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NEW YORK (AP) - Evangelical leader Ted Haggard, in apologizing for contacts with a gay prostitute, said he had sought help to combat a "repulsive and dark" side of his life — but no approach had proven effective.
Even as he pledges to undergo further counseling, Haggard's comments have rekindled debate over the controversial premise that people can overcome same-sex attractions through "reparative therapy." It's a concept espoused by many religious conservatives, and disputed by many mental health experts.
"Haggard is Exhibit A of how people can't change their sexual orientation," said Wayne Besen, a gay-rights activist and author. "With all that he had to lose — a wife, children, a huge church — he had to be who he was in the end. He couldn't pray away the gay."
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