The Choice Myth: A Century of Ex-Gay Treatments Have Ranged from Horrifying to Horribly Unscientific

Despite the latest report by the American Psychological Association Condemning ex-gay and reparative therapy, various quacks and Christianist "ministries" continue to claim that they can turn gays straight. The claims are simply put and actually motivated by two things: (1) the money to be made off of individuals, or more typically, their families who due to religious brainwashing cannot except being gay and (2) the political need to continue to claim that since gays can change if they but want to, no legal protections should be granted. Discover Magazine has an article that looks at the bogus "cure" programs and some of the horrific things done to gays to make them "change." If you believe these therapies work, you might just as well go hire yourself and African witch doctor or voodoo practitioner. Here are some highlights:

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All the major psychiatric organizations, including the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, have warned against therapies that try to change sexual orientation. Both APAs have ruled that these therapies are unscientific and possibly harmful—not to mention unnecessary, since homosexuality was officially de-classified as an illness in 1973, and therefore can't be "cured." As such, sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) are rarely practiced by mainstream mental health practitioners, while many therapists are concerned that anyone who does try to change through therapy may do themselves more harm than good.
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Still, practices like Nicolosi's [and NARTH] have persisted, as has the debate over whether sexual orientation can—or should—be changed. So on August 5, the APA's Council of Representatives took the strongest stand yet, passing a near-unanimous resolution urging mental health professionals not to tell clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or any other methods.
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Homosexuality was officially labeled a mental illness in the U.S. in the 1950s. The debate over same-sex attraction was not new: Sigmund Freud reported on one deliberate attempt to change the sexual orientation of a young woman who'd been brought in for involuntary treatment by her parents. He was unsuccessful, and concluded that attempts to change homosexual orientation were likely to fail.

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Experimental treatments were performed throughout the mid-century, sometimes in high profile cases. In 1952, renowned mathematician Alan Turing was convicted of gross indecency in the U.K. after admitting to a sexual relationship with a man . . . Two years later, he committed suicide.

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One of the most popular aversion techniques was "orgasmic reconditioning"—men would be shown erotic pictures of other men, and if they became aroused, th ey would receive an electric shock on their genitals. Therapists also gave patients drugs that induced vomiting or paralysis, or exposed them to noxious chemicals like ammonia, whenever they were aroused by same-sex photos.

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These "therapies" were generally ineffective—the person remained attracted to the same sex—or over-effective—the person was traumatized and lost all sexual arousal entirely. They "were used without people thinking about whether they were humane."

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Befitting the times, the mainstream mental health community no longer advocates change treatments, but instead supports approaches that help patients cope with the stress and stigma of being a sexual minority. Still, SOCE is still being practiced within a small group of mental-health practitioners, most of whom cater to a population whose religious beliefs strictly bar homosexuality.

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Then there's the larger question of whether science should study treatments for a condition that is not, in mental health terms, a problem. "All the major mental health organizations have concluded that homosexuality is not an illness, and there's no reason to try to change it or treat it," Miller says. "So whether it's appropriate, or ethical, to do such an experiment is a serious consideration."

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I hope the day comes when these bogus "cure"programs are a thing of the past. Unfortunately, those driven by a lust for money and the cynical use of gay lives for political power are unlikely to care about whether or not what they do is ethical. The APA and state licensing authorities need to go on the offensive and close down these horrible practices once and for all.