Society’s Request for Conversion Therapy: Is It Effective and Ethical to be Done?
- DOI
- 10.2991/assehr.k.210531.086How to use a DOI?
- Keywords
- Conversion Therapy, Ethical Issue, Homosexual, LGBT
- Abstract
As a conservative country, Indonesia is one of the countries that is still struggling to accept homosexuality. General view of sexual identity and sexual orientation is fixated on binary concept, where sexual identity is considered same as gender. Despite homosexuality being no longer categorized as mental disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM), society still pressures the non-conforming sexual groups to change their identity and sexual orientation using conversion therapy. Conversion therapy includes any kind of therapy that intends to alter one’s sexual orientation, from homosexuality to heterosexuality. This research aims to examine the effectiveness and ethical issues of conversion therapy. Based on narrative literature study, it can be concluded that conversion therapy is not effective in changing one’s sexual orientation, especially when the request for conversion comes from others. Conversion therapy can lead to self-hatred, shame, depression, and sexual dysfunction, especially in those who are forced to undergo the therapy by others. However, if the urge for therapy comes from one’s personal desire, the therapist is obliged to have further discussion with the client and provide a better understanding about conversion therapy. This research also discusses other alternatives which can be given to those who seek ‘recovery.
- Copyright
- © 2021, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.
- Open Access
- This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
Cite this article
TY - CONF AU - Stefany Valentia AU - Elizabeth Kristi Poerwandari PY - 2021 DA - 2021/05/31 TI - Society’s Request for Conversion Therapy: Is It Effective and Ethical to be Done? BT - Proceedings of the Asia-Pacific Research in Social Sciences and Humanities Universitas Indonesia Conference (APRISH 2019) PB - Atlantis Press SP - 685 EP - 695 SN - 2352-5398 UR - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210531.086 DO - 10.2991/assehr.k.210531.086 ID - Valentia2021 ER -