The theme of our group is any form of oppression that is rooted in religion, whether it is the oppression of people who are of a certain religion, or the oppression of groups because of another’s religious beliefs. The topic that I propose for the basis of my research is how homosexual conversion camps and therapy affect their patients, and what the reasoning behind their existence is- and it is related to my group’s theme because the basis of the belief that homosexuality is wrong is almost universally based on religion. I selected this topic because I’ve only ever heard of the effects of conversion therapy anecdotally, and I want to uncover what they truly do to the people that they attempt to “cure”. Also, although I am not homosexual, I have friends that are and therefore have a personal interest in learning why the creators of this therapy believe what they do about homosexuality. The main issues that seem to stem from conversion therapy are emotional disorders that develop from patients being forced into a different lifestyle, and there are even physical effects used in practices such as negative reinforcement therapy. By researching this topic I hope to uncover whether this therapy is at all effective, and just how much it affects the psyche of those who are subjected to it- either voluntarily, or involuntarily.
To summarize, the most important issues that I want to research concern how the therapy affects the general mental health of patients, whether it accomplishes what it’s said to do in a non-damaging way, and whether religion is one of the driving factors behind this type of therapy. These key issues sum up all of the information I hope to obtain in this research, and will ultimately shape whether I view conversion therapy as wholly good, bad, or a mixture of both.
My main resource that I plan on using for the majority of my research is the Galileo database, as well as the online Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic databases for supplementary information. I will also view non-scholarly media such as articles or videos in order to find personal accounts of the effects of conversion therapy, making sure to fact check and verify sources.
For field research, I could post surveys or polls to sites such as Reddit or the CCGA student feed in order to gain information on what the local population or general public think of conversion therapy, and whether they have had any personal experience with it. I could also attempt to personally interview those who have undergone such therapy in order to gain a firsthand account of the issue.
Summary: This article’s intent was to collect information on how psychologists and psychiatrists feel about sexual orientation change treatment, as well as find out whether they had ever treated anyone who was seeking it. As such, there was only informational data presented, and no arguments about the topic on either side were made. Information gathered by the article ultimately included whether therapists would even attempt to serve a patient who wanted their sexual orientation changed, whether they had helped do it before, what kind of treatment was offered, and whether they thought that it helped the patient. Included in this data is the interesting statistic that the authors Annie Bartlett, Glenn Smith, and Michael King present stating that, “only 55 (4%) of therapists reported that they would attempt to change a client’s sexual orientation” (1). This is an incredibly low percentage, which leads me to infer that they don’t believe it’s possible to change sexual orientation with consultational therapy. The authors further reinforce this conclusion in the conclusion of the data where they declare, “Given [the] lack of evidence for the efficacy of such [conversion] treatments, this is likely to be unwise or even harmful” (1). The article finally delves into its methods of gaining these statistics, reinforcing its credibility and concluding appropriately.
Assessment: This source will certainly be useful for my project, as it contains objective statistics from licensed professionals in the field related to conversional therapy. It is also reliable, as all of its sources are clearly stated and its methods of gathering the data it presents are clearly laid out and even impressive, and it is all presented in an objective manner with conclusions being extrapolated from the facts presented in the data.
Reflection: I think that I will use this source in my project because it seems incredibly reliable, and presents hard data that could serve to reinforce points about the efficacy of conversional treatment, which I will cover in any project related to this topic. The article has also reinforced my suspicions that conversion therapy is a fradulent practice, as even the few who had given the conversional therapy felt that it wasn’t effective, according to the data.
Summary: This article seems to affirm the previous article’s data on this topic, with author Gregory Fritz declaring that “virtually every national professional organization serving children and/or patients with mental illness has a policy condemning conversion therapy” (1). The key topics that the article covers are statistics regarding who and how many of the population supported same-sex marriage in 2001 and again in 2015, how the treatment of adolescents regarding conversional therapy is different than it is with adults, and some steps that are being taken to prevent youths from being harmed by it.
Assessment: While this article doesn’t have nearly as much credible backing as the previous one, the author- Gregory Fritz- appears to be a credible doctor according to multiple websites that verify his identity. He also gives a source for the statistics presented in the opening for the article, and leaves the reader with a link to a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report that contains literature relating to the topic (1). This source was useful for gathering the opinion of a credible professional in the field, but it is certainly that- an opinion. The information in the article is biased, but that doesn’t mean that it is unusable or even incorrect. I will continue to find other sources in an attempt to corroborate the claims Fritz makes in the article.
Reflection: While the opinions presented in the article likely cannot be used in my project, the statistics reportedly gathered by Pew could be useful. It was helpful because it gave further credence to my suspicion that conversion therapy is not only ineffective, but harmful as well. However, a personal account of someone in the therapy would likely be much more useful, therefore I can’t say it has changed my opinion on the topic.
Summary: This personal account of the author, Anthony Venn-Brown, and his experience with what he describes as “SOCE” or “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts” describes his own experiences as well as accounts of others within his support group. He details that he has had extremely negative results with SOCE, even going so far as to dub himself and those who came out of therapy as, “ex-gay survivors ( people who have previously been involved with SOCE but now have accepted their same-sex orientation” (86). Venn-Brown goes on to name a psychologist- Paul Martin- who also went through SOCE, and who stated, “ I’ve worked with maximum security prisoners, yet the people who’ve been through ex-gay programs are some of the most psychologically damaged people I’ve seen in my life” (86). He finally lists many of the issues that he encountered, whether himself or through others, as a result of SOCE programs.
Assessment: This account was an astonishing read, and made even more incredible by the plethora of sources offered for all of the author’s claims. Every single page includes sources at the end, with a list of all of the author’s sources at the end of the article. The source is obviously biased considering the author’s personal experience, but at the same time, he offers sources that give credibility to his opinions- which is all that is needed to make his claims horrifyingly truthful. While I wish that the author didn’t have to undergo the events that happened to him, it was enlightening to learn about just how much the therapy affected him and those in the many support groups and churches that he has been to.
Reflection: I will without a doubt use this personal account in my project, as the credibility and sheer volume of information within is astounding. This article is also even more helpful than the others because it delves much more deeply into how religion drives the therapy, and even how LGBT people cope with living as both Christian and gay. This was the most helpful article yet, and has completely solidified my opinion on this topic.
Summary: This article dives deeper into the history of SOCE than the other sources that I’ve found, with information on more than only California’s association with conversion therapy. The article even discusses specifics of physical experiences in the therapy, such as- as Samuel Brinton, a patient, recalls- “having hands burned or frozen while simultaneously viewing homoerotic images to discourage his same-sex attraction” (287). The article then moves on to the legal history of SOCE, and includes useful information on how the first amendment has allowed religious institutions to challenge bans on SOCE practices in many states (296).
Assessment: This source was most useful in describing the history of how homosexuality was classified in mental health documentation, and in giving many accounts of how the practice of conversion therapy is totally ineffective and even sometimes barbaric. It also presented information on how religious groups have responded to the seemingly widespread pushback against sexual orientation change therapy. Finally, the article uses sources and information to back up all of its claims, with sources at the bottom of every page- so even though the article is clearly presenting information on how SOCE programs are unhelpful and harmful, it has more than enough sources to back up its information.
Reflection: This source provided many useful tidbits on the actual methods used in some forms of SOCE therapy, which I could certainly place in my project as well as the information on the history of the practice. It was also helpful in providing information on how a state responded to the practice- and how religious institutions attempted to counteract that response. Since I’m already cemented in my viewpoint from the overwhelming load of information supporting the inefficiency and harmfulness of sexual conversion therapy, this source did not change my viewpoint on the topic- instead only further affirming it with even more facts.