OPINION: A Ban on Gay-to-Straight Conversion Therapy Can’t Come Soon Enough

<p>A new bill, put forward by Swansea West MP Geraint Davies looks to ban gay-to-straight conversion therapy in the United Kingdom (UK).</p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/MartinJohnson">by Martin Johnson</a> | 12th December 2013</p><p></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4576526578.jpg" width="460" height="306" alt="Some people find it hard to comes to terms with something that is innate" title="Some people find it hard to comes to terms with something that is innate"/></p> <p></p><p>See the BBC Newsbeat article – My ‘horrendous’ gay conversion in the UK article.</p><p></p><p>Gay-to-Straight Conversion Therapy Irresponsible & Damaging</p><p>The practise is not only irresponsible, but potentially damaging to those who are subjected to gay-to-straight conversion therapy. Many people struggle with being gay and coming to terms with it can be an uphill struggle. </p><p></p><p>Being gay is not a choice, it is not an illness, and therefore is not something you can change or cure. The sooner someone can come to terms with that the better it is for them, only when then align themselves with who they actually are will they find true happiness in life.</p><p></p><p>By giving someone even the slightest hope that they can change what is innately them is not only wrong, but wholly irresponsible. There are many people who have tried to change their sexuality with no success, using all sorts of therapies and rituals. The failure of such gay-to-straight conversion therapies and rituals only cause further issues and anxieties for the person concerned.</p><p></p><p>People Need Support in Coming to Terms With Who They Are</p><p>Any counselling or therapy should concentrate on helping people come to terms with who they are and support them in understanding that being gay is natural for some people and can’t be changed. Unfortunately a lot of people do not get help with this and go through many internal struggles over many years, fighting a battle which they won’t win.</p><p></p><p>If gay-to-straight conversion therapy worked would we not have heard more about all the successes? From my own experience of coming to terms with being gay I now know the fight I had against my innate sexuality was never going to be one that I was going to win, all it was a lot of struggle and heartache, I wished I just accepted it a lot earlier.</p><p></p><p>With psychologists confirming that gay-to-straight conversion therapy is potentially dangerous and harmful, and that there are therapists out their attempting gay-to-straight conversion therapy a ban on this can’t come soon enough. Promoting acceptance of who you are is the only way forward for the health and wellbeing of those concerned.</p><p></p><p> </p>