CourtesyRFSL
Psychiatry has not always been kind to theLGBTQcommunity . Homosexuality was considered a genial unwellness in many countries as late as the mid-20th century — if it was not classified as anoutright crime . Even Sweden , that Norse citadel ofopennessandequality , distinguish being gay as a disorderliness as deep as 1979 .
That twelvemonth , a group of Swedes take advantage of the legal framework that made being gay an malady and call in nauseated to turn , claiming their homosexualism as the reason . One woman , from the southern province of Smålandeven , managed to get Social Security benefits for shout in gay .
Calling in gay was part of a large protest from theRFSL , the Swedish Federation for Lesbian , Gay , Bisexual and Transgender Rights . Sweden decriminalize homosexualityin 1944 , but according to theNational Board of Health and Welfare , which develops wellness measure , it was still a disease . As a bit of context of use , the American Psychiatric Association announced that it would no longer consider queerness a genial disorderin 1973 , though it continue to use “ sexual orientation disturbance ” to categorise individuals who felt distressed by their intimate orientation course ( among otherodd disorders ) .
Fed up with the want of traction it was realize through traditional letter and headphone campaigns , RFSL planned to occupy the National Board building as a demonstration against pathologizing homosexuality . On August 29 , during the middle of Stockholm ’s “ Homosexual Liberation Week ” ( which later became known asStockholm Pride ) , RFSL protesters gathered to block up the stairs of the National Board construction , chant and waving banners . Barbro Westerholm , the newly instal director general of the National Board , eventually came and sit down with the protestors , and became conformable to their causal agency . In late October of 1979 , the National Board declassified homosexuality as a disease , making Sweden thefirst European countryto do so .
gratuitous to say , not all countries have caught up . It was n’t until 2014 that a World Health Organization jury concluded that there isno scientific basisfor mental disorders specific to LGBTQ person , and the American Psychiatric Association ’s treatment oftransgender peopleremainscontroversial .
This news report has been updated for 2020 .
