How can society help protect the right of consenting adults to get reparative therapy?

Answer 1

Society already does, at least partially. Reparative Therapy, also called Conversion Therapy, is a very controversial therapy that is designed to help those who desire it to change from a homosexual to a heterosexual orientation. Its controversy comes in part from the fact that same sex orientation among consenting adults is no longer considered a mental health diagnosis, and has not been for several decades. Pedophilia remains on the list of disorders and is of course a serious crime. Although there are movements currently to legally stop the practice of Reparative Therapy, its practice under freedom of religion is very likely acceptable. The method has been supported by conservative religious groups for many years. Even here, another part of the controversy comes from the fact that if same sex orientation is not accepted as a mental health diagnosis, then attempts by any credentialed psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist to change it becomes ethically complicated. But for those for whom this question is not important or does not apply, church related Reparative Therapy techniques can be seen as a matter of the practice of religion within the context of helping individuals deal with sin.

You will probably not have good fortune if you are advocating for standard coverage by health care providers, because of the current position that gay orientation is not a disorder and therefore treatment to change it is not reimbursable. In order for that kind of coverage to be available, the whole concept of Reparative Therapy as an acceptable elective treatment would have to be addressed, and there would still have to be a billable diagnostic code. There would have to be a major sea change in the current thinking about same sex orientation and this would be a very difficult campaign to undertake, given the increasing acceptability of same sex marriage throughout the US and various other parts of the world.