National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality

The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) is a non-profit organization that offers reparative therapy and other regimens that purport to change the sexual orientation of individuals who experience unwanted same-sex attraction. NARTH's leaders describe their organization as "dedicated to affirming a complementary, male-female model of gender and sexuality."^[1] NARTH was founded in 1992 by Joseph Nicolosi, Benjamin Kaufman, and Charles Socarides. Its headquarters are in Encino, California, at the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic. Julie Hamilton is the current president of NARTH.^[2] NARTH's leaders disagree with the mainstream scientific consensus and the holding of the world's major mental health organizations that homosexuality is not a disorder.^[3][4][5][6]

History

NARTH was founded in 1992 by Benjamin Kaufman, Charles Socarides, and Joseph Nicolosi. In an article titled In Defense of the Need for Honest Dialogue, Kaufman wrote that Socarides, Nicolosi, and himself founded NARTH because the American Psychiatric Association and similar professional organizations "had totally stifled the scientific inquiry that would be necessary to stimulate a discussion [about homosexuality]."^[7] NARTH's leaders argue that the political atmosphere had changed, making it politically incorrect to make even the suggestion of a dialogue that opens up the question of the normality of homosexuality. Kaufman states that NARTH was formed in response to censorship of scientific investigation of politically unpopular views.^[8][9]

Activities

NARTH's activities include providing referrals to reparative therapists, conducting research, hosting lectures, publishing literature, distributing literature to schools and libraries, promoting awareness of issues of homosexuality, and increasing public awareness of people who seek change in their sexual orientation.^{[10][non-primary source needed]}

NARTH is a secular organization, differentiating it from other ex-gay groups which are primarily religious in nature. Nevertheless, NARTH often partners with religious groups,^[11] such as its partnership with Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing and Evergreen International in Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality. The NARTH website contains a resource list of theological articles.^[12]

In July 2011, NARTH failed to pay its dues to the California Board for Behavioral Sciences and was removed from the list of providers that provide continuing education credits to California therapists. NARTH had been an approved continuing education provider since 1998.^[13]

Sigmund Freud Award

Beginning in 1996, NARTH has given one researcher per year an award in recognition of the work they have done. This award is named the "Sigmund Freud Award", and is presented at the NARTH annual conference.

1997-1999, 2003 and after 2004 there seems to be no winners, and no stated reason from NARTH for not giving this "annual" price to anybody.^{[citation needed]}

Mission Statement and Beliefs

NARTH's mission statement reads:^[23]

NARTH's leaders argue that there is widespread propaganda in favor of normalizing homosexuality in law and education. NARTH believes that clients have the right to claim a gay identity.^[24]

NARTH differs with the American Psychological Association on their views of the nature and development of sexual identity.^[25] NARTH states that they agree with the American Psychological Association that "biological, psychological and social factors" shape sexual identity at an early age for most people. Nevertheless, while the American Psychological Association emphasizes biological influences, they say that NARTH places more emphasis on the environmental influences.^[25]

Affiliations

Dr. A. Dean Byrd is a past president.^[2] Notable members of the Scientific Advisory Committee include Hillel Goldberg, Nathaniel S. Lehrman and Jeffrey Satinover.^[26] A notable supporter of NARTH is Robert Perloff, a former president of the American Psychological Association.^[27][28][29]

Focus on the Family

Focus on the Family's Love Won Out ministry claims to exhort and equip the church to respond in a Christ-like way to homosexuality from "a biblical point of view." The conference bases its "Prevention of Male Homosexuality" session on NARTH's leaders' research. Love Won Out believes homosexuality to be developmental and questions if it may be unhealthy.^[30][31] Love Won Out shows in a statistic according to a study by NARTH:^[31] "500 studies show self-destructive, maladaptive behavior associated with a gay lifestyle."^[32]

In 2006, Joseph Nicolosi represented NARTH at the Love Won Out conference speaking on "Prevention of Male Homosexuality" and on "The Condition of Male Homosexuality".^[31][33] Nicolosi is the president and principal research investigator for NARTH and the clinical director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, California, where he specializes in the treatment of men with unwanted homosexuality.^[34]

PATH

In 2003, NARTH's leaders made NARTH a member of Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality.

Position of professional organizations on sexual orientation change efforts

Main Article: Sexual orientation change efforts

In 2009 an American Psychological Association research summary^[35] included the following statements:

The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality per se is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation.

SOCE [sexual orientation change efforts] has been controversial due to tensions between the values held by some faith-based organizations, on the one hand, and those held by lesbian, gay and bisexual rights organizations and professional and scientific organizations, on the other.

There are no studies of adequate scientific rigor to conclude whether recent SOCE do work to change a person’s sexual orientation.

Some individuals and groups have promoted the idea of homosexuality as symptomatic of developmental defects or spiritual and moral failings and have argued that SOCE, including psychotherapy and religious efforts, could alter homosexual feelings and behaviors. Many of these individuals and groups appeared to be embedded within the larger context of conservative religious political movements that have supported the stigmatization of homosexuality on political or religious grounds.

No major mental health professional organization has sanctioned efforts to change sexual orientation and most of them have adopted policy statements cautioning the profession and the public about treatments that purport to change sexual orientation. These include the American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, American Counseling Association, National Association of Social Workers in the USA,^[36] Royal College of Psychiatrists,^[37] and Australian Psychological Society.^[38]

The American Psychological Association and the Royal College of Psychiatrists expressed concerns that the positions espoused by NARTH are not supported by science and create an environment in which prejudice and discrimination can flourish.^[37][39]

NARTH argues that mainstream health and mental health organizations have, in many cases, taken public positions on homosexuality and same-sex marriage that are based on their own social and political views rather than the available science.^{[40][41][42][43]}

Gerald Schoenewolf controversy

NARTH received criticism from the Southern Poverty Law Center for Gerald Schoenewolf's essay, Gay Rights and Political Correctness: A Brief History,^[44] in which the member of NARTH's Science Advisory Committee argued that "Africa at the time of slavery was still primarily a jungle... Life there was savage ... and those brought to America, and other countries, were in many ways better off." He also stated that the civil rights movement, the women's rights movement, and the gay rights movement were all "irrational" and "destructive."^[45] Schoenewolf later clarified that "No person is better off enslaved, obviously... What I tried to say, before my words were twisted by that reporter, is that despite the clear and obvious evil of that practice, we tend to forget that many of the enslaved people had been first been sold into bondage by their fellow countrymen; so coming to America did bring about some eventual good. No social issue has all the 'good guys' lined up on one side and 'bad guys' on the other."^[46]

See also

Sexuality portal

• Biology and sexual orientation
• Environment and sexual orientation
• Homosexuality and psychology

References

External links

• National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, Official Website
• COPP Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies)
• NARTH position statements