GenQ - For the not so straight individual

The American Psychological Association is going to review its 10-year-old policy on counseling gays and lesbians.

Gay-rights activists hope the review will end with a denunciation of any attempt by therapists to change sexual orientation.

Such efforts -- often called reparative therapy or conversion therapy -- are considered futile and harmful by many gay-rights activists. Conservative groups defend the right to offer such treatment, and say people with their viewpoint have been excluded from the review panel.

A six-member task force set up by the APA has its first meeting beginning next Tuesday.

The current APA policy opposes any counseling that treats homosexuality as a mental illness, but does not explicitly denounce conversion therapy.