Here is a typical letter I receive from those who have “successfully” completed Nicolosi’s Reparative Therapy. This just came into my box today from an article I was mentioned in here https://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061116/NEWS01/611160322&template=printart on Thursday November 16, 2006.
____________________
Dear Joe,
Thank you for your article. I am one who went to therapy with Joe Nicolosi. I can tell you that I was fortunate to have found him.
While you don’t agree, is there possibility in your thoughts for those for whom it does work? Those who choose, for whatever reason, that that lifestyle is not one for THEM?
Furthermore, what is the threat? There are 30,000,000 gays in this country, according to the 10% formula frequently used for determining percentages. If there are 30,000 individuals working in reparative therapy nationally, that would be a huge number. I think it is more like 10,000. So that is 3000 to 1. What is the risk. Gays are going to believe and act and do what they want. Is there no room to allow for those, for whatever reason, choose not live the so call gay lfiestyle?
Signed,
What the heck
My response:
Dear What the heck,
I am not sure where you get the impression that I am against those like yourself who choose not to live the gay lifestyle. Nothing in that article mentioned anything like that.
I have helped many homosexual men choose to live heterosexually through therapy. They do not change their orientation just their lifestyle. I have no problem with those like yourself who choose heterosexuality.
But since you raise the issue I will tell you my stance on Nicolosi’s work:
The problem I have with Nicolosi’s work and those in his area of work is the hate toward gays. Even you say, “the so called gay lifestyle” as if you are diminishing it. I have read every word that Nicolosi has published and he says things like, “there is nothing gay about being homosexual”. That is hateful and offensive.
Now if he said, “For the men I treat there is nothing gay about being homosexual” that would be different. But he consistantly bashes and puts down the gay life as if it is inherently pathological and troubled which it is not.
If you or others choose to live heterosexually and no longer have self-hate than more power to all of you.
If the rest of us choose to live our lives as the gay men we were meant to be then it is offensive for anyone to come forward saying there is something wrong with that.
Again I have no issue whatseover with what you have done in terms of living your life heterosexually as long as hate and self-loathing. is kept out of it toward yourself and others. That would make room for us both.
Warmly, Joe Kort
https://www.joekort.com
www.joekort.com
That, and as long as they don’t become political ex-gays for pay to be useful to the religious right in a movement to criminalize our identity.
To those who live and let live, fine.
Good response but I think it is always important to raise the very real possibility of emotional/psychological damage these therapies do.
My problem with making a decision to get involved with NARTH is that it isn’t an innocuous decision, but one that (in every case I know, but maybe not all) leads to greater pain and damage.
I have never been able to find an explanation of what the “gay lifestyle” is and exactly how it is different from the “straight lifestyle,” except from the obvious difference of who does what with which body parts. Is there a “white lifestyle” and a “Methodist lifestyle” as well? Now I find that it’s not even a lifestyle anymore, but a “so-called lifestyle.”
Yes, Narc, there is. Don’t let your friends believe otherwise! You can help them escape the deadly and immoral black lifestyle!