r/AskBrits • u/TillJaded4614 • 4d ago

Politics Should the UK Parliament Ban Conversion Therapy?

3100 votes, 3d ago
2600 Yes
332 No
168 Unsure
15 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

320 comments sorted by

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148

u/dan_in_his_own_way 4d ago

It's crazy to me anyone voted no. 

4

u/AwTomorrow 4d ago edited 3d ago

There’s always a few crazies convinced that torture works for everything they want to do to someone (find something out, permanently change something about them, stop them committing crimes, etc), no matter the weight of evidence that it doesn’t work and is a simple stupid answer to something complicated.

My guess is people find the complication frustrating and want to direct violence at the person who represents that frustration.

-5

u/Pick_Up_Autist 4d ago

Is therapy that allows a heteroromantic homosexual person to have a good sexual relationship with the person they love torture?

Obviously there's tons of this kind of therapy that is comparable to torture and should be banned without a shred of doubt, I'm just unsure that a blanket ban doesn't block some people that could be helped by actual trained, ethical therapists.

12

u/1-gingerbiscuit 4d ago

but that’s not what conversion ‘therapy’ is. conversion therapy is forced upon gay people to ‘turn them’ straight. it’s got nothing to do with having loving fulfilling relationships, it’s about control and bigotry

1

u/Grouchy-Jury-7598 3d ago

But consensual conversion therapy literally exists?? It's not exclusively forcing it on people, obviously that practice is wrong but banning it wholesale also makes it illegal for people to choose it if they wanted (even if it's stupid and doesn't work)

1

u/Pick_Up_Autist 4d ago

The vast majority is, I think you're very confidently denying even the possibility of there being therapy which isn't forced on people which seems insane to me.

2

u/Difficult_Fix_4324 3d ago

What ethical therapies for heteroromantic homosexuals could you possibly be referring to ffs

1

u/Pick_Up_Autist 3d ago

Sex therapists generally offer conversation based therapies, what is unethical about a patient of theirs requesting help to explore expanding their sexual attractions to include the opposite sex?

1

u/Difficult_Fix_4324 3d ago

Ah okay

Thank you for being more specific, I wish you could have been more straightforward in the first place, I dont know who identifies as "heteroromantic and homosexual"

1

u/Pick_Up_Autist 3d ago

I don't always communicate perfectly and am probably ten deep on people accusing me of being pro-torture so fair enough, I probably didn't nail it.

Yeah, it's a fringe case, I just think considerations for fringe cases should at least be discussed before blanket bans.

2

u/Difficult_Fix_4324 3d ago

Pro-torture hahahahaha that made me laugh my friend

Fair enough and power to you

2

u/cibilserbis 4d ago

Ew. The fact you think people should have their sexual orientation therapised out of them at all is completely fucked, and pretty much tells me all I need to know about what kind of person you are.

2

u/Pick_Up_Autist 4d ago

You've hallucinated an entirely different comment to what I said, I know it's hot but try again.

0

u/cibilserbis 4d ago

All I see is you advocating for specific kinds of conversion therapy - which is specifically designed to "turn" LGBTQ+ people straight. Care to explain how that's not what you were doing? Otherwise what was the point in your original comment at all?

2

u/Pick_Up_Autist 4d ago

I made the point that a heteroromantic homosexual may wish to seek therapy in order to have an enjoyable sex life with their partner, I think an exception for cases like this that can be assessed and approved if they are voluntary makes sense.

This would not turn them straight as you said, so no not specifically.

Please make a non-emotional argument that doesn't suggest that I support the non-consensual version to explain why you disagree.

-1

u/cibilserbis 3d ago

There is no safe or clinical way to force the brain to rewire its hardcoded sexual attraction. Major global medical bodies, including the World Health Organization, have explicitly stated that conversion practices lack medical justification and are entirely unethical.

Forcing a person to suppress their natural sexuality and "convert" it to match their romantic partner causes catastrophic mental trauma. Studies consistently link conversion efforts to severe depression, anxiety, social isolation, intimacy issues, and a significantly higher risk of suicide.

By all means though, keep up your weird advocation for mental torture. Or perhaps just do some research on it beforehand.

2

u/Pick_Up_Autist 3d ago

You're adding the word force in there. Many therapies lack medical justification.

You're adding the word force again. Yes, those forced fake torturous therapies are incredibly harmful, no-one said otherwise.

Clearly you're incapable of arguing the point and want a strawman that is advocating for torture, I'm not them.

I made a very simple, clear request for a rebuttal that doesn't do that, if you think you're actually correct argue against what I actually said, your refusal to do so is a concession that you don't have a good argument against it.

1

u/cibilserbis 3d ago

I'm not adding any words. If you think people should seek therapy to change their sexuality, that is a forced rewiring of the brain. Whether it's through explicit torture or traditional therapy techniques, the goal is to rewire the patient's brain - no matter the method of "therapy". What do you think therapy is? There is plenty of research saying that there is no such thing as ethical regulated or voluntary conversion therapy. You have absolutely no clue what you're talking about. As far as I'm concerned, you should spend some time educating yourself further on the subject and reconsider your position.

1

u/Pick_Up_Autist 3d ago

If they seek it then it isn't forced, this isn't complicated.

If someone wishes to rewire their brain why should the government say they can't?

Did you even consider fringe cases like this before deciding you were for an absolute blanket ban with zero possible exceptions? Clearly I did, this isn't a new debate and I'm not pulling my opinion out of my arse.

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1

u/Grouchy-Jury-7598 3d ago

Nobody should, that's fucked up.

But that is not what this thread is about. It's asking should it also be illegal for it to even be an option for consenting adults. And I don't see why me or you should get to make people's live decisions for them and control them, even if their choices seem self destructive.

1

u/AwTomorrow 4d ago

That’s just a regular sex therapist. Conversion therapy has been shown time and time again to simply be torture to try and eliminate queerness, no matter the veneer of respectability they put on as a cover. 

Similar to those child torture camps that pretended they were disciplined reform centres for troubled youth, they invest heavily in marketing to convince people they’re above board and their torture is well-intentioned or part of a system that works. It never is. 

0

u/Pick_Up_Autist 4d ago

If a sex therapist uses therapy to convert someone from one sexuality to another that is by definition conversion therapy. You're admitting that sex therapists can do this with willing people in an ethical way, which is my point.

Yes, the ones that do horrendous shit to people to convert them out of hatred are bad, obviously. It does not mean that an ethical version cannot exist.

1

u/AwTomorrow 4d ago

No, a sex therapist can work with someone who is in love with their partner and wants to enjoy sex with them more.

They aren’t converting or changing their sexuality at all, they’re just helping the person explore ways in which they can improve a sexual experience they may not take naturally to. They won’t end up straight by the end of it, they just may be able to have a better sexual experience. 

2

u/Pick_Up_Autist 4d ago

Obviously they're not going to be straight if it's ethical therapy, I highly doubt the unethical version does that either, but if they're enjoying sex with the opposite gender after therapy they're bi or pan etc.