There's this opinion that the scientific community does not
always support that gays are as natural as straights.
http://psychcentral.com/psypsych/Reparative_therapy
This article provides a comparative study between organisations
that support change therapy and those that did not.
However, it's important to note that those that did not support
change therapy are usuaully the larger organisations.
i specifically bold the last paragraph which indicate that
"orientation change therapy doesnt work" is still the general
consensus among the practitioners.
quote:
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Proponents
Various religious and ex-gay organizations, including PFOX, Exodus
International, NARTH and the International Healing Foundation, as
well as various minor ex-gay and transformational ministries
advocate the belief that reparative therapy is genuine and
works.
Conversion therapies are also advocated by various religious family
values groups such as the Family Research Council and Focus on the
Family.
Specific proponents, such as Charles Socarides, often have gay
sons, leading some to suspect they are working out their own
psychological issues in public through their advocacy of a therapy
that doesn't work.
Opponents
Reparative therapies are opposed by a variety of groups, including
gay rights organizations such as GLAAD, Stonewall and
Outrage.
More importantly, many various professional medical and
psychological bodies condemn conversion therapies. Such bodies
include:
American Psychiatric Association (APA)
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Medical Association
American Psychological Association
American Counseling Association
American Federation of Teachers
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Education Association
Royal College of Nursing.
On the question of whether therapy can change sexual orientation
the APA answers:
"No. Even though most homosexuals live successful, happy lives,
some homosexual or bisexual people may seek to change their sexual
orientation through therapy, sometimes pressured by the influence
of family members or religious groups to try and do so. The reality
is that homosexuality is not an illness. It does not require
treatment and is not changeable." [4]
(http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/answers.html#cantherapychange)
Some religious organisations also oppose reparative therapies,
including The Interfaith Alliance, New Ways Ministries and People
for the American Way.
In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling
Association, American Association of School Administrators,
American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological
Association, American School Health Association, Interfaith
Alliance Foundation, National Association of School Psychologists,
National Association of Social Workers, and National Education
Association developed and endorsed a statement reading:
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.' ...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.
