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Loading...Dr Robert Spitzer Denounces Ex-Gay Therapy in New Interview
Dr Robert Spitzer has recorded a new interview with Truth Wins Out in which he denounces most strongly the notion of ex-gay therapy.
Spitzer, whose 2001 study was used by ex-gay groups as evidence that a person can “choose to change,” has repeatedly disavowed the study this year, saying his findings were flawed on a number of fronts. In this new interview with Truth Wins Out, a leading anti-reparative therapy group, Spitzer once again highlights his belief that the study was flawed and also comments on reparative therapy groups like NARTH and the child recruiting PFOX.
Highlights include Spitzer denouncing the 2001 study:
“I was quite wrong in the conclusions that I made from this study. The study does not provide evidence, really, that gays can change. And that’s quite an admission on my part.”
[...]
“I’ve been thinking about the study for many years. I felt that I needed to say that, the study is not valid, but I thought I should also say to the gay community, I apologize for any harm I have done to them because of the study and my initial interpretation. And I certainly apologize to any gay person who because of this study entered into reparative therapy and wasted their time and energy doing that.”
As to NARTH’s Dr. Joseph Nicolosi attempting and failing to recruit people for Dr. Spitzer’s study, Spitzer drew this damning conclusion:
“He [Nicolosi] just didn’t have many patients who could really claim that they had changed.”
And as for the Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) still using a video of Dr Spitzer on their website to suggest that change is possible:
“I ask that PFOX stop showing this video. This is quite misleading. I had no way, really, of knowing when I examined any particular subject whether they really had changed or whether they were deceiving themselves or even outright lying when they claimed that they had changed. So, please don’t show this [video] to anyone.”
Spitzer also comments that he believes ex-gay therapists’ motivations preclude them from giving proper therapeutic care in this regard:
“The people who are pushing the ‘ex-gay’ idea are so full of hatred for homosexuality, really, that I don’t think they can respond in an ethical way.”
Watch the full video courtesy of Truth Wins Out below:
Related Reading:
Ex-Gay Study Author Apologizes to Gay Community
Read more: ex- gay, gay cure, gay cure therapy, lgbt rights, lgbt USA, rachel maddow, reparative therapy, robert spitzer
Image taken from video under fair use.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Hurrah for Dr. Spitzer! Coming to the end of his life, he wants to set his record straight. Proud of his honesty & courage to admit a mistake.
Here is a thought..........Make a mystake, admit it.........Pass it on....
Thank you, sir. It seems more and more challenging these days to admit mistakes. This was a big one.
Gina, better late than never. As one can see in the article, some still cling to "researches" that do not fit the meaning of the word upon inspection. Plus, Dr. Spitzer may very well set an example, now it should be easier for others to admit a sizable chunk of what they did as professionals was a mistake.
i think the problem with the homophobes is that they're closet gays. or as my mum always calls them 'latent gays'.
Great decision, now that he has put so many gays through hell and alienated them from their families who believed they could be "fixed."
Good that he is setting the record straight AGAIN! Just more proof that these radical groups don't seem to check facts or get information straight before they attack!
Life is about choices. To each their own.
I made a video about why Homosexuals should have equal rights. It’s at my YouTube channel Zarrakan, and here’s the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdK5ETOJusw
Watch it, share it, and join the fight against the evil Homophobes.
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