Can homosexuality be cured by appropriate therapy?
There are religious and secular organizations that sponsor campaigns and studies suggesting that gay, lesbian and bisexual people can change their sexual orientation. Their assertions assume that there is something wrong with being gay, lesbian or bisexual – the largest problem is, in fact, society’s intolerance of difference. Many of the studies and campaigns suggesting that GLB people can change are based on ideological biases rather than solid science. Claims of conversion from gay to straight tend to be poorly documented, full of flawed research with a lack of follow-up. No studies show proven long-term changes in gay people, and many reported changes are based solely on behavior and not a person’s actual self-identity. The American Psychological Association has stated that scientific evidence shows that reparative therapy (therapy which claims to change GLB people) does not work and that it can do more harm than good.
