DOMESTIC
VANDERBILT POLITICAL REVIEW
The Conversion Farce
A harmful social practice persists
by ALLIE DOTEN ‘18
C
onversion therapy is a practice
that is shrouded in mystery
yet occurs all over the United
States. Also known as reparative therapy, this well-concealed process attempts to change the sexuality of its
participants from homosexual to heterosexual. The medical community in
the United States does not deem homosexuality a mental disorder. Therefore,
the notion of “reparative” therapy is
not only invalid, but also emotionally
harmful. There exists overwhelming
scientific evidence proving sexuality is not a choice, rendering conversion therapy a form of psychological
abuse. Trying to convince an individual that their inherent self is flawed
can likely cause serious trauma and
irreversible psychological effects.
Though gays and lesbians can marry
in every state in the union, thousands
14
remain subjected to the psychological
abuse of so-called reparative therapy.
Advocates for conversion therapy
are often religious, with fundamentalist
Christian groups being the most vocal.
In many religions, being homosexual is
unacceptable and considered a disorder
or disease. For this reason, many people encourage “curing” homosexuality
through a variety of dangerous processes. Even the term “reparative” therapy
suggests the participants or patients
are broken and in need of repairing.
Some adults who feel homosexual tendencies will subject themselves to this
abuse willingly in an attempt to change
their sexuality. Unfortunately, many
of the people who experience reparative therapy are underage LGBT youth
who are not in a position to decline.
Licensed mental health practitioners
throughout the United States advertise
conversion services, but it is prevalent
among unlicensed counselors and religious leaders as well. With laws prohibiting the therapy in minors in only
California, Oregon, Washington DC,
and New Jersey, the business thrives.
According to the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBT research
group, less than one-fifth of the United
States’ LGBT population lives in the
three states where these laws exist.
Minors are especially vulnerable to
the harmful effects of conversion therapy, and the likelihood of them becoming depressed or developing suicidal
tendencies after the practice is dramatically increased. In Harvard Magazine
writer Debra Bradley Ruder explains
that adolescent brains are more vulnerable to external stressors than adult
brains. The stress of attempting to
change the fundamental components of
who we are is especially extreme and
daunting. The frightening probability of an LGBT youth attempting suicide is 30-40 percent according to The
Suicide Prevention Resource Center,
and that number is only increased by
the damage from conversion therapy.
Reparative therapy is especially
harmful because of the physically
and psychologically barbaric methods used. Conversion therapy has a
long and dark history of inhumane
physical treatments, such as ice pick
lobotomies and castration. Although
these specific practices were banned in
1981, witnesses interviewed by VICE
News report that illegal methods are
still practiced by some unlicensed individuals. Now, conversion therapy is
limited to non-physical methods. Despite the ban on physical practices,