# What's the specific procedure for anti-gay therapy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-specific-procedure-for-anti-gay-therapy/465098 "2008-09-25T01:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-specific-procedure-for-anti-gay-therapy/465098/61 "2008-09-26T04:38:24Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > So what are gay people supposed to do that don’t want to be gay? Maybe it would actually be beneficial for the Association to change their practices? Right now it looks kind of like illegal abortions prior to Roe v Wade… back alley practitioners with no ability to properly network and take advantage of new, shared techniques, etc. > > I’m not suggesting that gayness can necessarily be cured, but people that are gay that don’t want to live gay certainly have the right to some type of sanctioned, non-religious-based support in doing so, don’t they? Standard practices, accepted techniques, some degree of accountability in the field? Be celibate? Honestly, what do you mean by “live gay?” Do you mean be “actively homosexual?” If so, well, then just don’t have a love life. No one’s forcing you to go out and date. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > What are short people supposed to do that don’t want to be short? Keep the shoe industry afloat? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-specific-procedure-for-anti-gay-therapy/465098/62 "2008-09-26T05:33:39Z")
> [@Ms2001](#): > > You seem to be assuming that the only reason someone might want to change his sexual orientation is if bigots have told him since childhood to hate himself. That wasn’t part of the question, nor it is the only potential reason. It is certainly applicable to the question, and bigotry is the only reason to disapprove of homosexuality. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-specific-procedure-for-anti-gay-therapy/465098/63 "2008-09-26T06:08:48Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It is certainly applicable to the question, and bigotry is the only reason to disapprove of homosexuality. Period. Apparently we’re talking about different things: “want to change” != “disapprove”. A M2F transsexual doesn’t have to disapprove of masculinity, and a woman who wants breast implants doesn’t have to disapprove of small breasts. There are reasons other than bigotry to want to change something about yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-specific-procedure-for-anti-gay-therapy/465098/64 "2008-09-26T06:42:12Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > (bolding mine) > > I think “happily” and “functional” are the problem, not "homosexual’. Sure, with a baseball bat, your kneecaps, some nausea inducing drugs and some of the ol’ Ludwig Van, I can get you to think women are disgusting. I might even be able to convince your body to get an erection when you see a nubile young man. But does that equal happy and functional? No, it’s obvious that would not equal happy and functional. Not sure why you even need to ask - this isn’t anything like my idea of an effective plan of action (not that I have one - it’s just that if I did, this wouldn’t be it). ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-specific-procedure-for-anti-gay-therapy/465098/65 "2008-09-26T16:23:33Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I’m not sure therapy of the kind being described here could do it, but I do believe humans more malleable than many seem happy to admit (this in no way implies that they _should_ be coerced to try to change themselves). > > It’s not something I would personally want, but I can imagine there being _some_ process that would successfully result in me becoming a happily functional homosexual - or at least I’m not so insecure as to deny that possibility. > > Other things about us are changeable, why not this? FWIW, if more people had your attitude, there probably wouldn’t even be a need for this entire question 🙂 [MPSIMS] FTR, I am gay, I’m sure being gay has made my life more difficult in some respects, yet I can’t imagine the circumstances under which I’d even consider changing my sexual orientation. [/MPSIMS] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-specific-procedure-for-anti-gay-therapy/465098.md?page=3)