Changes

:''See also: [[Homosexuality and the Bible]]'' and ''[[Mystery:Do Sports Affect Sexual Preference?]]''

:''See also: [[Homosexuality and the Bible]]'' and ''[[Mystery:Do Sports Affect Sexual Preference?]]''

'''Conversion therapy''', also known as reparative therapy or Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), consists of counseling or treatment to change someone's sexual attraction from homosexuality to heterosexuality.  In 2019, [[New York City]] repealed its politically motivated ban on this, just two years after trying to prohibit it. On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the [[Eleventh Circuit]] struck down bans on conversion therapy in [[Florida]].<ref>[https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca11/19-10604/19-10604-2020-11-20.html ''Otto v. Citi of Boca Raton'' decision]</ref>  The [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] Bishops of [[Poland]] officially endorsed conversion therapy.<ref>https://www.newwaysministry.org/2020/09/01/polish-bishops-claim-church-teaching-on-homosexuality-is-infallible/, translating the key paragraphs of the original document at [https://episkopat.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Stanowisko-Konferencji-Episkopatu-Polski-w-kwestii-LGBT.pdf]</ref>  [[Leftist]] [[Canada]] has banned conversion therapy and some [[free speech]], which underscores their effectiveness.<ref>https://www.tbnewswatch.com/following-up/following-up-city-looks-to-bar-conversion-therapy-hate-speech-5315659</ref>  The [[Texas]] [[GOP]] platform supports [[conversion therapy]].

'''Conversion therapy''', also known as reparative therapy or Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), consists of counseling or treatment to change someone's sexual attraction from homosexuality to heterosexuality.  In 2019, [[New York City]] repealed its politically motivated ban on this, just two years after trying to prohibit it. On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the [[Eleventh Circuit]] struck down bans on conversion therapy in [[Florida]].<ref>[https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca11/19-10604/19-10604-2020-11-20.html ''Otto v. Citi of Boca Raton'' decision]</ref>  The [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] Bishops of [[Poland]] officially endorsed conversion therapy.<ref>https://www.newwaysministry.org/2020/09/01/polish-bishops-claim-church-teaching-on-homosexuality-is-infallible/, translating the key paragraphs of the original document at [https://episkopat.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Stanowisko-Konferencji-Episkopatu-Polski-w-kwestii-LGBT.pdf]</ref>  [[Leftist]] [[Canada]] has banned conversion therapy and some [[free speech]], which underscores their effectiveness.<ref>https://www.tbnewswatch.com/following-up/following-up-city-looks-to-bar-conversion-therapy-hate-speech-5315659</ref>  The [[Texas]] [[GOP]] platform supports '''conversion therapy'''.

The [[Bible]] and [[Christian]] [[faith]] are powerful methods of becoming a [[heterosexuality|heterosexual]], as are participation in activities like [[baseball]] and [[chess]].  Because [[ex-homosexuals]] exist -- thereby proving conversion is possible -- homosexual activists have sought laws prohibiting conversion therapy in many states, and [[liberal]] California, Oregon, New Jersey, Illinois and the District of Columbia have banned this therapy for minors.  But on February 24, 2015, an Oklahoma House committee passed a bill to protect the right to conversion therapy, and the therapy remains fully lawful in the vast majority of the [[United States]].  [[Liberal]] [[Dem]] Governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] has tried to ban it for minors by issuing an unusual executive order in [[New York]].<ref>Gov. Cuomo's executive order purports to prohibit health insurers in New York from reimbursing for "conversion therapy services provided to an insured under the age of 18 years" and "to require behavioral health providers to certify that they will not provide conversion therapy to minors or seek reimbursement from the insurer for such services."  In addition, the executive order purports to make it "unlawful for any mental health facility licensed, funded or operated by the New York State Office of Mental Health to provide conversion therapy to minors" such that "[f]ailure to comply with these new regulations could result in the revocation of license and/or funding for any entity found to have engaged in these practices."  Medicaid was also prohibited from reimbursing for it in New York. [https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-executive-actions-banning-coverage-conversion-therapy Feb. 6, 2016 executive order]</ref>

The [[Bible]] and [[Christian]] [[faith]] are powerful methods of becoming a [[heterosexuality|heterosexual]], as are participation in activities like [[baseball]] and [[chess]].  Because [[ex-homosexuals]] exist -- thereby proving conversion is possible -- homosexual activists have sought laws prohibiting conversion therapy in many states, and [[liberal]] California, Oregon, New Jersey, Illinois and the District of Columbia have banned this therapy for minors.  But on February 24, 2015, an Oklahoma House committee passed a bill to protect the right to conversion therapy, and the therapy remains fully lawful in the vast majority of the [[United States]].  [[Liberal]] [[Dem]] Governor [[Andrew Cuomo]] has tried to ban it for minors by issuing an unusual executive order in [[New York]].<ref>Gov. Cuomo's executive order purports to prohibit health insurers in New York from reimbursing for "conversion therapy services provided to an insured under the age of 18 years" and "to require behavioral health providers to certify that they will not provide conversion therapy to minors or seek reimbursement from the insurer for such services."  In addition, the executive order purports to make it "unlawful for any mental health facility licensed, funded or operated by the New York State Office of Mental Health to provide conversion therapy to minors" such that "[f]ailure to comply with these new regulations could result in the revocation of license and/or funding for any entity found to have engaged in these practices."  Medicaid was also prohibited from reimbursing for it in New York. [https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-executive-actions-banning-coverage-conversion-therapy Feb. 6, 2016 executive order]</ref>

== First Stone Ministries conversion therapy ==

== First Stone Ministries conversion therapy ==

[[Image:Stephen Black.png|thumb|right|150px|Reverend Stephen Black is the Executive Director of [[First Stone Ministries]] and is an ex-[[homosexual]].]]

[[Image:Stephen Black.png|thumb|right|150px|Reverend Stephen Black is the executive director of [[First Stone Ministries]] and is an ex-[[homosexual]].]]

''See also:'' [[First Stone Ministries]] and [[Stephen Black]] and [[Ex-homosexuals]] and [[Overcoming homosexuality]]

''See also:'' [[First Stone Ministries]] and [[Stephen Black]] and [[Ex-homosexuals]] and [[Overcoming homosexuality]]

Reverend [[Stephen Black]] was ordained through International Ministerial Fellowship in 1994.  Stephen left a [[homosexuality|homosexual]] lifestyle in 1983 after spending 8 years gay identified. Stephen is now the Executive Director of [[First Stone Ministries]] which is a [[Christian]] discipleship pastoral care ministry offering support groups, literature, educational seminars and public speaking. First Stone Ministries was also a member ministry of [[Exodus International]] which was, until closing its doors in 2013,  the largest network of agencies dedicated to the ministering to the issues of homosexuality from a Christian perspective. Stephen Black has been ministering full-time with First Stone Ministries since 1993 and became the executive director in 2000.

Reverend [[Stephen Black]] was ordained through International Ministerial Fellowship in 1994.  Stephen left a [[homosexuality|homosexual]] lifestyle in 1983 after spending 8 years gay identified. Stephen is now the executive director of [[First Stone Ministries]] which is a [[Christian]] discipleship pastoral care ministry offering support groups, literature, educational seminars and public speaking. First Stone Ministries was also a member ministry of [[Exodus International]] which was, until closing its doors in 2013,  the largest network of agencies dedicated to the ministering to the issues of homosexuality from a Christian perspective. Stephen Black has been ministering full-time with First Stone Ministries since 1993 and became the executive director in 2000.

He married his wife, Robin Dawn in 1986, they have three children and one grandchild; they have always resided in the Oklahoma City area.<ref>http://www.stephenblack.org/</ref>

He married his wife, Robin Dawn in 1986, they have three children and one grandchild; they have always resided in the Oklahoma City area.<ref>http://www.stephenblack.org/</ref>