Pediatrician Group Targets US Schools With Anti-Gay Propaganda

The group’s 15 members call their organization American College of Pediatricians. The stance taken by the group contradicts the official position of the 60,000-member American Academy of Pediatrics, in that it claims that GLBT youth are simply passing through a "transient phase," and that homosexuality can be reversed or "cured." Although it is not uncommon for heterosexual adolescents to experiment, their sexuality becomes clear soon enough; gay and lesbian youth go through the same process.

On page 2, Just the Facts [About Sexual Orientation and Youth] noted, "Typically, sexual orientation conversion therapy is promoted by providers who have close ties to religious institutions and organizations." Science, however, suggests that attempts to "cure" gays are not helpful and may be harmful. The American Medical Association has adopted a resolution to "oppose any psychiatric treatment, such as ’reparative’ or ’conversion’ therapy," and other professional health groups--including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Counseling Association, have similarly rejected such therapies. Moreover, the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973.

Despite the name, ACP is not a institute of higher learning. Nor is it a professional organization for pediatricians. This is an advocacy group dedicated to political goals which is using an authoritative sounding name to fool the unaware.

[O]ne section of the [ACP] site is dedicated to drawing the attention of "Policy Makers," and the group’s "Pediatric Psychosocial Development Committee" includes an array of individuals closely associated with anti-group NARTH, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality--including NARTH’s founder, Joe Nicolosi, and Dean Byrd, who has served as a NARTH president as well as being associated with Evergreen, a group for "ex-gay" Mormons, Box Turtle Bulletin reported.

"With connections this deep to an organization whose primary function is to generate anti-gay propaganda masquerading as scientific research, it should not be too surprising that the American College of Pediatrics [sic] uses the same tactics," the Box Turtle Bulletin article said. "Their letter to the schools is rife with lies, misrepresentations, distortions and outright fraud. In fact, there is little there that has any distant relationship to truth."

Social institutions interweave throughout society, social intolerance to homosexuality affects the mental health of gay youth, and attitudes of, comments about and reactions to homosexual orientation reinforce suicidal behavior. Though change is slow, the society as a whole need to provide gay youth the same access to support and social activities afforded other youth in order to reduce their isolation and enhance their socialization skills to reduce the sense of despair at this age of development. 

No school should rely on this bogus organization for truth. They have none to offer.