Despite a major step forward for equality with gay marriage, the alleged use of conversion therapy in Tennessee and Arizona public schools have had drastic responses.  Conversion therapy, also known as gay-to-straight therapy, is intended to change the sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual.  In an article by the National Report, 2012 presidential candidate and representative of Minn., Michelle Bachmann and her husband, was said to have made a deal with Tennessee public school to have them make conversion therapy as an offered program in the school. The forced use of conversion therapy in public schools while now assumed to be a fake, has impacted Bachmann’s political career and sparked a national debate.

Bachmann has had no issue sharing her thoughts on the matter of gay marriage, after her SB 1062 bill was vetoed by the governor of Arizona, she stated to Lars Larson in an interview that “it’s been getting ‘tiresome’ that the gay community have so bullied the American peoples and they have so intimidated politicians that politicians fear them and they think they get to dictate the agenda everywhere.”

Despite the fact that Bachmann’s behavior matches up with the supposed events of the story, some people have started to believe that the original report was a fake.  The original claims were published by the news site, National Reports, which is considered to be an extremely satirical publication.   The website even has a written disclaimer at the bottom, warning readers to not take it seriously.

“DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by writers on this site are theirs alone and are not reflective of the fine journalistic and editorial integrity of National Report.”

Despite conversion therapy not being applied in public schools, some psychologists have used it in their private practices to “pray the gay away”.

“[One counselor’s] path for my therapy would be to read the Bible, pray to God that I would no longer be gay, and God would forgive me if I were straight,” said Andrew Ramirez, a 17 year old who had gotten help from Bachmann & Associates in suburban Minneapolis.

While conversion therapy is not currently offered at public schools, the idea that applying it to a school system would cause far more harm than good.  Students who are homosexual already are subjected to merciless bullying, introducing conversion therapy only reinforced to the bully, that being gay is wrong and therefore in the minds of bullies is more justification to bully.

Conversion therapy in public schools would not only be a violation to the “separation of church and state” theory (as most clinics use religious beliefs as the reason being gay is bad) but it would also increase bullying for homosexual students.