British Medical Association says Gay to Straight Conversion Therapies are Harmful

The British Medical Association joined the ranks of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association and a multitude of other groups of medical professionals around the world by declaring at its annual meeting this week that therapies aimed at changing sexual orientation don't work and can be psychologically damaging to those in treatment.

Pink News reports:

The body met in Brighton yesterday and more than two-thirds of doctors present backed a call for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and other mental health standard-setting bodies to reject the treatments and ban their use in codes of practice.

Health departments should also investigate alleged cases of conversion therapy being funded by the NHS, the meeting agreed.

Research published last year found that a sixth of registered British therapist and psychiatrists have attempted to "cure" patients of homosexuality.

Tom Dolphin, the proposer of the motion and the vice-chair of the BMA's junior doctors committee, said: "Sexuality is such a fundamental part of who a person is that attempts to change it just result in significant confusion, depression and even suicide.

"You can’t just wish away same-sex attraction no matter how inconvenient it might be."

But Cardiff consultant neurophysiologist Gareth Payne said there was no "gold standard" evidence that conversion therapy did not work and was harmful.

He added that it was important to respect the wishes of patients who asked for the therapy.

Earlier this year, gay journalist Patrick Strudwick published an expose of 'ex-gay' therapists and began a campaign group to persuade medical bodies to condemn the treatments.

He went undercover for the article, telling two therapists he was struggling to cope with attraction to men and wanted to be straight. One therapist, named only as Linda, tried to convince him he must have been sexually abused as a child by a member of his family.

The other, who PinkNews.co.uk later revealed was homophobic former Northern Ireland MP Iris Robinson's advisor, tried to make Mr Strudwick sexually aroused during his therapy.

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Prop 8 Trial, Day 9 and what's up for Monday

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Friday's proceedings saw an attempt by the defense to show that human sexuality is fluid, not fixed and that this phenomenon would make a same-sex marriage unstable. Dr. Gregory Herek, Associate Research Psychologist at UC Davis testified and presented evidence that sexual orientation is not chosen. He also talked about the damage done by "conversion therapy" and that both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association removed homosexuality from their respective lists of mental and emotional disorders over 35 years ago. Each of those groups provided statements about the damage caused by conversion therapy. 

Suffice it to say the all too familiar stories told of people marrying young and coming out late in life were debated. Research was presented and the pro-H8 side tried to dispute it, but Dr. Herek stuck to his guns.

The anti-H8 side is expected to rest on Monday and the pro-H8 side will begin calling it's two witnesses. That's right, the folks who devoted two years and tens of millions of dollars to overturn marriage equality could only manage to come up with two witnesses with the balls to testify. Six witnesses backed out when Judge Walker's plan to broadcast video of the trial on YouTube, claiming they felt intimidated by being publicly exposed for their rolls in the passage of Prop 8. Even after the U.S. Supreme Court prevented the video taping, these cowards refused to testify.

Closing arguments from both sides are expected this week. Judge Walker is expected to take about two weeks to review the evidence and testimony before rendering a ruling on the case. Regardless of how the judge rules, this case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court at a time when the court rulings have been falling 5-4 along party lines favoring conservatives.

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