Dr. Phil is phull of it!
Truth Wins Out
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Web: www.TruthWinsOut.org
Disgraceful Show Elevates Fringe Anti-Gay Activists To 'Expert' Status, Says TWO
NEW YORK - Truth Wins Out (TWO) harshly condemned the Dr. Phil Show today, claiming that it exploited Toni, the mother of a transgender child, and placed her in a psychologically abusive situation - which nearly drove her to tears. The episode, "Little Boy Lost," also falsely portrayed notorious anti-gay activists, Glenn Stanton and Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, as "experts" on gender and homosexuality, says TWO.
Dr. Nicolosi tried to humiliate Toni on national television, blaming her parenting skills for causing her child to be transgender. Nicolosi said that her child was transgender because the father was detached and Toni was overly "enmeshed." But, Toni's response undermined Nicolosi's unproven and dubious hypothesis.
"Dad wasn't there after the transition...my son, I wasn't close to at all," Toni replied. "I wasn't enmeshed with him, so I think your theory sucks."
Having their bizarre and outdated ideas effectively rebutted, Stanton chimed in to save face, glibly stating, "No human being is cookie cutter."
Nicolosi is the founder of the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). In 2006, NARTH had two major controversies. In the first, psychiatrist Joseph Berger, MD, a member of their "Scientific Advisory Committee," wrote a paper encouraging students to "ridicule" gender variant children.
In the second controversy, Gerald Schoenwolf, PhD, also a member of NARTH's "Scientific Advisory Committee," wrote a polemic on the group's website that seemed to justify slavery.
Nicolosi is also known for his strange theories, such as encouraging his male clients to drink Gatorade and call friends "dude" to become more masculine. He also believes that "Non-homosexual men who experience defeat and failure may also experience homosexual fantasies or dreams."
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from anti-gay lies. TWO also counters the "ex-gay" myth and educates America about gay life.
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© 2008 Truth Wins Out. All rights reserved.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009
Contact: Wayne Besen
Phone: 917-691-5118
E-Mail: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
Web: www.TruthWinsOut.org
Disgraceful Show Elevates Fringe Anti-Gay Activists To 'Expert' Status, Says TWO
NEW YORK - Truth Wins Out (TWO) harshly condemned the Dr. Phil Show today, claiming that it exploited Toni, the mother of a transgender child, and placed her in a psychologically abusive situation - which nearly drove her to tears. The episode, "Little Boy Lost," also falsely portrayed notorious anti-gay activists, Glenn Stanton and Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, as "experts" on gender and homosexuality, says TWO.
"Dr. Phil damaged his reputation by choosing sensationalism over professionalism and he ought to be ashamed," said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. "Instead of exploring this issue in-depth, Dr. Phil sunk to new depths. He exploited a loving mother by ambushing her with disreputable anti-gay activists well known for theories far outside mainstream psychology."On the show, Toni explained how she and her husband reluctantly decided to let her son transition into a girl after unsuccessfully forcing strict gender roles on the child. Such efforts backfired and her son tried to jump out of a window. Even after hearing such a real life story, Nicolosi and Stanton argued that Toni should have continued a "treatment" that nearly lead her child to suicide.
Dr. Nicolosi tried to humiliate Toni on national television, blaming her parenting skills for causing her child to be transgender. Nicolosi said that her child was transgender because the father was detached and Toni was overly "enmeshed." But, Toni's response undermined Nicolosi's unproven and dubious hypothesis.
"Dad wasn't there after the transition...my son, I wasn't close to at all," Toni replied. "I wasn't enmeshed with him, so I think your theory sucks."
Having their bizarre and outdated ideas effectively rebutted, Stanton chimed in to save face, glibly stating, "No human being is cookie cutter."
"The entire program of Nicolosi and Stanton is predicated on baseless cookie cutter ideas that support their extreme beliefs," said Besen. "It is disingenuous to say otherwise when the very heart of their work is confusing stereotypes with science," said Besen. "We question why Dr. Phil offered a platform to men so at odds with every respected medical and mental health association in the country? And why didn't Dr. Phil inform viewers that these men were considered fringe religious figures with peculiar views on sexuality?"Stanton, who is hardly qualified to discuss gender issues, has served as a spokesperson for Focus on the Family - an anti-gay organization that believes people can "pray away the gay." Scientists throughout the world have condemned Focus on the Family for distorting research on human sexuality. Yet, this was not mentioned by Dr. Phil. Recently, Dr. Lisa Diamond of University of Utah accused Nicolosi of distorting her work - but this information was conveniently omitted from the show.
Nicolosi is the founder of the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). In 2006, NARTH had two major controversies. In the first, psychiatrist Joseph Berger, MD, a member of their "Scientific Advisory Committee," wrote a paper encouraging students to "ridicule" gender variant children.
In the second controversy, Gerald Schoenwolf, PhD, also a member of NARTH's "Scientific Advisory Committee," wrote a polemic on the group's website that seemed to justify slavery.
Nicolosi is also known for his strange theories, such as encouraging his male clients to drink Gatorade and call friends "dude" to become more masculine. He also believes that "Non-homosexual men who experience defeat and failure may also experience homosexual fantasies or dreams."
Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that defends gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from anti-gay lies. TWO also counters the "ex-gay" myth and educates America about gay life.
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© 2008 Truth Wins Out. All rights reserved.
On 1/14/2009 6:29 PM,
Sherri said…
I missed this one and I guess it's good I did. What rubbish.
(BTW, I drank Gatorade once while calling my male friends Dude and my testicles finally dropped. Imagine my surprise.)
On 1/14/2009 7:56 PM,
Suzy said…
I watched about 20 minutes and those two men were beyond obnoxious. I had to TURN IT off it made me so mad. but the woman defended her position well and fought hard.
I lost respect for Dr Pil a long time ago, he wants to be bigger than Oprah. Asshole.
On 1/15/2009 11:03 AM,
Weekends Off said…
I have ALWAYS thought Dr. Phil was an asshole. Years ago, before he was "famous" when he lived here in Dallas his kid went to school with the son of the family I was a nanny for. The mom used to tell me how when he'd had a few drinks in him he wouldn't stop staring at women's boobs and that he was a pervert.
I kinda believe her...she's never been a liar or even an exaggerator.
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