British Medical Association talks more sense, this time regarding 'Gay Conversions'.

[David B]

I wondered where to put this thread, but since the recent thread here on the BMA talking sense about homeopathy decided to put it here.

I read at our friend 'The Freethinker' http://freethinker.co.uk/2010/07/02/gay-conversion-therapy-branded-harmful-by-the-british-medical-association/

GAY conversion therapy, much favoured among fundamentalist Christians who have the dotty idea that homosexuals can be turned “straight”, was yesterday slammed by the British Medical Association.

More than two-thirds of doctors at the BMA’s annual meeting in Brighton approved a motion backing a call for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other mental health standards bodies to reject such treatments and ban their use in their codes of practice....

...According to this report, health departments should also investigate alleged cases of conversion therapy being funded by the NHS, the meeting agreed.....

...One of the people Mr Strudwick interviewed described his treatment as “psychological torture”.

Mr Strudwick called yesterday’s vote:

A watershed moment in the struggle for gay equality.

He added:

My undercover investigation for The Independent, which prompted this motion, highlighted the fact that not only are psychiatrists and psychotherapists still peddling these abhorrent techniques, but that in some cases the NHS are paying for it.

Hopefully, anyone involved in the so-called treatment of homosexuality will realise that the medical profession considers them dangerous charlatans, and will reconsider their beliefs. I also sincerely hope that any vulnerable gay person who is unhappy about their sexuality takes notice of this motion and realises that it is the world that needs to change, not them.

David

[Silly Sausage]

I'd have hoped that more than two-thirds of doctors would have voted to reject this kind of shit, but I suppose at least its a step in the right direction.

[Garnet]

We need this in the US. Psychological torture, indeed.

[Pendaric]

There are actually government approved programmes in Western countries that attempt to turn gay people straight????

Jawdrop moment.

[Garnet]

I don't know about government sponsored, Pendaric. But I haven't seen as strong a condemnation of it here by the AMA. Of course, I could have missed something.

[Roo St. Gallus]

I don't know about government sponsored, Pendaric. But I haven't seen as strong a condemnation of it here by the AMA. Of course, I could have missed something.

It's the American Psychological Association here, Garnet. They recently wrote out hemosexuality as a diagnosis requiring treatment from the DSM-IV. I don't know what the AMA has had to say about....I suppose I could find out.

ETA: American professional organization statements on homosexuality (http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_prof3.htm).

[Garnet]

I don't know about government sponsored, Pendaric. But I haven't seen as strong a condemnation of it here by the AMA. Of course, I could have missed something.

It's the American Psychological Association here, Garnet. They recently wrote out hemosexuality as a diagnosis requiring treatment from the DSM-IV. I don't know what the AMA has had to say about....I suppose I could find out.

They did WHAT???????

*head asplodes*

I had no idea.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Well, to be fair, it was the American Psychiatric Association which denied homosexuality as a mental illness in 1973 and that changed the DSM-IV. The American Psychological Association followed in 1975, and had a major set of restatements in 1994, the same year that the AMA made its statement.

[Garnet]

Which is all wiped out by their stupidity now in classifying homosexuality as a diagnosis.

Ugh. Makes me ill.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Which is all wiped out by their stupidity now in classifying homosexuality as a diagnosis.

Ugh. Makes me ill.

That's just it, they don't. They haven't since they expurged ('wrote out homosexuality') as a mental illness. It no longer appears in the DSM-IV and has not since that decision in 1974. They affirmed that in 1994 with several statements in relation to homosexuality, including the denial that it could be 'cured'.

Of course, in 1974, I was an adult. But is still lead the AMA by twenty years.

[Garnet]

Oh! OK! I got confused. Thanks for clearing that up.

[DMB]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/bma-declares-that-conversion-therapy-for-gays-is-harmful-2016391.html

More than two-thirds of doctors at the British Medical Association's annual meeting in Brighton approved a motion backing a call for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other mental health standards bodies to reject such treatments and ban their use in their codes of practice.

Health departments should also investigate alleged cases of conversion therapy being funded by the NHS, the meeting agreed.

And in other news, the Tory mayor of London supports gay marriage.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-should-back-gay-marriage-says-boris-johnson-2017943.html

[Rie]

It looks like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't then. But what the heck would you say to gay people to make them change their evil ways? I mean is it sort of showing them photos of gay people having sex and then showing them pics of 'straight' people having sex? Belly laughs all round I'd say.

[Rie]

And that darling little word gay has lost something over the years. Or was it once meant to mean that 'gay' people were the only ones having fun having sex? Just asking.:confused:

[Bane]

I thought it must've started as a "code word", so as to hide from fundie types.

[DMB]

I apologise for starting a new thread on this. I have merged them now.

Here is an interesting story about the "therapy":

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-exgay-files-the-bizarre-world-of-gaytostraight-conversion-1884947.html

[Haswell]

In actual practice there is no resolve to 'turn' gays in the UK. They are well integrated here(I think thats as much to do with the demise of christianity). We even have a Gay capitol - Brighton.

[DMB]

But if you read the linked articles you will see that it has been going on in a smallish way in the UK. Like creationism, it's an import from the USA.

[Haswell]

Nah. Some older generations have a problem with it but its no thang.

[Monad]

I apologise for starting a new thread on this. I have merged them now.

Here is an interesting story about the "therapy":

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-exgay-files-the-bizarre-world-of-gaytostraight-conversion-1884947.html

As a practising therapist myself I would say these people should be struck off - this makes me sick

[Matty]

i remember the Penn and Teller when they followed some poor schmuck to his gay cure therapy session. I felt so sorry for him to be so convinced that what he was, was simply evil and needed curing.

it was the life coaching episode IIRC.

as well as which the fucking "therapist" was clearly flaming. Hypocritical horrible wanker that he was.