By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade
May 1 2008, 4:27 PM |
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A controversial symposium that was supposed to look at the relationship between religion and homosexuality has been canceled.
The symposium, put together by some American Psychiatric Association members, caused consternation among some psychiatrists and gays, who argued that holding a dialogue with hostile figures would legitimize homophobic views. The forum was titled “Homosexuality and Therapy: the Religious Dimension” and was supposed to take place Monday in Washington.
Warren Throckmorton, a counselor known for helping patients in efforts to alter homosexual behavior, was slated to speak at the event. The Grove City, Pa.,-based counselor said he was disappointed that the forum was no longer scheduled.
On his blog, Throckmorton writes that he was told that organizers did not cancel the event because gay activists were unhappy with it.
“At this moment, I am skeptical,” he writes.
Wayne Besen, executive director of TruthWinsOut.org, an organization geared toward countering “ex-gay” organizations, called the cancellation of the symposium “welcome news” in a statement on his blog.
“It gave the wrong impression that the American Psychiatric Association endorsed 'ex-gay' therapy, when, in fact, the organization soundly rejects such therapies,” he said.
The event caused some discontent among other APA psychiatrists. Jack Drescher, a gay New York City-based psychiatrist and former chair of the APA committee on gay issues, said association members organizing the forum did not appear to understand “how conversion therapists and their supporters on the religious right use these appearances as a public relations event to try and legitimize what they do.”
Controversy surrounding the event had prompted a gay religious figure who was scheduled to speak to cancel his appearance. Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay, non-celibate priest to be ordained a bishop by the Episcopal Church, said he canceled his plans to attend because he came to believe that making an appearance would validate the concept that sexual orientation can be changed.
David Scasta, one of the APA members responsible for putting the symposium together, said the event was canceled because surrounding publicity made it impossible to accomplish the forum’s goals.
“The hype that has come with all of the media attention is to the point that it is becoming the proverbial circus, making it very difficult to achieve the goal of the symposium which was to open up dialogue, to share our views, to see where we are; treating each other with respect and looking for where there is common ground,” he said.
Scasta said organizers are planning to “regroup, reconsider, and represent next year -- hopefully in a saner atmosphere.”
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