National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality
Encyclopedia : N : NA : NAT : National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality
The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) is a non-profit organization dedicated to "affirming a complementary, male-female model of gender and sexuality". NARTH is a proponent of the controversial idea that it is possible to alter one's "sexual preferences" or "sexual orientation", that homosexuality is a psychological disorder, and their primary goal is to make reparative therapies available to homosexual men and women who want to try to change their "sexual adaptation".
NARTH claims to protect the rights of clients who suffer as a result of their homosexual behaviour and who wish to change this and to "get rid of homosexual feelings", as well as the rights of the therapists who treat these clients. As such, NARTH supports reparative therapy in addition to providing an open forum for dialogue between psychiatrists and psychologists on issues related to homosexuality. (See [NARTH position statements]).
History
In 1972, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a postal vote to its members on the revision of a certain number of diagnostics on the basis of political pressures from the public, the most notable and controversial of which was the total removal of homosexual behavior and, among other changes to diagnostics, the inclusion of an obligatory guilt criteron for the diagnosis of paedophilia in the DSM-IV manual. This event is notable as the first (but not last) decision in history to feature a scientific organization changing its policies on political, not scientific ground, as a result of a vote, at least in the 20th century.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
Following the results of that vote, the APA has taken position to remove homosexuality among its mental disorders and to condemn all attempts at reparative therapy, whether voluntary or coerced, for patients exhibiting homosexual behavior. This decision thus results from a political decision through the APA's internal democratic process ("ethics" being the APA's official justification) - not absolute scientific facts as is occasionally reported. Whatever its purpose and intent, the APA's decision in this matter strenghted the current of politization of social sciences began during the counter-culture revolution, leading to a differentiation in methodology and object from so-called "hard sciences".
Thusly, the NARTH challenge the position adopted by the APA since 1972 through the presentation of scientific articles contradicting other scientific articles supporting the official position of the APA on this matter.
In his article [In Defense of the Need for Honest Dialogue], Benjamin Kaufman, M.D. explains the events that led himself, Charles Socarides, and Joseph Nicolosi in 1992 to found NARTH. In his own words, Dr. Kaufman stated that "[the APA and similar professional organizations] had totally stifled the scientific inquiry that would be necessary to stimulate a discussion [of understanding the nature of homosexuality]." NARTH claims that it has become "politically incorrect" to make even the suggestion of a dialogue that opens up the question of the normality of homosexuality. He states the reason they formed NARTH was in response to "censorship of a politically unpopular position". NARTH currently claims to have at least 1,000 members among psychiatrists and psychologists. [NARTH's website] contains a wealth of clinical and other research which suggests that there is today a widespread propaganda in favour of "normalizing" homosexualily in law and education which ignores many of the real medical and psychological conditions associated with the condition.
Controversies
Theories of thereputic methods for changing sexual bias are no longer endorsed by professional mental health organizations, such as the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Association of Social Workers. Other health care associations have also condemned reparative therapy including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American School Health Association. Professional organizations of educators have also added their voice opposing this therapy, such as the American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, and the National Education Association.
The Human Rights Campaign, which is a homosexual advocacy organization, issued a press release that in 1999 NARTH President, Charles Socarides, had "run into trouble with the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), of which he is a member. According to a letter from Dr. Ralph Roughton of the APsaA, Socarides misrepresented the position of the APsaA in a published paper and a court affidavit. Socarides attempted to make it appear that the APsaA agrees with his positions on homosexuality. He did this by quoting an APsaA document written in 1968, which supported his views and which he called the "official position" of the APsaA, while ignoring a 1990 revised statement that drastically contradicted his views. The Executive Committee of the APsaA instructed the organization's attorney to write a letter to Socarides asking him to cease this misrepresentation and threatening legal action if he continued. Additionally, the APsaA newsletter decided to stop printing advertisements for NARTH meetings because the organization does not adhere to APsaA's policy of non-discrimination and because their activities are demeaning to our members who are gay and lesbian, according to Roughton." Consequently, critics have interpreted this policy from the APA as a liberal bias, deliberately opposing the expression of conservative-value discourse on homosexuality on subjective and political, not scientific grounds.
On May 17, 1997, NARTH published the results of a two year study involving 860 clients and 200 psychologists and therapists. According to its critics, so-called mainstream psychological associations called the study "heavily biased", because each of the therapists supplied data only on their "success stories". Similar critics, however, can be made for studies supporting NARTH's critics. The organization did not report their success rate at converting patients with a homosexual orientation to a heterosexual orientation. They did not make the (putative) distinction between homosexuals and bisexuals in the program. However, this subjectively-based distinction is recognized by advocates of the ontologocical normality of homosexual behavior, but not necessarily by other positions supporting the ontologocical abnormality of homosexual behavior - including NARTH's). They also did not differentiate between homosexuals/bisexuals and heterosexuals among those leaving. This study has not been accepted to be published in any peer-reviewed medical journal. But consultation of the NARTH website shows that many of its research results have been accepted by peer-reviewed journals.
See also
External links
- [National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality], Official Website
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