from About NARTH

THE RIGHT TO TREATMENT

NARTH seeks to support the many homosexual men and women who are profoundly distressed by their condition. Homosexuality is experienced by them as completely contrary to their value system and their conviction that all men and women would normally be heterosexual were it not for disturbances in their early lives.

We acknowledge that many homosexual men and women do not wish to change their psychosexual adaptation, and we respect their wishes not to seek therapy. Furthermore we do not wish to diminish the rights of homosexually oriented people in society.

However, we believe that treatment should be offered to those who voluntarily seek it. NARTH works to protect the rights of clients who do seek treatment, as well as the rights of the therapists who treat them. We stand by the conviction that while biological factors may influence gender identity (and subsequent homosexuality) in some people, the condition is primarily developmental in origin, and it is--to differing degrees--responsive to psychotherapeutic measures. Therapy is aimed at decreasing unwanted homosexual attractions and increasing heterosexual responsiveness, with the understanding that substantial change will require a longterm growth process.

NARTH will serve, we hope, to balance the one-sided perspective disseminated by the media and our own psychological and psychiatric professional organizations.