Ho·mo·sex·u·al, noun, a person who is sexually attracted to people of their sex. Since the beginning of humanity, homosexuality has been frowned upon by the majority of the population. Many viewed it as ‘wrong’ or ‘unnatural’. As the negativity and hatred around being gay skyrocketed, society developed the idea of reversing them to be straight. Conversion therapy is a therapy attempt to alter someone’s sexuality. Homosexuality has been attempted to be treated as a mental illness for many years up to now. Homosexuality is not a mental illness. This video is an interview between an ITV News journalist and a conversion therapist from the UK. They are going through several questions about Mr. Davidson’s opinions on what he does, how he does it, and his morals. Conversion therapy is a lot more dangerous than most think. It is not a healthy nor helpful way of dealing with homosexuality. It can lead to increased hatred surrounding the LGBTQ community, mental illnesses, family issues, and internalized homophobia. 

1. “Where people simply sit down and explore their sexual fluidity issues” (0:31)

In this section of the video, Mr. Davidson attempts to explain that people come to conversion therapy to go through their “sexual fluidity issues”. Saying that these are issues is hugely degrading to people in the LGBTQ community. Glaad states that “some claim they are helping clients explore their “sexual fluidity,” or they emphasize that their clients struggle with “unwanted same-sex attractions””. Many of these individuals are tricked into going into conversion therapy. This is mainly due to internalized homophobia and pressure from society.  The American Psychological Association says that same-sex relations are normal and positive. Sexual fluidity is not an issue; it is more of a positive variation in society. Therefore, the assumption that people go into conversion therapy for their benefit is highly far-fetched. According to The Trevor Project, “Conversion therapy amplifies the shame and stigma so many LGBTQ young people already experience”. They also state that “parents who attempt to change their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity instill feelings of family rejection and risk, which can seriously fracture their relationship with their child”. This explains that most people who go to conversion therapy are not there for their benefit; it’s for their parents. Continuing with household homophobia, San Francisco State University researched highly neglected LGBTQ youth in their own homes. They are “eight times as likely to have attempted suicide, six times as likely to have high levels of depression, and three times as likely to use illegal drugs”. LGBTQ youth being turned away from family is significantly influenced by the idea of conversion therapy, and it’s very damaging on developing brains. This can easily lead to even more significant issues. 

2. “Where is the research that says conversion therapy is harmful […] I don’t think there is any” (2:00) 

Davidson believes there is no research stating how harmful conversion therapy is on people. He quickly gets very defensive and questions the journalist of the sources that say that the practice is dangerous. According to The Trevor Project, “Youth who reported undergoing conversion therapy reported more than twice the rate of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who did not”. Conversion therapy and homophobia are the reasons that people in the LGBTQ community struggle mentally. Along with thoughts of suicide from conversion therapy, The American Psychological Association Task Force found some other harmful side effects participants faced were humiliation, impotence, wrongdoing, and social withdrawal. Parental support when children are feeling this way is necessary. This can be tough since The Southern Poverty Law Center viewed that “practitioners frequently blame a parent for their child’s sexual orientation.” This can lead to a lack of trust and much more. Davidson does not see the effects he may have on people that undergo his therapy. He is also in denial about causing harm to LGBTQ youth. The harmful effects conversion therapy has on people are almost endless.

3. “What we do is SAFTEY. Sexual Attractive Fluidity Exploration in Therapy” (7:33)

Here, Davidson states what he and other conversion therapists do. It is made out that he and other conversion therapists are friendly to clients and take care of them physically and emotionally. He does fail to mention the specifics and some of the scary history behind the procedures. The Trevor Project states that “some conversion therapists continue to use physical methods, including painful aversive conditioning, the most common techniques in the United States today include “talk therapies” that licensed or unlicensed practitioners use in an attempt to “treat” a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity”. Many therapies in the US do consist of talk therapies, but there are many other methods. The Southern Poverty Law Center says that “practices can include violent role-play, a reenactment of past abuses, and exercises involving nudity and intimate touching”. This is tremendously inappropriate and traumatizing to participants. This is not exploring sexual fluidity in therapy; this is torture. Some of the older methods that conversion therapists used were so extreme. The BBC News reveals that these treatments can also “range from electric shock treatment to religious teachings”. These treatments are way more common than people may think. The history behind conversion therapy methods is absolutely terrifying and completely unnecessary. This shows what conversion therapists do. They don’t take care of their clients; they go to any extent they can to change these people. 

4. “Gay activists only believe that conversion therapy is harmful” (15:06)

Davidson makes the argument that only gay activists think that conversion therapy is harmful. This isn’t true. According to BBC News, “More than 370 religious leaders from around the world are calling for a ban on conversion therapy”. These religious leaders are not gay activists. BBC News also states that many faiths like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have been taught that gay marriage is wrong. Seeing that over 370 religious leaders of all of these religions want to ban conversion therapy shows the growth in society against homophobia. These leaders are examples of personal development outside of religion. Agreeing with these religious leaders is prime minister Boris Johnson. BBC News states that he has promised to ban conversion therapy, saying it “has no place in this country”. The thought of a ban on conversion therapy has rapidly spread around the world. BBC News says that “[t]he practice is already outlawed in Switzerland and areas of Australia, Canada, and the US”. It is not banned throughout all of the US, however. According to The Human Rights Campaign, “To date, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico all have laws or regulations protecting youth from this harmful practice.” The protection from conversion therapy for youth will make it a lot less common and save many people the emotional baggage and trauma that comes along with it. 

5. “I’ve never met anyone that wants to be gay. But they want to go in the other direction” (5:30)

 Mr. Davidson states that he has never met anyone that wants to be gay. Everyone that he has met wants to be straight. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “Many patients who have undergone “reparative therapy” relate that they were inaccurately told that homosexuals are lonely, unhappy individuals who never achieve acceptance or satisfaction”. Being told those words so many times will lead to being brainwashed into thinking that it is true. This brings out the desire to become straight. A survivor of conversion therapy shared with BBC News that he was offered conversion therapies online. It left him feeling empty, desexualized, anxious, and worried that he was in the wrong. This shows the negative impacts conversion therapy has on real people. He wanted to be “fixed” since he was a Jewish gay man. He felt as though conversion therapy was the only way out and that he had to be straight. It leaves people feeling almost dehumanized and unimportant because of who they like. Being offered conversion therapy makes people more likely to follow through with it since they believe other people want them to change. The BBC News shares that in “[a] 2018 survey of 108,000 members of the LGBT community in the UK suggested 2% have undergone the practice, with another 5% having been offered it”. Being offered conversion therapy is different than wanting to do it. Peer pressure can have a significant impact on whether someone does conversion therapy or not. Society and social media play a massive role in the suggestion of conversion therapy to people.

Conclusion

Homophobia today is still widespread among families, friends, and social media. Homosexuality scientifically is not a mental illness and should not be attempted to be changed. Conversion therapy used to be a pervasive way to “treat” homosexuality. It is still around, but it is not as common as it used to be. Talk therapy is the primary method they use, but a lot has been outlawed in several places. It has been proven that conversion therapy does not work, and it will only cause adverse effects. So many people have struggled mentally from the emotional/verbal abuse conversion therapists use. Some people will never truly understand the hurtfulness homophobia has on the LGBTQ community, but education on this topic is crucial. Without this knowledge, people may still fall into the trap of conversion therapy. Love is love regardless of what people say. Acceptance is the first step to positive change. 

Featured image is a screenshot from the video “In full: Why this Man Offers Gay ‘Conversion Therapy’ and Thinks it Shouldn’t be Banned”