Whatever the pretext, I could not believe that the GOP would end the ban on conversion therapy, not that any licensed therapist I know would consider using such a damaging, ineffective practice in any event.
“Conversion therapy” has been condemned by the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Association of School Counselors and virtually every other professional organization that is concerned about the well-being of its clients.
Yet anti-gay members of our Legislature who choose to weigh in on the topic apparently see nothing wrong with a method that essentially communicates to an individual that there's something inherently wrong with him or her, a method that not infrequently leads to anxiety, depression and suicide.
And reading the article in the Jan. 13 State Journal "Ban on suspect practice ended," I gathered that you didn't need professional credentials or even substantial knowledge of the method to testify about the ban, only a negative opinion about gay individuals.
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Given that we can't alter someone's gender preferences through conversion therapy, what's next, waterboarding?
Denise Beckfield, Verona
