Sexual Deviants Beware: The Mental Health Bible is Up For Revision

Posted at 4:52 PM May 22, 2008

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is commonly referred to as the "bible" of mental health - it lists every mental illness that is recognized as such. Mental health practitioners use it to diagnosed their patients and clients - they then nab the diagnostic codes so they can write prescriptions for ailments and work with people in various forms of therapy. The book is currently in its fourth printing, and is about to go into editing for a fifth version.

People whose sexualities are outside the norm -which in many ways the DSM defines- are constantly battling with mental health practitioners about what good, normal, healthy sexuality is and can be. The group Kink Aware Professionals is a loose organization of therapists and other health professionals who are non-judgmental about alternative sexuality and relationships. And that's important considering that it's only been since 1974, that homosexuality wasn't listed as a mental disorder. But this could be at risk of changing.

One of the doctors named as a member of the work group to revise the DSM is Kenneth Zucker, who has been a long-time proponent of reparative therapy, which is used to rehabilitate gay and gender-variant youth. Yes, he's one of those guys who "fixes" children who feel that they were born in a wrongly-sexed body - or at least thinks he can.

The Bilerco Project has more analysis of what this could mean - it's something that is well-worth keeping an eye on.

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