Robert Spitzer Retracts Study Saying "Ex-Gay" Therapy Works in Limited Case

Go to many of the fraudulent "ex-gay" ministry web sites or Christianist financed front organizations like PFOX and you will see them trumpeting (even while grossly misstating) a 2001 study by researcher Robert Spitzer (pictured at right) - a legitimate researcher as opposed to the quacks usually relied upon by the ex-gay industry - that tended to indicate that in rare cases "ex-gay" therapy might allow gays to change their sexual orientation. It appears that this lynch pin for the ex-gay ministry snake oil merchants just took a major hit. In a new piece at The American Prospect, Spitzer is quoted as retracting his 2001 insofar as it gave any credibility to "ex-gay" claims. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how those who are in my opinion "ex-gays for pay" like Gregory Quinlan and the "changed" men at Exodus International try to spin this latest blow to their self-delusional and fraudulent marketing endeavors. First this summary from AmericaBlogGay by the author of the American Prospect story::

For three and a half years, I underwent therapy to change my sexual orientation, from gay to straight, with Joseph Nicolosi, co-founder and former president of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). I've written a piece for The American Prospect magazine that tells the story of the ex-gay movement over the last 20 years, as well as recounting my own experiences in therapy (spoiler alert: it failed miserably). I encourage AMERICAblog readers to check it out, but there is one key piece of information I wanted to share.

Robert Spitzer—the guy who led the charge to declassify homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973—published a controversial study in 2001 saying that some gay people could change their sexual orientation. The study continues to be cited by proponents of "ex-gay therapy" (the notion that you can pray away the gay) as the chief piece of evidence that such therapy works; the fact that he is not a flack for the ex-gay movement and is an atheist made it hard to say he was biased. But when I met Spitzer in March, he asked me to retract the study . . . .

Here are the pertinent excerpts from The American Prospect story:

Spitzer’s study is still cited by ex-gay organizations as evidence that ex-gay therapy works. The study infuriated gay-rights supporters and many psychiatrists, who condemned its methodology and design. Participants had been referred to Spitzer by ex-gay groups like NARTH and Exodus, which had an interest in recommending clients who would validate their work. The claims of change were self-reports, and Spitzer had not compared them with a control group that would help him judge their credibility.

This spring, I visited Spitzer at his home in Princeton. . . . I told Spitzer that Nicolosi had asked me to participate in the 2001 study and recount my success in therapy, but that I never called him. “I actually had great difficulty finding participants,” Spitzer said. “In all the years of doing ex-gay therapy, you’d think Nicolosi would have been able to provide more success stories. He only sent me nine patients.”

pitzer was drawn to the topic of ex-gay therapy because it was controversial—“I was always attracted to controversy”—but was troubled by how the study was received. He did not want to suggest that gay people should pursue ex-gay therapy. His goal was to determine whether the counterfactual—the claim that no one had ever changed his or her sexual orientation through therapy—was true.

I asked about the criticisms leveled at him. “In retrospect, I have to admit I think the critiques are largely correct,” he said. “The findings can be considered evidence for what those who have undergone ex-gay therapy say about it, but nothing more.” He said he spoke with the editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior about writing a retraction, but the editor declined. (Repeated attempts to contact the journal went unanswered.)

Spitzer said that he was proud of having been instrumental in removing homosexuality from the list of mental disorders. Now 80 and retired, he was afraid that the 2001 study would tarnish his legacy and perhaps hurt others. He said that failed attempts to rid oneself of homosexual attractions “can be quite harmful.” He has, though, no doubts about the 1973 fight over the classification of homosexuality.

Spitzer was growing tired and asked how many more questions I had. Nothing, I responded, unless you have something to add. He did. Would I print a retraction of his 2001 study, “so I don’t have to worry about it anymore”?

Having read Spitzer's study and the often scathing criticisms of the study and the biased group of study participants, I'm glad that Spitzer has decided to come clean. As I noted, the spin coming from the proponents of fraudulent ex-gay programs in the wake of this development will be interesting.