Key Takeaways
- Conversion therapy, also known as reparative or ex-gay therapy, aims to change sexual orientation but has no scientific basis and is ineffective.
- Rooted in 19th-century psychology and adopted by the Christian right, its practices range from hypnosis to severe aversion therapy, causing psychological harm.
- Leading medical and psychological organizations, including the APA and AMA, condemn conversion therapy as harmful and fraudulent.
- High-profile 'ex-gay' movement leaders later admitted to being gay or bisexual, further discrediting the practice.
- As of 2019, 18 US states and Washington D.C. had banned conversion therapy for minors, with legal challenges often upholding these protections.
Deep Dive
- Introduced in a November 2019 episode, conversion therapy is defined as an attempt by parents or others to change an LGBTQ+ child's sexual orientation.
- Also known as reparative therapy or ex-gay therapy, the term was trademarked by Joseph Nicolosi Sr.
- This practice operates on the theory that individuals are born heterosexual and can be steered back through interventions, often linked to past traumas.
- Early conversion therapy roots in 19th-century psychology included hypnosis; an 1899 case claimed success with a German hypnotist.
- Extreme historical 'therapies' detailed include electroconvulsive therapy, lobotomies, and discredited testicular transplants.
- Aversive conditioning techniques, such as exposing individuals to same-sex images with nausea-inducing stimuli, persisted into modern times.
- By 1973, the American Psychological Association reclassified homosexuality as not a mental disorder, largely abandoning the idea of curing it.
- Joseph Nicolosi Sr. patented "reparative therapy," which Amazon stopped selling in July for promoting fraud.
- Nicolosi, a psychologist, theorized that homosexuality (termed "same-sex attraction" or SSA) stemmed from environmental factors like childhood traumas or desires for acceptance.
- He extrapolated a 1992 study to argue specific family dynamics (dominant mother, detached father) led to homosexuality and required intervention.
- Conversion therapy might prevent acting on homosexual impulses but does not change inherent sexuality and causes significant harm.
- The American Medical Association (AMA) officially considers conversion therapy harmful, noting it contradicts a therapist's role in affirming identity.
- Nicolosi's four-step approach included therapists disclosing personal, professional, philosophical, and religious views on homosexuality.
- The APA's 1972 decision classified homosexuality as a normal variation, not a deviation, establishing that sexual orientation cannot be changed.
- This scientific consensus forms the basis for arguments that conversion therapy is fraudulent because it claims to achieve the unachievable.
- Hosts noted the emotional toll and difficulty involved in researching the practice.
- Close to 700,000 individuals in the U.S. have undergone conversion therapy; it is also prevalent in Africa, Asia, and South America, where being gay can lead to imprisonment.
- The AMA reports it involves harmful psychological techniques, including aversion therapy with medication or noxious stimuli, and historically, surgical brain implants.
- Specific reported harms include a teenager forced to wear a 40-pound rock backpack for 18 hours daily and parents staging a fake funeral for their child.
- A 1974 case study by psychologist George Reckers involved a 4.5-year-old boy, who was subjected to constant therapy punishing feminine behaviors and reinforcing masculine ones, ultimately leading to the child's suicide at age 30.
- A 2009 APA Task Force report warned sexual orientation change efforts pose critical health risks, including depression, substance abuse, and suicidality.
- Studies indicate homosexual teens are more likely to attempt suicide if rejected by parents or undergoing conversion therapy.
- The "ex-gay" movement, promoted by organizations like Exodus International, gained prominence in the 1990s through a $600,000 ad campaign featuring "ex-gay" individuals.
- High-profile figures such as John Paul (Exodus International), Michael Johnston, and Ted Haggard were later involved in scandals related to gay relationships or admitted bisexuality, further discrediting the movement.
- Ted Haggard admitted to bisexuality in 2011, choosing to live as heterosexual despite past controversies settled by the church for approximately $180,000.
- Alan Chambers, former head of Exodus International, declared himself gay in 2013, stated conversion therapy does not work, and shut down the organization, apologizing to the LGBTQ community.
- As of 2019, 18 U.S. states and Washington D.C. had banned conversion therapy for minors, targeting licensed practitioners, though religious exemptions may apply.
- A Jewish conversion therapy organization, Jonah, faced a civil suit for fraud in New Jersey, resulting in leaders losing their licenses and a $3.5 million settlement.
- Court challenges to these bans, often citing free speech, have largely been upheld, distinguishing between expressing beliefs and practicing harmful therapy, particularly for minors.