Do you believe that 'ex-gay therapy' works?

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   jlparkposted 9 years ago

   Do you believe that 'ex-gay therapy' works?
   
   I'm asking this from a neutal POV. I would like to know what you think, and why. I will not be trying to convince you otherwise from your thoughts on it (nor should anyone else). Why do you think it works/doesn't work? What therapies have you heard of? Have you experienced any, or know of people who have.  Did it work? Did it not work? What are your thoughts on why or why not?  This has been asked in 2 different areas to get a cross section - you may answer twice. Anyone who has been through this - if it causes you offense or triggers - I am sincerely sorry.

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   Kathleen Odenthalposted 9 years ago

   Absolutely not. There is no such thing as anti or ex-gay therapy. We are who we are. If we want, we can pretend to be something else, but then we are just pretending.

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      peeplesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      +1

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      mbuggiehposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly!
      
      Pretending and "in the closet", but we are what we are and no therapy can change that.

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      jlparkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your answer Kathleen. Insightful!

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   mbuggiehposted 9 years ago

   Absolutely not!
   
   Sexual orientation is not learned, therefore, no behavioral therapies can lead to unlearning it.
   
   In fact, there is ample evidence that indicates that such therapies are not only non-productive, but harmful.
   
   No legitimate mental health and/or counseling practitioners promote or engage in any form of ex-gay therapy.

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      jlparkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your answer Mbuggieh. The question stems from a program I watched yesterday. I have my own opinion on whether they work or not, but wanted to see what others thought. Thanks for answering

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   Marseiposted 9 years ago

   I already answered the question once with a resounding no.  I think the idea is mad.  I'd like to add here that I believe with many years of education and with more and more of the gay population being out, hopefully, this will become a nonissue and we will get to the business we're here for, loving each other and respecting and appreciating the things that make us unique.

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      jlparkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your answer. Here's hoping!

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   dashingscorpioposted 9 years ago

   No. In order for such therapy to work it would mean it's possible to do the reverse just as well.
   Being a straight male I can tell you there is no therapy that would cause me to feel sexually attracted to men. There was no day that  I "chose" to be attracted to women. I naturally felt that way from an early age.
   Secondly the only reason for wanting to make a change is because the individual is unhappy with who they are. Instead of trying to "pray away the gay" a person should just invest their time being with people who love and appreciate them for who they are.
   Life is a personal journey.

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      jlparkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for sharing your answer. Very insightful

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   M. T. Dremerposted 9 years ago

   The only scenario where gay therapy would "work" is one where brain damage occurs. In other words, significant mental trauma will actually change a person, but it isn't for the better and it can't be considered therapy. It's considered abuse. Which is why many LGBT youth, unfortunately, commit suicide. So, any place that claims to 'fix' gay people, should be seen for what it really is; a cruel and abusive travesty.

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   junksellerposted 9 years ago

   It depends on what you mean by works. If someone hooked up electrodes to my nuts and flipped the switch every time I looked at a naked lady, eventually I'd probably stop liking naked ladies. I guess that is working, but certainly isn't healthy. As for healthy conversion, I've seen no evidence that it is effective, if even possible.
   
   Now, if we are talking about willing changes, that is a slightly different story. I actually believe, based upon my own arc of life, that we have significant capacity to expand what we find appealing. Also, I think we can learn to enjoy things even without any innate desire for it. Could a homosexual learn to enjoy someone of the opposite sex? Probably, and I can see some benefits of willingly making such an attempt, but that still would have to be chosen and it still wouldn't eliminate the innate homosexual interest, and wouldn't be something which happened overnight.

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      jlparkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your answer Junkseller. Different way of looking at the issue - thanks!

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   Sri Tposted 9 years ago

   Anyone change their mind or decision, in fact many have. There have been people who were once gay and now they are straight and people who are straight have become gay. It happens. It is an individual's choice at any time with or without therapy. There are people who were seduced into that lifestyle at an early age by an adult without awareness of male/female relationships. They continued on the path by habit. Later they realized it was not for them. And they regret going down that road. Some popular celebrities have even told their stories recently. They were not born gay, they were taken advantage of by an adult while they were too young. That's not everyone's story, but it does happen.

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      mbuggiehposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      NO ONE---read NO ONE is "seduced" into any lifestyle. ALL human sexuality is a function of a complex set of genetic, hormonal, and biological variables.
      
      Homosexuality is not "habit". It is not the result of childhood sexual abuse.

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      jlparkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Sri - thank you for your answer.
      Mbuggieh - I understand your comment and whilst I may agree - I outlined in the question I didn't want people to correct others opinions please - we don't like it when people do it to us.

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   Astra Nomikposted 9 years ago

   No. Simple. Being gay is not a choice. It is a circumstance.
   
   You can try manipulating a person's mind using hypnosis or trickery or messing around and being all god-like and interfering with their sexuality. But it doesn't change the person one bit.
   
   I have a friend who is gay and she lost her memory a few years ago, and could not remember she had come out to her friends... and yet she was still lesbian after all. She never changed her feelings, only her memory of some of those feelings...she just knew she was different and not straight.
   
   Is there an ex-straight therapy by any chance?

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      jlparkposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Thats an idea Astra - ex-straight therapy! Thanks for your answer

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      mbuggiehposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hmmm...
      
      I wonder how straight people would feel if gay and lesbian people "ruled the world" and determined that heterosexuality was a sin against god and immoral and demanded that they repair themselves and convert!

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