National Association of Social Workers

"Reparative" and "Conversion" Therapies for Lesbians and Gay Men position Statement by: National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues, NASW January 21, 2000

"Reparative or conversion therapies claim, through the use of psychotherapy or other interventions, to eliminate a person's sexual desire for a member of his or her own gender. The National Association of Social Workers' National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues (NCLGB) recognizes the emergence of these misleading therapies. Reparative and conversion therapies, sometimes called "transformational ministries," have received wider attention against the backdrop of a growing conservative religious political climate (NASW, 1992), and through recent media campaigns supported by the Christian Coalition and the Family Research Council. By advancing their efforts through such propaganda, proponents of reparative and conversion therapies, such as the most commonly cited group NARTH, claim that their processes are supported by scientific data; however, such scientific support is replete with confounded research methodologies (Mills, 1999)."

Source: The National Association of Social Workers Official Web Site http://www.socialworkers.org Accessed 1/21/ 2004.