Report: 'Ex-gay' therapy claims deceptive (Christian groups can be sued for harming newly gay minds)

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Friday, March 3, 2006 | Wyatt Buchanan

[presidio9]

The Conservative Christian organizations that are increasingly targeting teenagers and young people with "ex-gay" conferences and therapy are deceiving parents, teens and the public about the effectiveness of their efforts, according to a report released Thursday by a gay rights organization.

The report, "Youth in the Crosshairs: The Third Wave of Ex-Gay Activism," claims that organizations working to help people overcome same-sex attraction could be sued because they cause harm instead of accomplishing what they promise.

"There's no evidence that conversion therapy actually works, but there's a growing body of evidence that it can be extremely harmful and unethical," said Jason Cianciotto, a study author and director of research for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in New York, the organization releasing the report.

No such lawsuits have been filed.

The report highlights a 2002 study of several hundred people who underwent conversion therapy. Twenty-six of the 202 interviewed said the therapy was successful, although only eight of those said they didn't experience any "slips" or have to employ coping mechanisms to counter same-sex attraction. And all but one of those eight worked in ex-gay counseling.

Almost 90 percent of the other interviewees reported long-term harm: depression to the point of attempted suicide or strained relationships with family and parents.

But the president of the largest ex-gay organization in the world said the report presented "opinion and certainly not fact."

[madprof98]

. . . according to a report released Thursday by a gay rights organization.

An unbiased source if there ever was one.

[formercalifornian]

More from the "once gay, always gay" dogmatists.

[Clemenza]

Aint going to stand up in court if they try.

[Ouderkirk]

Homosexuals do not reproduce....they recruit

[presidio9]

But interestingly, pedophilia can be cured.

[Unam Sanctam]

Gay activists simply do not believe in freedom of choice. If people want to try this kind of therapy, they should be free to do so, although because it such a murky area, people shouldn't be too disappointed if things don't necessarily turn out.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Once your a slave to your carnal desires your always a slave. Stay on the plantation, or suffer the consequences of eternal life through Jesus Christ. What a horrible consequence of being free indeed. /s

Yep, many of them are very sick, disturbed, and depraved people.

[2banana]

Talk about Orwellian - being gay is a lifestyle choice...but once you make it there is no going back? Isn't that the same rules the crazy muslims have?

[Obadiah]

And so it begins. The homosexual community, like the ACLU and tolerant liberals everywhere, stick their fingers in their ears and hum lalalalal loudly, and walk around suing anybody they can possibly bankrupt. No concern about a group's right and legitimacy to do as they wish, just try and destroy them financially so no one can listen to them anymore.

You know, without getting preachy, I recall a bunch of people who sought to drown out the teaching from one man they didn't like. They killed Him in order to silence Him. It didn't work. And it won't work for any of these liberal groups. You simply cannot destroy or remove immutable truth. One day they will find this out.

[End Times Sentinel]

So what do they want to do?  Silence people with a message they don't like?  Sue people into submission to their will?  Pass a law restricting opinions and beliefs they don't like?  I thought Conservatives were the intolerant ones.

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[muawiyah]

Cruising must be getting tight.

[ExcursionGuy84]

But interestingly, pedophilia can be cured.

So there is still hope for the Kingdom of Bahrain, New Home of the "King of [sickular]Pop[music]"

[My2Cents]

There's no evidence that conversion therapy actually works"

It obviously works for some.

[Klatuu]

Almost 90 percent of the other interviewees reported long-term harm: depression to the point of attempted suicide or strained relationships with family and parents.

How is that different from what the average homosexual experiences anyway?

[conservativeharleyguy]

"The homosexual community, like the ACLU and tolerant liberals...."

The "homosexual community" is the ACLU and tolerant liberals.

[MineralMan]

"How is that different from what the average homosexual experiences anyway?"

I don't know. My wife's cousin has been with the same "partner" for about 12 years. Both are pretty happy folks. They don't seem interested in being converted.

[boomop1]

He has them bend over so he can check their minds.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Talk about Orwellian - being gay is a lifestyle choice...but once you make it there is no going back? Isn't that the same rules the crazy muslims have?

But isn't is more Orwellian when the community forces an individual to conform against their will.

[WideGlide]

This is the only reliable list of "ex Gays" that I know of.