More
than
250
conservatives
are
calling
on
the
American
Psychological
Association
to
“consider
religious
diversity”
in
gay
patient
therapy.
In
a
June
29
letter,
officials
from
Focus
on
the
Family,
Southern
Baptist
Convention
and
other
groups
said
APA
officials
should
instruct
psychologists
to
weigh
equally
the
sexual
orientation
and
religion
of
patients.
“We
strongly
believe
that
psychologists
can
offer
a
valuable
service
if
they
respect
the
religious
commitments
of
their
clients
to
the
same
degree
that
they
respect
sexual
orientation
diversity,”
the
letter
said.
The
letter
comes
as
an
APA
task
force
begins
a
review
of
current
scientific
research
on
conversion
therapy,
or
treatment
that
purports
to
turn
gays
straight.
A
report
is
due
sometime
in
2008
or
beyond.
When
the
organization
last
considered
the
issue
in
1997,
it
concluded
that
psychologists
should
use
“accurate
information”
and
“appropriate
interventions”
to
treat
gay
patients.
The
APA
has
separately
stated
that
sexual
orientation
cannot
be
changed
through
therapy.
It
notes
on
its
web
site
that
claims
by
therapists
that
they
have
successfully
changed
a
person’s
sexual
orientation
are
“poorly
documented,”
and
such
therapies
hold
“potential
harm
to
patients.”
Dr.
Clinton
Anderson,
director
of
the
APA’s
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual
and
transgender
concerns
office,
said
religious
issues
figure
prominently
into
the
new
review.
“The
issue
of
religion
is
at
the
core
of
the
subject
matter
of
the
task
force
because
many
if
not
most
people
who
present
for
treatment
to
change
their
sexual
orientation
are
motivated
by
religious
concerns,”
he
said.
“So
clearly,
the
task
force
will
have
to
grapple
with
that
issue.”
But
he
said
the
task
force
would
be
careful
to
refrain
from
making
any
religious
judgments
in
its
work.
“Our
task
force
is
not
going
to
be
making
recommendations
about
religion,
per
se,
because
that’s
not
where
their
expertise
lies,”
Anderson
said.
“Obviously,
religion
is
very
important
to
people
and
has
an
impact
on
their
psychology
and
their
well
being
and
their
mental
health
and
sexuality.
But
there’s
a
difference
between
the
psychological
interest
in
religion
as
it
affects
people
and
religion,
per
se.”
Despite
such
assurances,
conservatives
said
in
their
letter
that
“it
is
not
clear
that
the
task
force
has
been
charged
to
consider
religious
diversity”
in
its
work.
They
asked
APA
officials
to
expand
the
task
force’s
charge
to
“include
recommendations
for
psychologists
that
respect
religious
identity
and
the
client’s
right
to
construct
his
life
around
religious
teachings
in
contrast
to
sexuality.”
They
also
requested
a
separate
task
force
be
formed
to
review
such
issues.
Anderson
said
the
APA’s
board
of
directors
had
not
decided
how
it
would
respond
to
the
letter,
or
if
it
would
grant
a
private
meeting
the
letter’s
principal
signers
sought.
He
declined
to
make
any
predictions
regarding
the
board’s
reaction,
which
could
come
in
August.
“I
don’t
think
I
want
to
speculate
on
that
because
I
think
that
would
in
effect
be
trying
to
limit
or
condition
what
the
board
might
decide
to
do
by
expressing
an
opinion
about
this
issue,”
he
said.
“And
that’s
what
I
don’t
want
to
do
—
speak
for
them
when
they’ve
not
had
a
chance
to
review
this
and
give
me
any
guidance
yet
on
how
to
speak
to
it.”
Common
objectives?
But
the
letter’s
author,
Dr.
Warren
Throckmorton,
told
the
Blade
he’s
hopeful
the
meeting
will
occur.
“I
think
a
meeting
would
help
us
to
focus
on
our
common
objectives,”
he
said.
“Clearly,
the
signers
of
this
letter
have
the
interests
of
their
constituents
at
heart.
I
believe
the
APA
has
the
interests
of
clients
at
heart.
I
think
we
agree
on
that.
Now,
how
we
get
to
that
objective,
I
think
we
need
to
discuss.”
Throckmorton,
a
psychologist
at
Grove
City
College
in
Pennsylvania,
a
Christian
school,
said
he
supports
the
view
that
sexual
orientation
can
be
changed
yet
does
not
consider
himself
“a
reparative
therapist.”
He
said
therapists
should
“help
clients
determine
their
own
beliefs
and
values
and
then
set
about
helping
them
to
achieve
those
objectives.”
Gay
rights
activists,
however,
are
encouraging
the
APA
to
reject
Throckmorton’s
overture.
Wayne
Besen,
founder
of
Truth
Wins
Out,
an
organization
that
opposes
conversion
therapy,
said
the
letter
advocates
“a
religious
exception
to
ethical
psychology.”
He
said
although
the
letter
does
not
mention
conversion
therapy,
it
makes
a
thinly
veiled
attempt
to
create
a
loophole
through
which
such
therapy
could
be
advocated.
“The
bottom
line
is
your
sexual
orientation
cannot
change
and
your
religion
can,”
Besen
said.
“This
letter
fails
to
address
that
simple
truth.”
