NARTH Rips Psychologists' for Sanctioning Homosexual 'Marriage'

by Jody Brown
August 2, 2004

(AgapePress) - The American Psychological Association's recent endorsement of homosexual "marriage" is based on "flawed" beliefs, a secular humanist worldview -- and the recommendation of a "group of gay and lesbian clinicians." That's according to a group of psychiatrists and behavioral scientists who are dedicated to the treatment and prevention of homosexuality.

Last week the APA issued a press release announcing its official endorsement of same-sex marriage and homosexual adoption. The APA said denial of access to marriage to same-sex couples is "unfair and discriminatory." The resolutions adopted by APA were based on recommendations from the organization's Working Group on Same-Sex Family and Relationships, chaired by homosexual activist Dr. Armand Cerbone. (See Earlier Article)

But Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), says the APA is allowing "politics" to rule in this case. "They've let political activists take over the APA in this particular area," Nicolosi says, "and these activists are giving us their own, values-laden 'take' on the issues."

According to Nicolosi, a foundational belief in the APA is that there is no real difference between men and woman, resulting in a philosophy that says mothers and fathers are interchangeable. "With such a worldview," he says, "gay and straight relationships look the same -- then gay marriage starts to look as if it were no different from the natural, biological family."

Nicolosi accuses the APA of ignoring research-proven facts. Research, he says, shows that homosexual men and women are less "psychologically healthy" than heterosexuals. "[But] the APA simply dismisses it, saying that the psychological problems are due solely to society's homophobia," the NARTH leader explains.

NARTH's publications director, Linda Nicolosi, says because there is no basic agreement on what constitutes such things as "healthy sexuality" and "healthy families," the situation simply involves two philosophical groups -- the APA and the traditionalists -- disagreeing with one another. But there is something of a paradox, she says.

"[T]he irony is, the APA gets to have the unfair advantage of calling itself 'scientific' while the other side is labeled 'religious," she states. "In reality, the APA is recommending nothing more than its own secular humanist worldview - a worldview that most of America simply doesn't share."

A Little One-Sided?
In addition, NARTH explains why it believes the APA working group that made the recommendations is not exactly unbiased.

The chairman of the working group, Dr. Armand Cerbone, has been honored by both the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues, and the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. Other members of the group, according to NARTH, include an editor of a book addressing "psychological perspectives" on homosexual issues, and a founding member of an APA group focusing on homosexual issues, and an editorial board member of "Contemporary Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Psychology."

A fifth working group member, NARTH says, is a deaf lesbian who, along with her deaf "partner," was profiled by the Washington Post in Spring 2002. The lesbian couple, through artificial insemination from a deaf male donor, had hoped to purposely create a child with hearing loss. "[The couple does] not consider deafness a medical condition, but a cultural identity," NARTH states. "They wanted a child that would fit into their deaf community."

Simply put, NARTH says, the APA working group behind the organization's endorsement of homosexual marriage and homosexual adoption consists of "gay activists."