Lesson 1: Clinical Disorders – Part E

PART E

Is Homosexuality a Mental Illness or Emotional Problem?

Neither. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals agree that homosexuality is not an illness, mental disorder, or an emotional problem. Over 35 years of objective, well-designed scientific research has shown that homosexuality is not associated with mental disorders or emotional or social problems. Homosexuality was once thought to be a mental illness because mental health professionals and society had biased information. In the past the studies of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people involved only those in therapy, thus biasing the resulting conclusions. When researchers examined data about people who were not in therapy, the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness was quickly determined to be untrue.

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association confirmed the importance of the new, better designed research and removed homosexuality from the official manual that lists mental and emotional disorders. Two years later, the American Psychological Association passed a resolution supporting the removal. For more than 25 years, both associations have urged all mental health professionals to help dispel the stigma of mental illness that some people still associate with homosexual orientation.

On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world, to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender neutral marriage definition.