Regent University's Yarhouse: Don't Focus on Gay Conversion

A recent symposium on sexual orientation at Pat Robertson's Regent University seems to have displayed a possible back peddling by Regent researcher, Mark Yarhouse who for years has been one of the proponents of the "choice myth" on sexual orientation and has claimed that gays can be "cured." Since the Virginian Pilot article is not overly lengthy, follow up with Yarhouse will be needed. Nonetheless, as reported, this is a far different Yarhouse than what has been seen in the past. Perhaps the American Psychological Association's recent unequivocal condemnation of reparative therapy efforts is influencing those like Yarhouse that I suspect want to avoid being charged with unethical practices that could threaten their professional licenses. I haven't yet had a chance to talk with Philip Deal to get more of his reaction to the symposium. What would Taliban Bob McDonnell have to say about this apparently significant about face? Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

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Gay-rights blogger Philip Deal came to Regent University's symposium on sexual orientation Friday expecting to debate a pitchman for converting homosexuals to heterosexuality. Instead, he heard the Regent researcher, Mark Yarhouse, say that while same-sex attraction may be changeable in some individuals, not everyone can change. "For me, in my own practice, I would not focus on change of orientation," said Yarhouse, a psychologist and counselor who teaches at Regent, an evangelical Christian school.

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About 100 people, mostly Regent students but some local gays and lesbians, attended the two-hour presentation and question-and-answer period. Lesbians and gays frequently say their orientation is innate and natural, while many conservative Christians say homosexuality is a sin and can be reversed with therapy. Yarhouse's study focused on those who said their same-sex attractions collided with their religious beliefs. He said his research found that there was "modest" movement away from homosexuality among some Exodus participants, but categorical conversions to heterosexuality were rare.

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Yarhouse recommended that counselors avoid uniformly steering struggling gays toward heterosexuality and focus instead on the best outcome for the individual. That could include celibacy or exploring different faith groups with various attitudes toward gays and lesbians, he said. Deal, who lives in Norfolk, faulted the research project for not scrutinizing other orientation conversion treatments that he said left gays psychologically scarred. He said Yarhouse's research was "a little more moderate than what I thought it would be... but it was still pretty right in terms of its conservative agenda."

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It will be interesting to see if Yarhouse continues to moderate his statements as has been the case with Warren Throckmorton, another one of the high priests of the change myth in the past and with whom I've had my share of e-mail debates.