Scroll To Top
Health

Gay 'Cures' Don't Work, Says World Psychiatric Association

Gay 'Cures' Don't Work, Says World Psychiatric Association

gay cure therapy

"Ex-gay" or "conversion" therapy is harmful, and there is no scientific proof that it can change someone's sexual orientation, says the World Psychiatric Association.

True
yezyes
Support The Advocate
We're asking for your help to continue our newsroom's important reporting. Support LGBTQ+ journalism by contributing today!

The World Psychiatric Association called "ex-gay" or "conversation" therapy "unscientific, unethical, ineffective, and harmful" in a statement released Monday to BuzzFeed News.

The association released a full report on Wednesday that declares its opposition "to any attempts to turn LGBT people heterosexual," in reference to the effectiveness of so-called conversion therapy.

Along with declaring the inefficacy of such therapy, the WPA also calls on governments around the world to decrimalize homosexuality: "WPA supports the need to de-criminalise same-sex sexual orientation and behaviour and transgender gender identity, and to recognise LGBT rights to include human, civil, and political rights."

"There is no sound scientific evidence that innate sexual orientation can be changed," the WPA wrote in the statement.

Many states such as New York, New Jersey, California, Oregon, and Illinois have banned the use of conversion therapy on minors. However, the ban applies only to state-licensed therapists; unlicensed ones, such as the one Cooper attended, retain the religious freedom to continue their practices.

Conversion therapy -- which aims to turn LGBT people straight and cisgender -- has been denounced as junk science by every major medical and psychological organization in the country. In addition to the state-level bans mentioned above, congressional Democrats earlier this year introduced a bill that asks the Federal Trade Commission to ban all conversion therapy practices (for any age) nationwide, labeling the ineffective, harmful "therapy" as fraud.

WPA is the world's largest association for psychiatrists, representing more than 200,000 of them in over 118 countries. Many of these countries continue to criminalize homosexuality or support the idea of conversion therapy.

yezyes
Stonewall Brick AwardsOut / Advocate Magazine - Jonathan Groff & Wayne Brady

From our Sponsors

Most Popular

Latest Stories

Yezmin Villarreal

Yezmin Villarreal is the former news editor for The Advocate. Her work has also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Mic, LA Weekly, Out Magazine and The Fader.
Yezmin Villarreal is the former news editor for The Advocate. Her work has also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Mic, LA Weekly, Out Magazine and The Fader.