and 4% of women were depressed at this level. This is a striking change. Clearly, seeking the counseling rejected by the NMHA helped Dr. Spitzer's participants alleviate a condition about which the NMHA is supposed to care a great deal: clinical depression.”
PFOX has asked concerned citizens to contact the National Mental Health Association (NMHA) and tell them to stop discriminating against ex-gays.
They urge calls to the President and CEO, Michael Faenza, at 1-800-969-6642 Ext. 1, or emails can be sent to NMHA Guest Book.
(This update courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com.)
