American Psychological Association to review 'reparative therapy'

[ck4829]

The American Psychological Association is embarking on the first review of its 10-year-old policy on counseling gays and lesbians, a step that gay-rights activists hope will end with a denunciation of any attempt by therapists to change sexual orientation.

Such efforts — often called reparative therapy or conversion therapy — are considered futile and harmful by many gay-rights activists. Conservative groups defend the right to offer such treatment, and say people with their viewpoint have been excluded from the review panel.

A six-member task force set up by the APA has its first meeting beginning next Tuesday.

Already, scores of conservative religious leaders and counselors, representing such groups as the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus on the Family, have written a joint letter to the APA, expressing concern that the task force's proposals would not properly accommodate gays and lesbians whose religious beliefs condemn gay sex.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070710/ap_on_he_me/gays_psychologists

I hope the APA doesn't consider the Right Wing's cries when it makes it's decisions, 'reparative therapy' is quackery and it is harmful.

[EFerrari]

1. These are the same people who waffle on assisting torturers.

I'm getting my credentials this year and I do not look forward to affiliating with this group.

[Az]

2. This should be interesting

:popcorn:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. The APA needs to read at the

www.orthomed.org

[swimboy]

4. Psychologists to Review Stance on Gays

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/13666633/detail.html

Already, scores of conservative religious leaders and counselors, representing such groups as the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus on the Family, have written a joint letter to the APA, expressing concern that the task force's proposals would not properly accommodate gays and lesbians whose religious beliefs condemn gay sex.

Conservatives seem to be doing a fairly effective job on a full-court media press. Facts and scientific data and observation be damned--they have to prevent a possible negative statement on one of the legs of their platform.

I was trying to find a posting source for the article in my local paper. The article and its presentation were very strange. It consisted of an introductory paragraph posing the question, Should Reparative Therapy be recognized not just as ineffective but as harmful? and under that was a YES section and a NO section. The NO section talked about conservative and church leaders sending in letters and being concerned that the APA panel was biased. GUESS WHAT!?!? The YES section also talked about the conservatives concern about the obvious bias on the panel.

That's journalism these days? Unfortunately yes.

Fortunately, I think the panel is biased toward science and facts and less concerned about what James Dobson thinks in making their decision.

Be prepared for the weeping, wailing and whining.


Here is a good example of the worst of this sort of thing I ran across in my search:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jul/07071103.html

[Toasterlad]

5. What Does Religion Have to Do With Psychology?

Shouldn't these people be praying to Almighty Jeebus to be "cured", rather than using the fallible methods of man?