Comments on: NARTH Goes on the Record about Ex-Con Goldberg

By: More Drama in the Ex-Gay Movement « Walking Humbly. Seeking Justice. Living with Hope. Rabbi Denise L. Eger's blog.

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:27:55 +0000

[...] posted on David Ratigen, Ex-Gay Watch blog on March [...]

By: Ben in Oakland

Ben in Oakland — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:15:56 +0000

Billy– perhaps becuase they do not wish to know anything that contradicts what they believe.

Gravity is such a bitch when you want to fly.

By: Billy Glover

Billy Glover — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:57:35 +0000

Thanks for this information and your work. What I don’t understand is how people even know of NARTH, and yet don’t seem to know of all the glbt websites, publications, etc that would tell them of its unscientific and thus false information.

By: grantdale

grantdale — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:48:27 +0000

Goldberg was the ‘Executive Secretary’ — the earliest on-site ref is an update of 29 June 2004. David Pruden was the treasurer during the period (until they started calling him VP of Operations).

Goldberg was always referred to as “Arthur A. Goldberg, J.D.” NARTH could have had the full history of Goldberg within minutes of anyone searching.

But of course anyone at NARTH could also know that “more than twenty years ago” their entire outlook on homosexuality was at odds with the facts.

NARTH people researched Goldberg about as deeply as they research homosexuality.

By: David Roberts

David Roberts — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 23:10:43 +0000

We know from David Pruden’s first comments that Goldberg’s middle name was Abba. Even if no one in NARTH from the North East remembered such a major news story, a simple Google search with the middle name in place would have given them a NYT story and the disbarment records — perhaps more. Those would have stood out then, though now there is a flood of links to reporting of the current revelation.

Though I can’t find the reference, I’m fairly sure that Goldberg used to be Secretary Treasurer or similar title. Even with their poor record on such things, one would expect them to check into Goldberg’s record to some extent before giving him financial responsibilities.

Remember that there are people out there, some reading XGW, who still think NARTH is a professional organization with high standards. To just pass this latest incident off as “well what do you expect” is really missing the boat I think. These are reasonable questions derived from the facts. Those still unaware of the status over there need to see them taken seriously.

By: Timothy Kincaid

Timothy Kincaid — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:37:06 +0000

"Does NARTH not have safeguards in place?" Are you KIDDING me? After Burger and Schoenewolf? he he

By: paul

paul — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:25:15 +0000

NARTH allows ‘exgays’ to serve on it’s board, so why not? Sin is sin after all.

(There are states in this country where asking an undercover police officer to have certain kinds of sex with you will result in a felony charge)

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:50:04 +0000

I’m not entirely convinced that NARTH need explain anything. For whatever reason, NARTH apparently does not require full disclosure from its members or officers. It’s not clear to me that this particular organization needs to either, since NARTH is, more or less, a political lobby and a think tank. It’s reasonable to assume that initial membership membership requires only assent to NARTH’s psychological view of homosexuality, irrespective of preferred methodology or other philosophical considerations and that these only become important when, in an individual case, they become embarrassing.

By: John

John — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:15:30 +0000

NARTH has never been known as an organization that is committed to fact checking.