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The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) is a non-profit organization dedicated to "affirming a complementary, male-female model of gender and sexuality". NARTH is a proponent of the idea that it is possible alter one's sexual orientation and their primary goal is to make controversial reparative therapies available to gays and lesbians who want to try to change.

While most gay men and women do not wish to change their sexual orientation, NARTH claims to protect the rights of clients who do, as well as the rights of the therapists who treat them. As such, NARTH supports reparative therapy in addition to providing an open forum for dialogue between psychiatrists and psychologists on issues related to homosexuality.

History

In his article In Defense of the Need for Honest Dialogue, Benjamin Kaufman, M.D. explains the events that led himself, Charles Socarides, and Joseph Nicolosi in 1992 to found NARTH. In his own words, Dr. Kaufman stated that " had totally stifled the scientific inquiry that would be necessary to stimulate such a discussion . NARTH claims that it is "politically incorrect" to make the suggestion of a dialogue that opens up the question of the normality of homosexuality. He states the reason they formed NARTH was in response to what he claims censorship of a politically unpopular position. NARTH currently claims to have at least 1,000 members among psychiatrists and psychologists.

Controversies

The Human Rights Campaign issued a press release that in 1999 NARTH President, Charles Socarides, had "run into trouble with the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), of which he is a member. According to a letter from Dr. Ralph Roughton of the APsaA, Socarides misrepresented the position of the APsaA in a published paper and a court affidavit. Socarides attempted to make it appear that the APsaA agrees with his positions on homosexuality. He did this by quoting an APsaA document written in 1968, which supported his views and which he called the "official position" of the APsaA, while ignoring a 1990 revised statement that drastically contradicted his views. The Executive Committee of the APsaA instructed the organization's attorney to write a letter to Socarides asking him to cease this misrepresentation and threatening legal action if he continued. Additionally, the APsaA newsletter decided to stop printing advertisements for NARTH meetings because the organization does not adhere to APsaA's policy of non-discrimination and because their activities are demeaning to our members who are gay and lesbian, according to Roughton."

On May 17, 1997 NARTH published the results of a two year study involving 860 clients and 200 psychologists and therapists. Mainstream psychological associations called the study heavily biased, because each of the therapists supplied data only on their "success" stories. The organization did not report their success rate at converting patients with a homosexual orientation to a heterosexual orientation. They did not make distinction between homosexuals and bisexuals in the program. And did not differentiate between homosexuals, bisexuals and heterosexuals among those leaving. This study has not been accepted to be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

• National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, Official Website

See also: International Healing Foundation

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