News
Exposing Ex-Gay Therapists
Gay Journalist Patrick Strudwick who revealed the methods of gay conversion therapists has started a campaign to stamp out such controversial therapy.
Patrick went undercover to find out more about the work of a therapist who acted as advisor to ex MP Irish Robinson. Patrick revealed that the therapist had used “unethical” methods in an attempt to turn him straight.
The idea behind this therapy is that gay people can be turned straight and that homosexuality is often caused by the lack of a father figure or sexual abuse as a child.
Mr Strudwick has now set up a campaign group called Stop Conversion Therapy Taskforce (SCOTT) to expose these therapists and end such methods.
He told Pinknews.co.uk;
"We want to get various professional bodies in mental health to change their codes of conduct on trying to change sexuality. Currently it's all very vague, they don't specifically condemn the practices in their guidelines.
"Also, as a part of that, we want to root out therapists and psychiatrists who are practising these techniques and ultimately bring an end to them through exposing them, as well as disrupting their meetings. We want to highlight the risks and the dangers."
"We want to get various professional bodies in mental health to change their codes of conduct on trying to change sexuality. Currently it's all very vague, they don't specifically condemn the practices in their guidelines.
Critics say that the methods used can cause severe mental health problems. Dominic Davies, founder and director of the Soho based Pink Therapy has said;
"My major concern is that there is no scientific basis, no evidence for these therapies. Really, they're just supporting their religious and political agendas through fairly sophisticated techniques."