LETTER FROM
THE EDITOR
ART STREIBER
Parallel
Lives
I
N THIS WEEK’S ISSUE, Lila Shapiro
delves into the dark
world of conversion
therapy, a controversial practice
that claims to “cure” gay people
by making them straight. The
practice has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, not
only in the form of lawsuits seeking to outlaw the treatment, but
in the unequivocal and nearly
unanimous opinion of mental
health professionals that it is
complete and utter nonsense.
Lila introduces us to Mathew
Shurka, a 25-year-old New Yorker
who, as an adolescent, was forced
to undergo the dubious treatment.
She traces Mathew’s journey that
led to him becoming the confident
young man he is today, from his
complicated relationship with his
father to his romantic encounters.
We also meet Mathew’s conversion therapist, who undergoes his
own journey and comes to a conclusion that may surprise you.
Elsewhere in the issue, Bianca
HUFFINGTON
07.14.13
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