On behalf of JONAH and for the following reasons, we found Naomi Marks’ letter to the editor (“No Quick Fix For Gays,” Sept. 17), arguing against the credibility of JONAH’s programs, to be totally disingenuous.
Hundreds of men and women have successfully changed sexual orientation through JONAH and other programs. It is important to note that JONAH only works with those whose same-sex sexual attractions are “unwanted.” Those who prefer to accept their same-sex sexual attraction certainly retain their freedom of choice to live life as they choose.
The canard that such counseling is ineffective and often harmful is rebutted by a 2009 peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Human Sexuality that assembled over 600 studies from the scientific literature to directly refute unsubstantiated claims like those of Mark. “What Research Shows” cites documented research that sexual orientation is not immutable, that psychological care for individuals with unwanted homosexual attractions is beneficial and that such therapies pose no significant risk of harm.
It is unconscionable for Mark to characterize the in-depth counseling undertaken by these men and women as a “quick fix.” She should understand that no form of counseling can be characterized as a “quick fix.”
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