For decades, mormon psychology professor Alan Bergin promoted the notion that homosexuality is a disorder that can be “cured” through therapy, self-discipline, and heterosexual marriage. However, he never managed to “cure” his two gay sons, nor his gay grandson, despite his professional qualifications and religious fervor. Growing up with this misguided bigot as a father must have been hell for these two sons. However, this story has a somewhat happy ending for the gay members of the Bergin family: Bergin recently apologized for the harmful and hurtful nonsense he peddled. Too little, too late in my opinion, since as a psychology professor he should have discovered decades earlier that sexual orientation is not a disorder and cannot be treated. His religious blinders kept him from seeing this obvious truth until his gay sons and grandson finally opened his eyes:
“As a mental health professional and psychology professor from 1961 until my retirement in 1999, I was among the traditionalists who believed that homosexuality was a disorder and that it could be treated and changed […] I regret being part of a professional, religious, and public culture that marginalized, pathologized, and excluded LGBT persons. As a father of two gay sons and grandfather of a gay grandson, I’ve been given a personal education that has been painful and enlightening. […] To my colleagues, my fellow church members, and my political leaders, I say – apologize and compensate those of God’s children who have been afflicted by our treatment of them when they should have been embraced and loved.” – Alan Bergin
Bergin is just the latest and most prominent of the many Counsel The Gay Away proponents who have apologized for the harm and hurt they have caused with their misguided views and actions.
In light of the belated change of heart of the distinguished professor Bergin:
- Isn’t it high time to relegate to the shame corner of history the notion that sexual orientations other than cis-hetero are disorders that can and should be treated?
- Shouldn’t objectively ineffective and harmful practices such as conversion therapy, reparative therapy and other “change oriented therapies” be banned or at least cancelled?