As a practitioner of the discredited practice of "ex-gay" counseling, Mike Rosebush worked for Focus on the Family during ten of the organization's most aggressively anti-LGBT years (1995-2005). From there, he moved on to head up something called "Coaching Confidant," an effort to "heal" men of their homosexuality (which he conflated with pornography and sexual addiction):
He also wrote a book all about becoming an "ex-gay," which spends an inordinate amount of time trying to teach "ex-gay" men how to achieve something that typically comes without any sort of outside coaching:
This work earned him praise from "ex-gay" organizations like NARTH and the now defunct Exodus International. In fact, he has both spoken at NARTH conventions and contributed to the organization's handbooks on "unwanted homosexual attraction" (alongside the discredited George Rekers nonetheless):
[NARTH]
This isn't someone who has simply supported the idea that gay people can and should "change." This is someone who has built his adult career around the scientifically-discredited (and deeply offensive) concept. As recently as 2009, all kinds of anti-LGBT organizations were recommending his "phone therapy" services:
So knowing all that, does it trouble you to know that the U.S. Air Force Academy employs Mr. Rosebush as an Operations Research Analyst for the Academy’s Center of Character and Leadership Development? Story at links:
Air Force Academy employs Focus alum and 'conversion therapy' champion [CS Independent]
Dr. Mike Rosebush is an Operations Research Analyst for the Academy’s Center of Character and Leadership Development. He analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of USAFA’s “Character & Leadership 101: Foundations of Honorable Living - Mosaic Personalized Coaching Experience” course. He began work at the Center in 2011, after working for two years as an analyst in the Academy’s Plans and Programs office. He was hired for his background in leadership development and analytical skills.
US Air Force Academy statement on the hiring of Dr. Rosebush [MSNBC]
It troubles me—and greatly.
To advocate for "ex-gay" therapy, one has to overlook mountains of credible evidence. Every major house of science stands against the discredited idea that gay people can and should "change." We not only know the inefficacy of such efforts, but we also know their dangers. This is why even conservative (and anti-equality) political figures like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are taking strong stands against this flawed and dangerous movement. Both the skewed data and the considerable harms are just too obvious to ignore.
So when you have someone who has literally spent decades of his time carrying water for this movement at its highest ranks? Well, I'll be perfectly frank: it's hard for me to trust any of this person's counseling efforts. If he is comfortable spinning for Focus on the Family, telling gay men that they have to either struggle to obtain erections with women or remain single for life (those are the two options), and presenting homosexuality as some sort of affliction that must be coached away, how are we supposed to believe the veracity of any of his work?
