America is changing, which is acceptable, but accepting homosexuality in children goes against the core Christian values and beliefs that America was built on. The legislation banning conversion therapy prevents adolescents who might be willing to identify the error of their ways a chance to reform.
Many individuals go through a phase of sexual brokenness and gender identity crisis and would like to opt for reparative therapies and counseling; this ban eliminates that opportunity and deprives them of normal life and natural sexual orientation. Many believe that gay tendencies in minors are temporary confusion, and restoring natural sexual orientation and healing is possible with suitable interventions.
Traditionalists and social conservatives vocally object to the glorification of the ‘homosexual agenda’ and its normalization of homosexual orientation. The ban on conversion therapy in Virginia removes the option for those who find or have religious faith and wish to explore the healing process. The legislation is pro-gay and discriminates against religious and practicing Christians.
While conversion therapy is associated with techniques and interventions such as electric shock therapy, the truth is that such practices stopped years ago. The current therapy techniques address the issue of same-sex attraction with mellowed interventions such as talk therapy and religious counseling.
Many believe that conversion therapy and healing interventions are demonizing. The truth, however, is far from that, as many groups and ministries maintain that they do not admit unwilling minors into the programs, even if the parents/guardians consent to it.
Those that support a ban say homosexuality is a personal decision. To that end, individuals should be given a personal choice to identify their own therapy goals and outcomes.
Suppose a young individual is willing to undergo an intervention to find their way back to heterosexuality. In that case, it is a personal choice, just as resorting to homosexuality. Otherwise, the outcry for this ban is nothing but hypocrisy, furthering an agenda against family values and religious beliefs.
Over the years, aversive and physically damaging techniques have become extinct, and it now focuses on cognitive behavior therapies, along with identifying the underlying causes and traumas. Conversion therapists help individuals to navigate through the issues of same-sex attraction. Therefore, a ban on conversion therapy in Virginia means individuals are stripped of their choice.
Many pro-family representatives believe that the legislation should be unbiased. However, they also believe there is a political inclination towards pro-LGBTQ policies that deny reservations from Christian and religious groups.
The freedom of self-expression goes both ways, and if willing minors opt to explore conversion therapy, they should have that chance. A psychologist, Heather Hoffman, thinks that highly motivated individuals can alter their behavioral disposition towards the same sex. There are ways to encourage homosexual minors to explore a heterosexual life if they are willing to make that choice for cultural, religious, and social beliefs.
