First off, to "change" orientation is impossible. They either never WERE gay, or have convinced themselves they are CAPABLE of heterosexuality.

There's no such thing as turning gay/bi to straight.

I'm sure there are a fairly high percentage of gays and lesbians who ACT straight every year, but none of them are actually "turning straight."

Study: Some Gays Can Go Straight By Malcolm Ritter AP Science Writer Wednesday, May 9, 2001; 1:39 a.m. EDT NEW ORLEANS –– An explosive new study says some gay people can turn straight if they really want to. That conclusion clashes with that of major mental health organizations, which say that sexual orientation is fixed and that so-called reparative therapy may actually be harmful. Gay rights activists attacked the study, and an academic critic noted that many of the 200 "ex-gays" who participated were referred by religious groups that condemn homosexuality. Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University who led the study, said he cannot estimate what percentage of highly motivated gay people can change their sexual orientation. But he said the research "shows some people can change from gay to straight, and we ought to acknowledge that." He is scheduled to present his findings Wednesday in New Orleans at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, and said he plans to submit his work to a psychiatric journal for publication. Presentations for the meeting were chosen by a committee of the association. Selection does not imply endorsement by the association, said John Blamphin, director of public affairs for the association. The issue has been hotly debated in the scientific community and among religious groups, some of which contend gays can become heterosexuals through prayer and counseling. Major mental health groups say nobody knows what causes a person's sexual orientation. Theories tracing homosexuality to troubled family dynamics or faulty psychological development have been discredited, the psychiatric association says. The American Psychological Association says most scientists think sexual orientation probably comes from a complex interaction including biological and environmental factors. Spitzer spearheaded the APA's 1973 decision to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. At the time, he said homosexuality does not meet the criteria for a mental disorder, and he called for more research to determine whether some people can change their sexuality. Spitzer, who said he does not offer reparative therapy and began his study as a skeptic, said the research was paid for out of his department's funds. He conducted 45-minute telephone interviews with 200 people, 143 of them men, who claimed they had changed their orientation from gay to heterosexual. The average age of those interviewed was 43. They answered about 60 questions about their sexual feelings and behavior before and after their efforts to change. Those efforts had begun about 14 years before the interviews for the men and 12 years for the women. Most said they had used more than one strategy to change their orientation. About half said the most helpful step was work with a mental health professional, most commonly a psychologist. About a third cited a support group, and fewer mentioned such aids as books and mentoring by a heterosexual. Spitzer concluded that 66 percent of the men and 44 percent of the women had arrived at what he called good heterosexual functioning. That term was defined as being in a sustained, loving heterosexual relationship within the past year, getting enough satisfaction from the emotional relationship with their partner to rate at least seven on a 10-point scale, having satisfying heterosexual sex at least monthly and never or rarely thinking of somebody of the same sex during heterosexual sex. In addition, 89 percent of men and 95 percent of women said they were bothered only slightly, or not at all, by unwanted homosexual feelings. Only 11 percent of the men and 37 percent of the women reported a complete absence of homosexual indicators, including same-sex attraction. Psychologist Douglas Haldeman, who is on the clinical faculty of the University of Washington and has published evaluations of reparative therapy, said the study offers no convincing evidence of change. He said there is no credible scientific evidence that suggests sexual orientation can be changed, "and this study doesn't prove that either." He also said the participants appeared unusually skewed toward religious conservatives and people treated by therapists "with a strong anti-gay bias." Such participants might think that being a homosexual is bad and feel pressured to claim they were no longer gay, Haldeman said. Some 43 percent of the sample had been referred to Spitzer by "ex-gay ministries" that offer programs to gay people who seek to change, organizations Haldeman said are chiefly sponsored by religious conservatives. An additional 23 percent were referred by the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, which says most of its members consider homosexuality a developmental disorder. David Elliot, a spokesman for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in Washington, also criticized the study because of the main sources of its participants. "The sample is terrible, totally tainted, totally unrepresentative of the gay and lesbian community," he said. Spitzer said he has no proof that participants were honest. But he said several findings suggest their statements cannot be dismissed out of hand. For example, he said, participants had no trouble offering detailed descriptions of their behavior. Spitzer also said the gradual nature of the change they reported indicates "it is not a simple made-up story." © Copyright 2001 The Associated Press

As I told my brother when he suggested that I contact Exodus so that I could "turn" straight, "Frankly, my penis will not become aroused for me to be with a woman. I am not sexually aroused by women, and, yes, I have been with women, but on those few occasions I was not capable of achieving an erection. However, when I see a man that I am attracted to (and I am very picky. Not just any man will do.) I have the same feelings that a straight man (like my brother) has for a woman that he finds himself sexually atracted to. I could no more have sex with a woman than you, my dear brother, could have sex with a man. That's just how it works."

As I told my brother when he suggested that I contact Exodus so that I could "turn" straight, "Frankly, my penis will not become aroused for me to be with a woman. I am not sexually aroused by women, and, yes, I have been with women, but on those few occasions I was not capable of achieving an erection. However, when I see a man that I am attracted to (and I am very picky. Not just any man will do.) I have the same feelings that a straight man (like my brother) has for a woman that he finds himself sexually atracted to. I could no more have sex with a woman than you, my dear brother, could have sex with a man. That's just how it works."

It is not possible to change ones sexual orientation. If you refer to something like Exodus, that's nothing but a bunch of homophobes who try to brain-wash and shame LGBT people into living a lie. Isn't it a sin to lie? Some weak-willed people may succumb to such nonsense and try to "live" straight to please others, but then cannot change who they innately are. Some of us in the LGBT community are forced to live in the closet for a long time to avoid discrimination and abuse....and eventually summon the courage to come out. I suppose that's why the naive think some people "choose" to be gay after being straight. They don't understand what having to be in the closet is like.

if gays and lesbians are true gays and lesbians this will never ever happen and the few who said they have are out and out liars to everyone and most importantly to themselves...they have bee brainwashed

If a person is 50/50 bisexual, then it's possible for them to live either a gay or a straight lifestyle. For people with a different proportion of gayness it's more difficult to do so. For someone who is 100% gay or straight, it is impossible.

I don't know but think if a person is truly gay they can't change their orientation. They might try to please somebody (eg. when Elton John married a woman) but in the end it is likely to fall apart.