The Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders Third Revision (CCMD-3), forthcoming
in April 2001, will delete homosexuality from the list of mental disorders, but still retain
"Ego-Dystonic Homosexuality", source from Chinese Psychiatric Association (CPA) said.
CPA stressed that this decision was based on their own empirical findings as well as those
from their counterparts in other countries. In 1996, CPA set up a special task force to
assess the mental status of lesbians and gay men. From the sample of 54 persons, six of
whom had approached psychiatrists for "change", researchers considered that some still
showed signs of mental problems.
In the past few years, both American Psychiatric Association and American Psychological
Association have sent letters to CPA, urging the deletion of homosexuality as a mental
disorder. CPA sent memebers to attend the annual conference of American Psychiatric
Association in 2000. Suggestions from both pro- and anti-depathologization sides were
solicited, in addition to International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10)
issued by World Health Organization. The standing committee of CPA elected to pass
the resolution of depathologization of homosexuality for CCMD-3 at the end of 2000.
The decision has been warmly welcomed by the gay community in China, but some are
urging further deletion of "Ego-Dystonic Homosexuality" from CCMD.
Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hongkong and mainland China are the five Asian regions which
officially no long consider homosexuality as a mental disorder. In 1997, the deletion of
"hooliganism" from the Chinese criminal law is usually considered as the decriminalization
of homosexual acts in that country.