Conversion Therapy laws is an LGBTQ political power tool to abuse common sense
The UK has passed no law against “conversion therapy.” That is defined as “therapy that assumes certain sexual orientations or gender identities are inferior to others, and seeks to change or suppress them on that basis.”
It then states that “Sexual orientations and gender identities are not mental health disorders,” so that any mental issues that arise with homosexuals, transgenders, or others with gender dysphoria must stem from social disapproval, not any inherent mismatch.
“Exclusion, stigma and prejudice may precipitate mental health issues for any person subjected to these abuses,” the statement claims.
It goes on to characterize therapy intended to help a person deal with unwanted feelings of same-sex attraction or gender confusion as itself a form of stigmatization that can only be harmful.
A leading American critic, Dr. Michelle Cretella, president of the American College of Pediatricians, called the statement “yet another example of kowtowing to LGBTQ political pressure by professional medical and mental health guilds around the world.”
Countering the statement’s claim that there is no evidence that therapy can help a person overcome same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria, Cretella said
“There is no science demonstrating universal harm to anyone who makes the informed choice to pursue the goal of diminishing LGBT attractions under the direction of a licensed mental health professional.”
What’s more, she added, there is no evidence “that gay-affirming therapy leads to optimal physical and mental health outcomes for these individuals.”
If people want to be treated for attractions and feelings that don’t match their biology, she said, they should be allowed to do so. Attempts to make laws or professional codes banning this are infringements on freedom, Cretella argued.
“Patients are barred from trying to maximize their normative heterosexual potential in accordance with their biological sex,” she said.
