ELECTRODE BRAIN IMPLANTS
B-19 was a male patient of Robert Heath’s gay cure studies, in 1970. He was expelled from the military for “homosexual tendencies” – he had a subsequent history of abuse in his personal relationships, depression and suicidal tendencies, and abuse of hard drugs such as LSD and amphetamines.
When B-19 entered Heath’s study, he had electrodes implanted into his brain, and was then told to view a pornographic, heterosexual film. He was revolted at this, but had parts of his brain that were theoretically related to pleasure stimulated via the implanted electrodes. A sex worker was hired to have heterosexual intercourse with him, which at that point he agreed to due to the pleasure stimulants. B-19 had sexual intercourse with her to completion, while under observation.
Heath’s own report on the study reveals his intention to “cure” B-19’s supposed homosexual tendencies. As he stated, B-19 was given encouragement and support to the development of heterosexual interest and was directly counseled when he solicited information regarding sexual technique and behavior.
Heath later claimed that B-19 was subsequently “cured” of his homosexuality, given the fact that he was now pursuing sexual relationships with multiple women of his own accord, and had only returned to homosexual acts a few times. However, as it turns out, Heath’s statement that B-19 changed his sexual orientation and was now living as a heterosexual man was never able to be confirmed by anyone other than Heath himself – B-19 was “never heard from again” which did little to back up Heath’s claims.
Heath’s allegation was also contested by John Goethe, who stated that B-19 may not have even been homosexual or heterosexual prior to these experiments, but actually asexual and overall, largely disinterested in sex – hence his revulsion to the pornographic film he had been shown. Overall, the case of B-19 is still not entirely clear, but may hold more implications towards the spectrum of asexuality and allosexuality, rather than homosexuality or heterosexuality.
Sources:
Colvile, Robert. “The 'Gay Cure' Experiments That Were Written out of Scientific History.” Mosaic Science, 4 July 2016, mosaicscience.com/story/gay-cure-experiments/.
Fradelos, Christina K. The Last Desperate Cure: Electrical Brain Stimulation and its Controversial Beginnings, The University of Chicago, Ann Arbor, 2008. ProQuest, https://libweb.lib.utsa.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.libweb.lib.utsa.edu/docview/304412870?accountid=7122.
Moan, Charles E., and Robert G. Heath. "Septal Stimulation for the Initiation of Heterosexual Behavior in a Homesexual Man." Journal of Behavioral Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 3 (1972): 23-30.
Loengard, John. “Ars Technica.” Ars Technica, 5 July 2016, arstechnica.com/science/2016/07/the-1970s-gay-cure-experiments-written-out-of-scientific-history/.