‘Do better, try harder:’ The need to walk the walk in clinical psychology’s stated commitment to social justice

Comer et al. (2024) describe a task force (“the Task Force”) that reviewed “conversion therapy” articles for the journal Behavior Therapy. The Task Force discussed several actions including retraction—arguably the most comprehensive action—but decided against retracting the articles, opting instead for disclaimers, among other actions (e.g., reviewing the efficacy of affirmative therapies). We critique the work of the Task Force on the grounds of lacking substantive action of repair as well as supporting their decisions through informal fallacies like “slippery slope” argumentation. Additionally, we review the historical context surrounding the debate of the ethics of "conversion therapy" in the 1970s, which counters the Task Force’s conclusion that “conversion therapy” research was considered ethical at the time it was published. We argue the field needs to move beyond self-congratulatory narratives and instead take concrete steps to repair.