The California state legislature is considering a bill that would ban “ex-gay reparative therapy” for those under 18. In addition, adults who willingly choose the therapy would have to sign a form admitting that conversion therapy doesn’t work and is possibly harmful.
The bill’s writer and sponsor, state Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), tells the AP that conversion “dangerous,” adding that it can “cause extreme depression and guilt.”
Doesn’t it always take a politician to state the obvious? We’d say the whole damned basis of conversion therapy is self-hate. Cement it over with a coat of self-loathing, then finish with a nice gloss of hetero-supremacy, and you’ve up and prayed the gay away!
But, of course, an article on such a ban would not be complete with an idiotic quote from a psychiatrist who stopped reading the DSM IV in 1969. Enter David Pickup!
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Any therapist worth his salt knows that homosexual feelings commonly occur in victims as a result of abuses,” says Pickup. “I ought to know because I was one of those boys.”
Whether Pickup has been successfully converted to straight feelings is unclear, or if he’s just a little bi sometimes (but only because of abuse). In all seriousness, sure, child molestation can severely damage a child. But it doesn’t always make them gay, and there are plenty of people who are gay without any childhood trauma (and are happy to stay that way).
And let us be reminded of the dangers of conversion therapy:
Peter Drake, 55, testified Tuesday that he sought out conversion therapy in an effort to save his 20-year marriage, and the years of trying to change himself nearly drove him to suicide.
“I am left-handed and I am gay,” he said. “I could learn to write with my other hand, but that is not who I am.”
The alternative is clear: self-acceptance, and maybe just a healthy dose of Pride. We’ve seen plenty of very healthy (almost too healthy) dudes at those Parades.
doug105
Don’t forget to ban public funding California your at it.
Nick
lol how long before we start hearing about “religious freedom”?
Psychologist
Nitpicking: DSM-II was published in 1968. DSM-IV wasn’t published until 1994.
Sternflammende
Maybe this is just my doctoral laureates talking, but I think its safe to say that any psychologist worth his/her salt is much more likely (like %99.99999999 more likely) to see David Pickup’s change to heterosexuality/hetero-normity as the result from that abuse. Not homosexuality.
Seth
“But it doesn’t always make them gay.”
I’m hoping that was a bad joke?
Sternflammende
@Psychologist: Even so, the DSM IV is outdated by the DSM IV-TR (text revised)
Larkin
@Nick: Quite soon I’m sure, but it has nothing to do with religion and moreso to do with medical treatments.
Plus, it’s about time that the churches had their tax exempt status revoked for all the BUSINESSES they run. You are tax free because you are a church… you are not and shouldn’t be tax free to run a MAJAR MEGAMILLION BUSINESS as tax free just because you are a church.. or in the more popular vernacular.. a cult.
chuckles
More important, does the therapy make you grow extra hands? How do they sell that in the brochure?
Ann
What on earth does that image have anything to do with the article?!