Oregon lesbian sues therapist who told her to rewire” her brain.
A lot of time has passed since medical discourse was spearheaded by ignorant, homophobic sexologists like Richard von Krafft-Ebing and Havelock Ellis. Gone are the days when “science” unanimously agreed that same-sex attraction was the result of medical “inversion” and genetic perversion. In fact, modern medicine has now completely debunked the idea that there is anything medically wrong, or even medically different, with people who are same-sex attracted. Homosexual people are, believe it or not, just humans like everyone else.
However, this truth has not stopped repeated efforts by homophobic bigots to “convert” homosexual people back to what is apparently their “natural” state (three guesses what this is – you got it – heterosexuality). Conversion therapy can range from the psychologically intrusive (e.g. the kind of “pray the gay away” crap that we see in films like But I’m A Cheerleader) to medically and physically intrusive shock therapy.
Clearly this is still not understood by many, and conversion therapy is still being used by homophobic therapists and medical practitioners across the world.
However, legal change may be afoot in California. On July 13, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP filed a complaint on behalf of lesbian Oregon woman Katherine McCobb, against California-licensed marriage and family therapist Lloyd Willey, who attempted to use conversion therapy on McCobb to “de-gay” her.
A press release from the NCLR states, “Willey told McCobb that being a lesbian is unnatural and pathological and that her sexual orientation could be changed using therapy. The practice of so-called “conversion therapy” has been discredited by the American Psychological Association and other professional counseling organizations as ineffective, unethical, and dangerous. McCobb paid Willey more than $70,000 for eight years of therapy based on fraudulent, harmful lies.”
NCLR also describes how “McCobb began paying Willey for therapy when she was 25 years old. Although she did not seek out therapy because of her sexual orientation, Willey fixated on McCobb’s lesbian identity and began to pressure her to become straight, telling her that being a lesbian was unnatural and that she could “rewire” her brain. He publicly shamed her during group therapy sessions and urged her to change her appearance to be more stereotypically feminine, including losing weight, growing out her hair, changing her wardrobe, and wearing make-up. Willey also pressured her to begin dating a man who was also Willey’s client.”
NCLR’s argument is that McCobb’s trade of conversion therapy for funds constitutes fraud. NCLR Legal Director Shannon Price Minter said, “Charging a person money based on such bald-faced misrepresentations violates California's consumer protection laws.”
If McCobb is successful in her complaint, her case could set a legal precedent, making practitioners of conversion therapy legally and financially culpable for their reprehensible actions. You can read her full motion here.