LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex. Historical medical and psychiatric frameworks have shaped societal beliefs about gender and sexuality since ancient times. In the past, physicians diagnosed homosexual people with mental disorders and treated them using therapy, drugs, and surgery.
Many doctors now believe that being gay is natural, and they do not recommend treatments to change one's sexual orientation. This has influenced attitudes towards LGBTQ individuals today.
One such framework was the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which classified homosexuality as a mental illness until it removed it from its list of conditions in 1980. The DSM categorized homosexuality as 'ego-dystonic', meaning that an individual experienced intense internal conflict between their identity and society's norms. It also viewed homosexuals as having low self-esteem, depression, substance abuse issues, and other problems. Psychologists used talk therapy, behavior modification techniques, electric shocks, and hormone treatments to "cure" homosexuality. Such treatment often caused harm to patients and reinforced social stigma against LGBTQ individuals.
The American Psychological Association (APA) rejected homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973.
This shift occurred gradually over time due to changing public opinion and scientific research on sexuality. Today, there is no consensus among experts about whether sexual orientation can be changed through therapy or other means. Many countries still criminalize same-sex relationships or gender nonconformity under conservative religious laws. Nonetheless, some nations have decriminalized homosexuality and allowed civil rights for LGBTQ individuals, including marriage equality. These developments reflect societal progress toward tolerance and acceptance.
Historical medical frameworks shaped contemporary attitudes towards LGBTQ people. Doctors once saw them as mentally ill and tried to change their identities, but now recognize gay people as normal human beings deserving of respect. Still, discrimination persists worldwide, requiring continued activism for equality and justice.
How did historical medical and psychiatric frameworks shape contemporary social attitudes and policies toward LGBTQ individuals?
Historically, there have been various medical and psychiatric frameworks that shaped current social attitudes and policies towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) individuals. Some of these frameworks include the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which classified homosexuality as a mental illness until 1973, and the Gay Affirmative Psychotherapy (GAP).