Those of us who relied on more old-school psychotherapy were not so
cruel, at least not blatantly so. Those with same-sex attractions, so we
were taught, suffered from a genuine mental illness that could be
cured. Little could we have appreciated that our methods only shamed and
coerced their true selves into hiding. It is no wonder – and something
for which I feel deep and lasting sorrow – that a generation of people,
the ones we were telling ourselves we were helping, suffered so
profoundly, many taking their own lives.
,,,
For all the work and research on this subject, and for all the patients I have seen whose identity and orientation remained steadfast, nothing strengthened my resolve to speak out more than when my youngest daughter, a junior in high school at the time, came out to my wife and me. Honestly, we were stunned. Not unlike many other parents, it took months for us to acclimate to her reality. But from that very first telling, one thing was never in question: We loved her unconditionally for who she was, and our love continues for the remarkable person she continues to be.
An overdue end to cruel conversion therapy for gays | News and Observer News and Observer
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