Chaim Levin, one of the four men in a
lawsuit which claims “ex-gay” therapy violates New Jersey's
Consumer Fraud Act, has described the therapy as not kosher.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)
filed the first-of-its-kind lawsuit on behalf of the men who say Jews
Offering New Alternatives for Healing (JONAH) fraudulently claimed to
provide services that “convert” people from gay to straight.
JONAH founder Arthur Goldberg, a former attorney who was disbarred,
and counselor Alan Downing are named in the suit.
Appearing on cabler Current's Say
Anything! Levin told host Joy Behar that discussing the details
of the therapy was important because “they've been operating in the
shadows, in secrecy.”
According to the lawsuit, Levin was
sent to JONAH by his parents at age 16 after he disclosed to them
that he was gay. He attended weekly sessions conducted by Downing
for 18 months.
Levin said on the show that during one
session, Downing instructed him to undress in front of a mirror,
which the therapist explained represented “stripping negative
layers that I feel about my masculinity.”
“Alan Downing in particular is always
very touchy-feely, especially with the younger guys. Looking back
and reflecting on it, it wasn't kosher,” he said. (The video is
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