Homosexuality is not a sickness. However, specialists haven’t always thought so. For a long time, mental health professionals considered sexual activity between same-sex partners an illness. Accustomed only to handling people with mental health issues, psychiatrists ended up believing that all gay men and lesbians were ill. They listed homosexuality among mental illnesses in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder) used by the American Psychiatric Association, an internationally recognized organisation. It wasn’t until December 15, 1973, that homosexuality was removed from the Association’s reference manual. This decision is reflected in the DSM-III published in 1980.
During an annual Board of Trustees meeting held on January 1975, the American Psychological Association did likewise by passing a resolution to remove homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses and emotional disorders for good. In 1996, the Canadian Psychological Association followed suit by adopting several resolutions based on the same principle.
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