Priest Replies On “aversion Therapy” (Press, 8 September 1973)

On 8 September 1973, the Rev. F. Donnelly, a senior lecturer at the Auckland School of Medicine, addressed the topic of homosexuality in a letter to the editor of “The Press,” seeking to clarify earlier remarks made by Mr H. Love, a former chairman of the clinical division of the Psychological Society. Love had commented on aversion therapy in relation to a Gay Liberation conference in Christchurch where Donnelly had spoken. Donnelly explained that his original speech highlighted a common aversion among homosexuals towards aversion therapy, asserting that it is fundamentally damaging to push such treatment since sexuality is an integral part of one's identity. He acknowledged that while a small minority of individuals might desire to change their sexual orientation, the majority do not seek this change and have often faced pressure from various sources to renounce their homosexuality. Donnelly contested Love's assumption that he was speaking about other forms of sexual behaviour aside from homosexuality, emphasising his familiarity with the subject and precision in terminology. He illustrated how courts sometimes mandate ‘treatment’ for convicted homosexuals, which can assimilate to aversion therapy, driven by familial and societal pressures. This therapy, stemming from guilt or distress, may lead individuals to undergo treatment they later regret. He affirmed his belief in the value of sensitive therapy for individuals with sexual difficulties, insisting it should not aim to alter fundamental drives but rather to enhance personal confidence and interpersonal relationships. Furthermore, Donnelly clarified that had his talk been fully reported, it would have included his strong condemnation of specific aversion therapies, such as those involving drugs or electric shocks, which he described as abhorrent. In his conclusion, Donnelly highlighted the shifting attitudes within the homosexual community towards these therapies and underscored the resentment towards efforts to change their sexual responses, arguing that aversion therapy reinforces the outdated notion of homosexuality as a sickness.

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