According to a statement released by the Lebanese Psychiatric Society (LPS) and published on the Ministry of Information’s National News Agency on Thursday, homosexuality is not a disease and there is nothing that needs to be cured:
LGBTQ Nation provides a summary of the statement:
“Homosexuality in itself does not cause any defect in judgment, stability, reliability or social and professional abilities,” LPS said, in response to recent arrests and mistreatment of LGBT people in Lebanon. “The assumption that homosexuality is a result of disturbances in the family dynamic or unbalanced psychological development is based on wrong information.,” the organization said. LPS added that “conversion therapy” also known as reparative, or “ex-gay” therapy, which seeks to “convert” homosexuals into heterosexuals, has no scientific backing and asked health care professionals to “rely only on science” when offering opinion or treatment.
Though, LGBTQ Nation seems to have jumped the gun by insinuating that this is a policy change on how Lebanon (as in the state) deals with homosexuality – this is far from the truth. LPS statement is just that, a statement. It may have been released through the Ministry of Information, but that does not make it in any way a policy change nor does it represent the view of the government. Change will only come through legislation.
“We’re Gay!!”
A wall at Hamra Street, Beirut
Photo taken by Noha Atef via flickr