Another example of the "gay to straight" myth

[Silver]

The former poster boy of America's so-called 'ex-gay' movement who last year left his wife to return to homosexuality has launched a scathing attack on Rick Perry, declaring: 'You don’t understand this issue at all'.

John Paulk - once the nation's leading advocate of so-called gay conversion therapy - issued the verbal assault after the Texas governor compared homosexuality to alcoholism in an interview earlier this month.

Practitioners of the controversial treatment - also called 'gay conversion therapy' - claim to be able to turn homosexuals straight with a variety of techniques that critics argue are both psychologically damaging and ineffective.

Techniques include electric shock therapy, inducing nausea while being exposed to homoerotic material, praying, exorcism, trips to brothels to have sex with women and hypnosis.

But Paulk has now completely abandoned the movement, vowing instead to fight the 'widespread misunderstanding in the straight world' that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice.

'I do not want young gay women and men today to go through what I went through,' he writes. 'I want to tell them - and Rick Perry: We are not broken, damaged, inferior or throwaways......

Of his own past, he writes: 'I was in denial. It wasn’t in fact true, any of it. Worse than being wrong, it was harmful to many people - and caused me years of pain in my own life. Which is why I have this to say to the Rick Perrys of the world: You don’t understand this issue. At all.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...Perry.html

[Heywood]

The former poster boy of America's so-called 'ex-gay' movement who last year left his wife to return to homosexuality has launched a scathing attack on Rick Perry, declaring: 'You don’t understand this issue at all'.

John Paulk - once the nation's leading advocate of so-called gay conversion therapy - issued the verbal assault after the Texas governor compared homosexuality to alcoholism in an interview earlier this month.

Practitioners of the controversial treatment - also called 'gay conversion therapy' - claim to be able to turn homosexuals straight with a variety of techniques that critics argue are both psychologically damaging and ineffective.

Techniques include electric shock therapy, inducing nausea while being exposed to homoerotic material, praying, exorcism, trips to brothels to have sex with women and hypnosis.

But Paulk has now completely abandoned the movement, vowing instead to fight the 'widespread misunderstanding in the straight world' that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice.

'I do not want young gay women and men today to go through what I went through,' he writes. 'I want to tell them - and Rick Perry: We are not broken, damaged, inferior or throwaways......

Of his own past, he writes: 'I was in denial. It wasn’t in fact true, any of it. Worse than being wrong, it was harmful to many people - and caused me years of pain in my own life. Which is why I have this to say to the Rick Perrys of the world: You don’t understand this issue. At all.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...Perry.html

I don't know if conversion therapy is effective or not. However I do ask myself if pedophilia can be treated why can't homosexuality? Further if someone wants to be treated for homosexuality....why should we prevent it?

[Broseph Ballin]

I don't know if conversion therapy is effective or not. However I do ask myself if pedophilia can be treated why can't homosexuality? Further if someone wants to be treated for homosexuality....why should we prevent it?

Because mainstream psychologists say the therapy is ineffective, unethical and often harmful, exacerbating anxiety and self-hatred among those treated for what is not a mental disorder. If people want to try it, fine, but they at least deserve to know what they're getting into and the risks (which seem to be surprisingly high).

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I don't know if conversion therapy is effective or not.

It isn't.

However I do ask myself if pedophilia can be treated why can't homosexuality?

Who says that paedophilia is treatable?

Further if someone wants to be treated for homosexuality....why should we prevent it?

Because, as a society, we have a voluntarily assumed moral obligation to prevent innocent people from harming themselves. Better a well-adjusted, happy homosexual than a twisted, psychologically manipulated, pseudo-heterosexual.

Boru

[Heywood]

I don't know if conversion therapy is effective or not. However I do ask myself if pedophilia can be treated why can't homosexuality? Further if someone wants to be treated for homosexuality....why should we prevent it?

Because mainstream psychologists say the therapy is ineffective, unethical and often harmful, exacerbating anxiety and self-hatred among those treated for what is not a mental disorder. If people want to try it, fine, but they at least deserve to know what they're getting into and the risks (which seem to be surprisingly high).

I take what mainstream psychologist say in this regard with a grain of salt. If you say anything against homosexuality you are instantly branded a bigot, or homophobe. Such demonization has stifled the free exchange of ideas. I don't believe such an environment is conducive to objective conclusions with regard to the "treatment" or the "condition".

[Losty]

If we can treat cancer, why can we not treat healthy people as well?

If a perfectly healthy person wants to have chemotherapy....why should we prevent it?

[Heywood]

Who says that paedophilia is treatable?

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/schizoty...s/page/0/5

[Chad32]

The biggest difference between pedophilia and homosexuality is the fact that one can be done between consenting adults, and the other can't. Therefore the one that involves consenting adults should be treated with more acceptance than the other. Whether pedophilia can be treated or not, we shouldn't allow people to have sex with children, who can't legally consent to sex.

[Heywood]

The biggest difference between pedophilia and homosexuality is the fact that one can be done between consenting adults, and the other can't. Therefore the one that involves consenting adults should be treated with more acceptance than the other. Whether pedophilia can be treated or not, we shouldn't allow people to have sex with children, who can't legally consent to sex.

I agree with your point but at best all it can be used for is to claim there is simply no need to treat homosexuality where as there is a need to treat pedophilia. My question is this: If pedophilia can be treated why can't homosexuality? What is magical about homosexuality that makes it immune to treatment?

Treatments are not always formulated on needs but rather wants. Nobody needs to be treated for Alopecia....and because that is true should we ban the treatment of Alopecia? Of course not.

[Losty]

The biggest difference between pedophilia and homosexuality is the fact that one can be done between consenting adults, and the other can't. Therefore the one that involves consenting adults should be treated with more acceptance than the other. Whether pedophilia can be treated or not, we shouldn't allow people to have sex with children, who can't legally consent to sex.

I agree with your point but at best all it can be used for is to claim there is simply no need to treat homosexuality where as there is a need to treat pedophilia. My question is this: If pedophilia can be treated why can't homosexuality? What is magical about homosexuality that makes it immune to treatment?

Treatments are not always formulated on needs but rather wants. Nobody needs to be treated for Alopecia....and because that is true should we ban the treatment of Alopecia? Of course not.

Pedophilia is not a sexuality it is a disease. Even pedophiles are hetero, homo, or bi sexual. You cannot treat someone's sexuality. There's no cure for sexuality. If you were to treat a homosexual what would a cure be? Asexuality?