I interacted with the author online a bit and was assured that this wasn't an ex-gay book. The author merely wanted people to know that even if they have experienced same-sex attraction during the life -- like he says that he did back in his teens -- they can still make the choice to date people of the opposite sex.
Much to Husband Mark's chagrin, I ended up getting "Orientation and Choice" by my Kindle. (Though he was less concerned when I told him that it didn't cost me anything to obtain the book.)
I'm not sure that I would called "Orientation and Choice" an ex-gay book. You could arguably call it "Side B" in its approach. Reading the book, it's clear that Robinson believes that heterosexual relationship are the way to be and same-sex relationships are shameful and worth making the effort to avoid.
And despite Robinson's assertions that he's not an advocate for conversion therapy, he really is an advocate for conversion therapy. I mean, he believes that people -- including teens -- should have the right to voluntarily seek conversion therapy (or reparative therapy, or ex-gay ministries, or whatever) and that states shouldn't ban such treatments for those who are seeking it. But he's still an advocate for it.
I'm getting ahead of myself though.... David Robinson's 57-page e-book shares his personal dating and sexual story. Here is the nutshell: Way back in 1967, Robinson was sexually aroused by other boys when he was a young teen. He was particularly aroused when he saw athletically fit peers in the shower room. An adult at his school noticed his erections and discouraged him from any thoughts he might've had about dating other boys. "He told me that the penis, when erect, is designed to fit into a vagina. It was his way of telling me that sex should be between a male and female, not two males. I thought about it. It made sense to me. It is anatomically correct. It is how babies are made. I concluded that dating, romance, sex, and marriage should be between a male and female."
That didn't stop Robinson from masturbating to thoughts of other boys in 1967 and 1968. And it didn't stop him from kissing a 15-year-old friend's arm one summer while at the pool. But Robinson made clear that he has never touched another man's penis. And he's never kissed another man on the mouth. In fact, he's never had any sexual contact with another man except for that one kiss on the arm way back in 1968. So don't even think that he's messed around with anything but girls throughout his lifetime.
And we learn lots about his dating history in this book. He was dating girls exclusively by his late teens and he became sexually active with women in his twenties. And it took some time for him to find his type, but Robinson shared that he's sexually attracted to physically fit and muscular women. In fact, he actively encouraged one of his girlfriends to get into female bodybuilding back in his early 30s. He eventually met the woman who would become his wife in 1997 and married her a few years later. And they appear to be happy together, which is great.
Robinson's concern is that boys like him -- those who found themselves sexually aroused by other boys in their early teens when their hormones are bouncing around and essentially getting exciting by anything and everything -- are now being pressured by GSAs and LGBTQ activists into identifying as gay too young and being told that they have to date others of the same-sex. He's also concerned that no therapists will be allowed to help them overcome those presumably false sexual identifies because of state bans on conversion therapy.
I shared on the Facebook page that I believe that most of his impression about what constitutes therapeutic interventions is completely messed up. Listed below are various statements that he believes effective therapists would use to help boy and girls to overcome their same-sex attraction. I laughingly questioned those statements (particularly the "It's Adam and Eve..." statement). He assured me that these are real quotes from real therapists. I asked for the therapeutic model that "Adam/Eve VS. Adam/Steve" falls under. It's Christian counseling, by the way.
I pointed out on Facebook that pretty much nobody is going to stick with a false queer sexual orientation and dating history for long if they aren't actually queer. They just aren't. I don't disagree that some people go through periods of confusion and even same-sex sexual experimentation. But there isn't the societal pressure to adopt a false queer identity like there is for people to adopt a false straight identity. And GSA leaders certainly aren't going out of their way to tell teen members that they must date members of the same-sex, or to adopt any particular sexual identity. They will be there for them and support them as they make their own decisions, but nobody is telling them to do anything.
I also claimed -- though Robinson outright disputed this opinion -- that a therapist can still help a questioning teen (or adult) process questions about their sexual orientation and gender identity dispite bans on conversion therapy. Part of being a therapist is allowing a patient to walk down a road and then reflecting on that journey with their therapist. The therapist shouldn't actually steer the journey and push for orientation change. But I cannot imagine any therapist that I know -- and I actually know many -- telling a questioning boy that he can only date other boys as he gradually realizes that he's actually straight (or bisexual, or pansexual, or asexual, etc...).
Ultimately, Robinson just wants to provide men with the choice to date women and women with the choice to date men. And he's hoping that his story will inspire that choice.
But really, he wants to make sure that state continue to allow licensed therapists with the ability to tell questioning teens that they should choose opposite-sex dating partners because "it's Adam and Even, not Adam and Steve," among other therapeutic messages. Which is most troubling to me. And it's been very troubling to most every queer person who found themselves on the receiving end of this Facebook marketing effort.
You can obtain "Orientation and Choice: One Man's Sexual Journey" here and make a choice for yourself.