'Ex-Gay' Expert Crossed-Off Mental Health Advisory Committee
by Jim Brown
March 9, 2005
(AgapePress) - A mental health expert has been removed from an advisory panel of a large behavioral health company because of his belief that homosexuality can be changed.
Last September, Dr. Warren Throckmorton was asked to serve for a sixth year on the National Provider Advisory Committee of Magellan Health Services. But last month, Magellan retracted is offer, arguing Throckmorton's views on homosexuality were too controversial. In a recent conference call, chief medical officer Alex Rodriguez accused Throckmorton of mixing religion with mental health perspectives.
Throckmorton, a counselor and psychology professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, says he expected those who disagree with him to attempt to marginalize his views -- but he says he was surprised Magellan could not make a decision based on principle.
"I think it's tragic that a billion-dollar company charged with the mental health care and well being of 60 million subscribers can be, in a sense, bullied by people who disagree with client self-determination," he states.
According to Throckmorton, Dr. Rodriguez admitted to being more concerned about backlash from homosexual activists than conservatives.
"Dr. Rodriguez did not tell me that the leadership of Magellan disagreed with my views," the psychology instructor says. "In fact, he said 'I know where you're coming from.'"
Throckmorton, who has produced a video on "ex-gays" titled I Do Exist, contends the decision to remove him from the advisory panel was based on "pressure from some unnamed source" that disagreed with his view concerning clients' right to self-determine their own sexual identity.
Dr. Rodriguez did not return calls seeking comment.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
