The UK’s Conservative Government is refusing to get rid of treatments which aim to “cure” patients of their homosexuality, despite being “firmly opposed” to the controversial treatments.
Homosexuality was declassified as a mental illness in 1973, however it is still possible to obtain treatment via the NHS, by referral, to “cure” you of your homosexuality. As it stands the psychotherapy industry in the UK is not regulated by the state – and therefore some therapists still offer “gay cures”.
Out MP Mike Free said,
“It remains possible for people within the UK to be referred by an NHS professional to a psychotherapist for a so-called ‘gay cure’,”
“Being gay is not a disaster, being gay is not an illness. To suggest otherwise is not only demeaning, it is medically wrong.”
His statement was made on the back of Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, who called for the treatments to be banned.
A spokesperson for the Department for Health said,
“NHS funded therapies are provided for those who need them to help them manage a psychological problem.
“This could include people coming to terms with their sexuality. This is absolutely not the same as gay-to-straight “conversion”
Worryingly last year Stonewall, the UK’s leading LGBT charity found that 1 in ten healthcare professionals had witnessed a colleague declare that they believe in “gay cures”.
