Gay Patients Sexually Abused by Christian Therapist: Report
The Salt Lake Tribune, published the report on Thursday detailing that numerous gay men who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were allegedly assaulted by a therapist they were recommended to see by the church.
He has been identified as Scott Owen.The report comes amid a rise in attacks against members of the LGBTQ+ community over the past several months.
According to a report from the Anti-Defamation League and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), from June 2022 to April 2023, there were over 350 cases of vandalism, assault and harassment against members of the LGBTQ+ community.A man identified by ProPublica by the pseudonym Andrew was recommended to see the therapist in 2015 after speaking to his bishop about being gay.
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, same-sex attraction is not considered a sin, according to its website, but same-sex marriage is not allowed.According to ProPublica, beginning in October 2015, Andrew was sexually abused by Owen, accusing him of groping, kissing and encouraging him to undress during their therapy sessions over a five-month period.In Utah, sexual touching in a therapy session is illegal and considered "unprofessional conduct." A professional could lose their license or face other consequences under the state's rule.When Andrew told his bishop what happened, he said he was advised to bring the allegations to Utah's Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)."I left feeling disgusted in what had happened...and vowed to never return," Andrew wrote in his report to Utah's DOPL.
