Homosexuality ‘not A Mental Illness’ (Press, 25 March 1985)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: Homosexuality ‘not A Mental Illness’ (Press, 25 March 1985)
On 25 March 1985, Dr Max Abbott, the director of the Mental Health Foundation, addressed comments made by Auckland businessman Mr Keith Hay regarding homosexuality. Dr Abbott firmly stated that mental health professionals do not consider homosexuality a mental illness, which he deemed an important distinction in light of Mr Hay's assertions. Mr Hay, a leading figure in petitions against the legalisation of homosexual acts between consenting males, had suggested that homosexuals should be categorised as mentally ill and subjected to court-mandated psychiatric treatment. Dr Abbott described Hay's remarks as outrageous and contrary to established mental health ethics. He argued that involuntarily subjecting individuals who are not mentally ill to psychiatric treatment would represent a significant infringement on civil liberties. Dr Abbott pointed out that many homosexuals experience psychological distress not because of their sexual orientation, but due to the hostile environment they often face in society. He noted that the pressures and discrimination contribute to their mental health issues. Furthermore, Dr Abbott linked the phenomenon of homophobia—a combination of disdain for homosexuals and a desire for punitive actions against them—to those who oppose human relationship education in schools. He referenced research which indicates that homophobic attitudes are prevalent among individuals who adhere to rigid, traditional views of gender roles, demonstrate high levels of authoritarianism, and are predominantly male. Mental health professionals working with the minority of homosexuals facing mental health challenges aim to assist these individuals in becoming more accepting of their sexual orientation. However, Dr Abbott highlighted how this therapeutic work is made difficult by the continuous negative portrayal of homosexuality in mainstream media. Overall, Dr Abbott's statements emphasised the importance of understanding and supporting homosexual individuals in the context of societal attitudes and mental health impacts.
Important Information
The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact
The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand