'Gay Cure' Champion: I Was Wrong

A psychiatrist who revolutionized how people view homosexuality has given a tearful apology for a study that supported the notion of a "gay cure." The New York Times looks at how Dr. Robert Spitzer conducted his study, withstood years of merciless criticism, and, suffering from Parkinson’s, finally wrote his mea culpa. "You know, it’s the only regret I have; the only professional one,” he said.

In the 1970s, Spitzer overturned the notion that homosexuality was a mental disorder, but years later risked his career by concluding that "gay cure" therapy could make gay men straight. Critics lambasted his study, noting he had based it on interviews, not solid evidence. Anti-gay advocates seized the moment, using his study as proof that homosexuality could be cured. Now, one gay rights group is hailing Spitzer's apology, the Guardian reports, saying it "marks a watershed moment in the fight against the 'ex-gay' myth." (More gays stories.)