Should Lesley Pilkington be struck off?

[sp1814]

http://www.telegraph....-men-go-straight.html

She claims to be able to turn gay men straight via counselling, and agrees that homosexuality as "a mental illness, an addiction and antireligious phenomenon”.

However...if a gay man or woman is genuinely unhappy being gay and wants to seek counselling for a 'cure', shouldn't they have the option?

Or is this reinforcing the idea that homosexuality is a mental illness and that all people are really heterosexual underneath?

[youngmafbog]

If a gay person wants councelling then it should be there. However I personally doubt that someone with the views "homosexuality as "a mental illness, an addiction and antireligious phenomenon" is the right person.

[bednobs]

no, i don't think she should be struck off. she was on radio 5 last night and had some good points. She dosen't go around claiming to be able to therapize peope out of being gay, the bloke approached her and asked for her help

[ludwig]

I don't know why there's always this big debate about whether it's nature or nurture - whether you're born gay or not.

Surely there are a whole variety of circumstances and it's different for different people. At one end of the spectrum I think there's a phenomenon of people being born into the wrong body, so there are boys who always feel like they should be girls and vice versa - that's before they've developed a sexuality - they just feel like they're the wrong gender from as far back as they can recall.
Right at the other end of the spectrum there are people who just want to s£ag anything with a pulse, and they don't particulary care what sex or even species it is - and they're like that through choice.

They're the extremes - but there must be every possible permutation on the scale of nature/nurture in between the two.

[anotheoldgit]

I thought my question was perfectly reasonable enough, so why all the skits and sarcastic remarks?

I wasn't in anyway being homophobic, obviously there are homosexuals in the true sense of the word, who have no control over the way they were born, and this can be seen in them years before they reach puberty.

Then there are the other kind I was referring to, those that choose to lead a certain lifestyle for perverted reasons, a good example of this are some prisoners in jail.

Like me or hate me I do hope some will now try and understand where I was coming from?

.

[anotheoldgit]

Thank you ludwig, that is what I was trying to say.

[ummmm]

Prisoners in jail....fair enough but I wouldn't call that perverted. It's not only sex that they crave. Men like cuddles too....

As for lifestyle choice....I don't know anyone who would want to go with someone of the same sex unless they are....errrr...gay.

[jackthehat]

Short answer : Yes.

[ludwig]

// As for lifestyle choice....I don't know anyone who would want to go with someone of the same sex unless they are....errrr...gay. //

You'd be surprised ummmm. There are plenty of people who'll try anything out of curiosity. There are even gay people who'll try straight sex out of curiosity.

[ummmm]

Yeah...try it. But would they continue trying it? My cousin had plenty of GF's until he came out. Not since then though.

[jackthehat]

'Dabblers' generally don't consider seeking a cure.............

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

/// Prisoners in jail....fair enough but I wouldn't call that perverted. It's not only sex that they crave. Men like cuddles too..///

What a tear jerking picture you paint.

Here is 'Big Al, the crusher', skin headed, cauliflower eared, and tattooed from his head to his feet, feeling rather lonely 10 years into a life sentence, saying to his cell mate "I'm feeling a little lonely tonight, come over here and give me a CUDDLE".

/// .I don't know anyone who would want to go with someone of the same sex unless they are....errrr...gay.///

That is exaclly what I mean 'Born gay' or 'gay from choice'?

[ummmm]

Still doesn't make them perverted though.

[Hippy]

Lesley Pilkington is in danger of being censured for breaking the rules of the Association giving her accreditation to work.

She is said to have prayed to change the patient's orientation, and to hold beliefs contrary to the Association. She believes that gayness is wrong (although at other times she says it doesn't exist because everyone is heterosexual; gay people just have a homosexual problem) and that sexual orientation can be changed by her brand of therapy.

The British Association of Counselling has every right to expel her if these twisted and downright wrong views from the basis of her treatment.

[eyethenkyew]

Speaking as a heterosexual male, and looking at her photograph in the article, all I have to say is: I definitely wouldn't!

[murraymints]

there is no cure for something that is an inborn trait...it happens ..you don't vatch it !

[ummmm]

AOG - I'm talking about people who make the choice. Not given in due to fear. Which is the picture you're painting.

[sp1814]

Ludwig/AOG

Both interesting points, but in my opinion (just opinion, not fact), I would guess it's more of a 'bell curve', with the vast majority of people either being completely straight or completely gay, at both ends of scale, you would have people who wouldn't define themselves as gay or straight, but they are quite rare.

[sp1814]

Just read the Telegraph's version of the same story. Apparently Lesley Pilkington's son is gay, and the following is quite telling:

"She said she became involved “in this lifestyle treatment” because of her son. “I am not in this because I am judging people. I am in it because I understand what the issues are.
“I have been able to help my son. We have gone through a process in my family. I want to help others who are in a similar place.
“[My son] is still gay ... we are developing a relationship that was quite difficult for many years but is now coming back in a very nice way. I am confident he will come through this and he will resolve his issues and that he will change.”