On Conversion Talk in Indian Clinical Contexts: A Pilot Venture

Abstract

Conversion therapies are founded on the premises of altering one’s sexual orientation/gender identity to compulsory cis-heterosexuality. They target LGBTQIA+ individuals globally and negatively impact their psychosexual health and well-being. These therapies were not discredited explicitly in the Indian mental health context until 2020. In the current article, two case vignettes are sampled from self-identified transgender individuals who faced conversion efforts in various capacities, their families, and health care professionals being collateral stakeholders in the process. These case vignettes are shaped from first-person narrative accounts elicited from the participants in narrative inquiry format through virtual interactive sessions. The cases are critically discussed in the light of the present clinical-scientific consensus and future implications. The routes to more affirmative mental health ecosystems are explored through probable intersectoral linkages.