Magellan Health Drops 'Ex-Gay' Therapist From Advisory Panel
Magellan Health, the largest provider of behavioral health and employee assistance services in the US, recently dropped a notorious member of the fraudulent 'ex-gay' industry from its National Provider Advisory Council.
Magellan dropped Warren Throckmorton, of the Christian Grove City College, because he mixes religion with matters of behavioral health science. His views are simply "too controversial" for them. And that's putting it mildly!
The so-called 'ex-gay' industry festers with fraud, ethical violations, and pseudoscience. Throckmorton is one of its loudest proponents. Now Throckmorton and the bizarre 'ex-gay' organization known as P-FOX are organizing a hate campaign against Magellan Health. In articles appearing in the American Family Association propaganda organ, Agape Press, and on a right wing website known as Mens News Daily, they are completely mischaracterizing the circumstances surrounding Magellan's rejection of Throckmorton. They're inventing stories claiming that Magellan's "discriminates" against the 'ex-gay' community and organizing a hate mail campaign against them.
Let's neutralize the hate campaign by sending letters of support to Magellan Health. Congratulate them for maintaining ethical and professional standards. Tell them you appreciate their removal of a representative of an unethical and fradulent industry from their organization.
Copies of your letter will go to the administration and psychology faculty of Grove City College as well as to representatives of P-FOX.
Write to Magellan Health.
Magellan dropped Warren Throckmorton, of the Christian Grove City College, because he mixes religion with matters of behavioral health science. His views are simply "too controversial" for them. And that's putting it mildly!
The so-called 'ex-gay' industry festers with fraud, ethical violations, and pseudoscience. Throckmorton is one of its loudest proponents. Now Throckmorton and the bizarre 'ex-gay' organization known as P-FOX are organizing a hate campaign against Magellan Health. In articles appearing in the American Family Association propaganda organ, Agape Press, and on a right wing website known as Mens News Daily, they are completely mischaracterizing the circumstances surrounding Magellan's rejection of Throckmorton. They're inventing stories claiming that Magellan's "discriminates" against the 'ex-gay' community and organizing a hate mail campaign against them.
Let's neutralize the hate campaign by sending letters of support to Magellan Health. Congratulate them for maintaining ethical and professional standards. Tell them you appreciate their removal of a representative of an unethical and fradulent industry from their organization.
Copies of your letter will go to the administration and psychology faculty of Grove City College as well as to representatives of P-FOX.
Write to Magellan Health.
posted by Mike in Texas Permalink
5 Comments:
At 5:41 AM,
Mike in Texas said…
Here's my letter.
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support of your recent decision to drop Warren Throckmorton from your National Provider Advisory Council.
The 'ex-gay' industry is rife with dishonesty, questionable ethics, and frank fraud. An organization such as yours desiring to maintain professional standards of practice is wise to sever ties with representatives of the 'ex-gay' industry.
Two recent studies of the so-called 'reparative therapy' industry have finding that should be of great concern to an organization like Magellan.
Many of the therapists behave unethically. For example 1/4 of patients who had been through the treatments had been pressured into joining, almost none of those who felt it wasn't working were given advice on alternative counseling, and most were misled about the position of the APAs and about the supposed success rates of 'ex-gay' treatments. (See responses of US professional bodies to 'reparative therapy'.)
Only 4% (i.e. 8 patients in the study) reported a shift in sexual orientation from 5 or more to 3 or less on a 1-7 scale of hetero/homosexual balance. Of these - the only ones who could perhaps be classified as 'ex-gays' - 7 out of 8 put down as occupation that they were 'ex-gay' counselors. The eighth person refused a follow-up interview. Obviously there is a serious conflict of interest/secondary gain issue among this group. (More information here.)
A.Shidlo and M.Schroeder (2002): 'Changing Sexual Orientation: A Consumers' Report'. Professional Psychology, Records and Practice 2002 vol 33 248-259.
M.Schroeder and A.Shidlo (2001): 'Ethical Issues in Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapies: An Empirical Study for Consumers'. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy 5(3/4), 2001. Haworth Press.
Once again I wish to commend you for maintaining high standards of ethical and professional behavior.
At 10:53 AM,
Anonymous said…
my letter:
I would like to express my appreciation to Magellan Health for removing Warren Throckmorton, a proponent of Restorative "Therapy," a reckless and unscientific mistreatment that has been debunked by serious and unbiased scientists, from your National Provider Advisory Council.
I applaud your decision and am hopeful that Magellan and other organizations and professional groups will continue to monitor and purge their ranks of charlatans like Mr. Throckmorton, whose personal agenda overshadows science and the welfare of society.
At 4:35 PM,
Mike in Texas said…
I wonder if there will be many replies from the folks on the CC list.
At 9:00 PM,
Wayne Besen said…
Mr. Throckmorten is not qualified and you made the rihgt decision. His work has had a negative influence and a corrosive impact on many people. He should not be allowed to spread his misinformation among real doctors.
At 4:47 PM,
Mike in Texas said…
OMG! You won't believe the garbage response P-FOX sent out!
Thank you for your email. Please be assured that PFOX is not an anti-gay organization -- we are a pro-ex-gay organization dedicated to educating the public regarding ex-gay men and women, and to supporting the ex-gay community and those families whose lives have been touched by homosexuality. Gay men and women contact us for assistance in leaving homosexuality. Ex-gays also contact us for support in living lives free of hate and discrimination. We are here to help both. PFOX’s statement of principles can be found at www.pathinfo.org
Homosexuality is not a choice. No one chooses same sex feelings or asks for them. But unwanted homosexual feelings can be overcome. Ex-gays can testify to the fact that same sex attractions can change and that those with unwanted same sex attractions can seek help in overcoming their feelings. All individuals with unwanted same sex attractions deserve the right to self-determination and happiness based on their own needs, and not the needs of others.
Every year, thousands of gay men and women make the personal decision to leave homosexuality by means of therapy or ex-gay ministry. Their choice is one only they can make. We at Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) respect that choice. However, there are other people who refuse to respect that choice, and endeavor to attack the ex-gay community. Media dealing with tolerance and hate issues generally fail to discuss the discrimination faced by ex-gays and their supporters. Consequently, you may be unaware of the widespread intolerance practiced against lesbians and homosexuals who choose to leave homosexuality.
For example, Cornelius Baker, the executive director of an AIDS clinic (Whitman-Walker) that receives federal funding, labeled ex-gays as “political extremists” who “tortured and brainwashed” teens, although he endorses gay outreach to questioning youth. After receiving “threats, insults and brutal letters” for running an advertisement for an ex-gay book, Psychology Today Editor Bob Epstein acknowledged the “dark, intolerant, abusive side of the gay community.” In his inaugural address, the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) national President stated that the lives of ex-gays served to “terrorize” gays and “deny them civil rights.” After meeting with questioning youths in order to offer alternatives to the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) at his son’s school, former homosexual Stuart Van Dorn was physically assaulted by the older boyfriend of one of the youths because the youth had decided that he no longer wanted a same-sex relationship. Facing pressure campaigns, Detroit’s three major television networks refused to run ads featuring ex-gay men. An Office Depot branch refused to print NARTH’s ex-gay materials. Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan denounced her fellow commissioner for issuing a proclamation honoring an ex-gay organization even though she herself freely makes proclamations celebrating “Gay Days” every year at Disney World. Ms. Sheehan, an open lesbian, went so far as to compare the ex-gay organization to the KKK, thereby demeaning African-American ex-gays.
The list is endless because every day brings new hostile acts against the ex-gay community simply because we dare to exist. Therefore, if it were not for ex-gay organizations, former gay men and women would have no support in an increasingly hostile environment.
Again, we thank you for your e-mail and this opportunity to clarify misunderstandings. Although we may disagree, we respect your opinion. Indeed, we do not ask for your approval -- only your tolerance. We hope that the below Q&A will answer your questions.
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX)
~ Supporting the right of homosexuals to choose change ~
[...]
It concludes with a whole bunch of dishonest screed and out-of-context quotes from their website.
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