Psychiatry lends itself to social trends. When women were Stepford wives the practice of psychiatry would treat women for anxiety to their social standing. The list is long and undistinguished and includes children. Other than gay children, the most recent accusation includes higher number of boys receiving ADHD medications.
The 'reasoning/theory' behind many of these measures is that we all have to 'belong' somewhere and when society does not allow a place for people then it is their 'role' to provide therapy to allow that to happen. At no point in time was the practice of psychiatry suppose to cause Demonstrations for Sufferage, etc. The role of psychiatry has traditionally been to treat people into passively accepting 'their role' in a society that provides for their life.
Psychiatry treats the individual finding themselves in need of belonging. Social acceptance. What can occur by today's standards is empowerment for a person to be an individual while finding a 'nitch' and finding a way of life. I like to think of this new 'place' for an individual as "Open Mike Night." While working 'a job' a person can self-nurture to provide a satisfying place for themselves. Much of this is due to connecting people through the internet. People find each other when they never could before in decades past.
As any rate, that sets an understanding of why Reparative Therapy exists. There is a market for it. Christians in many circles believe homosexuality is the death of their soul. And, of course, that is a desperate idea because a person can die at any moment for one reason or another and their 'forever soul' needs to be ready for that very instance.
When one places their soul before their genetic material there is a market for Reparative Therapy. The argument the 'practioners' will make is that Freedom of Religion provides for a Christian parent to bring their children to therapy to save their souls. That 'idea' has already been tried and failed with parents that refuse medical treatment for their children due to religious bias. There is no room for the argument a religion has the right to determine death of their members.
Jones' Kool-aid spoke to that loudly.
But, to realize this form of therapy causes a great deal of emotional pain and has been known to cause suicide there is no way this is therapy for a child. The idea of confronting emotional pain as a choice is an adult concept and not one for a child to have imposed on them.
People made a lot of money being Reparative Therapists. Those same people will be held accountable for their practice. They don't want to lose their income nor their fortunes so there will be all kinds of court challenges to prolong the reality this was a very bad idea which offered nothing in the way of sincere therapy.
The failure and removal of DADT began a the much needed landside of acceptance of 'the rest of our citizens' in the USA. I much rather the idea of a Gay Man serving in the military than one that is ? changed ? because of a bizarre therapy that is not based in genetic reality. I don't want to know the distress Gay Men and Lesbian Women have gone through in order to serve their country over their own sexual satisfaction. It is a bizarre concept and one that lends itself to higher stress levels in people needing to be valued for their talents and social contributions and not their innate identity.
Reparative Therapy sincerely has no place in the country, but, it will exist. Make no mistake it will continue to exist for the sake of religious choice alone. But, to have children exposed to it is outrageous.
