In 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Counseling Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, American School Health Association, Interfaith Alliance Foundation, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers and National Education Association jointly issued a document titled: “Just the facts about sexual orientation.” The document … condemned reparative therapy as potentially harmful and of little or no effectiveness. *
As it is not a disease, a disorder or a mental problem, it cannot be removed by psychotherapy, medication, meditation or prayer. Churches, mosques and religious institutions that encourage queer folks to engage in spiritual or psychological therapies to be rid of their homosexuality are misleading people.
There might be some “experts” in Pakistan, who would claim that adherence to Islamic injunctions, reading the Quran, prayers, fasting, working out or playing a sport, keeping good company, getting married might all sort out homosexual feelings. However, all of this assumes that the person experiencing homosexual feelings has or is necessarily already acting upon them. While prescriptions of marriage spell out a disaster for the newly created family unit, praying and keeping good company only serve to maintaining the individual’s celibacy. The unadulterated feelings that emerge from within or the disposition/orientation never actually get converted. It’s akin to asking a straight person to spend a lifetime in celibacy and prayer or marriage to someone that individual is not even remotely interested in.
