“Youth in the Crosshairs: The Third Wave of Ex-Gay Activism,” a report released on Thursday by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, shows that ex-gay organizations that are “increasingly targeting teenagers and young people with ‘ex-gay’ conferences and therapy are deceiving parents, teens and the public about the effectiveness of their efforts.”

From SFGate.com:

The report, “Youth in the Crosshairs: The Third Wave of Ex-Gay Activism,” claims that organizations working to help people overcome same-sex attraction could be sued because they cause harm instead of accomplishing what they promise.

“There’s no evidence that conversion therapy actually works, but there’s a growing body of evidence that it can be extremely harmful and unethical,” said Jason Cianciotto, a study author and director of research for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in New York, the organization releasing the report.

No such lawsuits have been filed.

The report highlights a 2002 study of several hundred people who underwent conversion therapy. Twenty-six of the 202 interviewed said the therapy was successful, although only eight of those said they didn’t experience any “slips” or have to employ coping mechanisms to counter same-sex attraction. And all but one of those eight worked in ex-gay counseling.

Almost 90 percent of the other interviewees reported long-term harm: depression to the point of attempted suicide or strained relationships with family and parents.

Gay.com published this list of findings:

  • “Ex-gay” therapy does not work, and there is mounting evidence that it can cause harm, especially to children who are submitted to it against their will.
  • “Ex-gay” programs and conversion-therapy practitioners could be shut down and held liable for harm they cause to clients based on malpractice, consumer fraud and false advertising. They could also be sued under contract or child abuse and neglect laws.
  • Studies cited by “ex-gay” leaders to support their claims suffer from methodological flaws and are contradicted by respected, peer-reviewed academic research.

    • This last one referring again to the 2002 study mentioned at SFGate.

  • A study of 202 former conversion therapy clients published in 2002 reported that 176 participants experienced significant psychological harm from the therapy, including depression, social isolation and low self-esteem. Some participants attempted suicide.

    • Read the press release from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force titled “Youth in the Crosshairs: the Third Wave of Ex-Gay Activism — Task Force Policy Institute report reveals ex-gay movement’s new tactic of targeting youth” here.