"When Prejudice Masquerades as Science: The History of 'Diagnosis' and 'Treatment' of Homosexuality"

Few people know the civil rights struggle of how the diagnosis of homosexuality evolved and was finally deleted from psychiatry's official nomenclature. Over the years, many people suffered severe psychological injury by the very people who were ostensibly there to help them. Some of this tragic legacy continues today. This presentation begins in the 1950's and takes the audience through the tumultuous 60's and 70's up to the present to demonstrate the legacy and implications of psychiatry's once implacable position that 'homosexuality is treatable psychopathology.' Attendees will see a scholarly but compelling power point presentation, view clips of once popular movies, and hear audio interviews from gay activists and establishment psychiatrists of that era, to see how internalized prejudicial attitudes affect everyone, including those who come asking for help and those who provide treatment. This presentation is intended to supplement the Duke University LGBTQ History and Inclusion activities, Fall 2014.