Back in the 1970’s, Dr. Robert L. Spitzer’s advocacy was primarily responsible for declassifying homosexuality as a mental disorder. However, in 1999 he reconsidered his position when a group of self-described ex-gays protested that reparative therapy cured them. Dr. Spitzer performed research into reparative therapy by interviewing 200 patients about sexual urges and behaviors before and after therapy. He concluded that patients became predominantly heterosexual after therapy. Spitzer’s study was criticized by other scientists as being greatly flawed. Dr. Spitzer later realized his study did not meet scientific standards and has been interpreted in unintended ways by some groups. Just this year Dr. Spitzer apologized to the gay community for the flawed study and the pain caused by it.
Read full article here: Psychiatry Giant Sorry for Backing Gay ‘Cure’