Global backlash against gay conversion therapy gathers pace

Well said Burning Bush.

What if an LGBTQ person wants to change thier sexual orientation for some reason?

Coerced conversion therapy: Absolutely not.

Voluntary conversion therapy: It's a free country.

Burning BushToday  07:01 am JST

If someone wants to sign up for therapy, let them, it's their choice.

Very, very few people want to sign up for conversion therapy of their own accord. No one wants to sign up for conversion therapy if they've been educated to correctly understand what sexual orientation and gender identity is.In the vast majority of cases, participants in conversion therapy are there because of pressure from intolerant family that still clings to outdated superstitions.

Burning BushToday  07:01 am JST

If someone wants to sign up for therapy, let them, it's their choice.

When you call something a "therapy", that means you generally have to have some kind of peer-reviewed evidence of its efficacy. At the very minimum, you have to have fairly strong evidence that your "therapy" is more likely to help than to harm. If you can't provide that evidence, there is no reason any government in a free society should permit you to sell your treatment, because you would then be committing fraud. Just like how I can't legally sell you my "slapping about the face" therapy to cure your cancer.

Alfie:

I think Burning Bush's country of residence matters little to this issue. And it doesn't change the fact that there are LGBTQ people around the world who wish to voluntarily have conversion therapy for whatever reasons. Implementation of legislation in any country to ban conversion therapy would deny them this right.

Concerned CitizenToday  08:18 am JST

And it doesn't change the fact that there are LGBTQ people around the world who wish to voluntarily have conversion therapy for whatever reasons.

Evidence?

Implementation of legislation in any country to ban conversion therapy would deny them this right.

Since when does any country give people a right to be defrauded by quacks and charlatans falsely pretending to practice medicine?

I must emphasize 'If they voluntarily choose to'.

Denying them this right amounts to a denial of self determination. In other words- 'You must stay gay!'

About time to dispense with this barbaric practice.

Left one friend of mine mentally scarred and another took their own life.

You don't chose your sexuality. Nobody wakes up one day and decides they will be straight, gay or bi. You just are.

Even then, it's hard to define sexuality in absolutes - people will be attracted to people.

I find the idea that there is a "global backlash" about this EXTREMELY hard to believe.

Concerned CitizenToday  09:16 am JST

Denying them this right 

You keep claiming conversion therapy is a right. It's not. I know of no constitution that grants the public the right to harmful, ineffective abuse masquerading as medical treatments. Things don't become rights just because you want them to be.

katsu78

Every person has a right to self determination. It's a right IF the person wants it.

Question for you katsu78.

If you encounter a gay person who told you that they want conversion therapy because they wished to become straight, marry and have children, would you deny them this right? (There are gays who have done exactly this)

If you encounter a gay person who told you that they want conversion therapy because they wished to become straight, marry and have children, would you deny them this right? (There are gays who have done exactly this)

Would you deny a straight friend (or even family member) of yours the right to be converted because they wish to be gay, marry and adopt children?

Back to reality - I'd ask them to seek a non-judgemental professional rather than a quack who believes they can "cure" a person's sexuality.

Toasted Heretic:

No, I would not deny a straight friend (or even family member) the right to be converted because they wish to be gay, marry and adopt children.

Everyone has a right to determine thier own sex life, switch orientation, seek counseling or therapy.

Toasted Heretic:

Also, I agree that people wishing to switch sexuality should 'seek a non-judgemental professional.....' Thus, this option should not be illegal.

Religious freedom should never override people's right to be safe, respected and not tortured. Many times conversion therapy is just that, torture. It's not voluntary and it's deeply hurtful to the people undergoing it. And yes, by faaaar most of those people are forced to it, it's not voluntary.

Don't believe in conversion therapy for gays. Don't believe in kids transitioning either.

They don't have the emotional or mental development necessary to make such a decision.

Should be 18+ before going down that road imo.

Jonorth:

Religious freedom should never override people's right to be safe, respected and not tortured. AGREED.

Do you agree that those who wish to voluntarily undergo therapy should be able to? There are many who have done so.

I can imagine a lot of parents may be shocked and disappointed if their child comes out as gay or transgender and would question if they are actually gay/transgender or have been groomed or influenced by others. In that sense, having some counseling would definitely be appropriate.

Do you mean the parents of these kids need some sort of 'LGBTQ acceptance' therapy/counseling? If so then i agree with you.

Gay conversion therapy is a fraud driven by stupidity, greed, ignorance and hatred/fear of the other. Should be banned.

Reckless:

The main concern I would have regarding my kids being gay is the threat of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis A and B of which there are very high incidences amongst gay and bisexual men. In spite of the warnings many continue to practice unsafe sex so it is a higher risk sexual behavior. Many formerly gay/bisexual men have switched to heterosexual for this reason, amongst others.

This is understandably reason enough for some men to regard thier gay sexual attraction as unwanted and some parents to be concerned about thier sons being gay attracted.

Having said that, I'm not at all in favor of coercive therapy or any other kinds of coercive attempts to 'degay' anyone. Any endeavour to switch sexual orientation must absolutely be by the individual's choice.

@reckless, i get your initial point ("learning that a child is gay or transgender can be extremely traumatic to parents") but don't quite get your last sentence ("Certainly I do not suggest that anyone should be forced to accept LGBTQ.)

Ultimately, it's not about 'them' (i.e the parents), it's about him/her (as in, their child). No one's imposing their lifestyle on others or 'forcing' someone to accept them. They're just saying 'this is who i am". Then parents are free to walk away from their child (not necessarily literally) or support them. I honestly think that parents who struggle with their child's sexual orientation should seek help, talk to ppl, educate themselves etc.

The main concern I would have regarding my kids being gay is the threat of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis A and B of which there are very high incidences amongst gay and bisexual men. In spite of the warnings many continue to practice unsafe sex so it is a higher risk sexual behavior. Many formerly gay/bisexual men have switched to heterosexual for this reason, amongst others.

You keep saying many have switched their sexual behavior. Where are the stats, the evidence?

Also, some people practice safe sex, some don't. It's a human thing, not down to whether someone is LGBT or not.

Concerned CitizenToday  10:36 am JST

Every person has a right to self determination. It's a right IF the person wants it.

Name a single country with a constitution that guarantees the vaguely worded "right to self determination" [sic] and has either a law or judicial precedent specifying that self-determination should be interpreted to include the right to be defrauded by medical quacks.

If you encounter a gay person who told you that they want conversion therapy because they wished to become straight, marry and have children, would you deny them this right?

First we haven't established that it is a right.

Second, I have no problem with LGBT people getting married. You don't need to be straight to get married.

Third, I support LGBT people having children. You don't need to be straight to have children.

Conversion therapy has literally nothing to do with the scenario you presented.

(There are gays who have done exactly this)

[Citation Needed]

For example: honoring a family name, having grandchildren, not disgracing the family, setting a good example, etc. 

And LGBT folk can do all that. Just like hetero folk.