| Subject: Wearing a dress 'a cure for lesbianism' |
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XOX
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Date Posted: 16:05:59 01/05/05 Wed
In reply to:
XOX
's message, "Gay activists say workshops will create homophobic teachers and counsellors" on 16:04:24 01/05/05 Wed
Wearing a dress 'a cure for lesbianism'
Ravina Shamdasani
30 December 2004
South China Morning Post
Wearing high heels, dresses and lipstick can help "cure" lesbianism, speakers yesterday told a seminar described by a rights group as laughable and dangerous.
Videotapes were played of several "ex-gays" and "ex-lesbians" telling of their problems before they turned to the church for help.
About 100 people including social workers and teachers attended the seminar on "sexual wholeness", organised by the Society for Truth and Light, YMCA and several groups. Speakers included psychiatrists and members of the religious community.
Psychologist Melvin Wong criticised as "anti-choice" those who suggested such workshops were discriminatory and created bigotry. He said such sentiments, including an editorial in the South China Morning Post yesterday, failed to recognise the seminars helped gays and lesbians make life decisions.
Psychiatrist Hong Kwai-wah said: "This is not discrimination {hellip} we have to face the reality of the problems they have. It is a misconception to say they cannot change."
He said conversion treatment of gay men involved them repelling intrusive thoughts, reducing masturbation, not acting on sexual impulses and increasing pursuit of holiness. For women: resolving past sexual abuse, reconciling with parents, saying goodbye to girlfriends and "embracing female identity" by "putting on a dress, trying cosmetics and high heels".
Amnesty International Hong Kong director Bella Luk said it was disturbing that such advice was being given to social workers, who were "responsible for counselling people at their most vulnerable".
"Suggesting that all gay men are feminine and all lesbian women are masculine is stereotyping," she said. "Suggesting that wearing dresses, putting on make-up and putting on high heels would help change a lesbian's sexual orientation would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous. Homosexuality is not the problem - they are."
One person at the seminar, Jason Chan, 29, said: "They did not mention societal factors that cause the problems they said gays faced and simply said things like if you are gay your relationship with your father is not good.
"But the church causes a lot of the problems by not welcoming homosexuals and saying that homosexuality is a problem and a sin. They are the ones causing the problems by stereotyping and creating a discriminatory atmosphere."
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