The American Psychiatric Association has announced the members of the work
groups who will review scientific advances and research-based information to
develop the fifth edition of the APA's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders - the DSMV.
As I am sure you are aware the DSM is used as a reference source worldwide
by clinicians and researchers as well as insurance companies, pharmaceutical
companies and policy makers.
The expert just named to chair the revisions on sexuality and gender is
Kenneth Zucker. Zucker is famous for forcing gender-variant children into
reparative therapy in an attempt to 'cure' them.
Zucker has named Ray Blanchard to the work group that will rewrite Gender
Identity Disorder. Blanchard coined the term autogynephilia to describe men
with an erotic desire to be women and proposed a theory that all trans women
could be usefully classified as either autogynephiles or extremely
effeminate gay men who needed to become female to express their sexuality.
The fact that Zucker and Blanchard are even involved in the revisions on
sexuality and gender is a scary idea as it could mean that the DSMV
recommends that trans people are put into reparitive therapy - which is
effectively conversion therapy. It is also likely that Gender Identity
Disorder would be diagnosed as some kind of homosexuality rather than have
an independent diagnosis - homosexuality would be back in the DSMV and
classed as a mental illness.
I would be grateful if you would help by spreading the word about an online
petition which can be found here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2 ... ttee-members-on-gen
der-identity-disorders and also to contact the American Psychiatric
Association to put some pressure on them to consider removing Zucker and
Blanchard from the DSMV work groups.
This really does effect everyone in the LGBT community as the DSM is used
worldwide. It is likely that these 'experts' would push to reclassify
homosexuality as a mental illness and recommend that LGBT people be
prescribed reparative therapy as a 'cure'. I believe that we need to let the
APA know what we think.
Please let me know your thoughts on this matter and any suggestions you
might have for further action.
Thank you for your time
