ABC probes Bachmann clinic’s homosexuality treatments
WASHINGTON - Since announcing her bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Rep. Michele Bachmann has gone under the media microscope. Today, a Christian counseling clinic run by her husband, Marcus, has its turn under the microscope.
A report by ABC News includes undercover video shot by gay rights advocates of clinic counsellors telling a man posing as a homosexual patient that "with prayer and effort, he could eventually learn to be attracted to women and rid himself of his gay urges."
The video was shot by a Vermont-based group called Truth Wins Out.
The network also interviewed a former Bachmann clinic patient, who said clinic staff had encouraged him to read the Bible and pray in order to be "re-oriented."
Neither Michele nor Marcus Bachmann accepted interview requests from the news network to speak about the clinic. In her stump speech, Bachmann frequently cites running the clinic with her husband as evidence that she "knows how to create jobs."
The American Psychological Association condemned treatments to change a patient's sexual orientation in 2009, calling them potentially harmful and ineffective.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.