Dr. Robert Spitzer authored a highly cited paper supporting conversion therapy, but in 2012, he publicly recanted his findings and apologized to both the scientific and LGBTQ communities for his methodological mistakes.

Robert Spitzer

Due to scientific evidence indicating that conversion therapy is ineffective and potentially harmful, many professional organizations have issued statements against it, and legislative efforts are underway or enacted across the United States to make the practice illegal.

Legislation against conversion therapy

In 2012, Dr. Robert Spitzer publicly apologized to both the scientific and LGBTQ communities for his widely-cited paper supporting conversion therapy. He formally retracted his findings regarding the practice in a public letter addressed to the editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior, acknowledging his mistakes.

Dr. Robert Spitzer's Apology

Research indicates that conversion therapy is not only ineffective in changing an individual's sexual orientation but is also potentially harmful to those who undergo the practice.

Ineffectiveness and Harm of Conversion Therapy

Dr. Robert Spitzer, the author of a widely-cited study supporting conversion therapy, publicly recanted his paper in 2012. He apologized to the scientific and LGBTQ communities, acknowledging that the major critiques of his study were largely correct and that his claims about the efficacy of reparative therapy were unproven.

Dr. Robert Spitzer's Recantation of Conversion Therapy Study

Research suggests that conversion therapy is not only ineffective but also potentially harmful. In response, many professional organizations have issued statements against the practice, and legislative efforts to make conversion therapy illegal have been enacted or are underway across the United States.

Actions Against Conversion Therapy

Conversion therapy encompasses attempts to change an individual's sexual orientation. The scientific community has heavily criticized these practices due to fundamental flaws in research design, participant recruitment, and data interpretation. Consequently, there is no credible scientific evidence supporting the idea that sexual orientation can be changed.

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Research indicates that sexual orientation has a strong underlying biological component. This is supported by findings of gene-level contributions, which account for at least half of the variability in sexual orientation, as well as observed differences in brain structure, brain function, and basic body structure among individuals of different sexual orientations.

Biological Basis of Sexual Orientation

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Scientific research has established that sexual orientation is not a choice, but rather a stable and inherent characteristic that individuals are born with. Because it is biologically driven, an individual's sexual orientation cannot be changed.

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