Announcement by SIG Board
Updates on ABCT's Statement about 'Conversion Therapy' Statement and Related Controversy
Updates on ABCT's Statement about 'Conversion Therapy' Statement and Related Controversy
Dear SIG,
We are reaching out today to provide an update around recent events related to ABCT’s ‘conversion therapy’ statement and to offer support to those who would like it.
Statement, Controversy, and Updates
After ABCT shared the statement last week, many ABCT members (both within our SIG and in the broader ABCT community) voiced concerns on Twitter and in emails to SGM SIG leadership as well as ABCT leadership. These concerns focused on 1) the amount of space in the apology devoted to actually apologizing; 2) the omission of past president’s involvement in ‘conversion therapy’; 3) a particular alarm about David Barlow’s ‘conversion therapy’ research through 1985; 4) the lack of personal apologies from Barlow and others who published in this area; 5) a call for retractions of ‘conversion therapy’ articles given the ongoing use of these behavioral strategies today; 6) the emphasis placed on promoting the documentary screening given the broader issues at play; and 7) a small group of past president’s refusal to condemn conversion therapy unless an award was given to a person who previously practiced ‘conversion therapy’ (Gerald Davison) as described in our prior email. Some in this small group of past presidents also felt Charles Silverstein did not deserve an award at all.
Since then, Steve Hayes has issued a personal statement about his involvement in ‘conversion therapy,’ and you can view Dr. Hayes’ video here. Some others from that small but vocal group of past presidents who threatened not to sign the apology have also made statements (e.g., Michelle Craske — statement available here).
On Monday, ABCT announced they will be establishing a new award this year, the Charles Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award in Social Justice. The first recipient of this award will be Dr. Charles Silverstein, a leader in our field who, as a gay graduate student in 1972, addressed the AABT convention arguing that homosexuality should no longer be considered pathology, and that conversion therapy is unethical. His speech began a dialogue with Dr. Gerald Davison, and prompted Dr. Davison to condemn ‘conversion therapy’ in his 1974 AABT presidential address. This is the award we initially suggested back in April, so we are so excited to see this come to fruition!
There will be no other awards related to this initiative. Dr. Davison sent an email to ABCT and SIG leadership on Sunday officially declining an allyship award. Dr. Davison has two prior ABCT awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
ABCT leadership postponed the screening of the Conversion documentary which was scheduled for earlier this week. As a reminder, this documentary discusses both Dr. Silverstein’s and Dr. Davison’s roles in the behavior therapy field’s turn away from ‘conversion therapy’ practices. We have encouraged ABCT leadership to reschedule the screening as soon as possible, and will be moderating the post-screening panel with Drs. Silverstein, Davison, and the director Mr. Caruso.
As SIG leaders, we have had daily conversations with ABCT leadership and some of the folks involved (e.g., Dr. Davison) advocating for solutions to the concerns raised above (including personal apologies, retractions, etc.). ABCT leadership has told us that they will be announcing next steps for many of these issues next week
Support
We know that this controversy and learning about this history has been upsetting for many of us. We also know that students and other members of our SIG may be relatively isolated and not have other SGM people in their settings with whom to process this. We want to support you. If you would like to be connected with another member of our wonderful SGM community, please drop your contact details in this google form and we will make sure someone reaches out. If you would be willing to support students or others who would like to talk about all this, please also drop your details in the form.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out by email, text, Twitter DM, etc. this week. We feel so inspired by your advocacy, and so grateful to be part of this amazing community. If there’s anything else you would like us to do about this issue, please reach out.
Warmly,
Ilana & Jeff
We are reaching out today to provide an update around recent events related to ABCT’s ‘conversion therapy’ statement and to offer support to those who would like it.
Statement, Controversy, and Updates
After ABCT shared the statement last week, many ABCT members (both within our SIG and in the broader ABCT community) voiced concerns on Twitter and in emails to SGM SIG leadership as well as ABCT leadership. These concerns focused on 1) the amount of space in the apology devoted to actually apologizing; 2) the omission of past president’s involvement in ‘conversion therapy’; 3) a particular alarm about David Barlow’s ‘conversion therapy’ research through 1985; 4) the lack of personal apologies from Barlow and others who published in this area; 5) a call for retractions of ‘conversion therapy’ articles given the ongoing use of these behavioral strategies today; 6) the emphasis placed on promoting the documentary screening given the broader issues at play; and 7) a small group of past president’s refusal to condemn conversion therapy unless an award was given to a person who previously practiced ‘conversion therapy’ (Gerald Davison) as described in our prior email. Some in this small group of past presidents also felt Charles Silverstein did not deserve an award at all.
Since then, Steve Hayes has issued a personal statement about his involvement in ‘conversion therapy,’ and you can view Dr. Hayes’ video here. Some others from that small but vocal group of past presidents who threatened not to sign the apology have also made statements (e.g., Michelle Craske — statement available here).
On Monday, ABCT announced they will be establishing a new award this year, the Charles Silverstein Lifetime Achievement Award in Social Justice. The first recipient of this award will be Dr. Charles Silverstein, a leader in our field who, as a gay graduate student in 1972, addressed the AABT convention arguing that homosexuality should no longer be considered pathology, and that conversion therapy is unethical. His speech began a dialogue with Dr. Gerald Davison, and prompted Dr. Davison to condemn ‘conversion therapy’ in his 1974 AABT presidential address. This is the award we initially suggested back in April, so we are so excited to see this come to fruition!
There will be no other awards related to this initiative. Dr. Davison sent an email to ABCT and SIG leadership on Sunday officially declining an allyship award. Dr. Davison has two prior ABCT awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
ABCT leadership postponed the screening of the Conversion documentary which was scheduled for earlier this week. As a reminder, this documentary discusses both Dr. Silverstein’s and Dr. Davison’s roles in the behavior therapy field’s turn away from ‘conversion therapy’ practices. We have encouraged ABCT leadership to reschedule the screening as soon as possible, and will be moderating the post-screening panel with Drs. Silverstein, Davison, and the director Mr. Caruso.
As SIG leaders, we have had daily conversations with ABCT leadership and some of the folks involved (e.g., Dr. Davison) advocating for solutions to the concerns raised above (including personal apologies, retractions, etc.). ABCT leadership has told us that they will be announcing next steps for many of these issues next week
Support
We know that this controversy and learning about this history has been upsetting for many of us. We also know that students and other members of our SIG may be relatively isolated and not have other SGM people in their settings with whom to process this. We want to support you. If you would like to be connected with another member of our wonderful SGM community, please drop your contact details in this google form and we will make sure someone reaches out. If you would be willing to support students or others who would like to talk about all this, please also drop your details in the form.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out by email, text, Twitter DM, etc. this week. We feel so inspired by your advocacy, and so grateful to be part of this amazing community. If there’s anything else you would like us to do about this issue, please reach out.
Warmly,
Ilana & Jeff
