Homophobia is at its apex even in this globalized and “advanced” world. Many people consider homosexuality a criminal act whereas some consider it a disease. Often homosexuals are brutally harassed by homophobes just because they are not like them. Who is more sick, homosexuals or homophobes?
A lot of prominent scientific evidence indicates that being LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersexual) is completely compatible with a normal and healthy life. Clinical researchers show that same-sex attractions, feelings and behaviours are not a mental or physical disorder.
The American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association (APA) issued a statement supporting the claim that homosexuality is a normal variant of human sexual orientation and not a mental disorder. The APA writes:
“Same-sex sexual attractions, behaviour, and orientations per se are normal and positive variants of human sexuality — in other words, they do not indicate either mental or developmental disorders.” (Glassgold et al. 2009, 2)
They explain that by “normal” they mean “both the absence of a mental disorder and the presence of a positive and healthy outcome of human development.”
The Brief of Amici Curiae for both the American Psychiatric Association and the APA uses similar language:
“Decades of research and clinical experience have led all mainstream mental health organizations in this country to the conclusion that homosexuality is a normal form of human sexuality.” (Brief of Amici Curiae 2003, 1)
The basic stance of the APA and the American Psychiatric Association is that homosexuality is not a mental disorder but is rather a normal form of human sexuality, and they propose that their stance is based on significant scientific evidence.
The WHO has a list of diseases, called the “International Classification of Diseases” (ICD). This list is reviewed regularly in accordance with the latest medical research. The WHO removed Homosexuality from the list of diseases in ICD-10. The currently used ICD-10 explicitly states that “sexual orientation by itself is not to be considered a disorder.”
In July 2018, the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) said it is “time to stop looking at homosexuality as a mental illness”, stating that the there is no scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be altered by any treatment. The IPS warned further that any such attempt “may lead to low self-esteem and stigmatisation.”
The IPS issued a statement that said: “Homosexuality is not a psychiatric disorder and we recognise same sex sexuality as a normal variant of human sexuality much like heterosexuality and bisexuality.’’
Homosexuality is still a contentious topic. Many countries such as Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Iran, Uganda and Russia have enacted anti-LGBTQI laws. This homophobic stigmatisation and the resulting discrimination against homosexuals may lead to mental-health problems — not homosexuality in itself.
Homophobia can make teenagers feel harassed and helpless — and that may add up to the symptoms of clinical depression. The people depressed about their sexual orientation are sometimes “classified as mentally ill under current WHO guidelines”. Homophobes even indulge in brutal violences against homosexuals that refers to the fact that homophobes are more dangerous for society.
Homophobia is the disease, not homosexuality, and the homophobes indulging in violences, discriminations and prejudice are mentally sick and need to be treated. Homophobia is a mental sickness that leads to stigmatisation, discriminations and harassment of a large community and ruins their basic human rights.