Page "Ex-gay movement" Paragraph 5

The American Psychological Association reported that some ex-gay groups may help counteract and buffer minority stress, marginalization, and isolation in ways similar to other support groups, such as offering social support, fellowship, role models, and new ways to view a problem through unique philosophies or ideologies.

Additionally, the same researchers also found that people joined ex-gay groups due to: a lack of other sources of social support ; a desire for active coping, including both cognitive and emotional coping ; and access to methods of sexual orientation identity exploration and reconstruction.

The same report found that some have described the ex-gay groups as, " a refuge for those who were excluded both from conservative churches and from their families, because of their same-sex sexual attractions, and from gay organizations and social networks, because of their conservative religious beliefs .".

According to the APA report, " Ex-gay groups appear to relieve the distress caused by conflicts between religious values and sexual orientation and help participants change their sexual orientation identity, but not their sexual orientation ".

The APA goes on to report that some believed that by, " taking on ' ex-gay ' cultural norms and language and finding a community that enabled and reinforced their primary religious beliefs, values, and concerns ", that they could resolve identity conflicts by, "( a ) adopting a new discourse or worldview, ( b ) engaging in a biographical reconstruction, ( c ) embracing a new explanatory model, and ( d ) forming strong interpersonal ties .".

One of the APA's sources for the report found that, " ex-gay groups recast homosexuality as an ordinary sin, and thus salvation was still achievable .".

Another one of their sources is summarized as having observed that, " such groups built hope, recovery, and relapse into an ex-gay identity, thus expecting same-sex sexual behaviors and conceiving them as opportunities for repentance and forgiveness.

" The APA report warns however that, " some groups may reinforce prejudice and stigma by providing inaccurate or stereotyped information about homosexuality ".