Standoff between gays and "ex-gays" at APA convention

The pro-gay organization Truth Wins Out held a press conference on Friday outside the American Psychological Association's annual convention in New Orleans to counter a coalition of antigay protesters seeking to have homosexuality relabeled a mental disorder. Although the APA removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1973, proponents of the "ex-gay" notion claim that gay people can somehow be "cured"—and they want the psychological establishment to recognize that.

"This is the subversion of science and a religious racket designed to con Americans into believing that homosexuality is a mental illness," Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, whose mission is to debunk the ex-gay myth, said in a statement. "This coalition is trying to kill the APA messenger because they don't like their science-based message. These ex-gay groups keep no statistics, they produce no peer-reviewed studies, most of their top leaders have reverted back to homosexuality, and they conveniently disregard scientific evidence that does not conform to their political agenda."

Although the APA's official position is that there is no psychological difference between gay and straight people, many ex-gay followers use thoroughly unscientific techniques to "change" from gay to straight, such as holding exorcisms or drinking Gatorade to supposedly make men more masculine.

"If the quack science is examined, it is clear that conversion therapy is a cruel hoax that is destroying lives and shattering families," said Besen. "The goal of this right-wing coalition is to fool voters into thinking homosexuality is mutable, because polls show that when Americans believe people are born gay, they are more likely to vote in favor of equality."

Following the antigay protest, which was led by the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, the APA released the following statement:

"For over three decades the consensus of the mental health community has been that homosexuality is not an illness and therefore not in need of a cure. The APA's concern about the positions espoused by NARTH and so-called conversion therapy is that they are not supported by the science. There is simply no sufficient scientifically sound evidence that sexual orientation can be changed. Our further concern is that the positions espoused by NARTH and Focus on the Family create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish." (The Advocate)