Dr. Robert Spitzer renounces infamous 'ex-gay' study. Online education in Torrance High School. Should the government get your gift-card? Justice department sues Apple over e-book pricing. How should Hollywood be remembered? -BREAKING: George Zimmerman facing criminal charges.
Scientist retracts controversial "pray away the gay" research
It was a blockbuster news story when it first came out in 2001: a prominent scientist, Dr. Robert Spitzer, published a study claiming gays could be reformed into heterosexuality. Today, buried in a feature piece in The American Prospect magazine comes word that Spitzer wants the study retracted.
In an article titled “My So-Called Ex-Gay Life,” by Gabriel Arana, Spitzer is quoted as saying, about his 2001 study, "In retrospect, I have to admit I think the critiques are largely correct. The findings can be considered evidence for what those who have undergone ex-gay therapy say about it, but nothing more."
This development is now being trumpeted by gay-rights advocates. The 2001 study had previously been considered very significant because it was published by a respected journal, the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
“This is a landslide, an earthquake in terms of impact,” said Wayne Besen, executive director of the gay-rights group Truth Wins Out. “Our opponents in socially conservative organizations have long-touted this study as proof that people could either pray away the gay or change through therapy.”
Dr. Spitzer was already a major figure in the science and nature of homosexuality. In the early 1970s, he played an instrumental role in the decision to remove homosexuality's classification as a mental disorder in the diagnostic manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The fact that Dr. Spitzer was a pro-gay atheist who had been raised Jewish strengthened the argument that homosexuals could become straight through therapy or other means. It was no longer seen as just a movement motivated by religious or conservative groups.
"Basically what this means, with Dr. Spitzer changing his position, is that Dr. Spitzer has changed his position," said Glenn Stanton, Director of Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family. "He is not the font of all information and knowledge and truth on this issue."
Dr. Spitzer's 2001 research was a shock to many. Besen criticized the study in his book, "Anything but Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth."
“There is no evidence that people can change,” said Besen. “Gay people, like myself, say it’s a very natural part of who they are, it’s a very core part of their identities and their attractions and who they love. It can’t be changed, it can’t be altered, and I think this study went against my view and the view of the established mental health establishment.”
Though Spitzer’s study was influential, it wasn't the only research claiming therapy could change homosexuals. In 1980, American clinical psychologist Joseph Nicolosi founded the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic, which focuses on therapy to "diminish unwanted homosexuality" and "develop heterosexual potential." In 1997, Nicolosi co-founded the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, or NARTH, a non-profit that offers reparative therapy to change sexual orientation for those with unwanted same-sex attractions.
Spitzer's study simply added a scientific slant, which strengthened and legitimized reparative therapist's claims that homosexuality could be changed for those who wanted to change.
"Using the phrase 'pray the gay away' is just offensive because it simplifies a very important and very complex psychological and physiological issue," said Stanton. "But people have changed, and they exist out there. Where Robert Spitzer is today is not necessarily the truth and they stand as a declaration that, indeed, one can change."
Weigh In:
Why has Spitzer changed his assertions? What impact could this have on the rhetoric, debate and politics of human sexuality?
Guests:
Wayne Besen, Executive Director, Truth Wins Out
Glenn Stanton, Director of Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family
Online education in Torrance High School
Online education in Torrance High School? According to a story in yesterday's Daily Breeze, Mitzi Stover, an English teacher from North High School in Torrance, offers her junior English course her online. Her students log on to access course material, take tests, participate in group discussions and turn in term papers all in the comfort of their own homes. For years online courses have been available at colleges and universities but more recently only high school students in remedial or catch-up programs could go to school on the internet.
According to the “Breeze,” a number of high schools seem to be interested in promoting online learning but teachers and administrators want to approach with caution. Even those who are very enthusiastic about the prospect of online high school courses say it probably works best for self-starters while a traditional teaching setting is better suited to students who need more direction and guidance. Online learning for younger students does raise a number of concerns.
Will online learners be isolated and miss out on developing important social skills? Will affluent kids do most of their course work at home, leaving less affluent in crowded, underfunded schools and thus widening the achievement gap? Could cash-strapped schools embrace online learning to save money?
Guest:
Brandon Martinez, Assistant Professor, USC Rossier (ross-EAR) School of Education's online Master of Arts in Teaching program
Should the government get your gift card?
In New Jersey, a new state law is poised to go into effect that would give the New Jersey Treasury Department the balance of any gift card that was unused two years after the date it was bought. The state would then have access to that money, but if a gift-card owner wants their money back they can fill out the proper forms and the assets will be returned to them, no matter when they make the request.
Proponents of the new law say that’s the major difference between the government taking the funds on the gift card and it sitting in a drawer somewhere. They say when the card sits in a drawer the card issuer can start imposing fees on the card after a couple of years and simply eat up the funds on the card. Not to mention that they were paid for the card and never had to hand over any merchandise for it.
According to the lead sponsor of the bill, republican Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, if the government takes the money it will actually be in a place where it can do some good, and consumers will always be able to get their money back — as long as they fill out a few forms.
The law prompted companies like American Express to pull its gift cards from the shelves of pharmacies, supermarkets and convenience stores with similar third party suppliers of gift cards set to follow suit. The gift card industry claims that consumers don’t need the added protection of the government safeguarding their money, they’re well protected under the federal CARD act.
They also say the law is so vague that they have no idea what they need to do to comply with it and if they’re forced to ask consumers for certain details they may run afoul of privacy laws.
How likely is it that rules like this could spread beyond New Jersey? It has been well documented that the amount of unused gift cards nationwide is in the billions of dollars annually, but does the state have any right to that money? Would you like to see the funds on your unused gift-card being used by the state or being eaten up by fees from the credit card company?
Guests:
Declan J. O'Scanlon Jr., Republican Assemblyman in New Jersey; lead sponsor of the gift-card bill.
Terry Maher, General Counsel, Network Branded Prepaid Card Association (NBPCA)
The Department of Justice sues Apple over e-book pricing
The U.S. Department of Justice is filing suit against Apple Inc. and five major book publishers for allegedly colluding to fix the price of e-books.
The lawsuit charges that Apple and other publishers entered into an agreement to remove price competition for retail e-books thus causing e-book prices to increase significantly and guaranteeing Apple a 30% commission on each e-book it sold. The agreement, the suit alleges, drove prices up to avoid retail price competition from Amazon, in violation of antitrust laws.
The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in New York by Atty. Gen. Eric Holder and the head of the Justice Department's antitrust division, Sharis Pozen, and names Apple, along with Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette and Penguin. According to Bloomberg News, CBS Corp.'s Simon & Schuster, Lagardère SCA's Hachette Book Group and News Corp.'s HarperCollins have settled their suits today.
Guest:
Andy Fixmer, Bloomberg News Reporter
How should Hollywood be remembered?
The world of film is synonymous with the city of Los Angeles, and the narrative the industry creates informs the reputation of the city itself. In a new book, USC professor Alison Trope hopes to shed light on the enduring efforts to memorialize and canonize the history and meaning of Hollywood and American film culture.
She explores the tensions between art and commerce as nonprofits and for-profits, amateurs and professionals, fans and consumers all struggle to define Hollywood’s meaning and narrate its story. She delves into the reasons why there’s no definitive film museum here in Los Angeles and explains the myriad behind the scenes machinations that have stymied efforts dating back to the 1930’s.
Trope also looks at how websites like Deadline Hollywood and TMZ change the narrative in Hollywood and expand the reach of the industry well beyond L.A’s borders.
Trope described Hollywood as a "state of mind." "There's a way in which Hollywood is about feelings that we have. It's about the stars, the glamour, it's about the celebrity. It's hard to 'concretize' in many ways," she explained.
Hollywood has been "concretized" in several ways, by material artifacts like the Hollywood sign and the stars lining the outside of Grauman's Chinese Theater. But how can these symbols be used to craft a narrative in a museum? According to Trope, that's not the only obstacle. Location and money to back the project remain open-ended.
"Mary Pickford famously was a supporter of all these museum attempts. Even when the Museum of Modern Art wanted to build a film library, she had a party at Pickfair, but footed the museum with the bill, including the bill for the firewood," Trope added.
The Academy once again has plans to construct a Hollywood museum at the May Company building on Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue after decades of prospects that have not come to fruition.
So why don’t we have a film museum here in Los Angeles? How important is it that the city that owns the entertainment industry also owns the narrative surrounding filmmaking? And, if we build it…where does it go? Museum Row? Downtown? What’s your vote?
Guest:
Alison Trope, Author of “Stardust Monuments: The Saving and Selling of Hollywood;” Associate Professor, USC’s Annenberg School of Communication
Zimmerman to be charged by Florida special prosecutor
Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey will announce that she is charging George Zimmerman in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Guest:
Michael L. Seigel, Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law; Former Federal Prosecutor; Director, Criminal Justice Center