In the Proposition 8 trial in California on Wednesday, Ryan Kendall testified about having been forced to undergo “conversion therapy” by his parents. Kendall, 26, said his parents discovered he was gay when he was 13. They sent him to the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality in Encino where he became suicidal. He was asked whether the therapy made any difference.
“No, I was as gay as when I started,” he said.
The defense only asked him a few questions but tried to get him to admit that the therapy would work on people who attended voluntarily.
“It is my experience that people don’t want to go to programs like NARTH,” he said.
Stanford professor Gary Segura testified that gays and lesbians lack political clout and that no group has been the target of more ballot initiatives than the LGBT community. He pointed out that Don’t ask, don’t tell and the Defense of Marriage Act were put in place during the Clinton administration and Obama has not been a reliable ally.
“We have to look at the disconnect between rhetoric and action,” he said.
The plaintiffs said they have two more witnesses to put on the stand.
— from various press reports