The huge online retailer Amazon has dropped almost a dozen books that offered readers healing and change from unwanted homosexuality. Authors with books banned by Amazon, and by the online bookstore Wordery, include Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, Joe Dallas, Alan Medinger and Anne Paulk.
PinkNews reported that gay activist Alan Rojas began complaining to Amazon and Wordery about Dr. Nicolosi’s book, A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality, asking them to remove it. On May 31, Rojas said Wordery had already pulled the book, and he asked his Facebook friends to leave negative reviews on Amazon. By July 2nd, all Nicolosi’s books had been removed by Amazon, including Reparative Therapy of Male Homosexuality and Healing Homosexuality.
Nicolosi was a Catholic psychologist who originated a specific form of talk therapy called “reparative therapy,” designed for men struggling with unwanted homosexual thoughts, feelings and behaviors. He knew that many men with same-sex attractions did not want to act on those attractions or identify as gay. Reparative therapy did not promise a “cure,” but worked to help men explore possible factors in their homosexuality; to develop healthy, non-erotic male friendships; and to support men in their stated goals, whether toward chastity or toward marriage with a woman.
According to his website, he “assisted hundreds of clients with their goal to reduce their same-sex attractions and explore their heterosexual potential.” Nicolosi “believed that our bodies tell us who we are, and that our bodies have made us for heterosexuality.” Many of his views were in line with Focus on the Family’s mission and values, and he was featured on our daily broadcast. Nicolosi was also a speaker at Focus’ Love Won Out events, which encouraged parents and churches to respond with grace and truth to gay-identified loved ones.
He was one of the founding members of NARTH, the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, which worked within the psychological community to keep counseling available for individuals with unwanted homosexuality. The group has since reorganized itself as The Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity. He passed away in March of 2017, but he trained a number of licensed therapists who continue his work.
Joe Dallas is another author who had a book banned by Amazon, Desires in Conflict. He also has long-standing connections with Focus on the Family, having spoken at Love Won Out events, been a guest on the broadcast, and written many helpful resources for strugglers, families and churches.
He learned that Amazon had removed Nicolosi’s book on July 4th. On hearing that news, Dallas turned to his wife and said, “I’m next.” A few days later both his publisher and some friends contacted him and said his books had been removed from Amazon’s catalog. His publisher and agent are working on the next steps toward communicating with Amazon.
Dallas says Desires in Conflict is written from a biblical perspective and teaches “about living obediently regardless of your sexual desires.” The book does not promise a cure or complete change from gay to straight, but “walks the reader through a process of repentance and sanctification, and clearly states that if he repents of homosexual behavior he is likely to still experience homosexual temptations, and thereby needs to be equipped to deal with them.” At the same time, Dallas continued, “It also allows for the fluidity some men find in their sexuality, by which they find they have heterosexual responses as well.
When contacted for comments, Wordery did not respond. An employee from Amazon shared the company’s general guidelines for books, but would not be quoted for this story. The book guidelines don’t mention books that help people leave homosexuality or help people steward their sexuality according to their biblical faith.
The group Voice of the Voiceless, which works to defend the rights of those who’ve left homosexuality, has started an online petition asking Amazon to reverse its “decision to censor alternative views on homosexuality.” Meanwhile, Rojo Allan says he’s working toward getting even more books that address LGBT issues from a Christian perspective banned by Amazon and Wordery.
For more reading:
