Does anybody have any info about homosexual rehabilitation?

[LostInAnomie]

I'm in a discussion about gay marriage and the opposing side keeps arguing that homosexuals can change their orientation. They don't care that it requires psychologically harmful repression of their sexual urges, but who ever said the other side was compassionate.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had information about the failure rates of homosexual rehabilitation groups? Or, if anyone had insight into how homosexuality is not a choice?

[Andy_Stephenson]

1. Ask them when they realized thhey were straight.

that is about the same time I realized I was gay.

[LostInAnomie]

4. They ignore that kind of reasoning

They say that a gay person can avoid gay sex just as an alcoholic can avoid alcohol.

[kalian]

2. I think that the concept is absurd.

If this were the case, then human beings would be able to repress ALL
human traits...like the desire to kill. Obviously, that won't happen.

[Langis]

3. What we really need is concervative rehabilitation!

[PfcHammer]

5. there was an episode of L&O that had this as a theme.

not surprisingly, someone got whacked.

[msmcghee]

6. I have done some research on the net.

What I found is that those who claim that they changed their orientation are typically selected subjects from Christian ministries who have joined a program to change their orientation - and who therefore want to believe they have changed - even if they haven't.

None of the results have been scientifically replicated and when questioned further, most subjects admit that they have only achieved abstinence - not a change in orientation.

[No2W2004]

7. I would ask them for their evidence

that one can successfully be "cured."

I'd bring a book so I could have something to do while waiting for the answer.

[Liberal Veteran]

8. They use to force left-handed people to write right handed....

.....ask them if they would do that to their child?

[seabeyond]

9. ask the bible toting, (though they generally arent bible readers)

where in the bible it says anything about homosexuals. levicis (sp) adn paul i believe say something. lev. has homosexual shell fish and divorce i believe, so they equally sin in his eyes if they eat shrimp or divorce, and paul more outraged over divorce and people have question of his teaching.

i believe i am correct here if anyone wants to add

with jesus he didnt say anything about homosexuals, but a roman ask him to heal his boy, a servant that takes care of all his needs and known to be homosexuals and jesus went to him and healed him. so guessin he wasnt into judging homosexuals either

[Bluebear]

10. They probably regard it as a "choice"

And that one can 'change' or 'resist' as if they were tempted by a box of chocolates they can just pass by. There is little hope arguing this point with people, either you "get it" or you don't.

[LostInAnomie]

14. Thats a good point

If an alcoholic chooses to resist drinking alcohol does that mean that they are no longer a alcoholic? Nope.

So if a homosexual chooses to resist having homosexual sex are they no longer a homosexual? Nope.

According to the fundies lusting in your heart is as bad as the act.

[Heyo]

11. If you want to look into it...

There's some group called "exodus" or "operation exodus" or something... not sure of the exact name...Google might help

The few gay people I've asked swear up and down that's just the way they were born.. I have no reason not to believe them..

Heyo

[DAGDA56]

12. Ask them what it would take...

...to make them gay. Intensive therapy? If they say that's impossible, then you have your answer...ask for the studies showing gay people are more susceptible to "programming" than strait people are. Caution: You are fighting some major ignorance here, so maybe logic is not your friend.

[nator311]

13. doesn't work.

The two male founders of one such group, who claimed that they had made themselves straight, ended up falling in love with each other and leaving the group.

[liberalhistorian]

15. Ask them why the hell they're focusing

on unimportant shit like that when there are so many more important things to worry about and deal with, like people losing jobs and going hungry and losing houses and not having health care, etc., etc., etc. THAT is what they're supposed to be focused on, especially if they're Christian like most of them claim to be.

[w13rd0]

16. Exodus and similiar "gay rehabilitation" groups...

...don't post statistics other than those they falsify or fudge, so there's no real way to know other than personal experience. From my personal experience, I can say that I've seen many people I initially met in such a group years down the road at the "hot spots" and they were looking weren't wearing a beard.

[LostInAnomie]

17. For anybody who is wondering

I did a little research and found out that Exodus (one of the largest gay rehabilitation organizations) have according to their site a 70% failure rate. What they don't tell you is that they don't exclude bisexuals from their successes. Also their view of success is not the start of heterosexual relationships, but the resistance to homosexual sex for two years.

Also the American Psychological Association has put out a statement against homosexual rehabilitation. http://www.psych.org/pnews/99-01-15/therapy.html

[Christ was Socialist]

18. Why is everyone on SEX?

You can be celibate, or married to someone of the opposite sex. I know stright men who sleep with other men out of experimentation but have no feelings towards the same sex. homosexuality isn't confined to sex, it's about whom you can have deep love for, which might entail sex. If a straight person decided too abstain, they are still hetero.