Bianca Harkless
Staff Reporter
This editorial is inspired by the book Boy Erased by Garrard Conley but will not cover the things I typically do in an issue of my column, Book Buzz, therefore this will not be an update for it. Boy Erased has topics of rape, religion and homophobia. Clearly, these topics are not the most ideal and are anything but light. Know that the things in this story will only get darker when you remember the whole story centers around Conley’s experience with conversion therapy. For those who are unaware, conversion, or reparative, therapy is a widely discredited practice aimed to change someone's sexuality or gender typically through a church setting.
Some very important background on the story is that it really happened. Boy Erased is an autobiography about a time in Garrard Conley’s life when he was outed to his family and given the ultimatum of going to conversion therapy and still being part of his family or not going and being disowned. Like many other people, he chose to go to ‘therapy’ to be with his family. During the short amount of time he spent in this reparative therapy, he becomes so depressed and disgusted with himself through internalized homophobia, he becomes suicidal. Like I said before, not a light book.
Garrard Conley is not the only person to have to experience conversion therapy. With a quick Google search, you can find hundreds of different stories shaming reparative therapy, while others are putting it out like a great thing. Personally, the idea of conversion therapy makes me shake. Thankfully, conversion therapy for minors has been made illegal and many highly credible sources have spoken out against the practice.
One association that has stated their thoughts on conversion therapy is the American Acadmey of Child and Adolcent Psychatriy, or the ACCAP. The ACCAP’s policy statement says that they have found “no evidence to support the application of any ‘therapeutic intervention’ operating under the premise that a specific sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression is pathological” and that there is “evidence that such interventions are harmful.” This statement was published in September of 2019, 5 months before the House of Delegates passed HB 386, banning conversion therapy for minors.
Another organization that is a little closer to home for us that denounces regenerate therapy, is Arizona Christan Counseling. They even go as far as to say that conversion therapy “ is unethical and dangerous.” Their goal is to have to help Christans find a middle ground on their sexuality and their religion. By taking 10 minutes, you can find lists and lists of companies, brands, and different credited groups who denounce the practice.
Ex-Exodus International, a leader organisation in ex-gay movement, had their former president Alan Chambers come forwards and publicly denounce the work and oragnization he helped build. He has apologized many times to the people of the LGBTQ+ and people who have been hurt by Exodus International. The conversion therapy camp that Garrard Conley survived was a falcity created by the Anti-Gay group Love in Action, or LiA, was run by a man named John Smid. In 2008, Smid stepped down from his place in LiA. Somewhere around 2014, John Smid married another man. Clearly, he had denounced and apologized for conversion therapy.
In the video “God vs Gays: Gay Conversion Therapy Part ⅔” in VICE’s Youtube channel, John Smid said “It wasn’t until I left the ex-gay movement I actually heard the damage.” He now works to find a place where the LGBTQ+ and Christian beliefs can find a place where both are recognized as equal and not one above the other.
Conversion therapy does more harn than good and many different associations are against it. Something to remember about this horrible thing is that places are working to ban it. Although America is the only place to have banned it, other places are working to do the same thing. Hopefully this horrible thing ends sooner rather than later and people can heal from the abuse they have faced in these camps. Only time will tell.
Image Credit: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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