do you think gay people can be turned straight by these places that claim to reform gays?

Answer 1

Let's see... turning involves not going in a straight line, so how you can you be turned straight? No, they can't do it - they only like to think they can, and its absurd. They don't even have sound psychotherapy techniques - they don't know what they are doing, and they are probably doing a lot more harm than good - in fact, I don't think they are doing any good at all - only trying to make themselves feel better.

Answer 2

I think the best answer is the Rivendell facility there was a piece about on 20/20 a number of years ago that showed that the treatment program used to "cure" gays included brainwashing, severe mental and emotional as well as physical abuse. These places are more akin to the "secret prisons" you hear about in the news and old Soviet-style "re-education centers". Sure the subject, oops, I mean "patient" may feel that he or she has been "cured", once a person's mind and will are broken, you can convince a person of anything at all. What they don't tell you about are the suicides that follow, and other, even more severe psychological and mental problems the subject is left with afterward.

It's all about breaking the subject's mind, will and even personality, using drugs, constant and intense emotional abuse, reinforced by physicel abuse if the subject is particularly uncooperative, and once that's done, the alternate personality is constructed, that's where the intense prayer and bible study come in, the group prayer parts introduce a level of acceptance to the subject making that person want to accept the new personality by exploiting people's need for acceptance, humans are social creatures. If it works, then the abuse part is stopped, but the subject is made aware that the course is not complete and the harsher part can be reintroduced at any time.

I'm thinking that it's sort of like exploiting the "Helsinki Syndrome" phenomenon that sometimes take place where hostages are so broken down they identify with their captors.

That being said, these evangelical fundamentalists and mormons who have built and maintain such facilities are nothing more than criminals!

Answer 3

No, absolutely not. But they can be very damaged mentally. And that happens with great regularity. All these places do is put people back into denial...and "force" them to live in denial, a miserable life. Religion is the most insidious form of entrapment and slavery there is. Never believe anything a religious organization tells you...it is always derived from an agenda that serves their purpose at the time. Ex-Gay leaders are coming out of the closet left and right telling of the horror stories that have occurred...suicide rates that are astronomical, perminent self loathing, etc....these are all side effects of this "Noble" drive..by people who could care less about the individual, caring only to make more money by this nonsense....DISGUSTING!

Answer 4

over 10,000 exgays swear by their methods and results. Ten thousand is a lot of people to " be traumatised" into leaving the homosexual lifestyle. I believe that people can change from any lifestyle to another , more healthy one if they truly want to. The gay activists froth at the mouth and shout imprecations every time another person leaves the " fold" because each person who declares that they have chosen to change is another nail in the coffin of the " born gay/ gay forever " propaganda machine.

Answer 5

No, they probably only cause severe mental damage. I always think of a scene in the movie Clockwork Orange when someone asks about this (the scene where the main actor is placed in front of a TV and forced to watch violent films in order to make him nonviolent, which in the end doesn't matter because he remains violent--- I don't mean that homosexuality is bad, violent, or a choice, by the way, it's just an example)

Answer 6

Just like someone who wants to overcome drug addiction or alcoholism or anything ELSE they might find to be detrimental to their well-being, I think that it all depends entirely upon HOW determined a person is to really WANT to change! If they have a TRUE desire and motivation to make profound changes in their lives, they CAN succeed!!!

Everyone here unequivocally states the opposite, but this is only because they are happy to remain as they are, and accept it as being a permanent and irreversible condition. What I don't get is how they can REFUSE to believe that someone ELSE may be capable of making such a transformation, and yet, they STILL preach "openmindedness"??!
Seems a bit one-sided, doesn't it?????

Answer 7

Unlike some most here have not fell for the propoganda that places like these and the ex-gay movement works, it's nothing more then brainwashing and repression but the fanatics approve of this because they are criminals

Answer 8

Absolutely not. I am 56 years old and I'm gay. I have debated and thought about myself for all these years. I have been very honestly a Christian for most of my life. I have asked God to remove my 'gayness' from me, i.e., heal me of it or allow me to understand that He loves me 'just as I am'. After years of prayer, debate with myself, and fasting, I found by accident this web site and began to know God IS satisfied with me "just as I am". I suggest you check it out. You'll find God's answer there just as I did: http://www.whosoever.org. They have a prayer group you can also join--they are wonderful! Now it is no problem with me or my family or my God. So there's my firsthand ( and very personal) account of the answer. Email me if I can help.

Rob

Answer 9

Considering that a number of former "ex-gay" leaders recently stepped forward to apologize for all the harm their organizations have done to their clients, I would have to say no.

Answer 10

Here is what the American Psychological Association states about Homosexuality (The APA is currently the World's leading Authority in the Field of Psychology).

http://www.apa.org/topics/orientation.ht...

Is Sexual Orientation a Choice?

No, human beings can not choose to be either gay or straight. Sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experience. Although we can choose whether to act on our feelings, psychologists do not consider sexual orientation to be a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed.


Can Therapy Change Sexual Orientation?

No. Even though most homosexuals live successful, happy lives, some homosexual or bisexual people may seek to change their sexual orientation through therapy, sometimes pressured by the influence of family members or religious groups to try and do so. The reality is that homosexuality is not an illness. It does not require treatment and is not changeable.

However, not all gay, lesbian, and bisexual people who seek assistance from a mental health professional want to change their sexual orientation. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual people may seek psychological help with the coming out process or for strategies to deal with prejudice, but most go into therapy for the same reasons and life issues that bring straight people to mental health professionals.

What About So-Called "Conversion Therapies"?

Some therapists who undertake so-called conversion therapy report that they have been able to change their clients' sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Close scrutiny of these reports however show several factors that cast doubt on their claims. For example, many of the claims come from organizations with an ideological perspective which condemns homosexuality. Furthermore, their claims are poorly documented. For example, treatment outcome is not followed and reported overtime as would be the standard to test the validity of any mental health intervention.

The American Psychological Association is concerned about such therapies and their potential harm to patients. In 1997, the Association's Council of Representatives passed a resolution reaffirming psychology's opposition to homophobia in treatment and spelling out a client's right to unbiased treatment and self-determination. Any person who enters into therapy to deal with issues of sexual orientation has a right to expect that such therapy would take place in a professionally neutral environment absent of any social bias.

Is Homosexuality a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?

No. Psychologists, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals agree that homosexuality is not an illness, mental disorder or an emotional problem. Over 35 years of objective, well-designed scientific research has shown that homosexuality, in and itself, is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems. Homosexuality was once thought to be a mental illness because mental health professionals and society had biased information. In the past the studies of gay, lesbian and bisexual people involved only those in therapy, thus biasing the resulting conclusions. When researchers examined data about these people who were not in therapy, the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness was quickly found to be untrue.

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association confirmed the importance of the new, better designed research and removed homosexuality from the official manual that lists mental and emotional disorders. Two years later, the American Psychological Association passed a resolution supporting the removal. For more than 25 years, both associations have urged all mental health professionals to help dispel the stigma of mental illness that some people still associate with homosexual orientation.

---- Homosexuality is also commonplace in Nature and therefore perfectly natural. (From the University of Olso)

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=20718...

"One fundamental premise in social debates has been that homosexuality is unnatural. This premise is wrong. Homosexuality is both common and highly essential in the lives of a number of species,"

Homosexual behavior has been observed in 1,500 animal species.

"We're talking about everything from mammals to crabs and worms.

"To turn the approach on its head: No species has been found in which homosexual behavior has not been shown to exist, with the exception of species that never have sex at all, such as sea urchins and aphis. Moreover, a part of the animal kingdom is hermaphroditic, truly bisexual. For them, homosexuality is not an issue."