Trapper's Swamp

The American Psychological Association released their report that indicated "mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments". The first two lines of this CNN article sums it up very well:

The American Psychological Association concluded Wednesday that there is little evidence that efforts to change a person's sexual orientation from gay or lesbian to heterosexual are effective. In addition, the 138-page report -- covering 87 peer-reviewed studies -- said that such efforts may cause harm.

(Emphasis mine)

As a result of this report, APA's governing Council of Representatives "passed a resolution Wednesday urging mental health professionals not to recommend to their clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or any other methods".

It is naive that this will change the minds of anyone who believes that sexual orientation can be changed, that it is a choice; after all, homosexuality has been removed from APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1975, and 34 years on, there is still a strong belief that sexual orientation is a matter of choice, which only fosters continued discrimination against gays and lesbians.

You can download the report from APA here, and I have a copy for download as well here.

Update on Friday, August 7, 2009 at 2:40PM by Callan Tham

New York Times also has an article on the APA resolution; it was passed resoundingly by a vote of 125-4. The money quote from Miss Judith Glassgold:

The religious psychotherapists have to open up their eyes to the potential positive aspects of being gay or lesbian. Secular therapists have to recognize that some people will choose their faith over their sexuality.