Category: Religion and sexuality

Montel Williams revisits sexual reorientation

By now, it is no secret. The Montel Williams Show on Thursday, March 15, will devote the whole hour to a show they’ve titled: HOMOSEXUALITY…CAN IT BE CURED? Click the link to read the description of the show. Guests include: Mike Jones, Lance Carroll, Alan Chambers, Richard Cohen, Peterson Toscano, and Dr. Alicia Salzer (the producer of the documentary Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-gay Movement). Here is something interesting; Alicia Salzer is the director of Montel’s After-care program. I wonder if she would ever refer someone to a sexual identity therapist?

This episode is generating buzz. I have seen pre-show notices from sources as diverse as Evergreen International, JONAH and Division 44 of the American Psychological Association. Steve Schalchlin has a blog entry describing Mike Jones’ view of his appearance. In contrast to Mike Jones’ view, Elaine Berk of Jonah, who was in the studio audience, said the show was not fair to Alan and those who were there to defend Exodus.

Elaine gave me permission to quote the following:

The taping of the Montel Williams show was last Wednesday. It was quite an upsetting experience, to say the least. I wish each one of you was there – it was high drama.

Montel made fun of reparative therapy the whole time even though the show was supposed to discuss reparative therapy – the show was a set up. FYI, Exodus doesn’t do reparative therapy and that’s what the show was about, so it was ridiculous from the get-go. Montel was out to demean “our side of the story” and did so at every opportunity.

One of the Exodus couples was bumped when they politely protested to Montel that he wasn’t allowing the ex-gays the appropriate amount of time to speak. I give them credit. Montel was floored that this couple had the nerve to dictate to him what they would accept from him. There was a 15 minute delay with producers and production people running out onto the stage as they decided what to do now that this couple was bumped in the middle of the taping.

Alan Chambers of Exodus, the only ex-gay up on the stage with several pro-gay activists, was not feeling well and didn’t respond forcefully to the abuse given out by Montel. I don’t know what happened but Montel pummeled him with words & questions. It was so sad and aggravating to see.

Then, a hero emerged!

All of a sudden Arthur Goldberg was yelling at Montel from the auidence. Arthur yelled something like, “You’re not being fair. You understand what he (Alan Chambers) means, it’s implied in what you read.” Montel was so shocked when Arthur yelled that he was being unfair and misinterpreting what Alan Chambers was saying that Montel didn’t say much back – Montel tried to come back at Arthur but then Arthur yelled again, “This is a civil rights issue and you just don’t understand.”

. . . and then the taping was over.

At that point…no one said anything and everyone was hustled off stage.

Donnie Davies gets a gig

Like a bad penny, Donnie Davies turns up again. He and Evening Service are playing a gig at SXSW (South By Southwest Festivals) in Austin, TX on March 17. I have had some interesting conversations via email with Davies part-time employee and possible identical twin, Joey Oglesby. I hope to report on an interview with the elusive Mr. Oglesby in the near future.

Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-gay Movement

Abomination I just finished watching the new DVD, Abomination: Homosexuality and the Ex-gay Movement, created by the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists. The DVD features three ex-ex-gay people and a mother of a young woman who committed suicide, with the implication that the suicide was directly due to her ex-gay involvement. The video intermingled footage from the ex-ex-gays with interviews with Wayne Besen, Jack Drescher, David Scasta, Robert Spitzer and other professional commentators. In many ways, it is structured much like I Do Exist in format.

The stories from the non-professionals were very poignant and compelling. I thought they were quite articulate and believable. The ex-gay ministries they attended used many of the gender re-arranging techniques that often is singled out for ridicule (e.g., lessons for guys in how to cross and uncross their legs, make up sessions for girls). Richard Cohen is singled out by name for his tennis raquet beating, and client cuddling. As I have noted in past blog entries, there are things done in the name of reorientation that are bizarre and potentially quite damaging. In my opinion, if social conservatives were more self-correcting, then these excesses and strange practices would not be considered part of the mainstream. I can understand how critics would find the most bizarre stuff and attempt to paint an entire world view with the brush of the strange. I would expect that from an advocacy group. I don’t expect it from the psychiatrists who made this video.

Ariel Shidlo said on camera that almost anything has been used in ex-gay therapy and then listed many modalities of treatment and methods of intervention. However, no research has been able to point out what on that list leads to the harm described by the people on this video. We should try to find out what leads to poor outcomes and what leads to the positive outcomes that others report.

There were distortions on this video. Shidlo and Schroeder’s study was presented as a study of how ineffective change was, citing 13% positive outcomes. It was not mentioned that the study was designed to understand those who were harmed and did not directly appeal to those who felt benefit from therapy until the study was nearly completed. The study was not a representative study and in that sense is a counterpart to the study of those who said reorientation was helpful conducted by Robert Spitzer. David Scasta said that the professions considered “the data” in arriving at their consensus against reorientation therapy. He did not mention that: one, the professions had issued negative advisories in advance of data and two, that there are no representative studies of reorientation therapy. Wayne Besen again said all founders had gone back to gay, distorting the actual LIA and Exodus histories. In fairness, I suspect his part was filmed before Michael Bussee came forward and acknowledged that he and Cooper were not the only founders of Exodus.

In all, as with most videos of this genre (mine included), the strongest aspect of the film was the stories of real people. I would never try to argue with their experiences and found myself wanting to talk to them to find out more about what they had experienced and what could be learned. However, due to the limitations I noted, I suspect the video will mostly preach to the choir.

View from this side of the pond: Albert Mohler on sexual orientation

This blog post articulates a view of research (and message to Evangelicals) from a theologian that is not far from my own. This is a significant statement from a very prominent Evangelical.

Dr. Mohler ends with this observation:

Christians must be very careful not to claim that science can never prove a biological basis for sexual orientation. We can and must insist that no scientific finding can change the basic sinfulness of all homosexual behavior. The general trend of the research points to at least some biological factors behind sexual attraction, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This does not alter God’s moral verdict on homosexual sin (or heterosexual sin, for that matter), but it does hold some promise that a deeper knowledge of homosexuality and its cause will allow for more effective ministries to those who struggle with this particular pattern of temptation. If such knowledge should ever be discovered, we should embrace it and use it for the greater good of humanity and for the greater glory of God.

I understand that some regular readers will take exception to his theological view of homoeroticism. My point here is to note that a major Evangelical leader has acknowledged the potential role of prenatal factors for some homosexuality which seems to be at odds with the prevailing view the U.S..

At least one influential Evangelical blogger has taken note as well. As has Andrew Sullivan.