Posted on 08/25/2006 2:56:54 AM PDT by FairOpinion
NEW ORLEANS (BP)—Approximately 50 people from various pro-family groups protested the American Psychological Association’s convention Aug. 11, opposing the organization’s position that says homosexuality cannot be changed.
“The fact of the matter is that there are tens of thousands of men and women just like me who have overcome homosexuality. ... We’re living proof,” Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, a ministry to homosexuals and ex-homosexuals, told Baptist Press. He took part in the protest in New Orleans.
APA has been one of the leading organizations to back the claims of homosexual activists. A statement on its website says that homosexuality “does not require treatment and is not changeable.” In addition, the statement says that “close scrutiny” of conversion therapies “cast doubt on their claims” that people have been freed from homosexuality. APA even has a Lesbian, Gay, & Bisexual Concerns office.
“The American Psychological Association is concerned about such therapies and their potential harm to patients,” the statement says.
But that statement also says clients have a “right to unbiased treatment and self-determination” — something that Chambers and others say is not the case when it comes to APA’s stance on homosexuality.
Caleb Price, research analyst at Focus on the Family, called APA’s position “hypocritical.” Price says he identified himself as a homosexual for about 14 years but now is a Christian and heterosexual.
“If they are about science and not about politics, then they should be willing to look at issues involving homosexuality … in an intellectually honest way,” Price, who also took part in the protest, told BP.
APA’s position on homosexuality has given homosexual activists a significant boost in the national debate over such issues as homosexuality and “gay marriage.” The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest homosexual activist organization, lists APA’s position statements on its website, along with similar statements from the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association.
“I think the most harm that the APA is doing is they’re using their position to steer the debate in the media and in the public to cast doubt on the tens of thousands of men and women who have changed,” Chambers said. “That’s unfortunate and it’s unfair. But what the governing board of the APA is doing doesn’t resonate with the members of the APA.”
Chambers said the majority of the psychologists they came in contact with were “very supportive and very interested in what we were saying.”
“But as far at the governing board of the APA, they are the ones who don’t talk about a client’s right to self-determination,” Chambers said. “They basically say homosexuals can’t change and that’s the end of the story. That’s very different from what the psychologists within the movement say.”
Clinton Anderson, director of the APA’s Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual office, told the Associated Press that there “is simply no sufficiently scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed.”
Price, though, strongly disagreed.
“The reality is that people’s lives are changed,” Price said. “We are living testimonies of the fact that people can and do change.”
Exodus International, Focus on the Family and other likeminded groups will protest APA’s meetings in the future, Chambers said.
“We hope to do these every single year until we reach our goal, which is to help the APA understand that they need to respect every client’s rights,” he said.
For information about the national debate over “gay marriage,” visit www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage.
One does not have to have anal sex to be gay...no more than a heterosexual does.
Some, however, ARE. Not EVERYONE can be changed.
BTW - how do you feel about Hermaphrodites. They're out there. Breasts, penis, vagina...the whole works. Just the way God made them. How do THEY fit into your "small little box".?
In fact, in college, I did a paper on a small island in which due to a VERY rare genetic disorder, 10-15% of the children are born female. At puberty, they become male. How do THEY fit into your tiny little box??
There are NO absolutes in nature. There is no "perfect genetic human". There is no "perfect" tree. There is no "perfect" anything. Life does NOT fit into your tiny little box - no matter HOW hard you try to cram it.
For religious folks, you sure don't understand God or this universe.
Some people ARE gay though.
humans choose to engage in homosexual conduct. It is a sexual fetish.
I don't think anyone believes you can completely get rid of it. You have had years of positive reinforcement, so those attractions can come back. But you can develop new attractions and act on the new attractions. I suppose someone like Tony Robbins could try to make you truely disgusted with women, but you would have to really want to do it.
One of the techniques used is to wire the subject up, show them homoerotica and give them electric shocks everytime they respond sexually. Given enough shocks - they'll stop responding. With negative reinforcement techniques - almost ANYONE can be changed into ANYTHING.
You must not know many homosexuals. I know plenty who wouldn't let anyone stick anything up their anus for a million dollars.
A sizable portion of homosexuals are "tops" rather than "bottoms". They do the "sticking" - they don't get "stuck".
heterosexual is the structure of your bodies reproductive mechanisms. (the plumbing)
Homosexual is a recreational sex practice.
You can cease conduct, you can't cease your anatomy.
How about:
Naturally born outgoing?
Naturally born shy?
Naturally born mathematically inclined?
Naturally born lefties?
Naturally born smart?
Naturally born dumb?
Naturally born athletic?
Naturally born musically gifted?
You are wrong. Period.
That is no different than saying: "No one is born predisposed to be a musician."
Some people are. Your personal beliefs do not change reality.
You'd probably approve of that...
homeschoolers obviously have had success making the mathematically inclined.
Lets us not forget the Psychologist who said "give me any 12 children and I will raise them to be whatever you want." He was talking about Drs, scientists, mathematicians, musicians.
Of course the DUmies have developed their own training center.
That may be - but it doesn't change the fact that certain people are born musically inclined and others aren't. Some people are born naturally outgoing and others are born naturally shy.
Why is it such a stretch to believe that some are born homosexually ionclined?
true hermaphrodites are birth defects and have a horrible existence. Generally sterile, genrally non functional or partially developed. It is not the fantasy of ancient mythology.
Families with those children have miserable hard choices to make to accomodate the birth defect. Usually the male genitals are chopped off and the infant is reconstructed into female.
Of course all this assumes they live long enough to even reach adulthood which most do not.
"“close scrutiny” of conversion therapies “cast doubt on their claims” that people have been freed from homosexuality"
Scrutiny of THERAPIES? Why not be more scientific and scrutinize the PATIENTS?
The thing that I don't like sometimes on Freerepublic which is my favorite website is when FREEPERS make fun of people who have NOT come out of the closet or even give any indication that they are gay, but FREEPERS continue to insist that they are and are wanting them to be gay and become another activist. I find that so strange when we continually complain about gays wanting attention. We can't have it both ways. If a guy acts gay but isn't why do we FREEPERS continue to INSIST that they are gay. One being Richard Simmons, Hillary Clinton, Jody Foster, Matt Damon, etc. I really find that irresponsible for conservatives. I would rather not have anybody be homosexual and conservatives are always saying that it is not right for people to say they are gay and be activists. Why does this topic excite FREEPERS? I don't get it.
PS: Cute handle. Stargate characters who are human with a large worm inside their head...
But, you never address the issue - which is "Life does not fit into a box". There are billions of genetic variations which lead to billions of different definitions of "normal".
Who are YOU to tell God that his creations are defective??
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