MEDIA RESOURCES
COVERING SO-CALLED "EX-GAY" ACTIVISTS MEDIA SCREENING OF "EXPERTS" CONTACTS LIST OF SO-CALLED "EX-GAY" ACTIVIST GROUPS TopCOVERING SO-CALLED "EX-GAY" ACTIVISTS
Before offering a media platform to those who are in the business of trying to de-gay people, consider whether such coverage actually adds to public understanding of the issues. GLAAD has an overview of past media coverage regarding so-called "ex-gay" activists. Review existing coverage to determine whether there's any legitimate news value in yet another cycle spent rehashing these dubious claims.Avoid use of misleading terminology. The term "ex-gay" is analogous to "pro-family" and "homosexual agenda." It represents an attempt by those who identify as such to short-circuit audience scrutiny of their claims by getting credible messengers (such as media outlets) to unwittingly legitimize and parrot their claims. It is better to describe what these groups attempt to do, rather than adopt and repeat the misleading terms that are part of their marketing strategy. If you must use the label to describe such activists, preface it with "so-called" (i.e., "so-called ex-gay activists") so that your audience does not misinterpret your use of their marketing language. Also, avoid uncritical use the term "change," another one of their loaded marketing terms (e.g., "Change is possible," "You can change").
Whenever covering so-called "ex-gay" activists, ensure that your audience understands the methods that these activists employ. Those who market de-gayification usually try to avoid any discussion of their methods. And for good reason – reasonable audiences will view them as bizarre or absurd. Shielding audiences from the facts about these activists' methods – and shielding the so-called "ex-gay" activists from having to defend them – does a disservice to any discussion of these issues.Ask so-called "ex-gay" activists to clearly and unambiguously define what successful "change" looks like. And ask why those criteria have changed – and presumably will continue to change – so dramatically over such a short period of time.
Carefully scrutinize activists' claims about the number of people they have successfully de-gayed. The failure of those in the de-gayification business to document and track their subjects over time casts serious doubt on their ever-inflating numbers. For example, in 2003 Exodus' Alan Chambers claimed that there were "thousands of former homosexuals." By 2004, he announced that he knew "tens of thousands of people whom have successfully changed." In 2006, he told the San Francisco Chronicle that there were "hundreds of thousands." It is worth scrutinizing such claims in light of the fact that Exodus remains unable to produce any data to support them.Be wary of those who try to use research to validate their attempts to de-gay people. Those who try to de-gay people often invoke research to make it seem as if their claims are based in science. To date, not a single credible study has offered any evidence that people can be turned from gay to straight. However, those who market such claims often produce studies from legitimate-sounding schools (like "Regent University," which is actually a religious institution founded by anti-gay activist Pat Robertson) or from people with Ph.D.s as "proof" that people can be de-gayed. Before covering (or allowing a so-called "ex-gay" activist to promote) "studies" on these issues, consult with experts on social science research methodology to ensure that such research is credible [see "The Spitzer Study" for additional information]. And if the studies they produce are between 10 to 30 years old, it's a strong indication that they are relying on outdated stereotypes and ignorance of the nature of sexual orientation.
Consider asking those who are in the de-gayification business to provide verifiable statistics on and longitudinal tracking of so-called "success stories." And talk to credible social science experts about the steadfast refusal of so-called "ex-gay" activists to collect and provide such data.MEDIA SCREENING OF "EXPERTS"
One cause for skepticism of so-called "ex-gay" claims is the fact that there is only a handful of people who make them – almost all of whom are paid activists working for anti-gay groups. However, these activists are almost always marketed as "experts." In addition to organizational heads of groups like Exodus and Love Won Out, two of most frequently cited "experts" in this area are Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, the head of a group calling itself NARTH (the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality) and a frequent speaker at anti-gay Focus on the Family conferences, and Warren Throckmorton, an unlicensed psychologist from Grove City College best known for producing a propaganda video called "I Do Exist," touting anecdotal claims about people who sought to de-gay themselves.Promoting activists like Nicolosi or Throckmorton, neither of whom has authored any credible research in this area, as if they are objective researchers or social scientists is part of the marketing strategy of so-called "ex-gay" activists. Indeed, when media outlets pair them for debate purposes with credible social scientists, it simply elevates and legitimizes Nicolosi/Throckmorton's discredited claims.
Just as when media coverage examines medical science or physics, knowing how to differentiate between credible authorities and politically motivated (and usually self-proclaimed) "experts" is crucial for providing scientifically accurate information. GLAAD recommends that media engage in rigorous and independent vetting of all spokespeople in this subject area, before presenting them as credible spokespeople on these issues.CONTACTS
Experts:Clinton W. Anderson, PhD
Director of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns Office
American Psychological Association
Phone: (202) 336-6037
Email:canderson@apa.org
Web: http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc
Jack Drescher, M.D.
Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in private practice
Past chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Committee on GLB Issues
Phone: (212) 645-2232
Email: jadres@psychoanalysis.net
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY
Member, Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Issues Committee, American Psychiatric Association
Phone: (212) 874-2702
Email: bhm7@columbia.edu
For personal stories of survivors, please contact:
Cindi CreagerDirector of National News
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Phone: (646) 871-8019
Email: Creager@glaad.org