The AgapePress is reporting that Dr. Warren Throckmorton has expressed concerns about Richard Cohen and his unorthodox reparative therapy practices.
Psychologist Dr. Warren Throckmorton, director of college counseling at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, maintains a blog on sexual identity change therapy and related information for interested individuals. He is not a reparative therapist, but he claims Cohen’s techniques as demonstrated on CNN are bizarre and are not based on solid research.
I agree that Cohen’s methods are extreme and are embarrasing to the ex-gay movement. I do question, however, the assumption that there are any techniques that are based on solid research. Unfortunately, there has not been solid research to determine whether, and to what extent, any techniques are effective.
Throckmorton has severed some ties with Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), an anti-gay advocacy organization, resulting from Cohen’s continued presidency of that organization.
Throckmorton has notified PFOX that, although he supports its mission and its belief that people are not born homosexual, he will not represent the group as long as Cohen remains its board president.
There may have been a simplification of Throckmorton’s position as I recall that Throckmorton has indicated that some people are born without a sexual attraction to the opposite sex and has recognized that some same sex attraction is “owed” to biological factors.
Nonetheless, I commend Warren on his decision. By removing his credibility from practitioners of strange methods like “holding therapy” and bioenergetics, Throckmorton brings the ex-gay movement one step closer to accountability.
I further wish Dr. Throckmorton well in his endeavor to establish guidelines for those few counselors who believe that reorientation yields results. I would also encourage the doctor to consider the determination of the goals and expectations of the participants – whether heterosexuality, celibacy, or “tools” for resisting temptation – and the tracking of the meeting of those goals and expectations as part of the protocol.
Last September, long before Richard Cohen’s appearance on CNN, Cohen appeared on The Howard Stern Show.
Afterward, Cohen posed for several photographs with Stern’s co-hosts — two of whom had removed their pants in mock titillation of Cohen. The photos were posted for a time on Stern’s web site, but are now gone.
However, XGW saved one of the photographs here. WARNING: Contains pixelated frontal and rear male nudity. Wayne Besen’s web site features a less offensive pose.
As one can see, Cohen appeared to be in on the prank.
PFOX should have disciplined Cohen then, and it amazes me that a group of supposedly concerned and morally conservative parents would continue to retain Cohen now.
Sexually troubled people and their families deserve respect and credible representation; PFOX treats them like suckers.
Oh yes, Matthew 18. I think Cohen’s already well and truly had his verse 15 and 16 over the years. On to verse 17. (and let’s all pretend v24 onwards were never written. Look, it’s that s-word again… ick)
This is a welcome public spat. The exact reasons are not all that clear, but anyone of a mind could go find out for themself I guess. And let’s see how PFOX, FOF, Exodus et al play this out in the longer term…
I also commend Throckmorton for distancing himself from Cohen/PFOX and for working on guidelines for ex-gay therapists. Although I disagree for the need for “therapy” to change sexual attractions, there should be minimum professional, ethical, and therapeutic standards.
Also, it is significant that AFA’s AgapePress publicized the Cohen controversy. It would seem the same fundamentalist “news” organization that refuses to even use the word ‘gay’ may even be backing away from Cohen.
Cohen seems to have low profile among fundamentalist Christian organizations which may indicate that he is considered fringe even among right-wingers. However, I did find a 2005 CBN.com article(1) that referred to him as “Doctor Richard Cohen”.
(1) https://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/cbnnewswatch/newswatch050512.aspx
This is the section that Cohen was referencing:
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
“Oh yes, Matthew 18. I think Cohen’s already well and truly had his verse 15 and 16 over the years.”
But that only applies if you recognize someone as your “brother”. And Cohen would certainly not recognize a gay Christian as his brother, no matter how often we came to him to show him his sin against us.
Actually, Timothy, and correct me if I’m wrong — but I’m fairly sure Warren Throckmorton is not a gay Christian. 🙂
Cohen was objecting to Throckmorton’s public comments.
Yes, but I was assuming that when you said that “Cohen’s already well and truly had his verse 15 and 16 over the years”, you were referring to those brothers over the years that had confronted him with his bizarre and non-Christian behavior. And the only Christians I knew who were confronting Cohen during that time were gay Christians whom he would probably not consider to be his brothers.
Sorry if I misunderstood you. I guess i just proved the old saying about assuming.