Gay Debate

IDENTITY

Can gays go straight? That was the topic of a panel discussion that
the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recently cancelled, angering
some self-described former homosexuals and sparking a protest by Exodus
International, a nondenominational Christian organization that helps gays
switch their sexual orientation through prayer. APA officials canned the
discussion because they believed the topic of sexual reorientation was
too politically charged for a scientific meeting.

Opinions on reorientation therapy are strong and divided: Many
conservative Christians promote its effectiveness, but most mental health
professionals are doubtful. So when a group of "ex-gays" called for the
fight to sexual reorientation during the APA's 1998 annual conference,
Robert Spitzer, Ph.D., a Columbia University psychology professor who led
the APA's decision to remove homosexuality from the mental disorders list
in 1973, organized a formal debate on the issue.

Despite the cancellation, the APA has not issued a ban on
reorientation therapy, instead believing that therapists should follow
specific guidelines for treating patients seeking to alter their
sexuality (therapies are not frequently regulated by the organization).
In the meantime, Spitzer is working to discern whether or not
homosexuality can be reversed, but with only anecdotal evidence, he's
calling for more scientific research. His current study examines those
who believe they have benefited for at least five years from
reorientation therapy.

"I don't do this kind of therapy, and I am skeptical about the
results," Spitzer says. His early findings indicate that reorientation
therapy is not always successful, but he hesitates to condemn it before
more research is conducted. Spitzer plans to present preliminary data
next year, and hopes his work will add credence to the need for an APA
symposium on the topic.