Homosexuality is present ever since the early ages. It was frequent in ancient Greece, however in the light of Abrahamic religions, homosexuality started being perceived as a crime against nature. Ever since, people from all over the world, especially psychologists started developing techniques and treatments in order to “cure” this “disease”. These treatments vary tremendously. They range from aversion to cognitive therapy. In the past, aversive therapy was frequently used. But today, the majority of psychologists tend to conduct techniques that are less dangerous such as behavioral and psychoanalytic practices, whose main objective is to reduce the attraction between individuals of the same sex.
In Lebanon, article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code prohibits sexual relations “that contradict the laws of nature”. Today, in 2017, homosexuality has come a long way but is still illegal in Lebanon. However, recently, a judge in the Metn area declared that “homosexuality is a personal choice and not a punishable offense” (Fares, 2017). For many Lebanese LGBTQ people, this could be the light at the end of the tunnel.
Methods
Aversion Therapy
“Aversive therapies include pairing arousal to the deviant fantasy with either mild electric shock or unpleasant smells” (Plaud, 2007). In the case of homosexuality, gay patients are exposed to a series of images of attractive men, and every time they look at the pictures and start to feel aroused, they are submitted to painful electric shocks. Therefore, every time one of them feels attracted to a person of the same-sex, they will link this attraction with pain. This is related to covert conditioning or covert sensitization which is a method that associates an aversive stimulus with a behavior the patient wishes to reduce or eliminate, in this case homosexuality (Cautela, Joseph R and Kearney, Albert J., 1990, 23).
Orgasmic Reconditioning
The person is first asked to identify a fantasy that involves homosexuality. Next, they are given specific instructions and asked to masturbate at home to become aroused by the fantasy, but to orgasm while looking at an appropriate object; lesbians must look at pictures of men and gays at pictures of women. This technique aims at redirecting an individual’s arousal pattern and providing them with positive reinforcement while looking at an appropriate object (Benuto, 2009).
Lobotomy
Lobotomy is a neurosurgical procedure that entails cutting most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is involved in planning complex cognitive behavior and personality expression (Yang A, Raine A, 2009). Dr. Walter Freeman (1895-1972) was an american physician specialized in lobotomies. “Out of the thousands of lobotomies Freeman performed, up to 40 percent of them were on homosexuals.” (Scot, 2016).
Non-aversive treatments
These treatments differ from aversive ones by being less dangerous. They include the educational process of dating skills and affection training with physical and social reinforcement to increase other-sex sexual behaviors (Binder,1977; Greenspoon & Lamal, 1987; Stevenson & Wolpe, 1960). Some other non-aversive treatments involve prayers and support groups, Alan Medinger says “Twenty years ago, God set me free from homosexuality” in his article De-Sexualizing the Deeper Needs of Homosexuality (1994).
Cognitive Therapy
This therapy changes gay men’s and lesbians’ thoughts by using hypnosis with the goal of changing sexual arousal, behavior and orientation (Ellis, 1956).
Reasons
Because of the lack of awareness and understanding of homosexuality that is common in Lebanese families, conversion therapy is usually used, because for a lot of Lebanese people being homosexual is an anomaly or a “disease” that needs to be cured.
For 79% of the Lebanese, homosexuality should be rejected. (Pew Research Center, 2007).
Parents who make their children undergo this kind of therapy may have several reasons for this. The first and main one in our Arab country is religion. Religion opposes any kind of relationship between two people of the same sex, and in Lebanon most families are religious and follow the beliefs of their religion. This is why parents may have a very strong opposition towards their children’s sexuality, and therefore tend to resort to therapy.
Another one of the reasons is that the Lebanese society usually perceive gay people as being not normal, regardless if they have or a problem with homosexuals or not. In Lebanon, some people may not have any problem with homosexuals, but still perceive them as having an anomaly, or going through a phase. This creates a certain stereotype about homosexuality, which causes an increased use of conversion therapy. Some people even think that it is a mental disease, and that with the use of the right psychological program it can be “cured”.
A reason that a lot of parents give when asked about their opposition of the sexuality of their children is that it is against what nature intended.
Measures against conversion therapy
In Lebanon, because of the reasons listed above, conversion therapy is not usually seen as being harmful, in fact for a lot of people it is the right and normal action that should be taken. But because of all the negative effects that this type of therapy can have on a person, there are measures that should be taken against it, we can start by ensuring laws or regulations that can protect minors from being subjected to conversion therapy, similar to the laws in America. (Kyri Lorenz, 2016)
The most important and effective measure that can be taken is raising awareness about homosexuality. By making people understand that it is normal for a person to be attracted to another person of the same sex, that it is not in their control and not an anomaly or a mental illness, we would be taking away the stereotype about homosexuality that is present in Lebanon.
It is very important to raise awareness about this topic, especially in Lebanon, because the lack of awareness “leaves issues in the dark – unseen, unknown, un-addressable – leaving those who deal with these very real and very challenging situations in their lives feeling isolated, broken, or like their struggle may never end” (Glebesounseling, 2016). We can also avoid the use of such therapy in Lebanon by banning therapists from making use of it. Law enforcements can be taken against the therapists or even psychiatrists who make use and advocate this method.
Measures taken in Lebanon
Homosexual people in Lebanon are not fully accepted, but throughout the years there was an increase in the acceptance, especially after the Lebanese National Center of Psychiatry declassified homosexuality as being a mental disorder, and after the Lebanese Psychological association declared that homosexuality requires no treatment (Lebmash, 2016). The Lebanese Psychological association states that conversion therapy is not scientifically proven. “Homosexuality in itself does not cause any defect in judgment, stability, reliability or social and professional abilities.” and “The assumption that homosexuality is a result of disturbances in the family dynamic or unbalanced psychological development is based on wrong information” (LPS, 2013).
Laws in Lebanon
At the moment, there is no real law that bans the practicing of the harmful methods that are being used against homosexual people, even though these conversion therapies do more harm than good. Conversion therapy arises from the lack of acceptance of gay people in the Lebanese society, but there have been a few advocates for the gay rights in Lebanon like the Lebanese judge Rabih Maalouf who issued a court order stating that “homosexuality is a personal choice, and not a punishable offense”.
How widely is this therapy being used in Lebanon?
Considering the lack of awareness and acceptance of homosexuality in Lebanon, it is usually thought of as a disease, and therefore conversion therapy is widely used, being perceived as a normal therapy for people suffering from mental illness. The lack of laws against it make its use even more common.
Awareness About The Dangers Of Conversion Therapy
Nowadays, many people, victims of conversion therapy, are speaking out. They are sharing their story with the world in order to ensure that homosexual individuals can live normally in a safe and secure environment that guarantees their rights and protects them from oppression. But what if the oppressors are their parents?
We can try and target the psychologists that carry out this therapy. This would seem like a good 10-year plan, but homosexual teenagers do not have this frame of time. They need a right now plan.
In order to help these people as efficiently as possible we should target the parents. When the parents become aware enough of the extent of the damage this therapy causes, they might think twice before forcing their kid to undergo this vicious treatment.
Effects
The effects of conversion therapy can be both psychological and physical, but most of them are psychological. According to the Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation (2009, 50), people who underwent reparative therapy reported decreased self-esteem and authenticity to others, increased self-hatred and negative perception of homosexuality as well as confusion, depression, guilt, grief, anger and social withdrawal. Others had an increase in substance abuse and high risk sexual behavior, they also felt dehumanized and disconnected from their faith. Many more blamed themselves for failing to convert or for not putting enough effort. Finally, some individuals felt worthless in God’s eyes. In addition to these psychological effects, some people reported physical effects such as sexual dysfunction, gastric distress and acetonuria.
To ensure that parents object to conversion therapy, we should alert them of the dangers of this therapy. NGOs can reserve an information section where parents can know the whole truth about the therapy before they subject their children to it. In return, this information center can launch campaigns and sessions during which every step of the therapy is detailed. This would make parents more aware of what will happen to their kid once they undergo this treatment. Most importantly, when parents know about the effects and dangers of the treatment, they are more susceptible to think again about it and to look at it from both, the good and the bad.
Evidence that homosexuality is not a mental disorder
Homosexuality was declassified from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1987 (Burton, 2015). But long before that, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) wrote that homosexuality is not a vice and that it cannot be classified as an illness in response to a woman who asked him to “cure” her son’s homosexuality (1935).
Most recently, on March 8, 2016, Renée Binder, MD (President) and Saul Levin, MD, MPA (CEO and Medical Director) of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) sent a letter to the Indonesian Psychiatric Association (IPA) urging it to reconsider its decision of listing homosexuality under the list of mental disorders. In this letter, the APA underlines the latest scientific discoveries, stating that differences in sexual orientations are normal and homosexual individuals do not cause harm to societies that do not consider them diseased or abnormal (Binder & Levin, 2016, 34). Moreover, they talked about the dangers of the reparative therapy homosexuals undergo and its underlying effects like depression, suicidality and social isolation. Of the evidence proposed, they mentioned the role that genetics play in the determination of sexuality. Following genetic research using family and twin methodologies, Mustanski et al. found evidence that genes influence sexual orientation (2005, 72). Similarly, Rice et al. wrote that “pedigree and twin studies indicate that homosexuality has substantial heritability in both sexes” (2012, 343-368). Furthermore, they talked about the effect of taking certain types of hormones during fetal development on individuals. In Endocrinology, Jacques Balthazart noted that, on average, most homosexuals were exposed to “atypical endocrine conditions” during the developmental phase and that the increased occurrence of homosexuality results from these endocrine changes (2011, 2937-2947). Finally, they concluded that the interaction between biological, genetic, hormonal and environmental factors influences a person’s sexual orientation (Binder & Levin, 2016, 68).
Most importantly, the APA’s main idea was that “one’s orientation is not a choice”. There are several factors that interact and determine an individual’s sexual orientation and no treatment can convert a homosexual into a heterosexual.
These evidences are for people indirectly concerned with homosexuality. To the emotional parents of homosexuals who just found out that their child is different, they hold little importance. It is the role of relatives, close friends and NGOs to shed the light on the undeniable evidence before parents take the matter into their own hands and subject their son or daughter to some cruel therapy.
Ethical guidelines
Conversion therapy is a highly controversial subject for many reasons. First, due to the effects it has on the individuals. Second, because it provides a “cure” for a condition, homosexuality, that has been proven not to be a mental illness, for instance the APA urged and encouraged all mental health professionals to help in destigmatizing homosexuality (APA, 1975, 68). Third, because it provides reinforcement to prejudices and preconceptions about homosexuality, consequently encouraging people to further devalue and shame homosexuality (Haldeman, 1994, 43), which in return will lead to an increase of homophobia in societies. Furthermore, there is no significant evidence that shows the efficiency of this therapy. In 2003, Robert Spitzer (1932-2015), a psychiatrist, published a study of highly religious individuals who claimed that they were able to change their sexual orientation thorough conversion or reparative therapy. Later on he apologized for it saying: “I believe I owe the gay community an apology for my study making unproven claims of the efficacy of reparative therapy”, he also apologized for wasting the time of millions who underwent conversion therapy believing that he had proven its efficiency (2012, 7).
LGBT-affirming religious groups
LGBT-affirming religious groups are “religious groups that welcome LGBT members and do not consider homosexuality to be a sin”. These, national and International gay religious organizations can help connect people to denominations, resources, and text studies (Huffpost, 2012). These groups do not exist in Lebanon yet, but they should as soon as possible. The first thoughts that go through the head of parents is that they will not be able to their child in heaven or they start worrying about what people might think (Cottrell, 2016). The presence of these groups is crucial because they can help the parents and the kids. They help the parents cope with the news and they teach them how to communicate with their child without making them feel different or abnormal.
Raising Awareness through NGOs
In the United States, an association called “Pflag” which stands for Parents, families and friends of lesibians and gays, is a “support based organisation run by parents of gays and lesbians.”
This organisation is mainly parents who are present to help other parents having just discovered the sexual orientation of their children. One mother of a homosexual person who is a member of this community affirms that joining this association made her realize how normal her child was.
Support groups like these can be very helpful in Lebanon, as they can be a way for parents to express their feelings about their child coming out as homosexual and the impact that it had on them. One of the main benefits of support groups is that they can be a way for parents here in Lebanon to realize that they are not alone, that other parents are going through the same situation as they are. (WebMd, 2017).
Parents unite in these kinds of associations and share their stories and advice together. By hearing more and more stories about homosexuals, it becomes crystal clear that it is not a phase they are going through, they do not need to be converted because it’s their nature. They can help parents acknowledge their child’s sexuality, and enlighten them about the fact that it is completely normal to be homosexual, it is not an illness or something that needs to be changed. A lot of time, finding out that your child is homosexual can be very hard, and these support groups help parents to deal with it. If these types of support groups were associated in Lebanon, it will help a lot of parents cope with the news of their child being homosexual, which in turn will decrease the use of conversion therapy. When people start going to these types of association it will make them realize that gay people are normal people.
The spread of awareness about the fact that there is no evidence that this therapy can change a person’s sexual orientation can be a way to stop its use by parents trying to find a way to convert their children.
The Power of Social Media:
Social media can be used as a powerful tool to spread awareness about the fact that homosexuality is not an illness and therefore do not require the use of conversion therapy.
LGBT+ organizations make use of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the rest of social media to bring awareness to their cause. A lot of LGBT organizations have actually made a difference, an example of that is “It gets better” project which was prompted by the suicide of two teenage boys who were bullied for being homosexuals. In this project, Dan Savage and Terry Miller posted a video on youtube expressing the hard phase they went through for being homosexuals. This video spread and initiated other homosexuals to spread a message. (Tech Impact, 2015). “Social media is a powerful tool for spreading information. It reaches faster and farther than any communication method to date.” (Life as of late, 2013). When society starts having a basic knowledge about homosexuality, it will start being more and more acceptant of homosexuals, which will prevent the use of conversion therapy. In Lebanon, some people have already started to spread a message through social media. We can cite the example of the director and art critic Roy Deeb who won the award of the best short film in 2014 about the story of a gay Lebanese couple going to spend their holidays in Palestine. “It tries to explore the boundaries that make it impossible for a Lebanese person to go into Palestine, as well as the challenges faced by a homosexual couple in the region.” (Wael, 2014). Another example is the lead singer of the Lebanese indie-rock band, Hamed Sinno, who has made use of social media to spread awareness and a positive message about the LGBT+ community. In the song (Wael, 2014). By spreading through social media the fact that homosexuality is common in Lebanon, that it is happening and it’s normal, can be a way of making parents more acceptant of it.
References
3) Cautela, J., & Kearney, A. (1986). The covert conditioning handbook (p. 23). New York: Springer Pub. Co.
4) Yang, A., & Raine, A. (2009). Prefrontal Structural and Functional Brain Imaging findings in Antisocial, Violent, and Psychopathic Individuals: A Meta-Analysis. Psychiatry Research, 174 (2), 81-88. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2784035/
6) American Psychological Association, Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. (2009). Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation, 20, 45, 68. Retrieved from http://www. apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/therapeutic-resp.html
10) Alanko, Katarina, et al., Common Genetic Effects of Gender Atypical Behavior in Childhood and Sexual Orientation in Adulthood: A Study of Finnish Twins, Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2010, 39:81 – 92.
11) Balthazart, J., Minireview: Hormones and Sexual Orientation, Endocrinology, 2011, 152(8):2937 – 2947.
12) Rice, W., et al., Homosexuality as a Consequence of Epigenetically Canalized Sexual Development, The Quarterly Review of Biology, 2012, 87(4), 343 – 368.
23) Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project. (2017). The Global Divide on Homosexuality. [online] Available at: http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/
