As SB 1172—the bill aimed at banning reparative therapy which seeks to alter the sexual orientation of minors—was signed late Saturday by Governor Jerry Brown, it appears that the law will be taken to court by none other than its largest opponent, National Association for the Research and Treatment of Homosexuality (NARTH).
David Pickup (refrain from joking: that is ironically his real name) became the spokesperson for NARTH in an attempt to re-legitimize—if there were any in the first place—the organization following the disgrace of its previous leader and Baptist minister, Dr. George Alan Rekers, who was caught vacationing with a male prostitute two years ago.
Pickup appeared yesterday on CNN to announce not only his defense of the therapy—widely panned and dismissed by every major psychological and psychiatric group in the country—but his pending suit against the state.
Most disturbing in regards to his defense of the therapy was its forced use on children, in which he separated so-called “authentic” reparative therapy from otherwise “inauthentic” therapy.
“The other side of this issue will label this ‘quackery,’” he said during the interview, “and put this all in a ring of things that just aren’t true but I’m talking about authentic, profound, in my case psycho-dynamic therapy. Reparative therapy helped saved my life,” he continued, going on to discuss his rise in self-esteem, confidence in his “gender identity” and a general sense of security about himself.
CNN host Brooke Baldwin was clearly against the assertions of Pickup, often referring to their senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen’s consistent proof that such therapy could be harmful.
“The parent [of a child forced into reparative therapy] asks for, first of all, what fits for the child,” Pickup said. “The parent says that the child is distressed, usually because he has had something happen to him in his life that has caused his homosexual feelings. And, the child who is the client, most importantly, confirms that.”
Pickup goes onto say—after Baldwin uses multiple sources ranging from the Governor himself to the American Psychiatric Association as proof that what he does is deemed as some to be downright fraudulant—that the no one “knows for sure” that gay kids are fine with themselves.
Meanwhile, whether NARTH’s lawsuit will see the light of day is questionable. But the law itself might see a gain in traction within other states as gay activists make plans to further the initiative beyond California.