--- title: "Psychiatric Association: Homosexuality Should Be Accepted" id: "32575" type: "post" slug: "psychiatric-association-homosexuality-should-be-accepted" published_at: "2016-03-23T19:23:37+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T15:45:17+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/03/23/psychiatric-association-homosexuality-should-be-accepted/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/03/23/psychiatric-association-homosexuality-should-be-accepted.md" excerpt: "The World Psychiatric Association announced this week that it would discourage the use of gay conversion therapy and recommended that homosexuality be accepted culturally. The association's stance could prove influential globally, as the group represents numerous countries where LGBT issues..." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Advocacy" - "AssociationsNow" - "Leadership" - "LGBT rights" - "mental health" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Psychiatric Association: Homosexuality Should Be Accepted With all of the progress the LGBT community has made in recent years, especially in the United States, it’s worth keeping in mind that challenges persist elsewhere. In some parts of the world, homosexuality [faces harsh criminal punishments (opens in a new tab)](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-25927595) or remains heavily stigmatized. That has created a lasting interest in the use of controversial practices such as gay conversion therapy, [which many parts of the U.S. have banned (opens in a new tab)](http://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy) . It’s in this context that the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) stepped into the fray. In an official statement released this week, the organization expressed its opposition to conversion therapy and similar practices, saying they reflect a “lack of scientific efficacy.” Going further, WPA emphasizes that homosexuality is normal behavior and that efforts to treat it are questionable at best. “WPA believes strongly in evidence-based treatment. There is no sound scientific evidence that innate sexual orientation can be changed,” [the association said in its statement (opens in a new tab)](http://www.wpanet.org/detail.php?section_id=7&content_id=1807) . “Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality can create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish, and they can be potentially harmful. The provision of any intervention purporting to ‘treat’ something that is not a disorder is wholly unethical.” WPA’s stance, [first reported by BuzzFeed News (opens in a new tab)](http://www.buzzfeed.com/patrickstrudwick/gay-cures-are-harmful-and-dont-work-says-worlds-largest-body) , could prove hugely influential globally. The association represents 200,000-plus psychiatrists from more than 118 countries, and some of those countries have traditionally been supportive of treating homosexuality through therapy. The *BuzzFeed* piece notes that WPA’s stance goes further in some ways than existing standards do, particularly on the issue of acceptance and equality. “Psychiatrists have a social responsibility to advocate for a reduction in social inequalities for all individuals, including inequalities related to gender identity and sexual orientation,” the statement said. WPA’s position represents an endpoint in a cultural shift in the psychiatry community. Up until 1973, the American Psychiatric Association had classified homosexuality as a mental disorder, [though it has moved away from that stance entirely (opens in a new tab)](http://www.aglp.org/gap/1_history/#declassification) and now actively encourages acceptance. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Advocacy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/advocacy/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#LGBT rights](https://associationsnow.com/tag/lgbt-rights/) [#mental health](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mental-health/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoInvesting in Well-being: The Strategic Advantage of Mental Health Support in the WorkplaceJune 23, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/06/23/investing-in-well-being-the-strategic-advantage-of-mental-health-support-in-the-workplace/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Powering Advocacy-Why PACs Matter for AssociationsNovember 20, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/11/20/associations-now-presents-powering-advocacy-why-pacs-matter-for-associations/) - [PodcastNavigating Tax Reform: Advocacy for Associations and NonprofitsDecember 19, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/12/19/navigating-tax-reform-advocacy-for-associations-and-nonprofits/) - [VideoASAE Legislative 2025 Fly-InApril 4, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/04/asae-legislative-2025-fly-in/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2016%2F03%2F23%2Fpsychiatric-association-homosexuality-should-be-accepted%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !