Peter Sprigg, senior fellow for policy
studies at the Christian conservative Family Research Council (FRC),
used the death of actor-comedian Robin Williams to promote “ex-gay”
therapy.
Such controversial therapies, which aim
to alter a person's sexuality from gay to straight, have been
outlawed in California and New Jersey among minors.
In a blog post published Monday, Sprigg
compared Williams' struggles with addiction and depression to people
struggling with their sexual orientation and asked why liberals
aren't trying to “outlaw rehab.”
“I ask the question because such
activists are trying to ban a form of mental health treatment – not
drug and alcohol rehabilitation, but 'sexual orientation change
efforts' (SOCE), also known as 'sexual reorientation therapy.' Such
therapy involves assisting people with unwanted same-sex attractions
to overcome them,” Sprigg wrote.
“Why would someone want to change
their sexual orientation? Some such individuals are simply
disillusioned by their experiences in homosexual relationships. Some
have legitimate concern about the well-documented health problems
associated with homosexual conduct (especially among men), such as
high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, of which HIV/AIDS is
only one example. Others may seek help in conforming their behavior
and lifestyle to the teaching of the religious faith to which they
are committed. Some may aspire to a traditional family life, raising
children in a home with both their mother and father present.”
“Whatever the motivation, there are
those who have simply made a choice to walk away from the homosexual
lifestyle, without clinical help – much like how Robin Williams
simply stopped using drugs and alcohol in the 1980’s. Others have
sought professional help, perhaps at the urging of family members, in
the form of 'sexual reorientation therapy' – much like when
Williams entered a formal alcohol rehab program in 2006. Whether
simply through personal development, religious counseling, or with
the help of a licensed or unlicensed counselor, thousands (if not
millions) of people have experienced significant changes in one or
more of the elements of their sexual orientation (attractions,
behavior, or self-identification),” he added.
In 2010, the Southern Poverty Law
Center labeled FRC an anti-gay hate group.