Inconclusive Results of Ex-Gay Study Cause Dispute

[William769]

Many are disputing the results of a study conducted by two psychologists affiliated with religious universities who claim that people can change their sexual orientation after six or more years of reparative therapy.

Mark Yarhouse of Regent University and Stanton Jones at Wheaton College published a study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, documenting the progress of 98 people who sought to change their sexual orientation at Exodus Ministries, CNN reports. Before the end of the study, 35 people dropped out of the program, citing that they felt cured of all "homosexual inclinations." At the end of the study, 23% of the remaining people said they were heterosexual, and 30% decided to turn to chastity. The study's authors found those figures to be evidence that the study contradicts "the commonly expressed view that sexual orientation is not changeable."

Though the American Psychological Association has condemned such therapies since 2005, other notable psychologists are weighing in on the new study.

Eli Coleman of the University of Minnesota Medical School's human sexuality program told CNN that any change from ex-gay therapy is superficial.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/10/04/Inconclusive_Results_of_ExGay_Study_Cause_Dispute/

[joeybee12]

1. You can't stop having sex, but that doesn't mean your orientation has changed...nt

[stevenleser]

2. This is going to get to a point where it is crazy.

After 6 plus years of brainwashing, you can probably get anyone to do almost anything. You can probably get them to kill their family members. Is that the standard the anti-gay jerks are going to use?

[xfundy]

3. GOING to?

Where you been?

[stevenleser]

5. True. nt

[johnnypneumatic]

4. most kids are brainwashed for 15 or so years already

by their parents, schools, and churches to be good little heterosexuals. Yet still a lot of them turn out lgbt anyway.

Apparently it takes more years of torture, until their brains are destroyed or they can convince their inquisitors that "I repent. I'm really really hetero now, and I'm not lying this time."

[stevenleser]

6. Yes, the difference between casual, environmental brainwashing and professional

focused efforts. Six years of 8+ hrs a day professional brainwashing could make you say, do, think just about anything. That is a ridiculous standard.