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UNITED KINGDOM

Coalition of Gay and Straight People to Protest Outside Anti-Gay Religious Conference

Concerns over potential “collateral damage” caused by aversion therapy
 

photo courtesy GayLiberation.ne via protest organisers.

LONDON, April 24, 2009  – A coalition of protesters in support of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans (LGBT) community will gather tomorrow afternoon at 1pm outside a London conference promoting so-called “aversion therapy” for gay people.

And as the conference got underway, the Reverend Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said she was concerned about “the collateral damage” in the therapy.

The conference, which is taking place over two days in central London has been organised by a religious group called Anglican Mainstream (AM) and is playing host to the controversial American psychiatrist Joseph Nicolosi, who claims to offer a ‘cure’ for homosexuality.

The conference, at the Emmanuel Centre in Marsham Street, also features talks by another American psychiatrist, Jeffrey Satinover, on topics including “The Psychological, Cultural & Political Agenda of LGBT Activism: Past, Present & Future”.

The protest movement, mostly driven by young activists (gay and straight) through the social networking site Facebook, aims to peacefully challenge the views expressed at the conference.

This evening, the Facebook event page already boasted 177 “confirmed guests” and 343 people who said they might attend.

However, protest organisers pointed out that this only represents those who heard about the rally through Facebook.

The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association, and Stonewall have all spoken out against the conference.

Schools OUT, the LGBT section of the Green Party, the Queer Youth Network and the Gay Activists Alliance among other have also helped promote the protest, together with hundred of individuals concerned by the divisive message propagated by the conference and its organisers.

“That some people are feeling uncomfortable about their sexuality is undeniable,” said Nicolas Chinardet, who called tomorrow’s protest and blogs under the name Zefrog.

“The reason for this is clearly to be found in the hateful rhetoric of people like Joseph Nicolosi and those who support them.

“While the Church of England does not support such therapies, Anglican Mainstream believes that these controversial ‘treatments,’ normally the preserve of religious Christians in the United States, require more exposure and are attempting to bring the message to the UK,” Mr. Chinardet said.

“Despite the claims made by Dr. Nicolosi, the Royal College of Psychiatrists said there was no supporting evidence that these programs were successful, adding that such treatments could be damaging.

And Mr. Chinardet suggested: “Rather than trying to push people to pursue the unattainable dream of becoming straight, would it not be better to exert a little Christian charity and be more welcoming and supportive of who they are in helping them accept themselves?”

All major medical associations in both the US and the UK have been clearly stating for at least two decades that homosexuality is not a disease and that it can therefore not be cured.

Last month, the Wellcome Trust published the results of research by Professor Michael King of University College Hospital showing that a significant minority of psychiatrists and therapists are still attempting to help LGB clients become heterosexual despite a total lack of evidence that such treatment is beneficial or even safe.

Research found that 17% of psychotherapists and counsellors have been willing to help gay and lesbian clients eliminate their homosexuality.

“Whilst the ex-gay movement is alarming large in the US, it is shocking to see that this hatred has spread to the UK,” said Mr. Chinardet.

Rev. Ferguson, who has spent most of the day with the media – both broadcast and print, said that therapists who claimed to ‘cure’ gays are preying on unhappiness.

“No attempt is made to discover why they are unhappy – it’s just not done,” she said, adding that the programmes offered by these therapists took advantage of the fear and shame that affected many gays with the pressures put on them by society.

Dr. Nicolosi has denied that the London conference has religious overtones.

But Rev. Ferguson dismisses the claim.  “It’s certainly not scientific – it’s a faith conference organised by two faith groups.

Earlier today, Green Party activists expressed their horror at the conference.

“Being lesbian or gay is not a disease,” insisted Lesley Hedges, spokesperson for the Green Party’s LGBTIQ group and an experienced mental health counsellor.

“This kind of mistaken ‘treatment’ is not just a waste of time and resources, it can be extremely harmful.  It is based on the fundamentally unsound idea that there is something wrong with variant sexualities.

“The World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the classification of diseases in the Statistical and Diagnostic Manual in 1990.  Significantly, this is used by clinicians to identify mental health problems.

“The fact that no reputable and ethical therapist would try to change someone’s sexuality speaks volumes about what sort of ‘treatment’ is being advocated by the Anglican Mainstream organisation.  There is a real danger that people referred for such treatment will have an increase in the self-hatred they feel.

“Claims that being gay or lesbian is a disease not only harks back to a by-gone era but are also about actively blocking the advances that LGBT people have won.

■ Tomorrow’s protest is taking place outside the Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, London SW1P 3DW between 13:00 and 15:00. The organisers have called for a peaceful demonstration.

■ UK statistics show that rates of mental health problems in the LGBT community (particularly in young gay males) are much higher than in the wider community.

SEE ALSO

On the Eve of a Protest.  Peter Toscano on how he spent a few hours outside the conference venue today ... A superb blog posting.  (Peter Toscano's A Musing, April 24, 2009)

Sex and the City – Anglican Mainstream’s Homosexual Obsession.  By Rev. Colin Coward.  Anglican Mainstream is not just sex-obsessed – it is homosexual sex-obsessed. I took part in a 30 minute discussion on Premier Radio yesterday afternoon with Joseph Nicolosi, Jeffrey Satinover and Arthur Goldberg, the Sex in the City three, who are speaking today and tomorrow at the conference in London.  (Changing Attitude, April 24, 2009)

Psychologist Defends Gay 'Treatment'.  In an interview with the BBC, Dr Joseph Nicolosi said the treatment was not harmful and claimed the therapy worked, helping homosexual men experience an increase in attraction to women.  Audio.  (BBC Radio, April 24, 2009)

Doctors Criticise 'Gay Treatment'.  Joseph Nicolosi, a psychologist who believes he can "cure" homosexuality, claims being gay is the result of a problem in childhood and can be treated with therapy. He and the Reverend Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, discuss what it means to be gay.  Audio from the Today programme.  (BBC Radio, April 24, 2009)

Gay and Lesbian Humanists Condemn Religious Anti-Gay ‘Brainwashing’ Campaign.  Plans by the Anglican Mainstream organisation to hold a two-day anti-gay “Sex and the City” conference at a “secret location” in London this coming weekend (April 24 and 25) were today condemned by the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association.  (UK Gay News, April 22, 2009)

American Therapists Who Claim to Cure Gays Headed for London.  American therapists who claim they can “cure gays” are heading to London for a “Sex and the City: Redeeming Sex Today – A Judaeo-Christian Conference for All” next weekend.  Heading the list of speakers is Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, Ph.D, a licensed psychologist and founder of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, California. (UK Gay News, April 17, 2009)

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