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==The ex-gay movement and conversion therapy== |
==The ex-gay movement and conversion therapy== |
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is stupid |
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{{See also|Conversion therapy}} |
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Exodus International argues that [[conversion therapy]], specifically reparative therapy, may be a useful tool for decreasing same-sex desires.<ref> [http://exodus.to/content/view/34/117/ Exodus International Policy Statements], [[Exodus International]]. Retrieved 04-07-2007.</ref> The medical and scientific consensus in the United States is that conversion therapy is likely harmful and should be avoided because it may exploit guilt and anxiety, thereby damaging self-esteem and leading to depression and even suicide.<ref name="apa">{{cite web |
|||
|url= http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/justthefacts.html |
|||
|title= Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel |
|||
|accessdate= 2007-08-28 |year= 1999 |publisher= American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, The Interfaith Alliance, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, National Education Association }}</ref><ref name="PsychNews"> {{cite news |first= K. |last= H. |title= APA Maintains Reparative Therapy Not Effective |
|||
|url= http://www.psychiatricnews.org/pnews/99-01-15/therapy.html |
|||
|publisher= Psychiatric News (news division of the American Psychiatric Association) |date= [[1999-01-15]] |accessdate=2007-08-28}}</ref><ref name="nytconversion">{{cite news | first = Michael | last = Luo |
|||
| title = Some Tormented by Homosexuality Look to a Controversial Therapy |
|||
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/nyregion/12group.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin |
|||
| publisher = The New York Times | page = 1 | date = 2007-02-12 |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-08-28}}</ref> There is a broad concern in the mental health community that the advancement of conversion therapy itself causes social harm by disseminating inaccurate views about sexual orientation and the ability of [[LGBT|LGB]] people to lead happy, healthy lives.<ref name="apa" /> Most mainstream health organizations are critical of conversion therapy, and no mainstream medical organization endorses conversion therapy.<ref name="apa" /><ref name="AmericanMedicalAssociation">{{cite web |
|||
|url = http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/glbt-advisory-committee/ama-policy-regarding-sexual-orientation.shtml |
|||
|title = American Medical Association policy regarding sexual orientation |
|||
|accessdate = 2007-07-30 |date = 2007-07-11 |
|||
|publisher = American Medical Association}}</ref><ref name="aap">{{cite journal |
|||
|first= Committee on Adolescence |year= 1993 |
|||
|title= Homosexuality and Adolesence |
|||
|journal= Pediatrics, Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics |
|||
|volume= 92 |pages= 631–634 |
|||
|url= http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/92/4/631.pdf |
|||
|accessdate= 2007-08-28 |
|||
|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |
|||
|url = http://www.spiritindia.com/health-care-news-articles-10085.html |
|||
|title = Physician Assistants vote on retail clinics, reparative therapy |
|||
|accessdate = 2007-08-28 |
|||
|publisher = SpiritIndia.com}}</ref><ref group=note>Mainstream health organizations critical of [[conversion therapy]] include the [[American Medical Association]], [[American Psychiatric Association]], the American Psychological Association, the [[American Counseling Association]], the [[National Association of Social Workers]], the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]], the American Association of School Administrators, the [[American Federation of Teachers]], the [[National Association of School Psychologists]], the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the [[National Education Association]].</ref><ref name="Psych">{{cite web |
|||
|url = http://archive.psych.org/edu/other_res/lib_archives/archives/200001.pdf |
|||
|title = Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies) |
|||
|accessdate = 2007-08-28 |
|||
|year = 2000 |
|||
|month = May |
|||
|publisher = American Psychiatric Association |
|||
|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="AGLP">{{cite web |
|||
|url=http://www.aglp.org/pages/cfactsheets.html#Anchor-Gay-14210 |
|||
|title=Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues |
|||
|author=[[American Psychiatric Association]] |
|||
|publisher=Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrics |
|||
|month=May | year=2000}}</ref><ref name="prejudice">[http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/08/081106apa.htm APA Discredits 'Ex-Gay' Movement], 365Gay Newscenter, 8-11-2006. Retrieved on 04-14-2007.</ref> Clinical psychologist Douglas Haldeman has identified conversion therapy as a [[pseudoscience]].<ref name="iglss.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.iglss.org/media/files/Angles_41.pdf |title=The Pseudo-science of Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy |accessdate= 2009-04-04 |year=1999 |publisher= ANGLES, the policy journal of the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies (IGLSS), www.iglss.org}}</ref> |
|||
Proponents of conversion therapy argue that it is possible for a person's sexual orientation to be changed, and cite research in support of that contention.<ref> [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/nyregion/12group.html?pagewanted=print]</ref><ref>Can Some Gay Men and Lesbians Change Their Sexual Orientation? 200 Participants Reporting a Change from Homosexual to Heterosexual Orientation (Archives of Sexual Behavior, October 2003, p.403-417) PMID 14567650</ref> [[Focus on the Family]], which advocates conversion therapy, asserts a 2009 study confirms that "through religious mediation" one can change their sexual orientation; one critic responded that the study was "biased and very slanted".<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.denverpost.com/popular/ci_6922237 |
|||
|title = Focus on Family: Sexual orientation can change |last = Draper |
|||
|first = Electra |date = [[2007-09-18]] |
|||
|publisher = The Denver Post |accessdate = 2007-10-29}}</ref> Ex-gay groups assert that the scientific community has taken its stances on homosexuality due to political, and not scientific, considerations.<ref name="ABC"> [http://abc.net.au/foreign/content/2006/s1717011.htm USA - Gay Conversion]. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref><ref>Satinover, Jeff. Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth (1996) Baker</ref></b> However, mainstream mental health organizations have rejected this assertion since the mid-1970s.<ref name="iglss.org"/> In a joint statement, various groups expressed support for personal choice, a "right to know" about therapeutic alternatives, and the principle of [[self-determination]] in regard to persons with same-sex attraction.<ref name=PATH> [http://www.pathinfo.org/index2.htm PATH]: Positive Alternatives To Homosexuality</ref> |
|||
== Definition of change == |
== Definition of change == |
This article needs additional citations for
verification. (January 2009) |
Ex-gay is a term and concept used to describe persons who were once as gay, lesbian or bisexual, but who no longer assert that identity. The ex-gay movement consists of people, support groups and organisations that support people in reducing their ego-dystonic sexual orientation, refrain from pursuing same-sex relationships, develop heterosexual attractions, and possibly enter into an opposite-sex relationship.
One method of attempting to change sexual orientation is conversion therapy. The American Psychological Association asserts that sexual orientation identity but not orientation can be changed through psychotherapy, support groups and life events, and participants have reported benefits from mutual support groups. [1] While ex-gays may report a reduction in same-sex desires, they may also continue to experience same-sex attraction. [2] [3] [4]
When the term ex-gay was introduced to professional literature in 1980, E. Mansell Pattison defined it as describing a person who had "experienced a basic change in sexual orientation." [5] Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, has distanced himself from the term's usage, because he believes "We are all so much more than our sexual expressions." [6] Other than Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, organizations that practice ex-gay initiatives do not label themselves as such, but rather label themselves as restorative psychology groups.[ citation needed]
Ex-gay organizations began in the U.S. with Evangelical Christians, but have since spread to include Catholic, LDS, Jewish, Muslim and non-religious groups [7] in several countries. Ex-gays are considered a protected class in Washington DC after a court order. [8] [9]
are stupid
is stupid
Exodus describes change as "attaining abstinence from homosexual behaviors, lessening of homosexual temptations, strengthening their sense of masculine or feminine identity, correcting distorted styles of relating with members of the same and opposite gender." [10] People Can Change defines change as "any degree of change toward greater peace, satisfaction and fulfillment, and less shame, depression and darkness," and emphasizes that for most people, heterosexuality is not the ultimate goal. [11] Some ex-gays advocate entering (or remaining) in a heterosexual marriage as part of the process. Some in mixed-orientation marriages acknowledge that their sexual attractions remain primarily homosexual, but seek to make their marriages work anyway. [12] The president of Exodus said he agrees that people can't necessarily change their sexual orientation, but he said they can "live in accord with their beliefs and faith". [13]
![]() |
One of the most controversial aspects of the ex-gay movement has been the focus of some ex-gay organizations on teenagers,[ citation needed] including occasions where teenagers have been forcibly treated in ex-gay camps. A 2006 report outlined evidence that ex-gay and conversion therapy groups were at the time increasingly focusing on children. [76] Several legal researchers have responded to these events by arguing that parents who force their children into aggressive conversion therapy programs are committing child abuse under various state statutes. [77] [78]
Some youths have sought emancipation from their parents due to parental attempts to force their children to undergo conversion therapy. [79] One such case involved Lyn Duff. In 1991, at age 14, Duff came out publicly as a lesbian. Concerned about her daughter's sexual orientation, Duff's mother had her taken by force from her grandparents' home to Rivendell Psychiatric Center, a residential treatment center near Salt Lake City. [80] Duff's placement was paid for by the State of California through special education funds on the basis of her diagnosis with Gender Identity Disorder.[ citation needed] Her treatment reportedly included shock therapy, aversion therapy, psychotropic drugs, hypnosis, and behavioral counseling. [81] [82] [83] [84] After 168 days in Rivendell, Duff escaped. [85] In 1992, she initiated legal action against the facility and her mother. [86]
The ex-gay organization Love in Action has been involved in controversy surrounding youth. In July 2005, The New York Times ran a feature story about 16-year-old Zachary Stark, whose parents forced him to attend an ex-gay camp run by the group. [87] In July 2005, Stark was released from the camp. [88] An investigation of the camp did not uncover signs of child abuse, but in September 2005, the camp was shut down when Tennessee authorities discovered that unlicensed staff had been administering prescription drugs to children. [89]
In October 2005, the father of 17-year old DJ Butler reportedly drove his son to a Love in Action camp in handcuffs. [90] In February 2006, Tennessee authorities, unwilling to pursue further actions against Love in Action, closed its case regarding this incident. [90]
In the early days, there were several scandals between leaders and participants, but they are less common. This may be due to increased organizational accountability and growing awareness that those ministering in their area of temptation are vulnerable. [91]
Perhaps the first organization to counsel gays on changing their orientation was the Aesthetic Realism Foundation. In 1971 four students of Aesthetic Realism appeared on the David Susskind television program and claimed they had changed from homosexuality by studying Aesthetic Realism and learning not to have contempt for the world. [100] The same year the Aesthetic Realism Foundation published a book about their program of change, and later Aesthetic Realism students purchased large ads in major newspapers to promote their "solution". However, in 1990 the Aesthetic Realism Foundation stopped offering counseling on how to change. The Foundation claimed it was because of the spirit of anger surrounding the subject, though critics contend that the Foundation was forced to abandon their program because it clearly wasn't working.
The first ex-gay ministry was formed in 1973, called Love in Action. [101] Three years later, they joined with other ex-gay organizations to form Exodus International. Exodus is the largest ex-gay organization, and has grown to include over 120 local ministries in the U.S. and Canada. [102] Exodus International is the largest organization under the Exodus Global Alliance. Many other ex-gay organizations have been formed to cater to a specific religious group, such as Courage for Catholics, Evergreen International for Mormons (LDS), OneByOne for Presbyterians, Transformation Congregations [103] for Methodists and JONAH for Jews.
Other organizations have formed to meet specific needs. Witness Freedom Ministries caters to people of color with same-sex attractions. [104] Exodus Youth is a group specifically designed for youth, [105] and the NEA Ex-Gay Educators Caucus is a group formed to help ex-gay teachers and students. [106] Others form after a specific technique, such as Homosexuals Anonymous [107] which was modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous' 12 step program and International Healing Foundation was modeled after Richard Cohen's methods. People Can Change [108] and PFOX are two other ex-gay organizations in North America. A major Web site that supports these efforts is Same-sex Attraction.
In 1994, Esly Carvalho began Exodus Latino America. [109] In 2002, Exodus Brasil [110] separated as a separate organization under Global Exodus Alliance. Other groups in Latin America include Courage Latino [111] for Catholics, Elías S.O.S [112] in Argentina, and Camino de Salida [113] in Ecuador. Es Posible el Cambio [114] is an interdenominational group that advocates conversion therapy.
In 1975, Johan van de Sluis began EHAH (in English: Evangelical Counseling for Homosexuals) in the Netherlands. [115] After visiting an Exodus conference in America, he combined his organization with others to form Exodus Europe in 1982. [115] Exodus Europe included True Freedom Trust in the UK, Medvandrarna [116] in Sweden, Til Helhet [117] in Norway, Basis [118] in Denmark, Aslan [119] in Finland, Different (the old EHAH) [120] in Belgium and Onze Weg [121] in the Netherlands. In April 2007, Exodus Europe decided to break away from the Global Exodus Alliance because it was too affected by American thinking. [122] These ministries are now part of LINC (Live in Christ). [123] The United Kingdom also has Encourage [124] for Catholics and StraightWay Foundation [125] for Muslims.
In 1978, Peter Lane began the first ex-gay group in Australia, which was called Liberty Ministry. [115] In 1987, it joined with other ministries to form Exodus Asia Pacific. [126] In 1990 Frank Worthen went to the Philippines and formed Bagong Pag-asa. [127] Other significant ex-gay groups under Exodus Asia Pacific include Liberty Christian Ministries [128] in Australia, Rainbow 7 [129] in Taiwan, Liberty League [130] in Singapore and Pursuing Liberty Under Christ [131] in Malaysia.
Ex-gay organizations in the Middle East include Atzat Nefesh [132] for Jews and Al-Tawbah [133] for Muslims.
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link)
Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
==The ex-gay movement and conversion therapy== |
==The ex-gay movement and conversion therapy== |
||
is stupid |
|||
{{See also|Conversion therapy}} |
|||
Exodus International argues that [[conversion therapy]], specifically reparative therapy, may be a useful tool for decreasing same-sex desires.<ref> [http://exodus.to/content/view/34/117/ Exodus International Policy Statements], [[Exodus International]]. Retrieved 04-07-2007.</ref> The medical and scientific consensus in the United States is that conversion therapy is likely harmful and should be avoided because it may exploit guilt and anxiety, thereby damaging self-esteem and leading to depression and even suicide.<ref name="apa">{{cite web |
|||
|url= http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/justthefacts.html |
|||
|title= Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel |
|||
|accessdate= 2007-08-28 |year= 1999 |publisher= American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, The Interfaith Alliance, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, National Education Association }}</ref><ref name="PsychNews"> {{cite news |first= K. |last= H. |title= APA Maintains Reparative Therapy Not Effective |
|||
|url= http://www.psychiatricnews.org/pnews/99-01-15/therapy.html |
|||
|publisher= Psychiatric News (news division of the American Psychiatric Association) |date= [[1999-01-15]] |accessdate=2007-08-28}}</ref><ref name="nytconversion">{{cite news | first = Michael | last = Luo |
|||
| title = Some Tormented by Homosexuality Look to a Controversial Therapy |
|||
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/nyregion/12group.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin |
|||
| publisher = The New York Times | page = 1 | date = 2007-02-12 |
|||
| accessdate = 2007-08-28}}</ref> There is a broad concern in the mental health community that the advancement of conversion therapy itself causes social harm by disseminating inaccurate views about sexual orientation and the ability of [[LGBT|LGB]] people to lead happy, healthy lives.<ref name="apa" /> Most mainstream health organizations are critical of conversion therapy, and no mainstream medical organization endorses conversion therapy.<ref name="apa" /><ref name="AmericanMedicalAssociation">{{cite web |
|||
|url = http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/glbt-advisory-committee/ama-policy-regarding-sexual-orientation.shtml |
|||
|title = American Medical Association policy regarding sexual orientation |
|||
|accessdate = 2007-07-30 |date = 2007-07-11 |
|||
|publisher = American Medical Association}}</ref><ref name="aap">{{cite journal |
|||
|first= Committee on Adolescence |year= 1993 |
|||
|title= Homosexuality and Adolesence |
|||
|journal= Pediatrics, Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics |
|||
|volume= 92 |pages= 631–634 |
|||
|url= http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/92/4/631.pdf |
|||
|accessdate= 2007-08-28 |
|||
|format=PDF}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |
|||
|url = http://www.spiritindia.com/health-care-news-articles-10085.html |
|||
|title = Physician Assistants vote on retail clinics, reparative therapy |
|||
|accessdate = 2007-08-28 |
|||
|publisher = SpiritIndia.com}}</ref><ref group=note>Mainstream health organizations critical of [[conversion therapy]] include the [[American Medical Association]], [[American Psychiatric Association]], the American Psychological Association, the [[American Counseling Association]], the [[National Association of Social Workers]], the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]], the American Association of School Administrators, the [[American Federation of Teachers]], the [[National Association of School Psychologists]], the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the [[National Education Association]].</ref><ref name="Psych">{{cite web |
|||
|url = http://archive.psych.org/edu/other_res/lib_archives/archives/200001.pdf |
|||
|title = Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies) |
|||
|accessdate = 2007-08-28 |
|||
|year = 2000 |
|||
|month = May |
|||
|publisher = American Psychiatric Association |
|||
|format=PDF}}</ref><ref name="AGLP">{{cite web |
|||
|url=http://www.aglp.org/pages/cfactsheets.html#Anchor-Gay-14210 |
|||
|title=Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues |
|||
|author=[[American Psychiatric Association]] |
|||
|publisher=Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrics |
|||
|month=May | year=2000}}</ref><ref name="prejudice">[http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/08/081106apa.htm APA Discredits 'Ex-Gay' Movement], 365Gay Newscenter, 8-11-2006. Retrieved on 04-14-2007.</ref> Clinical psychologist Douglas Haldeman has identified conversion therapy as a [[pseudoscience]].<ref name="iglss.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.iglss.org/media/files/Angles_41.pdf |title=The Pseudo-science of Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy |accessdate= 2009-04-04 |year=1999 |publisher= ANGLES, the policy journal of the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies (IGLSS), www.iglss.org}}</ref> |
|||
Proponents of conversion therapy argue that it is possible for a person's sexual orientation to be changed, and cite research in support of that contention.<ref> [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/nyregion/12group.html?pagewanted=print]</ref><ref>Can Some Gay Men and Lesbians Change Their Sexual Orientation? 200 Participants Reporting a Change from Homosexual to Heterosexual Orientation (Archives of Sexual Behavior, October 2003, p.403-417) PMID 14567650</ref> [[Focus on the Family]], which advocates conversion therapy, asserts a 2009 study confirms that "through religious mediation" one can change their sexual orientation; one critic responded that the study was "biased and very slanted".<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.denverpost.com/popular/ci_6922237 |
|||
|title = Focus on Family: Sexual orientation can change |last = Draper |
|||
|first = Electra |date = [[2007-09-18]] |
|||
|publisher = The Denver Post |accessdate = 2007-10-29}}</ref> Ex-gay groups assert that the scientific community has taken its stances on homosexuality due to political, and not scientific, considerations.<ref name="ABC"> [http://abc.net.au/foreign/content/2006/s1717011.htm USA - Gay Conversion]. Retrieved on 2006-06-22.</ref><ref>Satinover, Jeff. Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth (1996) Baker</ref></b> However, mainstream mental health organizations have rejected this assertion since the mid-1970s.<ref name="iglss.org"/> In a joint statement, various groups expressed support for personal choice, a "right to know" about therapeutic alternatives, and the principle of [[self-determination]] in regard to persons with same-sex attraction.<ref name=PATH> [http://www.pathinfo.org/index2.htm PATH]: Positive Alternatives To Homosexuality</ref> |
|||
== Definition of change == |
== Definition of change == |
This article needs additional citations for
verification. (January 2009) |
Ex-gay is a term and concept used to describe persons who were once as gay, lesbian or bisexual, but who no longer assert that identity. The ex-gay movement consists of people, support groups and organisations that support people in reducing their ego-dystonic sexual orientation, refrain from pursuing same-sex relationships, develop heterosexual attractions, and possibly enter into an opposite-sex relationship.
One method of attempting to change sexual orientation is conversion therapy. The American Psychological Association asserts that sexual orientation identity but not orientation can be changed through psychotherapy, support groups and life events, and participants have reported benefits from mutual support groups. [1] While ex-gays may report a reduction in same-sex desires, they may also continue to experience same-sex attraction. [2] [3] [4]
When the term ex-gay was introduced to professional literature in 1980, E. Mansell Pattison defined it as describing a person who had "experienced a basic change in sexual orientation." [5] Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, has distanced himself from the term's usage, because he believes "We are all so much more than our sexual expressions." [6] Other than Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, organizations that practice ex-gay initiatives do not label themselves as such, but rather label themselves as restorative psychology groups.[ citation needed]
Ex-gay organizations began in the U.S. with Evangelical Christians, but have since spread to include Catholic, LDS, Jewish, Muslim and non-religious groups [7] in several countries. Ex-gays are considered a protected class in Washington DC after a court order. [8] [9]
are stupid
is stupid
Exodus describes change as "attaining abstinence from homosexual behaviors, lessening of homosexual temptations, strengthening their sense of masculine or feminine identity, correcting distorted styles of relating with members of the same and opposite gender." [10] People Can Change defines change as "any degree of change toward greater peace, satisfaction and fulfillment, and less shame, depression and darkness," and emphasizes that for most people, heterosexuality is not the ultimate goal. [11] Some ex-gays advocate entering (or remaining) in a heterosexual marriage as part of the process. Some in mixed-orientation marriages acknowledge that their sexual attractions remain primarily homosexual, but seek to make their marriages work anyway. [12] The president of Exodus said he agrees that people can't necessarily change their sexual orientation, but he said they can "live in accord with their beliefs and faith". [13]
![]() |
One of the most controversial aspects of the ex-gay movement has been the focus of some ex-gay organizations on teenagers,[ citation needed] including occasions where teenagers have been forcibly treated in ex-gay camps. A 2006 report outlined evidence that ex-gay and conversion therapy groups were at the time increasingly focusing on children. [76] Several legal researchers have responded to these events by arguing that parents who force their children into aggressive conversion therapy programs are committing child abuse under various state statutes. [77] [78]
Some youths have sought emancipation from their parents due to parental attempts to force their children to undergo conversion therapy. [79] One such case involved Lyn Duff. In 1991, at age 14, Duff came out publicly as a lesbian. Concerned about her daughter's sexual orientation, Duff's mother had her taken by force from her grandparents' home to Rivendell Psychiatric Center, a residential treatment center near Salt Lake City. [80] Duff's placement was paid for by the State of California through special education funds on the basis of her diagnosis with Gender Identity Disorder.[ citation needed] Her treatment reportedly included shock therapy, aversion therapy, psychotropic drugs, hypnosis, and behavioral counseling. [81] [82] [83] [84] After 168 days in Rivendell, Duff escaped. [85] In 1992, she initiated legal action against the facility and her mother. [86]
The ex-gay organization Love in Action has been involved in controversy surrounding youth. In July 2005, The New York Times ran a feature story about 16-year-old Zachary Stark, whose parents forced him to attend an ex-gay camp run by the group. [87] In July 2005, Stark was released from the camp. [88] An investigation of the camp did not uncover signs of child abuse, but in September 2005, the camp was shut down when Tennessee authorities discovered that unlicensed staff had been administering prescription drugs to children. [89]
In October 2005, the father of 17-year old DJ Butler reportedly drove his son to a Love in Action camp in handcuffs. [90] In February 2006, Tennessee authorities, unwilling to pursue further actions against Love in Action, closed its case regarding this incident. [90]
In the early days, there were several scandals between leaders and participants, but they are less common. This may be due to increased organizational accountability and growing awareness that those ministering in their area of temptation are vulnerable. [91]
Perhaps the first organization to counsel gays on changing their orientation was the Aesthetic Realism Foundation. In 1971 four students of Aesthetic Realism appeared on the David Susskind television program and claimed they had changed from homosexuality by studying Aesthetic Realism and learning not to have contempt for the world. [100] The same year the Aesthetic Realism Foundation published a book about their program of change, and later Aesthetic Realism students purchased large ads in major newspapers to promote their "solution". However, in 1990 the Aesthetic Realism Foundation stopped offering counseling on how to change. The Foundation claimed it was because of the spirit of anger surrounding the subject, though critics contend that the Foundation was forced to abandon their program because it clearly wasn't working.
The first ex-gay ministry was formed in 1973, called Love in Action. [101] Three years later, they joined with other ex-gay organizations to form Exodus International. Exodus is the largest ex-gay organization, and has grown to include over 120 local ministries in the U.S. and Canada. [102] Exodus International is the largest organization under the Exodus Global Alliance. Many other ex-gay organizations have been formed to cater to a specific religious group, such as Courage for Catholics, Evergreen International for Mormons (LDS), OneByOne for Presbyterians, Transformation Congregations [103] for Methodists and JONAH for Jews.
Other organizations have formed to meet specific needs. Witness Freedom Ministries caters to people of color with same-sex attractions. [104] Exodus Youth is a group specifically designed for youth, [105] and the NEA Ex-Gay Educators Caucus is a group formed to help ex-gay teachers and students. [106] Others form after a specific technique, such as Homosexuals Anonymous [107] which was modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous' 12 step program and International Healing Foundation was modeled after Richard Cohen's methods. People Can Change [108] and PFOX are two other ex-gay organizations in North America. A major Web site that supports these efforts is Same-sex Attraction.
In 1994, Esly Carvalho began Exodus Latino America. [109] In 2002, Exodus Brasil [110] separated as a separate organization under Global Exodus Alliance. Other groups in Latin America include Courage Latino [111] for Catholics, Elías S.O.S [112] in Argentina, and Camino de Salida [113] in Ecuador. Es Posible el Cambio [114] is an interdenominational group that advocates conversion therapy.
In 1975, Johan van de Sluis began EHAH (in English: Evangelical Counseling for Homosexuals) in the Netherlands. [115] After visiting an Exodus conference in America, he combined his organization with others to form Exodus Europe in 1982. [115] Exodus Europe included True Freedom Trust in the UK, Medvandrarna [116] in Sweden, Til Helhet [117] in Norway, Basis [118] in Denmark, Aslan [119] in Finland, Different (the old EHAH) [120] in Belgium and Onze Weg [121] in the Netherlands. In April 2007, Exodus Europe decided to break away from the Global Exodus Alliance because it was too affected by American thinking. [122] These ministries are now part of LINC (Live in Christ). [123] The United Kingdom also has Encourage [124] for Catholics and StraightWay Foundation [125] for Muslims.
In 1978, Peter Lane began the first ex-gay group in Australia, which was called Liberty Ministry. [115] In 1987, it joined with other ministries to form Exodus Asia Pacific. [126] In 1990 Frank Worthen went to the Philippines and formed Bagong Pag-asa. [127] Other significant ex-gay groups under Exodus Asia Pacific include Liberty Christian Ministries [128] in Australia, Rainbow 7 [129] in Taiwan, Liberty League [130] in Singapore and Pursuing Liberty Under Christ [131] in Malaysia.
Ex-gay organizations in the Middle East include Atzat Nefesh [132] for Jews and Al-Tawbah [133] for Muslims.
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