Might Conversion Therapy Work? NPR Says It's Debatable

[William769]

In a story this morning, NPR portrayed the merits of conversion therapy as still up for debate, and bloggers are reacting with outrage.

Reporter Alix Spiegel interviewed two men who had very different experiences of conversion therapy. The first man, Rich Wyler, said his "feelings for men shifted from fear and attraction to brotherhood and connection." The second said the so-called therapy was mentally damaging.

Spiegel summarized the point of the story this way: "So these two men represent two sides of a debate that's been raging in psychological circles for more than a decade. One side feels that therapies which seek to make gay people straight are invariably harmful, the other that these therapies can help gay people who are profoundly uncomfortable with their same-sex attraction."

Not only did Wyler's argument get equal footing, NPR also left out that he profits from insisting gay people can be cured. It will cost you hundreds of dollars to attend one of Wyler's Journey Into Manhood weekends, which are run by People Can Change, a group Wyler founded and that makes money off this notion in a number of ways.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/01/Might_Conversion_Therapy_Work__NPR_Says_It_s_Debatable/

:wtf: :mad:

[kenny blankenship]

1. NPR: every issue has two sides. We're here to tell you the Republican side.

[Brickbat]

3. I stopped donating to NPR when they started giving both sides equal time.

Because seriously, it's like a parody of news.

[Ian David]

2. If Archer Daniels Midland had a "gay cure," NPR would be talking it up all day long. n/t

[ck4829]

4. A lot of lives of gay teens and vulnerable individuals are destroyed by this 'therapy'

As long as this 'therapy' exists, there will be people who will try to push it and families who will expect their gay family members to seek it out. This is not medicine, this is not science, this is actually hate and authoritarianism wrapped up with a pretty little bow and called 'love' by it's supporters. The sooner NPR and everyone else recognize that, the better.

[joeybee12]

5. NPR lost me when the survey of armed forces members about DADT came back with 70%

in favor of ending it, and they said a "significant minority" opposes it.

[qb]

6. NPR is beyond hope. It has been poisoned by RW directors & RW money.

:banghead:

[dbackjon]

7. So much for it being a liberal voice...

[RetiredTrotskyite]

8. I Don't Even Listen To NPR Anymore.

Not since they started kissing RW ass.

[marginlized]

9. Quit taking NPR seriously back in '01

it's been downhill ever since.

[BigDemVoter]

10. Let's see if those assholes can replicate their

"success" with heterosexuals by making them gay! When I see THAT, then I'll believe it works!

[BigDemVoter]

11. Another NPR whore. . .

The one I really loathe is Cokie Roberts. She is out of control and spent 8 years bashing and bad-mouthing Bill & Hillary, although her mother was Ambassador to the Vatican under Clinton. She's reprehensible. I haven't listened to NPR for years.