Bans on the dangerous practice, condemned by national mental health organizations, could soon be struck down
H
omosexuality is an illness that therapists can and should cure: that’s the rationale for “conversion therapy”, a practice promoted as a way to change an individual’s sexual orientation from gay to straight.
But a host of studies conclude that such counseling doesn’t work – small wonder, since sexual orientation is a core part of an individual’s identity. It’s also potentially harmful, especially for minors. Research shows that youth subjected to conversion practices, often at the insistence of misguided parents, are prone to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness and suicide.
Until recently, this medieval practice seemed destined for the dustbin of discredited psychological theories. National mental health associations have recommended that the practice be prohibited, because it’s based on the homophobic “assumption that diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are mental illnesses”, as the American Psychiatric Association puts it. Twenty-three states have banned it for minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project.
