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A ban on LGTB conversion/reperative therapy on minors should be implemented?

Should there be a ban on LGTB reversion/reperative therapy for minors?

  • No, children have no rights. It is the right of the parents to decide.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    23

Peter King

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President Obama has voiced his opinion that there should be a stop/ban on conversion therapy for gays, lesbians, transgenders or bisexuals when they are minors.

One of the reasons that the president is adding his weight to this discussion is the death of (among others) Leelah Alcorn, who committed suicide after writing in an online suicide note that religious therapists had been trying to convert her back into a boy.

You can read the whole story about Obama here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/us/politics/obama-to-call-for-end-to-conversion-therapies-for-gay-and-transgender-youth.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=2

We can all have our ideas about gays, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals, but do you think the president (and I know anti-Obama crowd, he is the anti-christ/the liberal son of the devil, etc) is right to call for an end on gay conversion therapy on minors.

Don't get me wrong, if an adult wants to go into gay reversion/restorative therapy then fine, it is his own choice to do so, but should we protect the rights of children when it comes to parents forcing them into a highly dubious, unproven and for younger youths extremely risky therapies that could scar that child for her/his entire life?

I know some religious parents shudder at the idea of having a "defective" gay/lesbian/transgendered child but should they have the right, against the wishes and most likely best interest of that child, be able to force them into a potentially dangerous therapy that could end up driving that child to suicide or a life of mental instability? Or is the president right, should we protect the civil rights of children to not be potentially damaged by unwanted therapies like reversion therapy?
 
I say yes. Too many children have already died as a result of these "therapies"
 
I 100% agree on the fact that these conversion therapies are at best, pseudo science and more commonly it is abusie and at worst it is straight up torture. should a parent have a right to torture their children?
 
In my state, forced conversion therapy for minors is both unethical and illegal. It is also both illegal and unethical for parents to force their minor children to receive therapy to "undo" transsexuality. I have some experience with the latter. Usually, when I talk with parents of a child who has stated that they are transsexual, I do my best to educate them on the issue, what it means, and how to assess for it. Most parents are very willing to listen and be educated on the matter, but some choose to remain ignorant... which is their right of course. But they can't have their child "treated" for this, mostly because research shows that the "treatment" is harmful, and that one can only treat a disorder, and transsexuality is NOT a mental disorder.
 
It remembers me of the South Park episode "cartman sucks" in which Butters is sent to a gay conversion camp.
Stephen: Father Maxi, I... just don't know where else to turn. You see, I've just learned that my son is... bi-curious.
Father Maxi: Is that true, son? Are you feeling... confused?
Butters: ...Yeah, I'm pretty confused alright.
Stephen: You see?
Father Maxi: Young man, These confused feelings that you're having are simply the Devil's way of trying to get a hold of you.
Butters: Really?
Stephen: What can I do, Father?
Father Maxi: There is a special camp where young men who are confused, like your son, can go and be cleansed by the power of God. Many bi-curious boys come out the camp completely cured.

Bradley: I really want to get better. I try to do everything the counselors say, but some...how I still feel confused.
Butters: Yeah, well hopefully, when we finish writin' all these verses, we won't be bi-curious no more, and then we can go home!
Bradley: You're really terrific, Butters. I mean, I think you're great. Oh oh! Oh God! Bad thought! Bad thought!
Butters: Wuh-what's the matter?
Bradley: I think, I, I th-, I think I like you.
Butters: Well I like you too, Bradley.
Bradley: You do?
Butters: Wehyeah!
Bradley: You like like me?
Butters: Sure, I like like you a lot a lot. [laughs]
Bradley: Oh God, we're both un-fixable! Don't you see we're lost causes?! We're just evil and nothing can change us! There's no other way out, Butters! We have to kill ourselves!
Butters: No! Bradley! You can't leave; you're my accountabilibuddy!



Director: Do you mind telling me how you managed to lose... your accountabilibuddy?!
Butters: I went looking for 'im, but he runs real fast.
Director: You don't seem to take this camp seriously, Butters. I've called your father in for a talk.
Butters: Oh no, my Dad?
Director: Do you understand the concept of Hell? Do you realize that if we don't fix you you will burn in a lake of fire for eternity?
Butters: Well yeah, but I just don't quite understand what you're fixin'.
Director: We're fixing your confusion!
Stephen: There you are, Butters!
Director: Oheh- hey Dad.
Stephen: What's he done now?!
Director: Mr. Stotch, your son is insubordinate, unwilling to change, and worse yet, he's lost his accountabilibuddy!
A counselor: They found him! They found Bradley! You'd better come quick!

Director: Oh Lord in Heaven! Don't jump, Bradley!
Bradley: Stay-stay back! I'm an abomination of God!
Director: Nono, we're fixing you!


Director: Don't jump, Bradley! You will only make god angrier with you!
Bradley: It's too late.
Butters: Bradley, please. You're my accountabilibuddy. How will this make me look?
Director: You get back. You're only gonna make things worse.
Bradley: I'm not normal. I'll never be normal!
Butters: You're perfectly normal, Bradley.
Director: Get back! You're just as confused as he is!
Butters: [gets angry] All right. All right that does it! [turns around and faces the crowd] I am sick and tired of everyone telling me I'm confused! I wasn't confused until other people started tellin' me I was! You know what I think? I think maybe you are the ones who are confused!
Bradley: Yeah.
Butters: I'm not gonna be confused anymore just because you say I should be! My name is Butters, I'm eight years old, I'm blood type O, and I'm bi-curious! And even that's okay! Because if I'm bi-curious, and I'm somehow made from God, then I think your God must be a little bi-curious himself!
Bradley: I think. I think I'd like to come down now.
Director: He's coming down! We did it! Through the power of Christ we have saved this child!
Stephen: Well Butters, I guess we might as well go home. Looks like you're never gonna change.
Butters: No. I like bein' bi-curious.
Stephen: Well you know somethin'? So do I. [they both have a good laugh about it]
Butters: Wait. Now I am confused.


In the episode children are killing themselves left right and center, all because religious people have filled their heads with messages of these children being abnormal abominations of god heading for a pool of fire and evil to boot.

Children should not be put in camps to "cleanse them from being gay". You can watch this episode online, it may be a bit "over the top" like all South Park stuff but it does touch on an important issue, you cannot pray someone's sexual preference away!
 
In my state, forced conversion therapy for minors is both unethical and illegal. It is also both illegal and unethical for parents to force their minor children to receive therapy to "undo" transsexuality. I have some experience with the latter. Usually, when I talk with parents of a child who has stated that they are transsexual, I do my best to educate them on the issue, what it means, and how to assess for it. Most parents are very willing to listen and be educated on the matter, but some choose to remain ignorant... which is their right of course. But they can't have their child "treated" for this, mostly because research shows that the "treatment" is harmful, and that one can only treat a disorder, and transsexuality is NOT a mental disorder.

I think you are 100% correct, being transsexual is not a mental disorder and being gay also is not a mental disorder and it cannot be "treated away" by god squads and prayer.

Parents should have an attitude of "first do no harm" to their children but sadly they believe in their bible so much that they will want to do whatever ungodly thing to their child to make sure he does not go to hell because for some reason they think putting their child through hell on earth is a ticket for them and their son to get into heaven. If they have done their best (and usually their worst) to heal their son/daughter from their sick and unholy disease then this will be seen as a good Christian thing.

There are parents who are so "religiously" pure that they have cut their children out of their lives and shunned them because that child is gay. I cannot imagine how parents can be that cruel and still think it is the "Christian" way to do.
 
I don't think parents should be allowed to force their kids into this kind of treatment, but if the kid is old enough to make medical decisions and wants to do it, I say let them.
 
Shouldn't this already be illegal under the pretext of child abuse or something? If not, then yes, these dark age tactics need to be outlawed.
 
I don't think parents should be allowed to force their kids into this kind of treatment, but if the kid is old enough to make medical decisions and wants to do it, I say let them.

That is fine, but sadly these children are the last ones to be asked. In fact the decision that their sexual preference has to be cleansed from them is made by their parents before the young person even had the time and maturity to work his feeling out for himself/herself.
 
I would go further in that you should not be able to charge for any medical or psychiatric service that has not been empirically shown to work. This would include faith healers that charge for their services, homeopathic "doctors" that charge for their services, as well as supposed lgbt conversion therapies that charge for their services. If you want to offer a medical service then you should have to submit to the same scientific rigors as mainstream medicine.
 
I know some religious parents shudder at the idea of having a "defective" gay/lesbian/transgendered child but should they have the right, against the wishes and most likely best interest of that child, be able to force them into a potentially dangerous therapy that could end up driving that child to suicide or a life of mental instability? Or is the president right, should we protect the civil rights of children to not be potentially damaged by unwanted therapies like reversion therapy?

As they stand, yes, these "therapies" should absolutely be banned for minors. They are so harmful and so twisted that the UN is debating whether they should be classified as torture. Suicide and other extreme manifestations of mental illness are actually very common in children forced through these programs.

No parent has a right to force their child to be tortured. There is nothing "theraputic" about these practices, which can include things like electrocution, inducing hypothermia, and psychological torture that results in traumatic responses to normal stimuli. Of course, that's to say nothing of the fact that it doesn't even work and is complete pseudoscience. It is barbaric and disgusting that they continue to be permitted to operate in so many states. America needs to be dragged into the 21st century. Or hell, just the Geneva Convention would do.
 
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I picked the "other" option too because I think the ban should cover adults too. "Conversion Therapy" should be banned regardless of age.

It's just stupid.
 
This is a question about medical science in an area that has been highly influenced by political and especially social activism. Because of this I personally cannot trust the current conventional wisdom, whatever it may be, on who's right or wrong. My default position on medical treatment is let doctors and the kids parents make the medical decisions for children.

Btw: I think I'm being objective.
 
This is a question about medical science in an area that has been highly influenced by political and especially social activism. Because of this I personally cannot trust the current conventional wisdom, whatever it may be, on who's right or wrong. My default position on medical treatment is let doctors and the kids parents make the medical decisions for children.

Btw: I think I'm being objective.

It is objectively true that many of these "therapies" use physical and psychological torture on children (several methods of which I touch on above). That is reason enough to ban it, whether it works or not.

In full disclose, while I would not support allowing parents to force their children into conversion therapy against their will no matter what, I am not against conversion therapy being available to those who seek it voluntarily, assuming it is shown to do its job. I think it's unfortunate that some people have such problems with their identity, but ultimately not my choice.

But I absolutely oppose touting torture as therapy, especially for children, and especially when it doesn't work anyway.
 
I picked the "other" option too because I think the ban should cover adults too. "Conversion Therapy" should be banned regardless of age.

It's just stupid.

This is more controversial, but to me it's tied to a principle of self-determination that is too rarely honored in medicine, for us to suddenly decide that adults can choose their own 'treatment' on THIS issue.

Ex A: Someone has a limp and believes that cutting off the leg will remove the problem. How can we not honor this wish but allow equally futile 'conversion therapy'?
Ex B: The terminally ill want their suffering to end, instead of waste away slowly in the hospital. Yet this is legal in only 1 state
 
This is a question about medical science in an area that has been highly influenced by political and especially social activism. Because of this I personally cannot trust the current conventional wisdom, whatever it may be, on who's right or wrong. My default position on medical treatment is let doctors and the kids parents make the medical decisions for children.

Btw: I think I'm being objective.

You aren't. Objective evidence shows quite clearly that this "therapy" is outright harmful. It's an attempt to create a powerful negative association with homosexual thoughts: they intersplice gay porn with torture videos and electroshock. This doesn't make the urges go away, it just makes people hate themselves for having the urges.

Suicide rates go through the roof.

You don't have the right to do that to your kid.
 
This is more controversial, but to me it's tied to a principle of self-determination that is too rarely honored in medicine, for us to suddenly decide that adults can choose their own 'treatment' on THIS issue.

Ex A: Someone has a limp and believes that cutting off the leg will remove the problem. How can we not honor this wish but allow equally futile 'conversion therapy'?
Ex B: The terminally ill want their suffering to end, instead of waste away slowly in the hospital. Yet this is legal in only 1 state

I think it should be illegal for any medical professional to engage in and illegal to call it "therapy."

We don't let people sell snake oil claiming it's a cancer cure just because an adult technically has a choice to purchase it.

I don't think any medical professional should be allowed to cut off a leg for no reason. You're right, that shouldn't be honored.
 
I think it should be illegal for any medical professional to engage in and illegal to call it "therapy."

We don't let people sell snake oil claiming it's a cancer cure just because an adult technically has a choice to purchase it.

I don't think any medical professional should be allowed to cut off a leg for no reason. You're right, that shouldn't be honored.

Right, your example is better because it falls under false advertising and not simply the patient's delusion. Anyone, even an adult, seeking a 'cure' for their sexuality does so more because of outside pressure and fraudulent claims to success.

It's like a very harmful scam. The nigerian on craigslist trying to get me to hand over a used car would face jail time, but driving someone to suicide, even minors, is totally legal in 48 states. I think we both know why
 
You aren't. Objective evidence shows quite clearly that this "therapy" is outright harmful. It's an attempt to create a powerful negative association with homosexual thoughts: they intersplice gay porn with torture videos and electroshock. This doesn't make the urges go away, it just makes people hate themselves for having the urges.

Suicide rates go through the roof.

You don't have the right to do that to your kid.

Well i can easily imagine how this leads to self hate. Getting outted despite one's best efforts evokes humiliation, shame, and a sense of having one's thoughts violated.

Now add to that the constant feedback that something is wrong with you. You start to think maybe they're right and try to go along with the 'treatment' in earnest. Now when it fails, you face the rejection of others and blame for all of it - getting outted and failing to improve. You're reminded of this several times every day, when having these urges.

Those who believe minors should be subjected this kind of torment likely just don't care at all about the well being of gay teens
 
You aren't. Objective evidence shows quite clearly that this "therapy" is outright harmful. It's an attempt to create a powerful negative association with homosexual thoughts: they intersplice gay porn with torture videos and electroshock. This doesn't make the urges go away, it just makes people hate themselves for having the urges.

Suicide rates go through the roof.

You don't have the right to do that to your kid.

I've never participated in this therapy so in not very familiar. In fact I'm surprised the techniques you describe are the common approach most use. You learn things all the time. Thanks.
 
It's unethical treatment as far as I am concerned. But if you are to pursue restrictions on its use, I would absolutely start with minors.
 
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