Psychology In The News | Gay Conversion Therapy in Italy

In June 2024, the BBC reported the case of Rosario Lonegro, a 20-year-old aspiring priest in Sicily, who was subjected to conversion therapy in 2017 after falling in love with a man at his college. His superiors demanded he undergo this therapy to erase his homosexuality if he wished to continue his path to priesthood. The distressing activities he was made to endure included being locked in a dark closet, being coerced into taking off all his clothes in front of his peers and enacting his funeral, all of which left deep psychological wounds.

Despite the World Health Organization's 1990 decision to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder, such therapies persist. Many young gay people report being subjected to these practices, often in covert group meetings or individual therapy sessions. Some initially believed they needed "curing."

Italy's hesitancy to ban these practices is partly attributed to its strong Catholic influence and conservative culture. While some Catholic figures promote these therapies, others, like Pope Francis, say the Church should be open to everyone. However, conflicting messages persist.

After a nervous breakdown in 2018, Lonegro left the seminary and therapy group. Now living in Milan with his boyfriend, he no longer seeks to join the priesthood. His story highlights the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in Italy, where Prime Minister Meloni's government has adopted a hostile stance.

Reference: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/art... (accessed 4.6.24)

Read more about the laws surrounding the ban of conversion therapy in the UK here: https://commonslibrary.parliam.... (accessed 4.6.24)

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS!

1. Conversion therapy attempts to use classical and operant conditioning to ‘un-do’ homosexual behaviour. In the article, where have the principles of classical and operant conditioning been applied?
2. Conversion therapy assumes homosexual behaviour can be ‘unlearnt’, why is this not a valid assumption?
3. What is meant by the term ‘socially sensitive’ research?
4. How could researchers ethically study conversion therapy’s effects, given its socially sensitive nature?
5. How does the Church’s view of homosexuality as a ‘sin’ reflect deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality?