A protest against the idea that homosexual individuals are sick, an idea that was enhanced with the declaration of homosexuality as a mental disorder by the APA.
One of the many panels held by queer activists to educate others homosexuality and how it is not a sickness.
Newspaper clipping that details how Doctors have no longer ruled homosexuality to be abnormal.
A protest against the idea that homosexual individuals are sick, an idea that was enhanced with the declaration of homosexuality as a mental disorder by the APA.
The Gay "Sickness":
Homosexuality and its Categorization as a Mental Illness by the APA
Up until 1973, homosexuality was categorized as a mental illness by the American Psychological Association (APA). In 1952, the APA released the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) included subcategories in its section on sociopathic personality disturbances which included a one on sexual deviation and behaviors that were considered pathological, which included homosexuality, comparing it to the likes of pedophilia and sadism.
This categorization furthered the already existing negative connotation associated with homosexuality. The public viewed homosexuality as a disease, describing homosexuals as sick. This was used as a way to further dehumanize homosexual individuals as a whole, anything said in defense by homosexual individuals was chalked up to their “illness” not letting them think clearly. Overall, it created more opportunities for oppression targeted at homosexual individuals in general.
After years of protesting by queer activists, in 1973 the APA decided to take an internal vote which declared homosexuality no longer a psychiatric disorder. However, damage had already been done regarding the public's view on homosexuality which was caused partially by the APAs categorization of homosexuality. Homosexuality by no means was suddenly considered normal by the general public following its declassification as a mental disorder. The idea of homosexuality being a mental illness was still the general consensus by the American public. Homosexuality’s association with mental illness even led some queer activists to further themselves away from people suffering from mental illness and created more of a stigma targeted at mentally ill individuals as a whole.
Sources:
Cohn, Victor. “Doctors Rule Homosexuals Not Abnormal.” Washington Post, 16 Dec. 1973. University of California Berkeley Library, https://exhibits.lib.berkeley.edu/spotlight/queer/feature/terminology.
Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. "Kameny talking to psychiatrist at "Gay, Proud, and Healthy" display" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1972 - 1972. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-8321-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99.
McHenry, Sara E., "Gay Is Good': History of Homosexuality in the DSM and Modern Psychiatry," The American Journal of Psychiatry 18, no 1. (2022): 4-5. doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2022.180103.
Tosh, Jemma. "Psychology, Homosexuality, and 'Feminine Boys" in Perverse Psychology. London: Routledge.
Uyeda, R. L. (2021, May 26). How LGBTQ+ activists got “homosexuality” out of the DSM - JSTOR ... JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/how-lgbtq-activists-got-homosexuality-out-of-the-dsm/
Wandel, Richard C., Photographer. The LGBT Community Center National History Archive.