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Committee debates gay ‘cure’ therapy before inquiry into doctor advocating it

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  1. Sounds like we need a version of the Cancer Act to stop this tosh.

  2. GulliverUK 31 Jan 2013, 1:33am

    I knew you’d discover more than me.

  3. Perhaps Britain can get a Equador style .Sexual orietation clinic . Where they literally try to fuck the Gay out of Lesbians . Activists there have been trying to shut down these clinics that have been operating with Government sanction for the past 20years or so. I believe the activist won with a change.org petition to the Gov. So Barbaric. I guess nothing is too good for the old British Empire.

    1. Robert in S. Kensington 31 Jan 2013, 1:34pm

      British Empire? We don’t have one any longer.

  4. Why can’t they ask GAY PEOPLE whether it works or not? Surely this is one of the rare cases where we know more than NON-GAY straight psychiatrists/doctors etc?

    1. Unfortunately, Alex, the only gay people they want to listen to are ones who’ve been so screwed up by their kind of beliefs that they support their torturers.

      1. Paul Brownsey 31 Jan 2013, 11:15am

        That’s true. But there’s a kind of equal and opposite phenomenon, namely, that the only people the opponents of ‘gay cure’ therapy want to listen to are people who are at home with being gay.

  5. As a counsellor myself, I am totally disgusted that Dr (really?) Davidson could think he has the right to exhibit such homophobia with his clients. I’m just as horrified that he should misappropriate the term “person-centred” to do this. Person-centred therapy is a well-respected form of counselling originally developed by Carl Rogers. It has nothing to do with forcing one’s own views onto a client, in fact it is the complete opposite.
    I hope that the BPA kick him out so fast that he won’t see his arse for dust, to coin a phrase.
    This sorry debate has made me even more determined to campaign against bigoted organisations like Core Issues and Christian Concern. They must be stopped before they do any more harm to one single person.

    1. Paul Brownsey 31 Jan 2013, 11:08am


      Trouble is, there are still gay people who don’t want to be gay. If someone asked, after due thought, to be put through whatever procedures these ‘gay cure’ therapists bring to bear, it could be argued that it is ‘person-centred’ to go along with what is asked for, with due warnings about the unlikelihood of success and information about becoming a well-adjusted gay person.

      1. Don’t talk such shite

      2. And the first question anyone should ask is ‘why don’t they want to be gay’. You can bet it will always be pressure from family, church, etc. If they were left in peace to be themselves they wouldn’t need this dubious therapy.

    2. Staircase2 31 Jan 2013, 2:37pm

      Well said!

  6. Gay Cure Therapy by anti-gay Christian psychotherapist kill LGBT people.
    Stop them before they murder another LGBT person.

    1. Thank you for noticing that T are subject to it too. Odd how “LGBT” campaigner Peter Tatchell forgot that.

  7. John A. Leopard 31 Jan 2013, 4:24am

    I rarely read such excellent comments. Thank you. “Ex-gay or conversion therapy” is no better than voodoo or Christian Science teachings. It is not psychology it is prejudice and bigotry.

  8. Davisonbob 31 Jan 2013, 4:28am

    I would have thought the discussion with the group would have been a bit more scientific and less personal…you know..like inate and not having a “location in the brain”…hey..show me the location for “straight [heterosexuality]” there is not one…wow…how disasterous for those who seek these witch doctors.

  9. Conversion therapy is a crock, it never works to change anyone.

    That is because orientation is fixed.

    the exception that proves the rule was a middle aged straight man that had brain injury and suddenly became gay.

    In the future brain surgery will likely be able to change orientation. IN the meantime it should be banned.

  10. It’s bizarre , the UK is about to bring in equal marriage rights for LGBT people, it’s got gay adoption rights ,gays are supposed to be “equal” to straights etc etc and there’s still an ongoing debate around gay cure therapy at the houses of parliament.

    How contradictory is that?

  11. Jan Bridget 31 Jan 2013, 8:10am

    Why was there a committee debate?

    1. Chester666666 31 Jan 2013, 9:23am

      That was my question
      There’s nothing to debate as this stuff is just lies and homophobia

    2. Dominic Davies 31 Jan 2013, 12:36pm

      I think they rented a room there to make themselves look more legit.

  12. Jock S. Trap 31 Jan 2013, 9:15am

    Maybe this would be more meaningful if it also cover ‘straight cure’ but it does because there is no such thing!

    Stop debating us and get on with your jobs!


    1. further, a religion cure – would be ideal for children whose parents have forced their religious proclivities of them.

  13. Dave North 31 Jan 2013, 9:18am

    There is nothing in need of curing other than these idiots religiosity, ignorance and bigotry.

  14. Mumbo Jumbo 31 Jan 2013, 9:56am

    “I treat people, not homosexuality”.

    In which case you work with them to accept things that cannot be changed.

    1. Paul Brownsey 31 Jan 2013, 11:10am

      Would this man say, “I treat people, not cancer”?

  15. That There Other David 31 Jan 2013, 10:27am

    This brings up a bigger argument IMO. Is most of psychiatry just a bunch of snake oil? Should we open up a wider debate here?

    1. Chester666666 31 Jan 2013, 10:37am

      There’s only an issue because of homophobes who will never acknowledge how wrong they are

  16. Dominic Davies 31 Jan 2013, 12:35pm

    Trying to gain legitimacy by holding their debate in the House of Commons. Sexuality IS more complex than a simple nature nurture debate, but where is the evidence that these sexual re-orientation therapies work. Spitzer found little evidence, even when NARTH put their best converts forward. Same Sex Attractions remained.

    I’ve worked with many people at Pink Therapy who have been harmed by such ‘Reparative Therapies.’ Which is why it’s roundly condemned by every professional therapy organisation in the UK and USA.

  17. Hey whats the bet this so called Doctor came top of his class when he qualified from the university of Nigeria

  18. Robert in S. Kensington 31 Jan 2013, 1:30pm

    It’s absolutely shameful that a meeting like this could be given a room at the HoP. A lot of gullible people would construe that it’s a government sponsored event.

    The day that so called ‘Christian Concern’ can prove that a straight man or woman can be converted to a gay orientaiton, then perhaps maybe they would have some credence. If they’re saying ‘homosexuality’ isn’t innate, then that goes for heterosexuality. Do they really believe someone would choose to be gay given the vast amount of discrimination, bullying, stigmatising, vilification and violence we have been subjected to for centuries?

  19. Staircase2 31 Jan 2013, 2:36pm

    Hmmm …’Christian’ my arse!

    They wouldn’t recognise Jesus if he knocked on their door wearing a name badge, saying ‘Hi, Im Jesus’…

    Pete Tatchell is right; of course the rational is homophobic….

    Or are they suggesting they would also help ‘change’ the sexuality of those heterosexuals wanting to become gay too…?

    1. Why not? Some people may wish not to be so why not give people a choice! ? if they want to be gay let them be , if someone does not wish to be gay for any reason then lets give some help and cure….. I dont see why is wrong to let people choose as long as we live in a free world

      1. Guglielmo Marinaro 1 Feb 2013, 8:23pm

        Offering people the “choice” to do something that they can’t in fact do is not offering them a choice. It’s offering them a scam.

    2. Excellent comment Staircase2
