Texas' Hateful Stance

[Seawytch]

Now they are whining over some kind of therapy that's being used

does it ever stop?

maybe they could use black magic, voodoo that might be better

good grief, hating a frikken state, here's a clue. don't move there


cnn is a pos new source who is sole purpose is to stir up the little children

Yeah, we "whined" about frontal lobotomies and abusive shock treatments too. We "whined" when nymphomaniacs were "treated" with clitorectomies.

Why would the Texas GOP want to make this part of their political platform? It is like voodoo or black magic. Could you imagine if those were in the GOP Platform in Texas? They put this condemned "therapy" in their "fikken" platform.

What makes you think the GOP wanted it as part of their platform? The platform is written by a committee that has the authority to add pretty much anything it wants, and ignore anyone who objects to it. Or did you forget how they DNC changed the platform during the convention despite the floor vote to not change it?

Not hearing a lot of hue and cry about it from the GOP are you? No, you're not. In fact, the likely closeted gay Texas governor is supporting it publicly.

 

[Seawytch]

oh bull, some people will try anything to find a cure..I think you all should MYOB
you people for abortions don't care about what it does to a woman after they have one...homosexuals are the biggest whiners ever...poor poor pitiful us

You're flopping around like a fish, Staph. The Texas GOP put unicorn fart therapy in their platform. That makes them a laughingstock. Let's just hope their irresponsible behavior doesn't lead to more gay kids committing suicide.

Organizational Positions on Reparative Therapy

American Academy of Pediatrics

"Confusion about sexual orientation is not unusual during adolescence. Counseling may be helpful for young people who are uncertain about their sexual orientation or for those who are uncertain about how to express their sexuality and might profit from an attempt at clarification through a counseling or psychotherapeutic initiative. Therapy directed specifically at changing sexual orientation is contraindicated, since it can provoke guilt and anxiety while having little or no potential for achieving changes in orientation."
Homosexuality and Adolescence, Pediatrics.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

"The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy takes the position that same sex orientation is not a mental disorder. Therefore, we do not believe that sexual orientation in and of itself requires treatment or intervention."
Statement on Nonpathologizing Sexual Orientation.

American Counseling Association

"The American Counseling Association opposes portrayals of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and adults as mentally ill due to their sexual orientation; and supports the dissemination of accurate information about sexual orientation, mental health, and appropriate interventions in order to counteract bias that is based on ignorance or unfounded beliefs about same-gender sexual orientation."
Resolution, as reported in the American Psychological Association's publication, "Just the Facts about Sexual Orientation and Youth."

American Medical Association

"Our AMA… opposes, the use of 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapy that is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that the patient should change his/her homosexual orientation."
H-160.991, Health Care Needs of the Homosexual Population.

American Psychiatric Association

"Psychotherapeutic modalities to convert or 'repair' homosexuality are based on developmental theories whose scientific validity is questionable. Furthermore, anecdotal reports of "cures" are counterbalanced by anecdotal claims of psychological harm. In the last four decades, "reparative" therapists have not produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims of cure. Until there is such research available, [the American Psychiatric Association] recommends that ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals' sexual orientation, keeping in mind the medical dictum to first, do no harm.

The potential risks of reparative therapy are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since therapist alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient. Many patients who have undergone reparative therapy relate that they were inaccurately told that homosexuals are lonely, unhappy individuals who never achieve acceptance or satisfaction. The possibility that the person might achieve happiness and satisfying interpersonal relationships as a gay man or lesbian is not presented, nor are alternative approaches to dealing with the effects of societal stigmatization discussed.

Therefore, the American Psychiatric Association opposes any psychiatric treatment, such as reparative or conversion therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that the patient should change his/her sexual homosexual orientation."
Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies).

American Psychoanalytic Association

"Same-gender sexual orientation cannot be assumed to represent a deficit in personality development or the expression of psychopathology. As with any societal prejudice, anti-homosexual bias negatively affects mental health, contributing to an enduring sense of stigma and pervasive self-criticism in people of same-gender sexual orientation through the internalization of such prejudice.

As in all psychoanalytic treatments, the goal of analysis with homosexual patients is understanding. Psychoanalytic technique does not encompass purposeful efforts to "convert" or "repair" an individual's sexual orientation. Such directed efforts are against fundamental principles of psychoanalytic treatment and often result in substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging internalized homophobic attitudes."
Position Statement on Reparative Therapy.

American Psychological Association

"THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association affirms that same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviors are normal and positive variations of human sexuality regardless of sexual orientation identity;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association reaffirms its position that homosexuality per se is not a mental disorder and opposes portrayals of sexual minority youths and adults as mentally ill due to their sexual orientation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association concludes that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association encourages mental health professionals to avoid misrepresenting the efficacy of sexual orientation change efforts by promoting or promising change in sexual orientation when providing assistance to individuals distressed by their own or others' sexual orientation…"
Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts.​

Every single one of those organizations supported it just a few years ago, and changed their support as the result of political pressure, not science. In other words, all psychology is fake science anyway, so all therapies are equally valid.

In case you missed the point, that means all therapies are invalid, but it still remains none of the government's business what consenting adults do.

Oh really? "Just a few" eh? Link?

 

[PredFan]

How exactly is it "hateful"? Misguided perhaps, wasteful even but you lefties are wearing out the word "hate" almost as fast as you did "Racist".

"Hateful" is probably not a good word here. You're right, it is becoming the go-to word when defending gay rights, and when you've got a hammer...

Whether hateful or misguided, though, the attitude is still harmful.

And how would it be harmful? Unless of course people are being forced to go through it. Which I'm sure they are not.

 

[M14 Shooter]

Hey torch, one third of States are not allowing same sex marriage. In most of those States a Liberal perverted Judge has arbitrarily overruled the Democratic will of the people.

Factually incorrect, of the 20 States where SSCM is legal (when Oregon is included as a recent change) and happening today, the majority of those states ended discrimination based on voters passing a ballot initiative or it being passed by the states Legislature. 8 by Court action and 12 by ballot/legislature.

California – Judicially - 2013
New Jersey – Judicially - 2013
Massachusetts – Judicially - 2004
Iowa – Judicially - 2009
Connecticut – Judicially - 2008
New Mexico – Judicially – 2013
Oregon – Judicially – 2014
Utah – Judicially - 2013

So, the people of these states had SSM focred upon them, contrary to Torch's previous statement.

 

[Samson]

Texas is still trying to figure out why the devil took their water.......and openly support oil fracking. Texas is the testicle state of this nation. Big, hanging low, making bad decisions due to testosterone.

^^^^^^
Opinion from the Overy State

 

[Samson]

How exactly is it "hateful"? Misguided perhaps, wasteful even but you lefties are wearing out the word "hate" almost as fast as you did "Racist".

"Hateful" is probably not a good word here. You're right, it is becoming the go-to word when defending gay rights, and when you've got a hammer...

Whether hateful or misguided, though, the attitude is still harmful.

And how would it be harmful? Unless of course people are being forced to go through it. Which I'm sure they are not.

Well?



How would it be harmful?

 

[Papageorgio]

"Hateful" is probably not a good word here. You're right, it is becoming the go-to word when defending gay rights, and when you've got a hammer...

Whether hateful or misguided, though, the attitude is still harmful.

And how would it be harmful? Unless of course people are being forced to go through it. Which I'm sure they are not.

Well?



How would it be harmful?

That seems to be the question that is being avoided, if it is voluntary, and the person can decide to go or not, it is not anyone's business. Just like someone being gay is not anyone's business.

Anyone have an answer?


Sent from my iPad using an Android.

 

[Silhouette]

And how would it be harmful? Unless of course people are being forced to go through it. Which I'm sure they are not.

Well?



How would it be harmful?

That seems to be the question that is being avoided, if it is voluntary, and the person can decide to go or not, it is not anyone's business. Just like someone being gay is not anyone's business.

Anyone have an answer?


Sent from my iPad using an Android.

Yes, I do. The answer is that gays know and have many words for how inappropriate sexual contact with kids causes what they've coined as "tampering" with their sexual orientations. They know as any of us animal handlers also know, that the longer a young animal practices a given sexual compulsive behavior, the more ingrained and permanent the imprinting is. So therefore, they petitioned these laws in California and New Jersey to dictate to children that no matter what sexual orientation they want for themselves, they may not have it until it's too late for them to change.

Any therapist can tell if a child is being forced into therapy within usually 15 minutes of the first session. So saying that this is protecting kids is absurd. A therapist would know if a child didn't want to be there and would simply send the child on his way. They don't engage in reprogramming a patient in any manner if that patient is not there for their own well being on their own behalf. Certainly by the age of 10 a child is autonomous enough to tell their parents to piss off if they feel they're being forced into therapy. If there is evidence of sexual abuse a child much younger than that can benefit by therapy to curb unwanted compulsive behavior.

This is a law passed by a cult to insure that new members inducted by force don't defect. That's the long and short of the therapy-invasion laws in California and New Jersey.

 

[Paperman299]

I don't use Wiki as a source, hope that actual science doesn't confuse you.

Are People Born Gay?

Oops, that blew the biggest piece of your argument out of the water, so sorry.

Even PFLAG scoffs at the "Born gay" meme.

Why Ask Why?: Addressing the Research on Homosexuality and Biology - Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - Google Books

Feel free to keep believing in astrology though, I know it makes you feel smart. I prefer to go with the evidence and not make excuses for people's sexual preference. In otter words, I accept them as they are, I don't try to force them into a box to make myself feel better about them.

You should try it sometime.

You actually promised to do all of them, and this is only one. Which is fine, but even if you could discredit this tidbit, it hardly blows my argument out of the water. Even if it was from a real scientific source, which it’s not.

This is from New Direction Ministries, a religious organization which its own web-site admits has a troubled history of shaming gays. They’ve changed their ways, but this web page you've cited is from about 1996, well before they came around. Here’s a link from their own web-site, with someone’s brutal story of their experience of New Direction’s tender ministrations - from the era of their history you’re citing for your “science." But hey, atleast it’s not Wikipedia, right?

Also, both of those critiques are ridiculous. First, LeVay observed trends, and you can’t get around that by pointing out the overall range of each subset of samples. Second, what is this ex-gay ministry claiming caused those gay thoughts? At the time, their scientific position was probably that they didn’t pray hard enough.

Seriously, suggesting that there is no solid science suggesting differences between heterosexual and homosexual brains is sort of silly at this point. Care to offer some gay-shaming church’s critique of this study as well?

Swedish researchers did MRI scans of 50 heterosexual men and women and 40 homosexual men and women and found surprising parallels. The brains of lesbians and straight men were anatomically symmetrical while the brains of gay men and straight women had a larger right brain hemisphere.

The researchers also looked at the amygdala, a part of the brain that’s associated with emotions, and found that straight women and gay men both have more connections between the amygdala and brain regions associated with anxiety and mood disorders. Meanwhile, the amygdala of lesbians and straight men had more connections to the region that controls fight or flight reactions.

These clear differences suggest that sexual orientation is determined by biology, not by social factors.

You have a lot of these points still to go, I hope your next critique will have a little more meat on it than some “pray the gay away”-style ministry’s frustrated attempt at robbing the scientific vocabulary.

Feel free to point out where I said anything in support of reparation therapy. In fact, if you go back and look you will see I dismissed the hole field of psychotherapy as quackery. What I have said is that, as long as they are consenting adults, what the fuck business is of anyone else?

That said, people are not born gay, and that link I supplied actually debunked more than one of your arguments.

Feel free to point out where in my post I gave a hoot about your opinion on reparative therapy. My post targets the "pray the gay away" ministry you tried to pass off as a scientific source - and even they have since recanted, and apologized for, their hurtful anti-gay views.

Any high school science student could see through the petty criticisms they tried. I'm glad to know your source no longer supports this position.

 

[Paperman299]

How exactly is it "hateful"? Misguided perhaps, wasteful even but you lefties are wearing out the word "hate" almost as fast as you did "Racist".

"Hateful" is probably not a good word here. You're right, it is becoming the go-to word when defending gay rights, and when you've got a hammer...

Whether hateful or misguided, though, the attitude is still harmful.

And how would it be harmful? Unless of course people are being forced to go through it. Which I'm sure they are not.

Well, I meant the larger "don't be gay" attitude like what's motivating the Texas GOP support of reparative therapy. But yeah, the "therapy" itself is harmful, in a more direct way, even.

I don't see how not being forced into it would remove any harm, btw. If someone stabs your hand with a pencil, you're being harmed whether you agreed to it or not.

And make no mistake, this "therapy" is bad news. Thanks to Windbag for showing me this great source, a religious organization facing up to its history of harming people by trying to change their sexual orientation.

I was shamed over and over, made to feel so insignificant – even stupid. After all, New Direction was almost as infallible as the bible and if I struggled, we all knew whose fault it was! The horrible little sinner who needed to be straightened out literally!

From the President of Exodus International, upon closing the doors of his ministry which promoted therapy to convert gays:

"I am sorry for the pain and hurt that many of you have experienced," President Alan Chambers said in a statement. "I am sorry some of you spent years working through the shame and guilt when your attractions didn't change. I am sorry we promoted sexual orientation change efforts and reparative theories about sexual orientation that stigmatized parents."

From John Paulk, former "ex-gay," author, and advocate of reparative therapy:

"I know that countless people were harmed by things I said and did in the past, Parents, families, and their loved ones were negatively impacted by the notion of reparative therapy and the message of change. I am truly, truly sorry for the pain I have caused."

If you're wondering why I'm quoting a lot of religious institutions, it's because that's where reparative therapy comes from - not scientific study. Scientific study, like that done by the APA, finds that reparative therapy does not work and agrees with Paulk and Chambers on its capacity to do harm.

If none of this gives you pause on the veracity of reparative therapy as being therapy at all, I truly don't know what would.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Yeah, we "whined" about frontal lobotomies and abusive shock treatments too. We "whined" when nymphomaniacs were "treated" with clitorectomies.

Why would the Texas GOP want to make this part of their political platform? It is like voodoo or black magic. Could you imagine if those were in the GOP Platform in Texas? They put this condemned "therapy" in their "fikken" platform.

What makes you think the GOP wanted it as part of their platform? The platform is written by a committee that has the authority to add pretty much anything it wants, and ignore anyone who objects to it. Or did you forget how they DNC changed the platform during the convention despite the floor vote to not change it?

Not hearing a lot of hue and cry about it from the GOP are you? No, you're not. In fact, the likely closeted gay Texas governor is supporting it publicly.

The fact that you aren't hearing anything is only proof that you are not hearing anything. I, on the other hand, have heard quite a bit.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

You're flopping around like a fish, Staph. The Texas GOP put unicorn fart therapy in their platform. That makes them a laughingstock. Let's just hope their irresponsible behavior doesn't lead to more gay kids committing suicide.

Organizational Positions on Reparative Therapy

American Academy of Pediatrics

"Confusion about sexual orientation is not unusual during adolescence. Counseling may be helpful for young people who are uncertain about their sexual orientation or for those who are uncertain about how to express their sexuality and might profit from an attempt at clarification through a counseling or psychotherapeutic initiative. Therapy directed specifically at changing sexual orientation is contraindicated, since it can provoke guilt and anxiety while having little or no potential for achieving changes in orientation."
Homosexuality and Adolescence, Pediatrics.

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

"The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy takes the position that same sex orientation is not a mental disorder. Therefore, we do not believe that sexual orientation in and of itself requires treatment or intervention."
Statement on Nonpathologizing Sexual Orientation.

American Counseling Association

"The American Counseling Association opposes portrayals of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and adults as mentally ill due to their sexual orientation; and supports the dissemination of accurate information about sexual orientation, mental health, and appropriate interventions in order to counteract bias that is based on ignorance or unfounded beliefs about same-gender sexual orientation."
Resolution, as reported in the American Psychological Association's publication, "Just the Facts about Sexual Orientation and Youth."

American Medical Association

"Our AMA… opposes, the use of 'reparative' or 'conversion' therapy that is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that the patient should change his/her homosexual orientation."
H-160.991, Health Care Needs of the Homosexual Population.

American Psychiatric Association

"Psychotherapeutic modalities to convert or 'repair' homosexuality are based on developmental theories whose scientific validity is questionable. Furthermore, anecdotal reports of "cures" are counterbalanced by anecdotal claims of psychological harm. In the last four decades, "reparative" therapists have not produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims of cure. Until there is such research available, [the American Psychiatric Association] recommends that ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals' sexual orientation, keeping in mind the medical dictum to first, do no harm.

The potential risks of reparative therapy are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since therapist alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient. Many patients who have undergone reparative therapy relate that they were inaccurately told that homosexuals are lonely, unhappy individuals who never achieve acceptance or satisfaction. The possibility that the person might achieve happiness and satisfying interpersonal relationships as a gay man or lesbian is not presented, nor are alternative approaches to dealing with the effects of societal stigmatization discussed.

Therefore, the American Psychiatric Association opposes any psychiatric treatment, such as reparative or conversion therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that the patient should change his/her sexual homosexual orientation."
Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies).

American Psychoanalytic Association

"Same-gender sexual orientation cannot be assumed to represent a deficit in personality development or the expression of psychopathology. As with any societal prejudice, anti-homosexual bias negatively affects mental health, contributing to an enduring sense of stigma and pervasive self-criticism in people of same-gender sexual orientation through the internalization of such prejudice.

As in all psychoanalytic treatments, the goal of analysis with homosexual patients is understanding. Psychoanalytic technique does not encompass purposeful efforts to "convert" or "repair" an individual's sexual orientation. Such directed efforts are against fundamental principles of psychoanalytic treatment and often result in substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging internalized homophobic attitudes."
Position Statement on Reparative Therapy.

American Psychological Association

"THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association affirms that same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviors are normal and positive variations of human sexuality regardless of sexual orientation identity;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association reaffirms its position that homosexuality per se is not a mental disorder and opposes portrayals of sexual minority youths and adults as mentally ill due to their sexual orientation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association concludes that there is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the American Psychological Association encourages mental health professionals to avoid misrepresenting the efficacy of sexual orientation change efforts by promoting or promising change in sexual orientation when providing assistance to individuals distressed by their own or others' sexual orientation…"
Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts.​

Every single one of those organizations supported it just a few years ago, and changed their support as the result of political pressure, not science. In other words, all psychology is fake science anyway, so all therapies are equally valid.

In case you missed the point, that means all therapies are invalid, but it still remains none of the government's business what consenting adults do.

Oh really? "Just a few" eh? Link?

Somebody already did it in an attempt to prove me wrong, feel free to go laugh at the fact that he thinks that the 1990s is ancient history.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

You actually promised to do all of them, and this is only one. Which is fine, but even if you could discredit this tidbit, it hardly blows my argument out of the water. Even if it was from a real scientific source, which it’s not.

This is from New Direction Ministries, a religious organization which its own web-site admits has a troubled history of shaming gays. They’ve changed their ways, but this web page you've cited is from about 1996, well before they came around. Here’s a link from their own web-site, with someone’s brutal story of their experience of New Direction’s tender ministrations - from the era of their history you’re citing for your “science." But hey, atleast it’s not Wikipedia, right?

Also, both of those critiques are ridiculous. First, LeVay observed trends, and you can’t get around that by pointing out the overall range of each subset of samples. Second, what is this ex-gay ministry claiming caused those gay thoughts? At the time, their scientific position was probably that they didn’t pray hard enough.

Seriously, suggesting that there is no solid science suggesting differences between heterosexual and homosexual brains is sort of silly at this point. Care to offer some gay-shaming church’s critique of this study as well?

You have a lot of these points still to go, I hope your next critique will have a little more meat on it than some “pray the gay away”-style ministry’s frustrated attempt at robbing the scientific vocabulary.

Feel free to point out where I said anything in support of reparation therapy. In fact, if you go back and look you will see I dismissed the hole field of psychotherapy as quackery. What I have said is that, as long as they are consenting adults, what the fuck business is of anyone else?

That said, people are not born gay, and that link I supplied actually debunked more than one of your arguments.

Feel free to point out where in my post I gave a hoot about your opinion on reparative therapy. My post targets the "pray the gay away" ministry you tried to pass off as a scientific source - and even they have since recanted, and apologized for, their hurtful anti-gay views.

Any high school science student could see through the petty criticisms they tried. I'm glad to know your source no longer supports this position.

I tried to pass them off as a scientific source? The page I linked to contained actual links to scientific studies that have been published in peer reviewed journals. The fact that you chose to attack the source of the links instead of studying the actual data in no way reflects on the accuracy of the data, and is an actual example of an ad hominem at its finest.

Great job.

 

[PoliticalTorch]

Of course there's a "Gay gene" as has been brought out before in plenty of insightful articles.

The only places it is not talked about is in places that try to suppress the truth such as in some churches, Republican conventions and gatherings, etc.

Oh look -- another preconception - and a bigoted one at that.

As to the question about Gay genes and whether they are being necessarily good for the human species...if it were not meant to be, I submit to you that it would not be.

Wow. Talk about supposition.
The fact that something exists in nature does not in any way necessitate that said something is a productive force within the particular context of that nature.

I see you are talking about Conservatives again! And How True!

 

[Samson]

Well?



How would it be harmful?

That seems to be the question that is being avoided, if it is voluntary, and the person can decide to go or not, it is not anyone's business. Just like someone being gay is not anyone's business.

Anyone have an answer?


Sent from my iPad using an Android.

Yes, I do. The answer is that gays know and have many words for how inappropriate sexual contact with kids causes what they've coined as "tampering" with their sexual orientations. They know as any of us animal handlers also know, that the longer a young animal practices a given sexual compulsive behavior, the more ingrained and permanent the imprinting is. So therefore, they petitioned these laws in California and New Jersey to dictate to children that no matter what sexual orientation they want for themselves, they may not have it until it's too late for them to change.

Any therapist can tell if a child is being forced into therapy within usually 15 minutes of the first session. So saying that this is protecting kids is absurd. A therapist would know if a child didn't want to be there and would simply send the child on his way. They don't engage in reprogramming a patient in any manner if that patient is not there for their own well being on their own behalf. Certainly by the age of 10 a child is autonomous enough to tell their parents to piss off if they feel they're being forced into therapy. If there is evidence of sexual abuse a child much younger than that can benefit by therapy to curb unwanted compulsive behavior.

This is a law passed by a cult to insure that new members inducted by force don't defect. That's the long and short of the therapy-invasion laws in California and New Jersey.

So, do you even know what the question was?

After reading through what I presume was some sort of answer, the "harm" seems to be causing a 10 year old to have a tantrum.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

"Hateful" is probably not a good word here. You're right, it is becoming the go-to word when defending gay rights, and when you've got a hammer...

Whether hateful or misguided, though, the attitude is still harmful.

And how would it be harmful? Unless of course people are being forced to go through it. Which I'm sure they are not.

Well, I meant the larger "don't be gay" attitude like what's motivating the Texas GOP support of reparative therapy. But yeah, the "therapy" itself is harmful, in a more direct way, even.

I don't see how not being forced into it would remove any harm, btw. If someone stabs your hand with a pencil, you're being harmed whether you agreed to it or not.

And make no mistake, this "therapy" is bad news. Thanks to Windbag for showing me this great source, a religious organization facing up to its history of harming people by trying to change their sexual orientation.



From the President of Exodus International, upon closing the doors of his ministry which promoted therapy to convert gays:

"I am sorry for the pain and hurt that many of you have experienced," President Alan Chambers said in a statement. "I am sorry some of you spent years working through the shame and guilt when your attractions didn't change. I am sorry we promoted sexual orientation change efforts and reparative theories about sexual orientation that stigmatized parents."

From John Paulk, former "ex-gay," author, and advocate of reparative therapy:

"I know that countless people were harmed by things I said and did in the past, Parents, families, and their loved ones were negatively impacted by the notion of reparative therapy and the message of change. I am truly, truly sorry for the pain I have caused."

If you're wondering why I'm quoting a lot of religious institutions, it's because that's where reparative therapy comes from - not scientific study. Scientific study, like that done by the APA, finds that reparative therapy does not work and agrees with Paulk and Chambers on its capacity to do harm.

If none of this gives you pause on the veracity of reparative therapy as being therapy at all, I truly don't know what would.

All psychological therapy is based on the assumption that psychology is a valid science. which is bunk, therefore all therapy is harmful by your standards. The difference between us is that I really don't care if people waste their time and money on stupid shit as long as I am not impacted by it. You, on the other hand, have an obsessive need to force your opinions on other people by using the government to hold a gun to their head.

That makes you wrong, period.

 

[PoliticalTorch]

OK ignorant ass, where does it say they are in favor of forced conversion therapy. That would be the only way this should be objectionable to anyone.

The attitude behind this platform should be objectionable to everyone.

What, supporting people who wish to seek therapy is a bad thing? Aren't you commies always claiming to be the champions of individual rights? So now you only support people who want to engage in behaviors you approve of, hypocrite much. Have you ever considered some people are pulled into the gay lifestyle by nurture and not nature and might want to change?

You evidently have no grasp of the obvious that some "therapies", such as Gay Conversion Therapy, have been classified as Harmful! What part of 'Harmful' do you not understand? People who seek therapy, on the other hand, need to be Well Informed for their own protection about the type of therapy they are seeking and its overall ramifications. If one goes and requests a lobotomy, for example, because they think of it as being something therapeutic and good, one should ask themselves if it is truly something good enough to hang their hat on for the rest of their life. As for your usage of the word "commies", your side appears closer aligned with that since it is your Conservative Party that claims to be wanting to be free from government interference and laws and yet that's all your party does is interfere as with individual rights, civil and human rights, etc.. and constantly pass laws to prohibit Same-Sex Marriage, Equality, Ending Discrimination, etc. Talk about the Hypocrisy!!

As for people being 'pulled' into the Gay lifestyle, you should know by now that no one has ever been known to have put a gun to anyone's head or a knife to their throat to force them to do anything they didn't want to do such as to experiment with an alternative lifestyle. As for wanting to change, they do that well for themselves if they did it to begin with just as an experiment. They will soon enough realize that it is not for them and revert to the sexual orientation that they were truly born with. That goes for both Gay and Straight "experimenters."

 

[September]

I've got my own form of conversion therapy that I sometimes inflict on "straight" males. Its called "forced feminization"

 

[Contumacious]

You evidently have no grasp of the obvious that some "therapies", such as Gay Conversion Therapy, have been classified as Harmful! ."

The ONLY Therapy that I would respectfully suggest to these fine ladies is a threesome with yours truly in the midst.

Or for them to let me watch their session and at the end suggest some correction(s) to their technique IF NECESSARY.

Hallelujah.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I've got my own form of conversion therapy that I sometimes inflict on "straight" males. Its called "forced feminization"

I predict you are going to get a lot of PMs over this post.