Tolerance - APA Discriminates Against Ex-Gays: Robert Spitzer, MD -- From "Gay" to Straight?

By Dr. F. Earle Fox

Twenty eight years ago, in 1973, Dr. Robert Spitzer played a major role in the change of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) stance on homosexuality, beginning the move toward the full acceptance of homosexuality as normal rather than pathological.

In recent years, the APA let it be known that it does not approve of "reparative" or "transformational" therapy for homosexual persons on the grounds that such therapy is not only unrealistic, but potentially dangerous because it encourages homosexual persons to deny their inborn nature.

But recently the same Dr. Spitzer has come to believe that at least some homosexual persons can indeed come out of that lifestyle and lead normal heterosexual married lives–causing no small storm in the homosexual community.

Can one really change same-sex desires to opposite-sex desires?

Early in the 1990's, a number of studies were advanced, almost all by homosexual researchers, implying that homosexuality was genetically or biologically caused. These studies alleging a built-in cause of homosexual behavior were the foundation for the homosexualists' assertion that homosexuality was not changeable.

There was, for example, the "hypothalamus" study, the "twin" study, and the "gay gene" study, all of which the press picked up immediately, sometimes with banner headlines, telling the public that homosexuality was not something chosen, but rather was "hardwired" into a person's being. It is part of "who they are", not merely "what they do".

The effect of that was to soften resistance against homosexual behavior on the grounds that we cannot blame someone for a condition that he cannot help. Several things need to be said about these claims.

First, even if one grants the legitimacy of the studies indicating an innate condition, it does not follow that homosexuality is either morally acceptable or healthy. If a "violence" gene were discovered, these same people would not likely promote a violent lifestyle. But commonsense logic is not so important to those promoting homosexuality as persuasion of the public by whatever means might work.

Secondly, some of the studies actually contained disclaimers by the authors, noting that they did not prove the existence of a "gay" gene, or that homosexuality is caused only by biological factors. The authors, in other words, gave themselves a hidden loophole. That admission of non-proof was not given to the public, either by the press or by the authors themselves. So the public was willfully deceived into believing that there was indeed evidence proving the homosexualist claims. The public was lied to. The persons behind this nonsense knew perfectly well what they were doing.

Anyone who thinks that this was not a deliberate deceit needs to read, "After the Ball", by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, probably the two premiere strategists of the homosexualist movement. The book spells out their plan to promote homosexuality as "mainstream America". You will readily recognize the strategy that is being played out before us all over America. It is, in their own words, propaganda. That is to say, brain- washing. They are selling by deceit a program that would never survive open and honest discussion. So they must at all costs undermine any attempt to have candid sharing of evidence. That is, they must undermine any honest science (see below).

Thirdly, prior to the early 1990's, no one was seriously maintaining that persons could not change from homosexual to heterosexual. Neither Alfred Kinsey, the pseudo-scientist known as the grandfather of the sex-revolution, nor Masters and Johnson who likewise gave a scientific shine to the sex revolution, nor researchers such as John Money, said that no one could change. If you wanted to change, go ahead. Who cares? It might be difficult, but it was not generally considered either impossible or self-destructive to try. Change of "orientation" was just not an issue.

It was only in the early 1990's that homosexualists realized the power of politicizing "change" into a moral issue, completely turning the tables on the Biblical standards which had been prevalent (even if honored more in the breach than in the keeping). Not only is homosexuality "OK", opposition to it is actually evil (hence hate-crime laws) and attempted therapy is destructive and ought to be banned.

Fourthly, the success of the homosexualist propaganda has ridden into the American consciousness largely through our government-controlled school system. Our children are being taught by law that homosexuality is "OK", and any significant objection to that, including reparative therapy, is treated with contempt and/or threat of legal repercussion. So-called "hate-crime laws" are not meant to protect the public, they are attempts to shut down their opposition.

We do not know how to distinguish pseudo-science from true science.

In May of 1999, the APA had its annual convention in Washington, DC. Six months prior, I had become the director of Transformation Christian Ministries in Washington, DC, one of over 150 Exodus ministries worldwide helping people out of the homosexual lifestyle. The director I was replacing led us to the convention center where about fifteen of us picketed the APA, protesting its stance condemning therapy for homosexual persons. Most of those picketing were in some stage of coming out of the homosexual lifestyle, some happily married with children.

Dr. Spitzer came out to talk with us. He interviewed our people and attended our press conference the next day. To our delight and surprise, Spitzer came to the conclusion that people who could come out of homosexuality and lead productive lives heterosexually at least deserved a hearing. Giving them a hearing is exactly what homosexualists do not want.

There were hints that we might be able to be part of the APA discussion the following year. In the spring of 2000, I phoned Dr. Spitzer at Columbia University in NYC to pursue that possibility. A few weeks later, I drove up to meet with him at his office for about an hour. He proved to be a delightful person, easy to talk with, interested in what we were doing, and an honest scientist promoting candid debate within the APA convention coming up in Chicago that May of 2000. He had already arranged such a debate with two psychiatrists on each side.

One of Spitzer's primary concerns in our conversation was the attitude of Christians: Were we packing all homosexuals off to hell? I assured him that, no, our interest, and God's, was in keeping people out of hell, not in sending them there.

The homosexual advocates, it turned out, refused to participate in the debate Spitzer was trying to set up. They accused him of being a biased moderator. He replied that he would find another moderator. But to no avail. The debate was not to happen.

So several of us from Exodus circles appeared at the APA 2000 Chicago convention (with its non-debate), again to picket. Spitzer was there. He was getting a dose of the homosexualist intransigence about not exposing themselves to honest discussion.

In the meantime, Spitzer was conducting a study to verify whether persons could actually exit homosexuality by interviewing persons who made that claim. It was the results of that study which he presented recently at the 2001 APA convention in New Orleans, and which have raised such a flap in the media.

Just about anyone who has kept up with the evidence over the years has known that there never was any credible evidence to support the homosexualist claims. As researcher Neil Whitehead notes in his book, My Genes Made Me Do It, no behavior can be genetically caused. Behavior is much too complex. Genes can determine the range of behaviors we can engage in, but not which behavior in that range.

One hopes, if nothing else comes out of this debacle, that Americans will have gained some appreciation of how honest science works, and come down very fast and very hard on those who choose to politicize the truth-seeking process.

One hopes also that Americans will take seriously how they have been duped, routinely lied to, or at the very least, ignorantly served, by the medical and other helping professions into whose hands we have trusted our health and safety.

The persons who are suffering most deeply are homosexual persons themselves who are being denied truthful discussion about their condition, and who are being denied genuinely compassionate help in dealing with a their same sex attractions.

One hopes also that those with some modicum of common sense about sexual matters will retake the public forum from those who are not willing to discipline themselves to truth-seeking and honest compassion for their fellow human beings.

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Dr. Earle Fox heads Emmaus Ministries. He offers seminars to churches and others explaining how Christians and others can reach out to homosexual strugglers and win the issues of the public arena. You may contact Emmaus Ministries in Alexandria, Virginia, at 703 765-7862.