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It’s Baaack! The Nightmare of Ex-Gay Reparative Therapy

It’s Baaack! The Nightmare of Ex-Gay Reparative Therapy

Last updated on: July 26, 2016 at 10:50 am by Susan Cottrell

It’s Baaack! The Nightmare of Ex-Gay Reparative Therapy 2016-07-26T10:50:30-05:00 Susan Cottrell

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So-called “reparative therapy” is in the news again! Yippee! Nevermind that those who have been through it report the horrific abuse involved, the lifelong scars sustained, the devastating self-loathing that results.

Don’t worry that the medical and psychiatric community has decried it as not only failed as a practice that *doesn’t deliver the hope-for result of a changed orientation–*that should be reason enough to put it to rest–but it’s also loaded with deadly side effects. Depression, self-loathing, suicide.

How out-to-lunch, out of touch, and plain-out hateful do you have to be to continue to think this is a good idea? How selfish, obtuse, blind and cruel does one have to be?

This country is not a giant family where “father knows best,” and can impose whatever standard he wants for his children, and hope they don’t take off in the middle of the night.
This country is not a giant church where the “people in charge” are going to make Christians out of you, whether you like it or not.
This country is not a place to trample over anybody in your way to make your name in politics.

Or is it?

Frankly, I cast a wary eye at the whole political process. But wrong is wrong, and no matter where we stand, we have a responsibility to call out wrong when we see it.

And stirring up fear of gays has been part of ultra conservative politics for decades, causing untold damage. And now, this. Again.

So-called “reparative” or “conversion therapy” is wrong. Period.

If you are unfamiliar with it, I’ll tell you just a little about it. This “therapy” is a desperate attempt to “stamp out” homosexuality, and it will use whatever techniques it can come up with.

One of the original and largest leaders of this nightmare, Exodus International, shut down years ago, and its President Alan Chambers, has apologized for the decades of horrible damage and harm this “therapy” caused to thousands.

Reparative-Therapy-Violence-224x300

Real people, that I have talked to, in person, have told me horror stories…

Using opposite gender pornography to “stimulate heterosexual attraction.”
Bringing in prostitutes to “stimulate heterosexual attraction.”
Electric shock to the genitals to “stop same-sex attraction.”

Okay, let’s stop right there.

Absolute insanity.

What kind of kool-aid does someone have to drink to pretend this is okay? Or to go even further and actually promote it??

The blinding part is this does NOT change orientation! It never has. It never will. It has and always will be a fraud.

As we know, many people will do anything for power and profit and victory. There are stories of anti-LGBTQ policies and programs for political gain throughout the country And we are now exporting these toxic LGBTQ policies to unsuspecting countries. [Also here and here.]

The fraud of ex-gay “reparative/conversion therapy” has had immeasurable, damaging, devastating impact on the lives of countless LGBTQ people.

And now it’s back.

This is a human disaster waiting to happen.

Please. No more.

For more information and resources, go to Faith in America.

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July 12, 2016

The Biggest Mistake I Made as an LGBTQ Ally & Advocate

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