Presentations and Publications
Programs and Services
Organizations of the Religious Right
by David J. McCaffrey
(Editor's note. Right-wing religious groups, when discussing GLBT issues, make reference to such groups such as Exodus International, Eagles Wings, Courage, Encourage, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), and the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) and to such terms as "same-sex attraction," or "SSA."
We are certain that many of these groups of the Religious Right are well-intentioned as they attempt to reach out not only to troubled and, perhaps, confused Catholic persons exploring their own sexuality but also to their concerned family members and friends, who are all looking for some trustworthy information, based on solid scientific research.
Nevertheless, these groups actually do a disservice to such innocent and vulnerable individuals by providing them with information that is based on seriously flawed research that has been discredited by all of the major official organizations that represent the views of hundreds of thousands of health, mental health, and education professionals.
Some of these same professional
associations further hold that treatments recommended by NARTH and CMA
actually are potentially risky and may lead to harmful results, such
as depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior and may only serve
to reinforce the GLBT person's self-hatred. (See the "Reparative
Therapy" section in the publication Just
the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals,
Educators and School Personnel .)
Would someone seeking information about maintaining a healthy cardio-vascular system follow information that is 25 years old and now refuted by all of the professional medical associations of cardiologists and heart surgeons? To follow advice based on the information about the nature of and "cures" for homosexuality promulgated by the Religious Right make about as much sense.
This section has been placed on the
CPCSM website in order to help persons confused by what they are reading
about homosexuality on the websites of Religious Right groups better
understand what the vast majority of the professional health, mental
health, and education organizations are officially stating about the
nature of GLBT persons and their needs and gifts and how GLBT persons
can be best understood and helped to become fully actualized and contributing
citizens in today's diverse and complex world. Further, this section
will help the user see the bigger picture of the role that such right-wing
groups such as Exodus International, Eagles Wings, Courage, Encourage,
CMA, and NARTH play in the larger political-religious Ex-Gay Movement.)
About NARTH and the Catholic Medical Association
Helpful Links that
Analyze the Ex-Gay Movement
What is the Ex-Gay
Movement?
The ex-gay movement is an international network
that claims gay men and lesbians can be "converted" to heterosexuality
through submission to Jesus Christ [with the help of the "transformational
ministries"], or through secular "reparative therapy."
Although the ex-gay movement is firmly rooted in the predominantly Protestant Christian Right, right-wing Catholic ministries, such as Courage and Encourage, and Catholic secular organizations, such as the Catholic Medical Association, make important contributions to the movement and share its vision. Movement leaders assert that a gay man or lesbian can leave the gay life and become a "whole person again"-- the person who existed before homosexual feelings appeared.
Ex-gay leaders hold positions that are ideologically consistent with the contemporary Christian Right. They uphold heterosexuality as God's creative intent for humanity, and consequently view homosexual expression as contrary to God's will. The ex-gay movement's philosophy is based implicitly on a hierarchical structure in which God is a heterosexual male and heterosexual men, created in the image of this God, are superior to women.
The most prominent organization in the movement is the Seattle-based Exodus International, an ex-gay referral network of ministries founded in 1976 that now claims more than 100 ministries in the US, Canada, and 20 other countries. Exodus states its primary purpose is "to proclaim that freedom from homosexuality is possible through the power of Jesus Christ."
Exodus cites homosexual tendencies as one of the many social disorders in a world that has fallen from God's grace. Choosing to act on these tendencies through homosexual behavior, taking on a homosexual identity, and becoming involved in a homosexual "lifestyle" are considered destructive and sinful, because these actions distort God's intent for the individual.
Exodus attracted media attention in 1978 when two of its founders,
Gary Cooper and Michael Busee, left the ministry after falling in love
with each other. Together they went on the talk show circuit in the
early 1990s to tell their story. Busee and Cooper repeatedly called
ex-gay ministries a fraud that promote homophobia and self-hatred. They
told stories of people who went through the Exodus program and had emotional
breakdowns or committed suicide. After interacting with hundreds of
people, Busee and Cooper said they hadn't met one person who successfully
changed their sexual orientation from gay to straight.
Exodus International is only one of many ex-gay organizations. Others
include Homosexuals Anonymous, a Christian fellowship that follows a
14-step process based on the Alcoholics Anonymous model; Transforming
Congregations, a movement of churches founded by the Rev. Robert Kuyper
of Trinity United Methodist Church in Bakersfield, CA; Regeneration
Books, an Exodus International ministry dedicated to providing "the
best Christian books dealing with the healing of the homosexual;"
The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality
(NARTH), founded in 1992 by psychoanalysts Charles Socarides, MD,
and Benjamin Kaufman, MD, and psychologist, Joseph Nicolosi, Ph.D.,
author of Reparative Therapy for Male Homosexuals: A New Clinical
Approach (NARTH was founded to counter American Psychological Association's
1973 removal of homosexuality from its roster of mental disorders);
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (P-FOX), a "Christ-centered"
organization founded in 1995 to counter Parents, Family and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG); Courage [along with Encourage], a
Catholic ex-gay ministry that provides "spiritual support for men
and women striving to live chaste lives [and their families and friends]
in accordance with [the narrowest interpretation of] the Catholic Church's
pastoral teaching on homosexuality;" and the St. Augustine Sexual
Healing Bookstore, the first ex-gay Christian bookstore which opened
in February 1998 in Washington, DC and has more than 100 titles on how
homosexuals can have "sexual healing" and change to heterosexuality.
The ex-gay movement is characterized by a few recurring themes. Leaders
of the ex-gay movement claim that people are not born homosexual because
homosexuality is a mistake, and God, in whose image all people are created,
does not make mistakes. They argue that homosexuality usually stems
from not having the "correct" relationship and bonding with
the same-sex parent.
Authors and ex-gay leaders Bob Davies and Lori Rentzel, in their book,
Coming Out of Homosexuality: New Freedom for Men and Women, write:
"While a breakdown in the bond with the mother deeply affects both
male and female babies, sexual identity seems to be more noticeably
shaped by disrupting bonding with the same-sex parent: little girls
lacking an intimate attachment to Mom, boys feeling detached and alienated
from Dad."
Another recurrent theme is that childhood sexual abuse and molestation causes homosexuality. Ex-gay leaders believe that, especially for girls, sexual abuse can be a significant factor in their future identification as lesbians. "While the family dynamics, temperament, and peer pressure strongly shape a person's sexual identity, the single factor that most powerfully propels a girl toward a lesbian identity is sexual abuse: incest, rape or molestation," write Davies and Rentzel.
At the second annual P-FOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays) conference
in March 1998 one "ex-lesbian," Cyndi Dollof, said she has
come to believe that because she was separated from her mother for the
first three days of her life in the hospital, she missed that important
bonding and this contributed to her being in the "lesbian lifestyle."
Dollof's story serves as an example of how broadly "correct bonding"
with same-sex parents can be interpreted. The premise that homosexuality
is caused by early-childhood experiences is a common theme that runs
through the ex-gay movement and is used by both the secular and religious
arms of the movement.
(From Calculated Compassion: How the Ex-Gay Movement Serves the
Right's Attack on Democracy, a 1998 report from
Political Research Associates, the Policy Institute of the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Equal Partners in Faith.)
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Transformational Ministries
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Introduction
" Transformational ministry" is a term used to describe the
use of religion to eliminate homosexual desires. While "reparative
therapy" relies on secular approaches, "transformational ministry"
takes the approach that "freedom from homosexuality is possible
through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord"
(from the website of Exodus International, a "transformational
ministry").
While there is some diversity within the movement, most
"transformational ministries" adhere to a belief that "upholds
heterosexuality as God's creative intent for humanity, and subsequently
views homosexual
expression as outside God's will."(from the website of Exodus International).
The "transformational ministry" movement, which began in the early 1970s, has gained more visibility in the media recently through the efforts of Christian publishers and conservative political organizations.
The most important fact about "transformational ministry" is that its view of homosexuality is not representative of the views of all people of faith. Many deeply religious people and a number of religious congregations and denominations are supportive and accepting of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and their right to be protected from the discriminatory acts of others.
For example, the following organizations have endorsed passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation: American Ethical Union, American Friends Service Committee, American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Church of the Brethren, Church Women United, Dignity/USA, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Hadassah, WZOA, The Interfaith Alliance, Jewish Women International, National Council of Churches of Christ (USA), National Council of Jewish Women, North Georgia United Methodists, Presbyterian Church (USA), Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Women of Reform Judaism, Young Women's Christian Association.
Although "transformational ministry" promotes the message
that religious faith and acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual sexuality
are incompatible, that message is countered by the large number of outspoken
clergy and people of faith who promote love and acceptance.
(From Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer
for Principals, Educators and School Personnel, 1999.)
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About Courage and Encourage
The primary Catholic ex-gay ministry organization, comprised of a network
of groups, much smaller than Dignity, is Courage. Founded in
the early 1980s by Fr. John Harvey, O.S.F.S., of New York City, it provides
"spiritual support for men and women striving to live chaste lives
in accordance with [the narrowest interpretation of] the Roman Catholic
Church's pastoral teaching on homosexuality." Encourage
is the affiliate support group for friends and relatives of men and
women with homosexual feelings.
"A positive, life-enhancing celibacy is certainly a legitimate
goal for those who freely choose it. But the Courage ministry rests
on the belief that homosexuality is a psychological aberration, an emotional
debility. Built on a 12-step program like Alcoholics Anonymous, Courage
aims to have people restrain and control their 'sickness.' Such a negative
starting point, which ignores the bulk of current scientific opinion,
can hardly foster personal integration, emotional well-being, or real
holiness."
(From Frequently
Asked Questions About Being Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender and
Catholic, written for Dignity/USA by Daniel A. Helminiak, the
author of "What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality."
Helminiak holds a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston College and
Andover Newton Theological School, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology
from the University of Texas at Austin. For 28 years, he served as a
priest in the Roman Catholic Church. He is a member of Dignity/Atlanta.)
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Reparative Therapy
**********************************
Introduction
The term "reparative therapy" refers
to psychotherapy aimed at eliminating homosexual desires and is used
by people who do not think homosexuality is one variation within human
sexual orientation, but rather still believe homosexuality is a mental
disorder. The most important fact about "reparative therapy,"
also sometimes known as "conversion" therapy, is that it is
based on an understanding of homosexuality that has been rejected by
all the major health and mental health professions.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Association of Social Workers, together representing more than 477,000 health and mental health professionals, have all taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and thus there is no need for a "cure."
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association and defining the standard of the field, does not include homosexuality as a mental disorder. All other major health professional organizations have supported the American Psychiatric Association in its declassification of homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973. Thus, the idea that homosexuality is a mental disorder or that the emergence of same-gender sexual desires among some adolescents is in any way abnormal or mentally unhealthy has no support among health and mental health professional organizations.
Despite the unanimity of the health and mental health professions
on the normality of homosexuality, the idea of "reparative therapy"
has recently been adopted by conservative organizations and aggressively
promoted in the media.
Because of this aggressive promotion of "reparative therapy,"
a number of the health and mental health professional organizations
have recently issued public statements about "reparative therapy"
as well.
(Quoted from Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth:
A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel, published
by the American Psychological Association -- and endorsed by nine other
professional mental health and educational organizations, 1999.)
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About NARTH
and the Catholic Medical Association
The Religious Right's Ex-Gay Movement, including
CPO, relies heavily upon the National Association for the Research and
Treatment of Homosexuality (NARTH) for most of the information it uses
in its educational materials about GLBT issues. Founded in 1992 by psychoanalysts
Charles Socarides (who has a gay son) and Benjamin Kaufman and psychologist
Joseph Nicolosi in preparation for the 20th anniversary of the decision
in 1973 by the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality
from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(the APA's official manual listing all mental and emotional disorders),
NARTH has been repudiated by virtually the entire professional mental
health establishment.
A lead organization in advocating secular reparative therapy for treating homosexuality, NARTH promulgates dangerously flawed research findings about the "causes" and life-expectancy consequences of homosexuality. Membership includes mental health professionals (who continue to try to "cure" homosexuality), educators, public health officials, religious leaders, and others who still beleive that homosexuality is a mental illness.
NARTH uses a diagnostic label, "same-sex attraction disorder," which is not recognized or used by any of the official professional mental health associations, which no longer consider homosexuality a mental or emotional disorder. Its members consider this "disorder" to be a curable condition and rely heavily on debunked theories of dominant mothers, distant fathers, and abusive family relations.
Organizations among the Catholic Right, such as CPO, also use materials generated by members of the right-wing Catholic Medical Association (CMA), a group of Catholic health professionals "dedicated to upholding the principles of the Catholic Faith as related to the practice of medicine and to promoting Catholic medical ethics to the medical profession, including mental health professionals, the clergy, and the general public" (from: Homosexuality and Hope: Statement Of The Catholic Medical Association, November, 2000).
In its writings about homosexuality, it appears that the CMA shares very similar positions about GLBT persons as NARTH does. Also, CMA appears to rely on many, if not most, of the same flawed studies as NARTH does in the conclusions that it draws about the nature and etiology of sexual orientation and the forms of treatment that it recommends for GLBT persons.
In fact, one of the three authors of a recent (June 2002) open letter to the Bishops of the United States from the CMA was psychiatrist Richard Fitzgibbons, MD, who is also a NARTH Scientific Advisory Board member.
The CMA letter was written in light of
the recent clergy sex abuse scandal in the US Church. It puts forth
the CMA's views about the nature and causes of homosexuality (which
the letter assumes is virtually synonymous with pedophilia and ephebophilia),
suggestions about improved methods of screening and training priesthood
candidates, and treatment recommendations for gay priests and seminarians.
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Helpful Links that Analyze the Ex-Gay Movement
********************************************
The Radical Right, in Tips & Tactics: A Monthly Resource for Affiliates of PFLAG, Jan/Feb 2001, provides an excellent brief summary of the agenda of the Religious Right regarding GLBT persons, with a helpful list of "Talking Points."
An excellent overview of the relationship between "ex-gay" movement groups, such as NARTH and CMA, and the Religious Right is Calculated Compassion: How the Ex-Gay Movement Serves the Right's Attack on Democracy*, a 1998 report from Political Research Associates, the Policy Institute of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Equal Partners in Faith. The chapter entitled Reparative Therapy: Idealized Heterosexuality discusses the work of NARTH in some detail.
A press release from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (May 9, 2001), entitled Snake Oil Versus Science: New Study by New York Researchers on Conversion Therapy Contradicts NARTH, is a good summary of the findings of a recent study presented at the American Psychiatric Association's annual conference that strongly refute the results from an earlier study reporting on the success of reparative therapy, authored by Robert Spitzer, a psychiatrist affiliated with NARTH.
May 2002 Statement of the American Psychiatric Association on Conversion Therapies, which recommends: " . . . In the last four decades, 'reparative' therapists have not produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims of cure. Until there is such research available, APA recommends that ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals' sexual orientation, keeping in mind the medical dictum to first, do no harm.
A brief and succinct brochure, primarily targeting educators and covering
the following topics: Sexual Orientation Development, Reparative Therapy,
Transformational Ministries, Relevant Legal Principles, and Resources:
Just
the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth:
A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel
Developed and endorsed by the following organizations:
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Counseling Association
American Association of School Administrators
American Federation of Teachers
American Psychological Association
American School Health Association
Interfaith Alliance Foundation
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers
National Education Association
Download this document in Adobe Acrobat
pdf format. *
Answers to Your
Questions About Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality,
The American Psychological Association, July 1998.
A list of frequently asked questions and their answers -- a good beginning
point for those who want to get an overview of basic information about
gay and lesbian persons.
* To read and print this document, you will need to use Adobe Acrobat
Reader. The Adobe Acrobat
Home Page contains detailed information on this product, and allows
you to download free copies of Acrobat for Windows, Macintosh, or UNIX
systems. Directions for downloading the Adobe Acrobat Reader can be
found here.
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