Some Causes Of Homosexuality (Press, 30 September 1968)

At a seminar on homosexuality held on 28 September 1968 at Christchurch Hospital, Dr R. W. Medlicott from Ashburn Hall in Dunedin presented controversial claims regarding the origins of homosexuality. Asserting that genetic factors had been largely discredited, Dr Medlicott argued that homosexuality was primarily rooted in problematic familial relationships, particularly between parents and their children. The event saw participation from a diverse group, including medical practitioners, sociologists, social workers, clergymen, nurses, lawyers, probation officers, and police officers. Dr Medlicott made a detailed analysis of the familial dynamics that could lead to an individual's homosexual orientation. He characterised certain parental behaviours that could hinder normal sexual development. For instance, he suggested that a mother might play an overly intimate, dominant, and denigrating role towards the father, while simultaneously being over-protective and demasculinising towards her son. As a result, the father often remained detached, unaffectionate, or even hostile, contributing to the child's struggle for a healthy male role model. The child could become affected by the conflicts between the parents, potentially being manipulated as a "pawn" in their disputes. In the case of females, Dr Medlicott noted that a mother's role could be ambivalent and competitive, discouraging femininity and inhibiting an easy relationship with the father or male peers. He pointed out that fathers who indulge in irresponsible behaviour, such as coming home intoxicated, could further complicate their daughters' capacity for healthy heterosexual adjustment. Dr Medlicott emphasised that individuals are not born with a homosexual orientation but that it develops as a result of their upbringing. He suggested that the condition could be potentially reversible, though acknowledged that with current resources only a small percentage of homosexuals might successfully transition to heterosexuality. He indicated that the absence of physical treatments renders psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic therapy as the primary avenue for addressing these issues. He remained optimistic that many could attain a better adjustment to life through these therapeutic approaches. In a separate note from the seminar, Mr P. J. Squire was elected as the new national president of the British Sailors’ Society of New Zealand during the society's annual meeting in Lyttelton on the same day.

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