Neither ‘straight’ nor honest – The Times’ undercover investigation into conversion therapy
by Lynda Rose, Christian Today:
In the latest stinging exposé in The Times attacking so-called ‘conversion therapy’, lesbian journalist Emily Sargent signed up for counselling with a therapist offering to help her ‘change’ her sexuality. Just to be clear, Ms Sargent, voluntarily and of her own free will, without any element of compulsion, approached a Christian ministry offering pastoral support to those with same-sex attraction, saying that she wanted help to change her orientation; that she wanted to become ‘straight’.
Sound a bit familiar? Yes, these undercover stings are becoming a trifle monotonous. And predictably there follows a vicious denunciation of the counselling she received, despite her own admission that ‘Carol’, the name she gives the lady offering support, at no point tries to force change, but on the contrary is unfailingly ’empathetic’, repeatedly reassuring her that whatever path Ms Sargent chooses, she can be assured of her unqualified support. In other words, the whole process of change is left entirely to her.
So, let’s look at this. Emily Sargent has approached a group known to offer help to those unhappy with their sexuality, saying that this is exactly her situation, and that she wants to change: to become ‘straight’. At no point, as she acknowledges, is there any element of condemnation or coercion. On the contrary, ‘Carol’ simply encourages her to talk, exploring the reasons that might have given rise to her sexual attraction to other women, and to her current state of unhappiness.
Nevertheless, this is apparently sufficient for our intrepid reporter to launch into an excoriating denunciation of all attempts to help someone change their sexuality. It engenders self-loathing, despair, loneliness … and it doesn’t work, she writes. In particular, she singles out what she calls ‘prayer therapies in a religious context’, which, she warns, may be allowed to continue under a ‘religious loophole’ once the ban is imposed, something Ms Sargent clearly views as abhorrent and wants to stop.
There is, however, one very large elephant in the room that our crusading journalist totally ignores.
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