An 'ex-gay' in Britain

[marshlander]

More news. This time it's in reference to recent activity by these ex-gays in Ireland.

I'm gay and these people claim they can cure me

now I'm gay -- and furious

The idea that religion can offer 'healing' for homosexuality, that it should not be celebrated as part of the human condition, and that it is not a natural occurrence in nature --as nearly all the scientific evidence (not accepted by Core) would suggest -- is, to my mind, abhorrent, ludicrous, and positively medieval in its logic.
My own distaste aside, gay conversion is an issue that needs to be explored, because, to put it mildly, it's not a helpful development in the advancement of gay acceptance in society, or religion for that matter.
To date, there is little evidence that such organisations or therapists are offering these services in the Republic, but with a growing movement in the North, Britain and the US, prominent leaders in the Irish gay support network are not taking any chances.
"It's mushrooming in the North and in the UK and it's a threat on the horizon here, so we're working with professional bodies such as the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland to develop clear guidelines for psychiatrists and psychotherapists," says Odhran Allen, director of mental health strategy with the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN).
Gay British journalist Patrick Strudwick spent several months investigating gay-to-straight conversion therapy, undergoing "treatment" from two psychotherapists who made no secret of their view that homosexuality was far from natural, but rather a composite of "mental illness, addiction and anti-religious phenomenon".
The therapists traced Strudwick's sexuality to depression and supposed inadequate parenting, and even went as far as to suggest that Patrick is only gay because he was sexually abused as a child (which he wasn't).
Since the publication of Strudwick's findings, both therapists have come under investigation by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).
"What makes this practice so dangerous is that there's huge dishonesty about it," says Strudwick, who has since set up an anti-conversion campaign group, the Stop Conversion Therapy Taskforce (SCOTT).
"Reparative therapists package it as offering a service for those who ... (more)

[marshlander]

Found this article by Wayne Besen in the Falls Church News-Press (Falls Church is not a church, but a city near Washington DC)

If so-called "ex-gay" therapists had a slogan it would be, "getting paid and getting laid." This is a sick, exploitative industry run by diabolical and dysfunctional quacks that systematically sucker or seduce vulnerable clients...

(read the bits in between)

... How ironic, therapists who claim to cure homosexuals keep ending up naked with their gay clients. Such lurid exploitation has moved from a disconcerting pattern to a full-blown trend. We need to look beyond the shocking individual scandals to see that reparative therapy at its corrosive core is, in fact, scandalous. Isn't it time these "therapists" shut their doors and finally get the help they so desperately need?

Here's the interview with Ben Unger and Chaim Levin mentioned in the article.

[Lee]

i wasnt around when this was first posted, so thought i would throw in my 2p worth now

From what i have read it doesnt sound like he has suddenly changed sexuality, it sounds more like 'pansexual', i dont think many people have heard of that, but its basically similar to bisexual however they dont consider the gender of the person, that is an unimportant factor. they love the person for who they are, not what they are, wikipedia explains it better than me :biggrin:

But i think even that is at a bit of a push, i got the vibe he was desperate for kids, and that the thought of being able to be a father seemed a big benefit, and made the thought of being in a relationship with a female more barable to him.

At the end of the day i supose only he will ever know exactly whats going on...:biggrin:

[Gareth125]

I don't believe anyone can be turned straight , however it is possible for gay thoughts and feelings to be surpressed and put aside in favour of a straightlifestyle ( so fooling oneself) , for example one involving having children . Being a father in itself is a huge reward , a sense of purpose and something that words can not describe . These claims to convert someone to being someone they are not is simply not possible in my view . Those thoughts and feelings never truely go away

[fenris]

cool ... yesss ... lets turn me straight.too ! .... what do they need ? Aladdins Wonderlamp ? Harry Potters Book of Spells ? Some witches dancing around me ?
and than? When I´m straight .. my partner will be my best gay friend ? Do I like him .. I mean ... uh .. he´s gay ? I think, he don´t like that ...and I must find myself a girlfriend :eek: and marry her :eek::eek:

no .. thanks... an old dog learn new tricks no longer

[Ultra]

Damn, that sucks... I can never be an ex-gay. I considered it. However, I'm permanently gay and that's all there is to it.