Conversion Therapy Still Endorsed by Republicans

Family Research Council Hammers Home

The President of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins, succeeded in introducing an amendment to the Republican Platform affirming “the right of parents to determine the proper treatment or therapy for their minor children.”

You know what this means…The FRC approves of conversion or so-called reparative therapy, aka. pray-the-gay-away therapy.  Although conversion therapy has been banned in New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, California, Vermont, Iowa, and the District of Columbia, and in 2015, Cincinnati, Ohio passed the 1st city level conversion therapy ban, the FRC, a Christian public policy ministry, is all about religious liberty and right-wing causes at the expense of the LGBT population.

Traditional Family Values Don’t Reflect Modern Society

The American Psychiatric Association knows better.  It disapproves of conversion therapy.  In 1973, homosexuality was declassified as a mental disorder by the APA.  It opposes psychiatric treatment based upon the assumption that a patient should change his/her sexual homosexual orientation and describes attempts to change sexual orientation by practitioners as UNETHICAL!

Dangers of Conversion Therapy

There don’t seem to be any long-term studies of conversion therapy.  Organizations such as NARTH don’t disclose the side effects in its propaganda.  This kind of so-called therapy may cause social harm by disseminating unscientific views about sexual orientation.

Rarely, does conversion therapy work in the long run.  It can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness and suicide.

Better Means for Coping

If you are Republican, religious, and having trouble accepting your LGBT child’s sexual orientation, try consulting these organizations that have proven track records for parental support:

Family Acceptance Project

familyproject.sfsu.edu.

 The Parents Project

http://www.theparentsproject.com

PFLAG (Parents for Lesbians and Gays, now includes bisexuals and transgenders)

http://www.pflag.org