Do you know anyone who has gone to so-called reparative therapy to make them an "ex-gay"?

[bluestateguy]

I do know one person who went to a reparative therapy camp after being ordered to attend by his homophobic parents. He thought the whole thing was a joke. He actually found it funny. He left the camp exactly the same.

[FirstLight]

1. not really

but my mentor is an LCSW with over 30 years experience...she has told me about how horrible the therapy was for gays back in the 70s...almost a similar situation, she had lots of clients who came to her nearly suicidal..

[JuniperLea]

2. You can't fix what ain't broke...

I've heard similar stories. The most egregious story I know personally is when my evil, evil, horrid uncle tried to "fix" my cousin by showing him straight porn. The poor kid was only 14... cheese and crackers got all muddy!

[FreeState]

3. Yes, unfortunately more than a couple people I know

One, a former Mormon, was told to bring gay and straight porn with him - they strapped him down and would shock his genitals when ever they showed the gay porn.

A Mormon who did the therapy that was more pray away the gay.

A couple Catholics who attend a group where they believe playing sports will make them straight.


Theres more but I have known probably a dozen over the years - all of them religious, I've yet to meet a non religious person who has entered such a program.

[MadMaddie]

4. Isn't the suicide rate among people that attend these "therapies"?

[Fearless]

9. It is very high. Understandably. And sadly.

[Jamastiene]

5. They tried it on me, but I got out.

I refused to go back. There was no way I was going to deal with that bullshit and live...keywords...and live.

I'd rather die that meet up with any of those types of assholes ever again, in all seriousness.

[mitchtv]

6. No, never met any

that I know of,

[dsc]

7. I know two people who did

and I almost went myself. The two I know make me glad I didn't go. It sounds just horrible.

[qb]

8. When I was 16 our family therapist tried to cure me.

He used aversion therapy - associating my gay fantasies with revolting images of feces & vomit. After three sessions I quit. I was more disgusted by his obvious glee at trying out his method on me than any of the images.

[kcass1954]

10. Not the current type of "therapy."

My youngest brother started to come out in the early 80's, when he was 23 or so. Our sister, our other brother and I just always kinda sorta "knew," but quite frankly, we didn't care.

My parents were another story - they about had kittens. My dad thought that some good old-fashioned therapy would help my brother realize exactly who he was. So Daddy paid for it, and my brother, the dutiful son, went faithfully every week for six or eight months. When he was "done" with the counseling, he realized that he was still gay, and completely comfortable with who he was, so he outed himself.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. yes, the person is still pretty scarred from it

[joeybee12]

12. Interestingly enough, sort of, no reparative theory, but one who decided he was no longer gay...

just like that.

This guy we featured in this training video about AIDS, way back in the 80's. He was Mormon, of course.

Also, a guy I went to college with said he decided he was no longer gay...he was tired of the "lifestyle" and got engaged. Saw him soon after that at a bar groping another guy. Embarrassed, he said he needed to get it out of his system, and once he did, he wouldn't have those urges anymore.

[Touchdown]

13. Not personally that I know of.

Sometimes people may not want to talk about traumatic, abusive and evil experiences in the name of a "Loving God".

But I have studied this quackery, and it's insane.