Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Should gay conversion therapy be banned in Ireland?

  • 08-04-2018 5:24pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭


    At the moment it's illegal for minors to attend this type of therapy but I think the government are extending the ban access to it for all adults.
    I support the ban for minors and probably for adults but some people might have to travel or be forced to countries where these therapies are legal if we do ban it for whatever reason.
    I don't believe these therapies work but then again I don't really know much about.

    Should gay conversion therapy be banned in Ireland? 404 votes

    Yes
    7% 31 votes
    No
    71% 290 votes
    Unsure
    20% 83 votes


«1345678

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,472 ✭✭✭Aisling(",)


    I don't think it should be allowed.
    Seems barbaric,ill informed and cruel to me.

    I wonder do many people submit themselves for these conversions!
    It seems very strange and I would assume mainly linked to religions?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,775 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    I;d need to know more about the therapy to answer. If it's pray-away-the-gay, then yes. Banned. If not, unsure.

    I'm pretty sure very few (if any) gay people could choose this, so even if it were legal there'd be little to no demand to make it worthwhile.

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    I don't think it should be allowed.
    Seems barbaric,ill informed and cruel to me.

    I wonder do many people submit themselves for these conversions!
    It seems very strange and I would assume mainly linked to religions?

    It's hard to know to be honest I'd say younger people(Under 18) it would be their parents who'd push them into it but that's illegal here.
    Outside that it would be a mixture of religion and homophobia.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 489 ✭✭Edgarfrndly


    Yes, along with healing claims by quacks, fortune telling and other clear bs.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    I was listening to the account of one of the contestants on the current series of Drag Race talk about his experience of conversion therapy. It sounded nothing short of abusive tbh.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭pitifulgod


    Should be illegal, it's targeting vulnerable people and causing actually psychological damage in the process.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,189 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    At the moment it's illegal for minors to attend this type of therapy but I think the government are extending the ban access to it for all adults.
    I support the ban for minors and probably for adults but some people might have to travel or be forced to countries where these therapies are legal if we do ban it for whatever reason.
    I don't believe these therapies work but then again I don't really know much about.

    But what? There is no but.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,575 ✭✭✭AllForIt


    If you are a heterosexual male just think about it like this - you have fancied women all your life (think about that in all it's gory details) and someone claims they have figured out a way to make you not have those feelings any more. Not only that, at the same time, they will create in you an attraction to men (think about that in all it's gory details), when you didn't previously. Does that sound even slightly plausible or possible to you?

    Maybe a brain transplant would do it but until then I would welcome the ban. Also it sends out a signal to countries with a despicable attitude towards homosexuals that we in Ireland have no respect for their views on the subject, as there's not much else we can do to help ppl in those you know where countries.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,883 ✭✭✭DeanAustin


    Find it bizarre to be honest. Why on earth would homosexuality need to be “cured”?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,349 ✭✭✭✭super_furry


    DeanAustin wrote: »
    Find it bizarre to be honest. Why on earth would homosexuality need to be “cured”?

    There's never any reason outside of 'IT'S ADAM AND EVE, NOT ADAM AND STEVE!"


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,883 ✭✭✭DeanAustin


    There's never any reason outside of 'IT'S ADAM AND EVE, NOT ADAM AND STEVE!"

    It’s a rock solid argument that one...


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    I don't know why this should be debated. I've heard the horror stories of Gay Conversion Therapy and numerous suicides as a result.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    DeanAustin wrote: »
    It’s a rock solid argument that one...

    You only have to listen to some of the ****e spouted in the run up to the marriage equality referendum to see how some people view homosexuality.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,691 ✭✭✭✭pjohnson


    There's never any reason outside of 'IT'S ADAM AND EVE, NOT ADAM AND STEVE!"

    But what if Eve is Steve Monday to Friday?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,618 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    How many gays in a kilometer?


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    eviltwin wrote: »
    You only have to listen to some of the ****e spouted in the run up to the marriage equality referendum to see how some people view homosexuality.

    Ah sure the SSM referendum was great craic, with all the shbeing tossed about the place. I've heard people state pedophiles would get married so they could adopt children and other ridiculously stupid statements.


  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    kneemos wrote: »
    How many gays in a kilometer?

    Depends mate, how many could you handle in a 1km? I'm sure it's in the dozens.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    eviltwin wrote: »
    You only have to listen to some of the ****e spouted in the run up to the marriage equality referendum to see how some people view homosexuality.

    That's very true. There is still a good bit of homophobia out there but it's more behind closed doors.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,189 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    <SNIP>

    It doesnt. It is damaging psychologically.

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,242 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    <SNIP>

    I wonder could the same be said for straight people who want to be gay. Conversion Therapy to turn you gay? See that going down well.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,046 ✭✭✭Berserker


    I know someone in the USA who attend one of these clinics and it had the desired result. He was happily married with two children, last I heard. Spoke to him about it once on a night out and he said it was the best thing he ever did. He was very open about the whole experience. Have no problem with them myself once the person is attending them of their own free will.
    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    Not to be gay.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,673 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Is there a problem here that needs to be solved? Is anyone doing gay conversion therapy here?

    There are lots of things in Ireland that exploit vulnerable people.

    Should we be banning Catholic Church exorcisms? Should we be banning dressing 8 year girls in bridal costumes and telling them they are eating part of a bloke who died 2000 years ago? Should we be banning psychic hotlines and healers who claim to to cure everything? Should we be banning X-Factor for exploiting vulnerable working class people by waving the dream of fame and fortune in front of their noses when we all know that even the winner will most likely crash and burn afterwards, let alone the 99.999% of other failures?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,673 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Berserker wrote: »
    I know someone in the USA who attend one of these clinics and it had the desired result. He was happily married with two children, last I heard. Spoke to him about it once on a night out

    the-george-dublin.jpg

    ?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 219 ✭✭FingerDeKat


    If it's not broken don't fix it.

    If you're gay or straight don't say sorry for the way you are.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,786 ✭✭✭wakka12


    Of course it should be banned. I wonder if any straight person thinks they could be converted to homosexuality through therapy, Im sure none of them would believe that to be possible, so why would it ever work the opposite way


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,786 ✭✭✭wakka12


    Berserker wrote: »
    I know someone in the USA who attend one of these clinics and it had the desired result. He was happily married with two children, last I heard. Spoke to him about it once on a night out and he said it was the best thing he ever did. He was very open about the whole experience. Have no problem with them myself once the person is attending them of their own free will.



    Not to be gay.

    He is just convincing himself he is now straight. Like the many thousands of men who married women and had children before homoseuxality was acceptable, do you think theyre straight because they had a wife and family?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,046 ✭✭✭Berserker


    the-george-dublin.jpg

    ?

    Lol, it was in Houston, not in Ireland.
    wakka12 wrote: »
    He is just convincing himself he is now straight. Like the many thousands of men who married women and had children before homoseuxality was acceptable, do you think theyre straight because they had a wife and family?

    No, I accept that he is straight because he says he is. How do you know he is convincing himself and the therapy didn't work for him? This lad is in his early 30s now, so I don't think that age is a factor.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,858 ✭✭✭Church on Tuesday


    Yes it should. It's completely unnatural.

    I highly doubt the 'success' rate is high anyways.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,618 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    Berserker wrote: »
    Lol, it was in Houston, not in Ireland.


    Only queers and steers


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,684 ✭✭✭✭Samuel T. Cogley


    L.Jenkins wrote: »
    <SNIP>

    I wonder could the same be said for straight people who want to be gay. Conversion Therapy to turn you gay? See that going down well.

    It's an entire fetish with people making quite a bit of money.

    Sometimes I despair at my knowledge of Pornhub.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    Berserker wrote: »
    I know someone in the USA who attend one of these clinics and it had the desired result. He was happily married with two children, last I heard. Spoke to him about it once on a night out and he said it was the best thing he ever did. He was very open about the whole experience. Have no problem with them myself once the person is attending them of their own free will.

    Does his wife know?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    DeanAustin wrote: »
    Find it bizarre to be honest. Why on earth would homosexuality need to be “cured”?

    I think some people might enter it because they are simply not happy and they think it might make them happy.(If you know what I mean)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,231 ✭✭✭Jim Bob Scratcher




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,046 ✭✭✭Berserker


    Does his wife know?

    I'm not sure about that. Never met the woman. He is very open about his journey, so she may well know about it. It was a bit a running joke in the office. On joining, people told you that you had to listen to his story in full as part of your probation.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭pitifulgod


    Berserker wrote: »
    Lol, it was in Houston, not in Ireland.



    No, I accept that he is straight because he says he is. How do you know he is convincing himself and the therapy didn't work for him? This lad is in his early 30s now, so I don't think that age is a factor.

    Well since the biggest advocates of it that claim to have been "cured"(brainwashed seems more apt), invariably tend to end up falling off the repressed sexuality bandwagon, I'm inclined to say he is still gay. I don't support scams or emotional exploitation by dodgy groups. Such therapies are classified as unethical by psychological organisations


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Trasna1


    Berserker wrote: »
    Lol, it was in Houston, not in Ireland.



    No, I accept that he is straight because he says he is. How do you know he is convincing himself and the therapy didn't work for him? This lad is in his early 30s now, so I don't think that age is a factor.
    Surely if this individual now self identifies as straight, he's now straight.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,359 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    I don't think that the government should be regulating what therapies registered health professionals are allowed to offer. That extends all the way from abortion to how they fix broken legs (should moonboots be banned because they put plaster-manufacturers out of businesses?), and includes all manner of psychological treatments in between

    On the other hand, I don't think that the government should be fund therapies that the evidence-base shows are largely ineffective. Gay-conversion therapy would fall under that, AFAIK, unless they've found a way to target it to people with relatively low sex-drive.

    And I think that a very conservative approach should be taken to offering such therapy to people under a fairly high age of consent. Probably at least 25 for things like gender-reassignment or gay-conversion.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,827 ✭✭✭AnneFrank


    No, you don't have to do it if you don't want to


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,575 ✭✭✭AllForIt


    I don't think that the government should be regulating what therapies registered health professionals are allowed to offer. That extends all the way from abortion to how they fix broken legs (should moonboots be banned because they put plaster-manufacturers out of businesses?), and includes all manner of psychological treatments in between

    On the other hand, I don't think that the government should be fund therapies that the evidence-base shows are largely ineffective. Gay-conversion therapy would fall under that, AFAIK, unless they've found a way to target it to people with relatively low sex-drive.

    And I think that a very conservative approach should be taken to offering such therapy to people under a fairly high age of consent. Probably at least 25 for things like gender-reassignment or gay-conversion.

    See my last post. They don't have any therapy. It's just lies. So your comparisons there is a false one. Just imagine if they had a working therapy. Can it be applied in other areas? Could they make me never like chocolate ever again and make me like broccoli instead? If so, how do they do it? How did they come up with this therapy? What's the science behind it? If I wanted to be a priest and be celibate for the rest of my life could they help me not fancy what I fancy and not fancy anything else - through therapy? No they can't - because they have no technique to achieve these types of things -it's all lies and totally absurd.


  • Advertisement
  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I'm curious... is this conversion therapy just for gay men, or also for women?

    Oh, I picked it should be banned. I've heard too many accounts from gay men being forced to be 'straight', to ever have any tolerance for this kind of 'treatment'.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    You should be able to get it on the medical card..


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    AllForIt wrote: »
    See my last post. They don't have any therapy. It's just lies. So your comparisons there is a false one. Just imagine if they had a working therapy. Can it be applied in other areas? Could they make me never like chocolate ever again and make me like broccoli instead? If so, how do they do it? How did they come up with this therapy? What's the science behind it? If I wanted to be a priest and be celibate for the rest of my life could they help me not fancy what I fancy and not fancy anything else - through therapy? No they can't - because they have no technique to achieve these types of things -it's all lies and totally absurd.

    If you had a relative and they were an adult but couldn't accept being gay and were deeply unhappy. Would you support them in doing this? If it was what what they wanted.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,786 ✭✭✭wakka12


    If you had a relative and they were an adult but couldn't accept being gay and were deeply unhappy. Would you support them in doing this? If it was what what they wanted.

    I would support them doing it if they believed it would make them happy but would make them fully aware theres no evidence what so ever it will make them straight


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,230 ✭✭✭jaxxx


    1/3 of the votes are unsure/no. What the actual f**k???? How can you justify such barbaric practices like conversion therapy?? WTF is wrong with these people???? I never even knew it was a thing in Ireland till I saw this thread. I know we're a backward country but not that backward!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,282 ✭✭✭pitifulgod


    If you had a relative and they were an adult but couldn't accept being gay and were deeply unhappy. Would you support them in doing this? If it was what what they wanted.

    Thing is, isn't that more an example of an actual mental health issue in itself? Accepting sexuality would be far more relevant and addressing why you aren't comfortable with sexuality.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,478 ✭✭✭eeguy




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    wakka12 wrote: »
    I would support them doing it if they believed it would make them happy but would make them fully aware theres no evidence what so ever it will make them straight

    I would do the same thing as you!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,518 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack


    I don't see any reason why it should be banned that couldn't also be applied to other areas of psychiatry and psychology where the efficacy rate is about the same in terms of a persons emotional and mental health. That is to say - the methods and techniques used aren't very effective for the.purposes for which they are used or intended.

    I don't particularly care for it one way or the other to be honest. I wouldn't care if it was banned, and I wouldn't care if it wasn't. I would be more concerned if the individuals practicing it were exploiting people, or if individuals were being exploited, or if it's acceptance in society led to tbe exploitation of individuals, but then that same accusation could be levelled at any ideology one would care to mention, so I don't see any particular need to focus in solely on sexual orientation therapy.

    I've no doubt it could be couched in more pseudoscientific or social justice language to make it more socially acceptable and marketable to the masses who are looking to buy into an ideology like that.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,328 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    pitifulgod wrote: »
    Thing is, isn't that more an example of an actual mental health issue in itself? Accepting sexuality would be far more relevant and addressing why you aren't comfortable with sexuality.

    To be honest I'm unsure of how to reply to this but some people who enters these might do it because they might think it's the only way to make them happy.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement