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FEATURE STORY
Calif. Finally Ends Law to ’Cure’ Homosexuals
by Kilian Melloy
Edge on the Net
A vintage anti-gay law that remained on California’s books for six decades is finally about to be put to rest. The law, which had become controversial in recent years, directed that the state’s mental health agency seek a "cure" for gays. The law was first approved in 1950, and remained in place even when the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in 1973.
Health professionals warn that gays cannot, by and large, be "converted" or "cured"--that is to say, turned heterosexual. There is some evidence that some individuals may be able to suppress their same-sex desires and cultivate their sexual desires for the opposite gender, but this is far from universally the case and the question remains open as to whether these individuals represent gays who became straight, or whether they are bisexuals who have made an effort to focus exclusively on the opposite gender.
For others who seek so-called "reparative therapy," the result may be a lifelong daily struggle with their innate sexual impulses--or, for others, a quashing of all sexual desire. But mental health professionals warn that such therapies operate on assumptions that have not been validated by science--e.g., that homosexuality is a "choice" regarding a "lifestyle"--and that attempts to "cure" gay individuals are liable to do more harm than good.
Indeed, it has even been posited that organizations dedicated to "curing" gays have, through driving homosexual conduct underground, only exacerbated the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Gay equality advocates had demanded that the law be scrubbed, reported WeHo News on Aug. 30. "It is outrageous that California law requires the state to expend scare resources in a futile attempt to ’cure’ homosexuality," the executive director of Equality California, Geoff Kors, stated. "Every reputable study has demonstrated conclusively that it is an immutable characteristic that cannot and should not be changed. This offensive code must be stricken from the books immediately."
The California Assembly took the first step toward erasing the law from California’s books with a vote of 36-0 in the waning days of August, the article said. Assembly member Bonnie Lowenthal sponsored the measure that would scrub the anti-gay law.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the bill repealing the law when it lands on his desk, but gay equality advocates are not impressed by this; an Aug. 30 posting at The Atlantic blog The Daily Dish noted that GLBT equality activists see Schwarzenegger as a reliable ally only after the fighting is done.
For the rest of the story, go here.