Coercion as conversion: Sexual orientation and gender identities do not require medical intervention

Source: The post is based on the article “Coercion as conversion: Sexual orientation and gender identities do not require medical intervention” published in The Hindu on 5^th September 2022.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

Relevance: About conversion therapy.

News: Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) declared conversion therapy a “professional misconduct” and empowered State Medical Councils to take disciplinary action if the guideline is breached. This is a significant and welcome move to remove another layer of discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community.

What is the reason behind NMC banning conversion therapy?

In its landmark 2021 judgment, the Madras High Court issued guidelines for the police, social welfare ministries of the State and Centre, and the medical council for the protection of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Madras High Court had directed NMC to issue an official notification listing conversion therapy as a wrong, under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.

What is conversion therapy?

Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual or of any other orientation are often subjected to conversion or ‘reparative’ therapy, particularly when they are young, to change their sexual orientation or gender identity by force.

The therapy varies from psychiatric treatment, use of psychosomatic drugs, electroshock therapy, exorcism and violence.

Impacts: The therapy can lead to trauma, manifesting in depression, anxiety, drug use, and even suicide.

Basis of conversion therapy: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry contends that the interventions offered in conversion therapy are provided under the “false premise that homosexuality and gender diverse identities are pathological”.

Why Conversion therapy for LGBTQIA+ should be banned?

How to improve the life of the LGBTQIA+ community further?

Clear-cut definition: Like Canada, India should be clear on what action will be taken against quacks, psychiatrists and doctors accused of offering reparative treatment and the punishment they will face.

Change the education policy: Medical textbooks prescribed in 2018 still consider lesbianism a “perversion”, an act of “mental degenerates”. This has to be changed.

Legislative changes: Societal change has to be complemented by laws that address the needs of a diverse community higher than the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 has sought to do.

Society has to acknowledge the “variability of human beings” and accord equal respect to everyone, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity.