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[continued]
The loophole was ‘ego-dystonic homosexuality’ and there was one particular doctor with a million followers on YouTube.
They would say, ‘I will want to perform conversion therapy for people with gender dysphoria, or people will alternate sexualities. I will not do that. But if they come to me, I will perform conversion therapy.’
The doctor points to ego-dystonic homosexuality where, ‘If the patient feels they have distress about their gender and or sexuality, one can make efforts to reduce the distress.’
However, the interpretation is up to the psychiatrist, who can interpret as the distress being caused by someone’s gender or sexual orientation (rather than social and parental pressures) — it’s an open loophole.
One week ago we were informed about another very well known psychiatrist performing conversion therapy.
I wanted to address this, this loophole should not exist. I wrote an email to the Madras High Court about specifically removing this loophole in medical competencies.
I recieved a positive feedback and felt, if I can make this change of stopping conversion therapy as a third-year medical student who sent an email, what can other medical professionals do?
You have everything in your hands, you have privileges, you have everything that you need in your hands. If I can do it, why can’t you? Why do I have to take this much effort outside my studies? Why should I put this much effort into researching all these things in your textbooks? Why do I need to notify you about how problematic this is? Can’t you find it problematic?
Listen to our lived experiences. Most doctors have this god complex of, ‘I get to decide what is good for you. Let me decide your gender.’
They think that they get to decide everything for us. For once, listen to what we have to say. Then decide.