# Can homosexuality be cured? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 14, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173 "2015-07-14T22:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/1 "2015-07-14T22:01:15Z")
If we disregard the question of whether it should be, are there any methods, psychological or medical, which have shown to be effective in turning gay people straight? Certainly the only I thing one hear from the faith based programs you have in the USA, is that they’re totally bogus – but again that may by confirmation bias. ---
**Author:** ![Construct](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@Construct](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Construct)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/2 "2015-07-14T22:04:45Z")
FYI, you’re going to be slammed by the social justice crowd on here for suggesting that homosexuality is a disease-like condition that needs to be cured. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/3 "2015-07-14T22:07:59Z")
I wouldn’t call it “cured” because there’s nothing about homosexuality that needs to be “cured”. But if the question is: “Can a person’s sexual orientation be changed?” I would say no. Our current medical technology isn’t there. But I suppose, one day, theoretically, it could be. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/4 "2015-07-14T22:15:52Z")
Yeah, bad choice of words, that. Next up, you’ll need to define your terms (abhorrent or otherwise). Let’s say “converted to heterosexuality”. What is “heterosexuality”, operationally here? To feel an attraction and consciously interpret it as sexual, towards and only towards people who appear to be the opposite biological sex? Or to refrain from having sex with anyone except those who appear to be of the opposite biological sex? For ten minutes, for ten weeks, for ten years, for the rest of one’s life? How about gender as differentiated from biological sex, is that more important to your definition of hetero versus homosexuality? And so forth. It’s a societal convention, not an absolute fact, that people neatly divide up into “ways of being sexual”, and claim those as aspects of their identity, as differentiated from simply doing sexual things with various people at various times. It hasn’t _always_ been the convention, it’s just the convention _now_ and, like attitudes towards sexuality and gender, that may be changing. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/5 "2015-07-14T22:18:48Z")
I can picture identifying the genetic component that increases the chances of homosexuality (assuming there is one) and using selective abortion to reduce the odds of birthing a future homosexual, for what that’s worth and I suspect not much. Of course, the people most inclined to want to avoid having a homosexual child are probably most inclined to rail against abortion, so I look forward to watching their tiny heads explode. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/6 "2015-07-14T22:40:28Z")
Dammit, when I was a kid I read a book of cures by Edgar Cayce (some guy who’d go into a trance and offer medical advice). Back then being gay was seen as an illness, an I think there was a treatment for it. May have involved orange juice. I can’t find it online. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/7 "2015-07-14T22:48:10Z")
Situational Sexuality is fairly well established. It tends to get corrected when the situation resolves itself. Plus the whole concept of homosexuality and “orientation” is pretty much a Victorian invention anyway and its IMO outmoded and definitely betrays a rather N American/W European centric bias. In many places you will see people partake in same sex encounters regularly and openly, but deny that they are gay until they are blue in the face. OTH, people who identify as “gay” also partake in hetro sex, admittedly often due to societal pressures, but commonly enough willingly; Oscar Wilde for instance. So if its is actually a biological thing, then its fairly easily modified. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/8 "2015-07-14T23:00:33Z")
Can religious wingnuttery be cured? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/9 "2015-07-14T23:05:15Z")
Find somebody Gay? Tread on their corn and make them cross! ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/10 "2015-07-14T23:05:23Z")
> [@Construct](#): > > FYI, you’re going to be slammed by the social justice crowd on here for suggesting that homosexuality is a disease-like condition that needs to be cured. How terribly useful. :rolleyes: I’m sure it makes me a part of the “social justice crowd” (in what insane world is that a _bad_ thing?), but I’ll note that those who do not consider homosexuality “a disease-like condition that needs to be cured” include the AMA, American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations, AAMFT, ACA, NASW, AAP, National Association of School Psychologists, and the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Bunch of idiots, I’m sure. Again, :rolleyes: But well-poisoning drivel aside… > [@Rune](#): > > are there any methods, psychological or medical, which have shown to be effective in turning gay people straight? No. There have simply been no reliable studies, over the past century of research, that have shown any effective therapies for changing someone’s sexual orientation. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/11 "2015-07-14T23:07:01Z")
> [@Construct](#): > > FYI, you’re going to be slammed by the social justice crowd on here for suggesting that homosexuality is a disease-like condition that needs to be cured. And rightly so. Welcome to the 21st Century. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/12 "2015-07-14T23:08:25Z")
> [@andros](#): > > I’m sure it makes me a part of the “social justice crowd” (in what insane world is that a _bad_ thing?) In the world of people who can’t be fucked to have a little bit of empathy for anyone else, i.e., MRAs, casual racists, dudebros, etc. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/13 "2015-07-14T23:08:38Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Can religious wingnuttery be cured? Easier than forcing someone to change their sexual orientation I’d say. While there is no ‘cure’ for homosexuality, I think you could force a percentage of homosexuals to heterosexual behavior if you were willing to use enough force to do so…same as you could force heterosexuals to homosexual behaviors if you applied enough force or pressure. There are, after all, examples of normally heterosexual people changing for a time to homosexual behavior and vice versa, and not just in human populations. Enforced imprisonment without an outlet to the normal sexual orientation release the prisoner has (either hetro or homosexuality) would be one way that has examples in the real world. Pretty distasteful and repugnant to do such a thing, however, and it’s no ‘cure’ regardless. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/14 "2015-07-14T23:10:52Z")
Conversion therapy is [banned](http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/01/us/california-gay-therapy-ban/) in California. The article has a good discussion, which includes a number of therapists who have recanted after realizing that the therapy was harmful rather than helpful. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/15 "2015-07-14T23:15:06Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Easier than forcing someone to change their sexual orientation I’d say. While there is no ‘cure’ for homosexuality, I think you could force a percentage of homosexuals to heterosexual behavior if you were willing to use enough force to do so…same as you could force heterosexuals to homosexual behaviors if you applied enough force or pressure. There are, after all, examples of normally heterosexual people changing for a time to homosexual behavior and vice versa, and not just in human populations. Enforced imprisonment without an outlet to the normal sexual orientation release the prisoner has (either hetro or homosexuality) would be one way that has examples in the real world. > > Pretty distasteful and repugnant to do such a thing, however, and it’s no ‘cure’ regardless. Imprisonment is generally more an example of situational behavior, IME. But yeah, back in the 1960s Feldman and his cadre did a fair amount of research, based on the hypothesis that homosexuality was a behavioral disorder, into aversion therapy. They basically tortured men into associating sexual desire pain using electric shock and drugs. It didn’t turn gay men straight, but it ruined a fair few lives. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/16 "2015-07-14T23:16:28Z")
> [@Construct](#): > > FYI, you’re going to be slammed by the social justice crowd on here for suggesting that homosexuality is a disease-like condition that needs to be cured. Social justice. Ha! Who needs that shit? No, homosexuality can’t be “cured”. Neither can ignorance, but ignorance can be fought. ---
**Author:** ![Lubricious\_Integument](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Lubricious\_Integument](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lubricious_Integument)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/17 "2015-07-14T23:22:29Z")
Whenever I make a sandwich, I always try to include about a 1/2 inch thick layer of alfalfa sprouts. I can’t get enough of those things, especially on a steak sandwich with onions and extra horseradish. Some people may find this a little unusual. Do you think I should be cured? If so, why the hell do you even care? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/18 "2015-07-14T23:26:51Z")
There’s no evidence that any of the conversion therapies are effective. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/19 "2015-07-15T00:37:13Z")
**Moderating** **TWEEET!** Would everyone please go back and read the actual OP as it was written? **Rune** has not actually proposed that homosexuality needs to be “cured.” It was not a well-written OP, but from this point on, everyone will regard the OP to have actually posted > [@](#): > > Is there any evidence that homosexual orientation is open to change? and everyone will knock off the attempts to slyly insult Rune based on a presumption that he was actually promoting Conversion Therapy. = = = Bad Rune! (But a number of the rest of you are not reading his post any better than he wrote it.) [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173/20 "2015-07-15T00:59:53Z")
> [@Construct](#): > > FYI, you’re going to be slammed by the social justice crowd on here for suggesting that homosexuality is a disease-like condition that needs to be cured. Yeah one of daughter best friend was gay , he dies of a blood clot at 38 yo he didn’t have a disease he was fine just as he was . He would call me at night and we talked for hours . I really miss him , he was my date at my daughter 's wedding and I was so honored that he wanted to do this . It’s so ☹ he is gone so young. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-homosexuality-be-cured/725173.md?page=2)