“Reparative therapy” is based on an
understanding of homosexuality that has been rejected
by all the major health and mental health professions
The following statement from the APA was provided to The
Advocate in response to a request related to the
story “Brainwashed No More” in the
August 30, 2005, issue:
The term
“reparative therapy” refers to psychotherapy
aimed at eliminating homosexual desires and is used by
people who do not think homosexuality is one variation
within human sexual orientation, but rather still
believe homosexuality is a mental disorder.
The most
important fact about “reparative therapy,”
also sometimes known as “conversion”
therapy, is that it is based on an understanding of
homosexuality that has been rejected by all the major health
and mental health professions.
The American
Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association,
the American Psychiatric Association, the American
Psychological Association, the National Association of
School Psychologists, and the National Association of
Social Workers, together representing more than
477,000 health and mental health professionals, have all
taken the position that homosexuality is not a mental
disorder, and thus there is no need for a
“cure.”
The Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
published by the American Psychiatric Association and
defining the standard of the field, does not include
homosexuality as a mental disorder. All other major
health professional organizations have supported the
American Psychiatric Association in its declassification of
homosexuality in 1973 as a mental disorder. Thus, the idea
that homosexuality is a mental disorder, or that the
emergence of same-gender sexual desires among some
adolescents is in any way abnormal or mentally
unhealthy, has no support among health and mental health
professional organizations.
Despite the
unanimity of the health and mental health professions on the
normality of homosexuality, the idea of “reparative
therapy” has recently been adopted by
conservative organizations and aggressively promoted in
the media. Because of this aggressive promotion of
“reparative therapy,” a number of the
health and mental health professional organizations have
recently issued public statements about “reparative
therapy” as well.
The American
Psychological Association, in its Resolution on Appropriate
Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation, which is also
endorsed by the National Association of School
Psychologists, states: “The American
Psychological Association opposes portrayals of lesbian,
gay, and bisexual youth and adults as mentally ill due
to their sexual orientation and supports the
dissemination of accurate information about sexual
orientation, and mental health, and appropriate
interventions in order to counteract bias that is
based in ignorance or unfounded beliefs about sexual
orientation.”
As these
statements make clear, health and mental health professional
organizations do not support efforts to change young
people’s sexual orientation through
“reparative therapy” and have raised serious
concerns about its potential to do harm. Many
professional associations are able to provide helpful
information and local contacts to assist school
administrators, health and mental health professionals,
educators, teachers, and parents in dealing with
school controversies in their communities.
“Transformational ministry” is a term used to
describe the use of religion to eliminate homosexual
desires. While “reparative therapy”
relies on secular approaches, “transformational
ministry” takes the approach that
“freedom from homosexuality is possible through
repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and
Lord.” While there is some diversity within the
movement, most “transformational ministries”
adhere to a belief that “upholds
heterosexuality as God’s creative intent for
humanity, and subsequently views homosexual expression as
outside God’s will.”
The
“transformational ministry” movement, which
began in the early 1970s, has gained more visibility
in the media recently through the efforts of Christian
publishers and conservative political organizations.
The most
important fact about “transformational
ministry” is that its view of homosexuality is
not representative of the views of all people of
faith. Many deeply religious people, and a number of
religious congregations and denominations, are
supportive and accepting of lesbian, gay, and bisexual
people and their right to be protected from the
discriminatory acts of others. For example, the following
[religious] organizations have endorsed passage of the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would
prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual
orientation:
- American Ethical Union
- American Friends Service Committee
- American Jewish Committee
- American Jewish Congress
- Church of the Brethren,
- Church Women United
- Dignity/USA
- Episcopal Church
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist
Organization of America
- The Interfaith Alliance
- Jewish Women International
- National Council of the Churches of Christ USA
- National Council of Jewish Women
- North Georgia United Methodist Conference
- Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
- Unitarian Universalist Association
- United Church of Christ
- United Methodist Church
- Women of Reform Judaism
- Young Women’s Christian Association
Although
“transformational ministry” promotes the
message that religious faith and acceptance of gay,
lesbian, and bisexual sexuality are incompatible, that
message is countered by the large number of outspoken
clergy and people of faith who promote love and acceptance.
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