(ZENIT News – Center for Family and Human Rights / Washington, 01.07.2022).- Biden’s White House announced a global campaign to eradicate all forms of therapy and advice to help people struggling against same sex attraction or gender dysphoria.
“My decree will use all the force of the Federal Government to avoid inhuman practices of conversion therapy,” said Biden on signing the decree calling all therapies and counselling that don’t confirm homosexuality and transgenderism “dangerous and discredited.”
The decree directs the Secretary of State to develop an action plan to combat “conversion therapies” and to “promote the end of its use worldwide,” including its use as a lever for U.S. foreign aid and promoting initiatives against “conversion therapies” in the U.N.
“We wage the battle for the genuine soul of this nation and this isn’t a hyperbole,” said Biden before signing the degree, accusing the “MAGA agenda” of his predecessor, President Donald Trump, of inciting violence against individuals who identify themselves as homosexual or transsexuals.
Biden pointed out Florida’s actions against Disneyland for promoting the trans-education of children as “persecuting Mickey Mouse.” And he said that the action of Texas Governor Greg Abbot to impute parents who help their small children to change their sex as a form of child abuse was, in fact, a form of harassment.
“Pride returns to the White House,” said Biden on signing the decree. The decree aligns the U.S. Government with several officials and bodies of the U.N. who recently engaged in a campaign against the so-called “conversion therapy.”
Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, called conversion therapy an “abuse of human rights.”
Victor Madrigal-Borloz of Costa Rica, U.N. independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, issued a Report calling for a global ban on all therapies and ways of counselling that do not encourage those that experience homosexual tendencies to act according to their inclinations or that do not reaffirm individuals that experience confusion regarding their bodies and sexes.
The term “conversion therapy” doesn’t refer to an established method of therapy or counselling. It is a derogatory label applied by politicians and activists to any form of verbal therapy or counselling to help individuals to address their undesired attraction to the same sex or sex dysphoria. This type of therapy and counselling is offered by psychologists and therapists.
Psychologists that carry out this type of verbal therapy say that the results are based on the patient’s motivation and will to change his thoughts and actions. They say that 30% of those highly motivated abandon their same sex attraction, another 30% continue their struggle and resist the activity with those of the same sex, whereas the rest return to their previous practices.
The critics of this type of verbal therapy say it causes harm. A review of 79 studies found that to help individuals to address or overcome same sex attraction of dysphoria, does not imply any greater risk than other types of counselling.
The decree also directs federal agencies to fight against the conversion therapy domestically and to develop strategies to eradicate it, together with other policies to promote homosexuality and transgenderism in the judicial system, schools, health care as well as in governmental policies and agencies.
For instance, the decree’s language directs the Department of Health and Humanitarian Services to develop policies that ensure that homosexual couples and trans gender individuals are able to adopt children or obtain them through surrogation and other reproductive technologies in equal conditions with married men and women.
