What Is Conversion Therapy Effective?

An individual’s sexuality should not define who they are as a person. What is Conversion Therapy? Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy has a range of treatments that are designed in hopes to turn a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual. Conversion therapy is also used in attempts to convert a transgender person’s gender expression to match with the gender given at birth. It is currently banned for minors in 5 states (California, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Illinois) and the other 45 states have no law against it. Many teens in this current time period are coming out as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer. Homosexuality is often seen as a negative effect towards society.

On June 26, 2016 the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage legal in all states. Although this was a huge victory for many people across the US, many issues linger for LGBT people and the LGBT community. One such issue is the practice of conversion therapy. Also called reparative therapy or sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE), conversion therapy is a range of treatments with the aim of “converting” homosexual or transgender people to being heterosexual or cisgender. The treatments used to involve extreme measures such as institutionalization, castration, and electroconvulsive shock therapy to try and reduce same-sex attraction. While physical treatments are still utilized by some modern-day counselors, techniques have shifted to behavioral,

As a counseling student at Marshall University, I am writing to ask you to support SB435, The Youth Mental Health Protection Act. This bill would prevent licensed mental health professionals from engaging in Conversion Therapy with anyone under the age of 18. Conversion Therapy does not work, can cause harm, and attempts to treat something that is untreatable. Conversion Therapy is in direct conflict with ACA Code of Ethics, client welfare (Arredondo 1999, A.1.a.).

Education is an important factor in life in order to thrive, but LGBT students face harassment in school due to their identity. According to a Human Rights report conducted in 2001, two million American students in the LGBT

Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, or Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE) has a troubled history within the United States and abroad. Conversion therapy is the use of a variety of means to attempt to change an individual’s sexual or gender orientation. Current practices include inducing vomiting or paralysis while showing a subject homoerotic images, having a subject snap a rubber band on their wrist whenever they have certain thoughts, or using tactics to create shame or aversion to same sex or transgender thoughts. Many established institutes claim that the therapy does or doesn't work and offer contradicting evidence for their position. The Movement Advancement Project, a group dedicated to providing research for the advancement of LGBT people, states in an infographic that nine states, plus the District of Columbia and a handful of municipalities have banned conversion therapy from being provided by licensed medical professionals to minors (“Kids” 1). Based on the established evidence and the overwhelming number of psychologists and sociologist that disavow conversion therapy, along with the multitude of horror stories from children who were persuaded, or forced, to participate by their parents, the federal government should ban conversion therapy for all minors.

[The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) organization at my high school, which meets twice per month, generated a list of concerns that they shared with school administration. The focus was specifically about gender identity, the lack of support from school staff, and the daily scrutiny they face as a result of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Through collaboration with my colleagues it was evident that there had been an increase in teacher and student referrals surrounding gender identity. The feedback from GSA clearly identified that as a school we are not meeting the needs of our LGBT students and those struggling with sexual orientation. Members of the GSA clearly feel that teachers ignore negative comments like “gay” and “faggot” when they hear them in class, that teachers may not clearly understand gender neutral language, and that our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) students do not feel safe and protected in school. Students needed support advocating for their right to use a restroom, correct pronoun, etc., requiring district, community, parent, and colleague

The mental health of individuals in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community is something that is a serious problem. For most of the history of the United States and many different parts of the world LGBT people faced much persecution and in some cases even death. This constant fear of discovery and the pressure that one feels on oneself when “in the closet” can lead to major mental distress. Research has shown that people who identify as LGBT are twice as likely to develop lifetime mood and anxiety disorders (Bostwick 468). This is extremely noticeable the past couple years in the suicides of bullied teens on the basis of sexual identity and expression. The stigma on simply being perceived as LGBT is strong enough to

Although the issue of LGBT+ has been thrust to the forefront of issues in contemporary society, this is a battle that has affected social, political and health-related spectrums of our communities for decades. For many years, homosexuality was thought to be a psychiatric illness. In fact, it was defined as such by the APA until 1974. Gay conversion therapy was fairly popular, subjecting numerous patients to horrendous acts of torture in the name of medicine(source 3). On top of these brutal and quite frankly inhumane acts, there were laws and regulations prohibiting homosexuality. Although very loosely acted upon, it was these documents that paved the way for discrimination of LGBT members of the society to be discriminated against. Men and women alike could be easily discriminated against when trying to obtain housing or applying for immigration(Source 2). Without being able to partake in society as a functioning person, the disparity between sexual minorities and their heterosexual counterparts grew immensely.

“Terror doesn't change people from gay to straight. It just hurts innocent people,” DaShanne Stokes, a recognized thought leader, sociologist, author, and speaker, on conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is a pseudoscientific practice that encompasses psychological or spiritual interventions to try and change an individual’s, usually a minor’s, sexual orientation. It has been highly discredited and criticized by all major American medical and psychological organizations and even, in 2001, the United States Surgeon General David Satcher, stated that there was “no valid scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed”. However, conversion therapy still occurs in the United States. This paper looks to examine Ferguson v. JONAH, a case credited as the “first of its kind”, it’s ruling, and the effect it could have on future cases.

As children we are taught to love and accept other, however, this is not always the case. More often than not we never taught to love those different from us, instead we go on through life only loving those who are similar to us, our unintentional intolerance remaining uncorrected. Growing up without that nurturing hand teaching us to live in a world that is far more diverse than it has ever been, leaves us as intolerant and uneducated adults, whether it is, or is not, by our own doing. In American society, time and time again, the failure to practice what is preached in our so-called values has been our only success. From the segregation of African-Americans to the oppression of Women, and now the fearful and sometimes violent discrimination against LGBTQ oriented individuals is the nation’s most recent atrocity. By standardizing the image of what love and the human identity is to a typical heterosexual individual, society is limiting the diversity of the nation and degrading the lives of so many valuable people. What’s more is the fact that this intolerance that is permeating all levels of society is almost centralized in the most significant aspect of any society: its schools. Schools everywhere are ignoring the high concentration of LGBTQ discrimination by their students and even faculty. It is extremely hard to believe that this kind of behavior is tolerated in schools, not to mention the fact of its being taught in churches all across the nation. With

The members of the LGBT community have struggled a very long time through many obstacles and a lot of hatred in attempt to be accepted by the people of their community. Recently, America passed a law that made gay marriage legal, making progress on the community’s fight to abolish homophobia. Unfortunately, what many people don’t know, homosexuality still very, very illegal in 76 countries, punishments being imprisonment or worse. All around the world, 47.9% of LGBT males and 72.9% of LGBT females think about committing suicide, 29% of LGBT males and 52.4% of LGBT females attempt suicide, and 1 out of every 25 LGBT males and 2 out of every 25 of LGBT females who attempt at suicide succeed at it. Even though both Equiano’s and Wilson’s battles are over, this battle seems like it is just

On December 8, 2016, Mark Squilla proposed a bill against a practice called “conversion therapy on LGBTQ” a practice to convert an individual’s gender identity in order to reduce romantic attraction toward same-sex individuals. According to the article, many health associations have proof that “the dangers of conversion therapy practices, which are known to lead to depression, decreased self-esteem, substance abuse, and suicide.”(PHL Council). Squilla does not want anyone to feel rejected and ashamed because of who they are. He plays a large role in this bill because he stood up to the LGBTQ commitee and protect who they are.

In light of the 2016 election, there have been some question as to weather or not conversion therapy is a suitable and ethical practice. Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy or ex-gay therapy, is used to try and change a persons sexual orientation and/or a persons gender identity. United states President Donald J. Trump has not yet said anything about his views on the matter, however, Vice-President elect Mike Pence has ‘advocated diverting taxpayer dollars to so-called conversion therapy’ and stated, during one of the republican debates, "Congress should support the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus. Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.” (Chris Nichols- Politifact) He also supported reparative therapy when he started to run for congress in 2000. Conversion therapy, unlike many other therapies, can be extremely harmful to a person, especially a minor’s, mental health and self esteem; Therefor, conversion therapy should be illegal in all 50 states because it puts lgbtq+ youth at a greater risk of experiencing high levels of depression and suicide, is often biased to fit one set of religious beliefs and is ‘unethical’.

Throughout history we have seen people degrade and abuse humans. In Grapes of Wrath we see the “okies” being used by the owners and abused by the people in power. They are dehumanized, in the way they are treated and how they are spoken to. This act seems outdated and ancient but it's not. Today we see many people being dehumanized because of sex, race and sexual orientation. An example of this is the way some gay people are sent away or forced to attend places or programs where they are told how to feel and what to feel for whom. The methods these places and programs use can be described as abusive and destructive. These methods have many names ranging from slang names such as “praying

Even though I grew up in an area that embraced the LGBT community, I was not educated about the inhumane methods used for conversion therapy. I was only knowledgeable about religious conversion therapy and found the other methods shocking as well. I do know that religious conversion therapy is still a method used today. There were a couple individuals at my high school that would try to get members of the school’s lesbian and gay club to attend church with them. The conversation always started off nice and welcoming and then it would take a sharp turn to, “we will save you” type of conversation. Their religious agenda did not jive with me. The average person at my school would tell them to knock it off and leave them alone. Eventually, it