Famed Psychiatrist Recants ‘Cure For Homosexuality’ Study
For a long time, as you are probably aware, homosexuality was treated by mental health professionals as a destructive personality disorder, one that not only warranted treatment, but could be cured with therapy- therapy that was by all accounts unpleasant for the gay people subjected to it.
Alas, the idea that you can “pray away the gay” or at least talk it out of people is still alarmingly common, and those who subscribe to such theories are generally the least likely to be swayed by objective data on the subject through such suspicious channels as “study,” “research,” and “facts,” which we all know come from liberal gays hanging out at those enclaves of liberal gayness, universities.
One notable psychiatrist who helped popularize the notion that homosexuality was a curable disorder, 79-year-old Dr. Robert Spitzer, is trying to set the record straight, though. Nine years ago, before Glee and Will and Grace, Spitzer published a study espousing those ideas- but in the twilight of his life, he feels that recanting is the right thing to do.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
“‘I believe,’ he states in a letter to be published this month, in the same journal where the original study appeared, ‘I owe the gay community an apology.’
It took nine years for him to admit it.”
Spitzer says his change of heart was in part due to a patient that said therapy to cure his homosexuality induced thoughts of suicide and other psychological trauma.
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About the Author
Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.
