Recently, Eric Cartman has made his way into the white house, winning our very clearly democratic election. Although happy news for the overtly ignorant and aggressive, the rest of The United States is shaking with guilt. As though electing a petulant, fear mongering flaccid penis was not bad enough, Trump and his VP-elect have strong beliefs in a range of inhumanities. Trump's VP-elect is a strong believer in Gay Conversion Therapy.
But what’s most disturbing is Pence’s years of advocacy for conversion therapy, the insidious “treatment” that abuses LGBT adults and youth to supposedly eliminate or dramatically reduce their attraction to the same sex or their desire to express a different gender from the gender they were born with.
What is it?
Gay Conversion Therapy is a supposed treatment to convert homosexual and bisexual orientations into heterosexual ones. There is absolutely no scientific evidence or supporting research to show any validity in the "therapy", actually torture, as many techniques require forced masturbation while watching heterosexual stimuli, or given foul food or drink while watching homosexual or bisexual stimuli to ensure nausea.
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Historically, psychologists used tactics such as aversion therapy — a method reminiscent of the one used in "A Clockwork Orange." In aversion therapy, gay people were exposed to a negative stimulus (such as being shocked, given nausea drugs or imagining such exposures) while viewing same-sex erotic material. A few studies found this could dampen sexual responsiveness to same-sex erotica but did nothing to change sexual orientation, according to "Homosexuality: Research Implications for Public Policy" (Sage Publications Inc., 1991).
However, there was one man who supported this inhumane treatment, Sigmund Freud. The same man who believed that you have built up sexual tensions towards your parents, of course exhibiting solely heterosexuality within this instances, and believed homosexuality could be erased from a person. A person's individuality, orientation, self, could be erased from a person; in other words, a part of you can be washed away, because that there genitalia mingling with another male genitalia, well Doug, I just won't be having these here gays be tainting our land. Jesus did not walk that there desert with these here homosexuals.
"Clinicians should be aware that there is no evidence that sexual orientation can be altered through therapy, and that attempts to do so may be harmful. There is no empirical evidence adult homosexuality can be prevented if gender nonconforming children are influenced to be more gender conforming. Indeed, there is no medically valid basis for attempting to prevent homosexuality, which is not an illness. On the contrary, such efforts may encourage family rejection and undermine self-esteem, connectedness and caring, important protective factors against suicidal ideation and attempts. Given that there is no evidence that efforts to alter sexual orientation are effective, beneficial or necessary, and the possibility that they carry the risk of significant harm, such interventions are contraindicated."-American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry
How could people support such torture?
Like Mike Pence, Trump, and many of his supporters, societal prejudice and constructs have restrained their ability to critically asses the world around them, as they each have fallacious values and ideals instilled within their thinking processes and hearts.
The American Psychological Association, The American Medical Association, and 11 other major medical organizations reject conversion therapy because they don’t believe that there is a disorder to “fix,” they don’t believe one can actually change orientation or gender identity and that attempting doing so is dangerous and harmful, particularly to LGBT youth.
As our early American history was founded on religious delusion and slaughter, they believed what they did and executed consistent actions to please God. There was absolutely no room for coincidences within Puritan or Jesuit society, everything was supernatural, meaning either Satan or God. Unfortunately, to 2016 standards, their supposed Christian way of life, was almost anything but. Whether it be the term "Black face" to refer to Native Americans as being demonic, or condemning homosexuality as a sin in which would curse entire towns, they held some pretty inauthentic beliefs. However, due to their founding, we have held a long list of strange and heinous beliefs within American culture towards those we view as the other. Inauthentic beliefs and values, now cause people, even today to become genuinely upset and uncomfortable with the presence or actions of the other.
One can be understanding to how ignorance first entered our country like the plague, however to justify it's consistent birthing rate within the time of technology is absolutely beyond my realm of comprehension.
"Psychotherapeutic modalities to convert or 'repair' homosexuality are based on developmental theories whose scientific validity is questionable. Furthermore, anecdotal reports of "cures" are counterbalanced by anecdotal claims of psychological harm. In the last four decades, "reparative" therapists have not produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims of cure. Until there is such research available, [the American Psychiatric Association] recommends that ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals' sexual orientation, keeping in mind the medical dictum to first, do no harm.
What can we do about it?
So only 5 states have banned the use of gay conversion therapy on minors, meaning in 45 states it is legal to force a child to endure unethical, inhumane treatment for their sexual orientation. Starting on a state-wide scale, absolutely every state needs to ban the use of gay conversion therapy within minors, as the forceful practice has scientific evidence proving it's rather damaging effects.
The APA report also revealed some evidence that gay conversion therapies increased the risk of negative outcomes, including loss of sexual feeling, anxiety, depression and suicidal feelings. In early aversive-therapy techniques, many people dropped out of treatment, the report found. High dropout rates can be an indication that many people found the treatment too harmful to continue.
On a national level, we can push for the torture itself to be recognized as both inhumane and unconstitutional, protecting the well being of the otherwise millions whom are often forced into the therapy, by introducing a nation-wide ban on the practice. Re-enforcing and re-proposing Leelah's Law is necessary on fighting Trump and Pence's enforcement of torture.
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