About Ex-Gay ( or Reparative or Conversion or Aversion) Therapy

A number of times I have blogged about "Ex-Gay" therapy and I guess you could say I am very, very opposed to it. I am opposed to it so vehemently because for so many years I worked my own "Ex-Gay" Therapy on myself with the help of my one time church and others. It was disastrously unsuccessful.

Finally, thankfully by the grace of God, and I believe through God, I was led out of this lie. In speaking to and reading about others who came to the same realization, it kind of got into my head that this philosophy of the Ex-Gay Industry's that one's true nature can be changed either by prayer, support or aversion therapies was very dangerous to one's general well being, mental health and even physical health, and that only people with lots of hate in their souls could adhere to it.

I have not changed my mind about the therapies, or the industry that has sprung up because of these therapies, they are soul damaging. I have changed a couple of things that I believed about the people who attend the Love Won Out workshops for friends and families of gays. I see now that in the absence of better public knowledge, and because they don't know where else to turn, they are led to these events because they have better publicity. Either in the newspapers or churches. They are better organized in other words.

What changed my mind was the series of articles by Jim Burroway about when he attended a Love Won Out workshop in 2007. I think they are worth reading because like Jim says, it isn't always about the hate we are fighting, maybe we need to reach out with more love ourselves to the families who are hurting too.......

The articles can be accessed at: Box Turtle Bulletin, one of my favorite web sites.