Former ex-gay leader: Ban conversion therapy for adults, not just minors
Alan Chambers is trying to make amends with the LGBT community for his part in ex-gay therapy
“You have to tell people, ‘This is not something that’s going to work. This is dangerous. It creates shame. It is not something that is going to produce an orientation change in you. I think that is something that should be required when someone goes in for this type of therapy as an adult.”
—Alan Chambers, former president of Exodus International, a leading organization which advocated for and performed reparative therapy — or “ex-gay”/conversion therapy — on gay and lesbian people to try and “cure” them of their sexuality.
Chambers, who is in D.C. to speak at the National Cathedral and march in Saturday’s Pride Parade, told Metro Weekly that the practice should be banned for both adults and minors.
“The priority is banning reparative therapy for minors,” he said. “And the reason I say the priority is because they are the most vulnerable.”
However, Chambers also supports banning ex-gay therapy on adults.
“Should there be legislation forbidding that type of therapy for adults? Probably,” he says. At the very least, warnings about the therapy’s ineffectiveness should be made apparent from the outset. “Hopefully, people will say, ‘Oh, wow. Thanks for sharing that. I think I’m going to opt out of it.'”
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