DSM-V to approve of ex-gay therapy?

The APA has created a task force appointed to revise the Manual for Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in preparation for the DSM-V.

On the Task Force, named as Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Chair, we find Dr. Kenneth Zucker, from Toronto's infamous Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH, formerly the Clarke Institute). Dr. Zucker is infamous for utilizing reparative (i.e. "ex-gay") therapy to "cure" gender-variant children. Named to his work group, we find Zucker's mentor, Dr. Ray Blanchard, Head of Clinical Sexology Services at CAMH and creator of the theory of autogynephilia, categorized as a paraphilia and defined as "a man's paraphilic tendency to be sexually aroused by the thought or image of himself as a woman."

A danger that gay and lesbian communities need to be cognizant of is that if Zucker and company entrench conversion therapy in the DSM-V, then it is a clear, dangerous step toward also legitimizing ex-gay therapy and re-stigmatizing homosexuality.

[1noteasilyfooled]

It will never happen.. The APA is alot smarter than zucker thinks.

[bienentendu25]

Oh, I can only hope this will never, ever happen!

[LuLu Ford]

1noteasilyfooled wrote:

It will never happen.. The APA is alot smarter than zucker thinks.

He is trying a new tactic through the back door (no pun intended).

" In 1973, Homosexuality was removed as a disorder from the American Psychological Association' s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Second Edition (DSM-II). It was the step that recognized that individuals whose sexual interests are directed primarily toward people of the same sex weren't afflicted with a psychiatric disorder.
When we flash forward to 2008, we find Gender Identity Disorder -- the diagnosis for transsexuals and gender-variant children -- is found in DSM-IV TR. When the DSM is revised in a couple of years for DSM-V, Gender Identity Disorder will likely still be there. And, with the Gender Identity Disorder diagnosis for children will further the American Psychological Association' s (APA's) approval of conversion therapy for children, used in an attempt to gender norm gender-variant/ LGBT children (Think Zach).
The reason for concern is found some of the names in the work group committee -- the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group. The press release identifies Kenneth Zucker and Ray Blanchard as members of the group."

Here is the way it works. If gender-variant LGBT children can be put through conversion therapy, and gender variance can be loosely linked to some type of homosexual "behavior" and backed by "junk science", then the door can be reopened for reparative therapy.

"Another of the key players identified in the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group is Ray Blanchard, famous for his transsexual diagnosis of autogynephilia. As Madeline Wyndzen, Ph.D., writes,
Blanchard's model categorizes transsexuals into two types based on sexual orientation: "homosexual" (those attracted to their biological sex) and "non-homosexual. " A mis-directed sex driv! e causes transsexuality. The mis-directed sex-drive among "non-homosexual" transsexuals is called "autogynephilia. "
In other words, Blanchard believes it's the mis-directed sexual orientation of men that causes transsexuality… Autumn Sandeen :: Gender-Variant Children And Transsexuals Will Likely Still Be Disordered In DSM-V"

[CynMalory]

1noteasilyfooled wrote:

It will never happen.. The APA is alot smarter than zucker thinks.

Unfortunately, any organization is composed of many disparate individuals all with their own motivations and a determined cabal may have disproportionate influence in comparison to their actual numbers. Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance". Happily there are those among us who are vigilant, but also assuming someone else will stop these fanatics from suborning the APA to diminish our hard won rights is a less than optimal way to ensure that we retain them. I fear what this may portend.

[Dashing Blond Prince]

Being that the panel was hardballed into removing homosexuality as a mental illness, there's no reason they can't be hardballed into approving of reparative therapy. Apparently all any group has to do is threaten and intimidate the panel enough and anything goes.

[Dashing Blond Prince]

1noteasilyfooled wrote:

It will never happen.. The APA is alot smarter than zucker thinks.

Erm, no. Do your research. The APA was pressured by gay activists to remove the mental illness stigma. Not smart, just weak.

[Dashing Blond Prince]

CynMalory wrote:

<quoted text>
Unfortunately, any organization is composed of many disparate individuals all with their own motivations and a determined cabal may have disproportionate influence in comparison to their actual numbers. Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance". Happily there are those among us who are vigilant, but also assuming someone else will stop these fanatics from suborning the APA to diminish our hard won rights is a less than optimal way to ensure that we retain them. I fear what this may portend.

Exactly my point. The gay activist fanatics accomplished exactly that. The APA can be bought and sold.

[Robin Hood]

Lol! at all the stupid straight people making a career out of trying to stamp out gay people. Now they're resorting to picking on babies who can't defend themselves.

[DivaJean]

Once again, note how the issue is outlined as referenced to men and "men's paraphillic tendencies."

[Dashing Blond Prince]

Robin Hood wrote:

Lol! at all the stupid straight people making a career out of trying to stamp out gay people. Now they're resorting to picking on babies who can't defend themselves.

You're a heterophobe. Step off.

[1noteasilyfooled]

CynMalory wrote:

<quoted text>
Unfortunately, any organization is composed of many disparate individuals all with their own motivations and a determined cabal may have disproportionate influence in comparison to their actual numbers. Thomas Jefferson said, "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance". Happily there are those among us who are vigilant, but also assuming someone else will stop these fanatics from suborning the APA to diminish our hard won rights is a less than optimal way to ensure that we retain them. I fear what this may portend.

I agree somewhat,however, I have had an aweful lot of interaction with the APA and the field in general for the last 15 yrs or so.. What transpired in 1973 was what it was.. there are many, many more now that believe contrary to zucker and his ilks within the Mental Health field.

[Rick in Kansas]

From what I've read on this subject, the trans community does have a good reason to be concerned about a number of people assigned to this working group as Zucker, bailey and a some of the others have advocated reparative therapy like treatment for GID. For more information on that issue, try this link: http://dentedbluemercedes.wordpress.com/2008/...
On the issue of reparative therapy for homosexuality, while there is one member who in the past has written somewhat favorably on the subject (Dr. Richard Krueger wrote an article in support of Spitzer's study) there is another person on the panel (Dr. Jack Dresher) who is extremely critical of it and has compared the science of reparative therapy to the science of picking lottery numbers. http://www.youtube.com/watch...

While in total the make-up of the panels is less than desirable, the gay community appears to have less to fear from the work of these people than the trans community...

[CynMalory]

1noteasilyfooled wrote:

<quoted text>I agree somewhat,however, I have had an aweful lot of interaction with the APA and the field in general for the last 15 yrs or so.. What transpired in 1973 was what it was.. there are many, many more now that believe contrary to zucker and his ilks within the Mental Health field.

I do speak against the APA but merely point out that the disorganized actions of the well intentioned majority are often subverted by the organized activity of committed minority. Zucker and Blanchard along with their fellow travelers (Bailey, McHugh, etc.) are organized and committed to promote their own version of reality, heedless of the expense of their vision to the innocent. The final outcome of this debacle within the APA will rest on the moral strength of those who are willing to stand up to them.

[CynMalory]

Rick in Kansas wrote:

While in total the make-up of the panels is less than desirable, the gay community appears to have less to fear from the work of these people than the trans community...

The trans community is effectively acting like a canary in a coal mine for the larger LGBT community.

[1noteasilyfooled]

CynMalory wrote:

<quoted text>
I do speak against the APA but merely point out that the disorganized actions of the well intentioned majority are often subverted by the organized activity of committed minority. Zucker and Blanchard along with their fellow travelers (Bailey, McHugh, etc.) are organized and committed to promote their own version of reality, heedless of the expense of their vision to the innocent. The final outcome of this debacle within the APA will rest on the moral strength of those who are willing to stand up to them.

AGREED!

[Van]

Therapy is available to homosexuals who want to change in virtually every city in America and mostly from APA members.

A recent President of the APA advocates availability of the therapy, as do many of the nation's largest mental health providers.

Why harass those who want the therapy and those who provide it to those who seek it?

What's so wrong with freedom?

[Cynmalory]

Van wrote:

Therapy is available to homosexuals who want to change in virtually every city in America and mostly from APA members.
A recent President of the APA advocates availability of the therapy, as do many of the nation's largest mental health providers.
Why harass those who want the therapy and those who provide it to those who seek it?
What's so wrong with freedom?

There is nothing wrong with freedom of choice, those who make their own choice to seek out reparative therapy are welcome to follow their own path. However freedom is not what is being offered when a self professed idealogue like Zucker is making the rules. Freedom is exactly what will be sacrificed if he succeeds in coercing the APA into promoting his vision of reality.
In this case, the reputation of the APA can be used as a hammer to convince concerned parents to brainwash and damage their children before their children have the opportunity to discover for themselves who they really are. This is not freedom, but the antithesis of freedom.

[givemeanswers]

Van wrote:

Therapy is available to homosexuals who want to change in virtually every city in America and mostly from APA members.
A recent President of the APA advocates availability of the therapy, as do many of the nation's largest mental health providers.
Why harass those who want the therapy and those who provide it to those who seek it?
What's so wrong with freedom?

I agree, if people want to be changed why can't they. Just like Transexuals who think they are a man or women and get surgery to change their physical appearance. You don't have tolerance to those who want to change to heterosexuality. Seems a little heterophobia.

[Rick in Kansas]

givemeanswers wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree, if people want to be changed why can't they. Just like Transexuals who think they are a man or women and get surgery to change their physical appearance. You don't have tolerance to those who want to change to heterosexuality. Seems a little heterophobia.

Sorry, yopu couldn't be more wrong if you tried, but the two are actually exact opposites. Reparative therapy is an effort to get someone to become who they are not but have been convinced by others that they need to change in order to be accepted. Someone who is by their very nature a homosexual has to be convinced that the only way to live a full and complete life is by denying that part of themselves in an effort to become a heterosexual that they were not born to be. Sexual reassignment, on the otherhand, is an effort to beome the person you already are, the person you were born to be and to eliminate the physical vestiges of someone who you never really were.
Sorry, but it's not heterophobia to be opposed to so-called reparative therapy for someone who is homosexual, it's an effort to point out the obvious failings and dangers of this kind of psychological mind-games and to let people know that no matter what you hear from those that are "opposed" to homosexuality, you can live a full and complete life being the homosexual you were always meant to be... It also isn't any kind of phobia to oppose so-called reparative therapy for people in the trans community either, people should really be left to alone to be the person that their nature always intended them to be...

[Disgusted American]

Rick in Kansas wrote:

<quoted text>
Sorry, yopu couldn't be more wrong if you tried, but the two are actually exact opposites. Reparative therapy is an effort to get someone to become who they are not but have been convinced by others that they need to change in order to be accepted. Someone who is by their very nature a homosexual has to be convinced that the only way to live a full and complete life is by denying that part of themselves in an effort to become a heterosexual that they were not born to be. Sexual reassignment, on the otherhand, is an effort to beome the person you already are, the person you were born to be and to eliminate the physical vestiges of someone who you never really were.
Sorry, but it's not heterophobia to be opposed to so-called reparative therapy for someone who is homosexual, it's an effort to point out the obvious failings and dangers of this kind of psychological mind-games and to let people know that no matter what you hear from those that are "opposed" to homosexuality, you can live a full and complete life being the homosexual you were always meant to be... It also isn't any kind of phobia to oppose so-called reparative therapy for people in the trans community either, people should really be left to alone to be the person that their nature always intended them to be...

Whatever happened to "Live and Let Live"? As a X-Catholic and a 47yr old OUT Gay Man,with a Gay sister..and 3bro,3sisters who are str8 and who have always been accepting...with WW2 Generation parents who've loved us all Equally..and We them..I can't understand...how hard is it to really "Live and Let Live"...this is America..no? GROW UP you sick Buy-Bull freaks.