Conversion Therapy Not a ‘Cure.’ It’s Torture.

#NoMoreIowaProud

I wrote this piece some time ago. I always had other editorials I wanted to share ahead of this one. The US Supreme Court decided that the First Amendment protects the cruel, harmful, ineffective practice of “conversion therapy” as free speech. This information is now timelier than ever.

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Iowa Sen. Sandy Salmon (R-Janesville) introduced SF 2037 during the 2024 legislative session. The bill prohibits “counties and cities from regulating certain behavioral health and human services.” These services include so-called “conversion therapy.” SF 2037 didn’t pass. If enacted in the future, the law would prohibit local governments from banning conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy (CT) tries to “convert” LGBTQ+ individuals. Supporters believe counseling can “correct” a person’s “confused” sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Critics call the widely discredited practice quack therapy that seeks to “pray the gay away.”

But what does CT entail? And why is it discredited?

What is conversion therapy?

More recent names for CT include “reparative therapy” and “sexual reorientation therapy.” CT practitioners continue to rebrand it over time in response to ongoing criticism. But changing the name doesn’t change what it is.

CT tries to change a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity to straight and cisgender. Supporters believe these are the only “valid” identities.

CT may include one or more of these tactics:

• coercive talk therapy (i.e., emotional manipulation)

• hypnosis

• re-education

• aversion therapy (pairing same-sex attraction stimuli with electric shocks, nausea-inducing substances, etc.)

CT is often faith-based and may include prayer, guilt, shaming, threats of eternal damnation, and even exorcism. Practitioners are often unlicensed. This makes regulating and monitoring their practices difficult.

What are the long-term effects of conversion therapy?

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973. This marked a historic thought shift. But segments of our society still haven’t accepted LGBTQ+ people. If they had, CT might have vanished long ago. The ongoing belief that LGBTQ+ identities are “wrong” or “sinful” allows the practice to continue.

LGBTQ+ people often carry negative feelings about their identities because of social, family, or religious influences. Subjecting a person to CT only reinforces their belief that they must be “fixed.” Then, add to this the feeling of failure when the therapy “didn’t work.”

This abusive process may result in any number of mental health issues, including self-hatred, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Mental health issues may, in turn, lead to harmful behaviors, like self-harm, substance abuse, and running away from home. These behaviors can affect self-esteem, quality of life, personal relationships, educational achievement, and income potential. And if the therapy was religion-based, survivors may develop a lifelong distrust of religious institutions.

If a CT survivor doesn’t lose faith in counseling altogether, they may seek legitimate, affirming mental healthcare to cope with their emotional issues. Such counseling may span years of a person’s life.

Why is Conversion Therapy Largely Discredited?

The APA joined 28 psychological and medical professional associations in denouncing the use of CT. There are two main reasons.

First, as shown in the previous section, CT is psychologically harmful.

Second, it doesn’t work. Severe CT techniques may diminish same-sex attraction in some people. But this doesn’t guarantee an increased opposite-sex attraction or sustained heterosexual relationships. Some survivors may report being “cured” due to family or social pressures or out of a desire to live a “normal” life. This more likely reflects a change in behavior than a true change in sexual orientation or gender identity.

We can’t change sexual orientation or gender identity by wishing for it. They are natural aspects of our being, just like height, eye color, and right- or left-handedness. And the psychological harm CT causes far outweighs any perceived “benefits.” This is in no way a measure of success.

An article posted on GoodTherapy.org states:

“Therapy is designed to help people grow and heal from difficult life experiences, not to ‘convert’ or ‘repair’ the part of a person that is deemed to be flawed by others.”

Psychology Today describes CT as torture and a human rights violation. No one should be forced into CT. Those considering it should weigh the consequences. Look for positive, supportive, affirming ways to address your concerns instead.