Two articles in the space of a couple of days, one in The Guardian and one in Therapy Today (from The Independent) highlight some pretty disturbing home truths about the treatment of gay people in the world today.

As Iraq 'progresses' towards so called more enlightened times, after all wasn't this what the war was for, it emerges that tolerance of sexual minorities is less now than it was in Saddam's days with gay internet chat rooms being infiltrated and those online being hounded down, tortured and in many instances executed by fundamentalist pro-Islamist groups. Many of those discovered fear for their lives, remain in hiding or try to escape from the country, a safer option being to get married and blend in so as to avoid this sickening oppression.

I guess at some level we may think, well that's over there, we are far more tolerant about sexual identity over here; but is it true? This brings me on to the second more positive article in which the National Secular Society is proposing official guidance preventing therapists from trying to change the sexuality of their gay clients. Personally I find the whole notion that there is something wrong with someone's sexuality absurd and the need to change it completely unethical so it is to be commended that moves to prevent such therapies from being practiced – particularly by religious groups – will be implemented.

We might think that we have moved on in the west in relation to seeing the individual for his or her humanity before their sexual preference, but it's worth noting how far we still have to go in this respect and thus the unsavory thread that links these two articles. I am a 'gay affirmative' therapist; I see gay people in the context of affirmation, acceptance and being non-judgemental.