Interestingly, only one of the ex-gay leaders has claimed a complete change of sexual orientation. Alan Medinger (of "Regeneration" ministry, Baltimore) claimed in the 1980s to have lost all homosexual desire after a cathartic night of prayer. Yet even he admitted that he was bisexually oriented before this "conversion," and can only demonstrate to have denied fully the homosexual side of his bisexuality.

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Honest analysts admit that abstinence of sexual activity cannot be judged as reorientation from homosexuality to heterosexuality. "Change" thus devolves into semantics; one can only change one's behavior, not one's orientation.

For a few people, reparative therapy may provide some initial relief from intense, internalized . Ex-gay Christian ministries are often the first group to tell a depressed homosexual that her or his "sin" will not necessarily condemn her or him to hell, a welcome respite from the more overt vilification still prevalent in conservative religious circles.

The more secular practitioners of reparative therapy often deny homophobia and even claim to support basic civil rights for homosexuals and to oppose stigmatization of homosexuals, so their clients often experience an acceptance that they find difficult to give themselves.

(It is important to note, however, that nearly all the position statements adopted by NARTH are in opposition to glbtq rights, supporting instead the rights of anti-gay groups. Its guise of political neutrality with regard to homosexual civil rights simply masks an anti-gay political agenda.)

Ultimately, however, reparative therapy does not work. Most clients fail to "convert" even to an emotionally healthy state of abstinence (much less to heterosexuality). They commonly are left more disillusioned and isolated than when they started. Frequently, they "come out" of the closet with a lasting animus toward religion.

Reparative therapy may be judged as a well-meaning but misguided and potentially destructive attempt to resolve the tension between homosexual orientation and conservative social and religious views. It has been embraced by such enemies of the glbtq rights movement as Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Lou Sheldon, and others who would "reclaim" America by "rolling back" the so-called gay rights agenda.

In 1998, the board of trustees of the American Psychiatric Association unanimously voted that reparative therapy is dangerously misguided, observing that "the potential risks of 'reparative therapy' are great, including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior, since the therapist's alignment with societal prejudices against homosexuality may reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient."

A form of behavior modification that employs unpleasant and sometimes painful stimuli, aversion therapy was one of the more popular treatments for homosexuality and cross-dressing in the 1950s and 1960s.

The socially and politically conservative Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has long been antagonistic to the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people.

In recent years there has been a push for glbtq-sensitive counselor training and glbtq-affirmative counseling, which, although occurring slowly and encountering resistance, marks a significant move in a positive direction.

Glbtq family therapy is a relatively new field that merges gay-affirmative therapy with family systems theory; its goal is to help glbtq people create and maintain healthy families.

The experience of loss is a universal condition of humanity, but glbtq individuals may face particular challenges in finding support to help them in their grieving process.

There are many excellent resources, both general and specifically tailored for glbtq individuals, which can assist in the process of healing after a bereavement or other major loss.

The New Right, which emerged during the last two decades of the twentieth century, combines evangelical Christian morality with a political agenda in opposition to glbtq equality.

Psychoanalysis, which began as a therapeutic procedure, ultimately became one of the most powerful methods of cultural analysis and critique of the twentieth-century.

Psychotherapy, the clinical process of treating mental and emotional health problems, has recently been energized by a movement to depathologize homosexuality and to enhance the dignity and self-respect of glbtq clients.

Historically, the Roman Catholic Church may be the institution most responsible for the suffering of individuals involved in same-sex sexual relationships.

The Southern Baptists have become the most intolerant of the major American religious denominations, especially (but not exclusively) for their opposition to equal rights for gay men and lesbians.

Straight men who have sex with men do so for a number of reasons, but in general such activity is about physical release and sexual behaviors, not about attraction or desire for another man.

Historian, biographer, essayist, playwright, and academic, Martin Bauml Duberman is an astute commentator on gender and race issues and a pioneer in glbtq studies.

The founder of psychoanalysis and the discoverer of the unconscious, Sigmund Freud initiated a fundamental transformation in the self-understanding of Western men and women, including especially the role of sexuality.

Although playwright, screenwriter, and director Moss Hart achieved great commercial success and popular acclaim, he suffered from severe depression and other emotional problems that were intensified, and possibly caused, by intense anxiety concerning his sexual orientation.

In his personal life, American actor Anthony Perkins often seemed as tortured as the troubled characters he played on film, hiding--and perhaps despising--his true nature while desperately seeking happiness and "normality."

The Right Reverend Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to be consecrated a bishop of the Episcopal Church, has earned strong support from members of his diocese, but has become a lightning rod for conservatives within the Anglican Communion.

The son of a homophobic psychoanalyst, Richard Socarides became the first openly gay man to serve in a prominent White House staff position.

Utilizing the principles of relentless nonviolent resistance, Soulforce is an activist organization founded in 1999 to combat the anti-gay rhetoric and polical actions of the religious right

Mel White spent over thirty years serving the Evangelical Christian community; after struggling with his homosexuality for many years, he broke his ties with anti-gay religious leaders and became a glbtq activist.