In a period of less than 5 days, more than 90,000 All Out members have signed a petition in support of a Chinese gay man victim of “reverse therapy.” The petition requested WHO Director-General Margaret Chan to once again make clear the WHO’s established position – reiterating that homosexuality is not a mental illness – and called for condemnation on any attempts to “reverse cure” homosexual behavior.
By taking up this fight Xiao Zhen (pseudonym) is hoping to tell China and the world that homosexuality is normal and that so called “shock therapies” are false. “With the help of more than 90,000 members from All Out, I appeal to the World Health Organization to lend me strength, to convey to the Chinese government and the Chinese medical community this simple message: homosexuality is normal, homosexuality is not a disease, no one should bear the pain I experienced. ” Xiao Zhen said.
In July last year, Xiao Zhen sued the medical facility in which he undertook “shock therapy”, resulting in the first “homosexual therapy” litigation case in China. The verdict is expected to be handed down this month.
All Out joint founder and executive director Andre Banks believes that global mobilization and the trial has the potential to revolutionize the life of gays, lesbians and bisexuals in China and the world. He called on WHO Director-General Margaret Chan to use her clout to prohibit these treatments.
