Dr. John Fryer (November 7, 1937 – February 21, 2003), c. 2000. Inset: Barbara Gittings, Frank
Dr. John Fryer (November 7, 1937 – February 21, 2003), c. 2000. Inset: Barbara Gittings, Frank Kameny, and Dr. Fryer (as Dr. H. Anonymous), American Psychiatric Association (APA) Conference, Dallas, Tex., May 2, 1972. Photo by K. Tobin. Until the 1970s, Alix Spiegel later wrote, “psychiatrists had always thought of homosexuality as a pathology, a problem so profound it affected the total personality.” Accordingly, the APA officially designated homosexuality as a mental illness, and, “because psychiatrists believed that homosexuals were pathological, it gave scientific sanction for the rest of the country to see it the same way.” In the early 1970s, due to the work of gay activists and a new guard of doctors, the APA showed a willingness to listen to arguments against the designation of homosexuality as a disease. In 1972, the APA allowed a panel on homosexuality at its annual conference; Barbara Gittings understood the importance of finding a gay doctor to address the conference. No gay doctor, however, would risk his or her career by speaking; Gittings arranged for the appearance of Dr. H. Anonymous, later revealed to be Dr. John Fryer, who was born seventy-nine years ago today. Dr. Fryer, a closeted gay psychiatrist, appeared in a distorted Nixon mask and an enormous tuxedo, and spoke through a voice-altering microphone: “All of us have something to lose [by coming out]…We are taking an even bigger risk, however, not accepting fully our own humanity…This is the greatest loss: our honest humanity. And that loss leads all those others around us to lose that little bit of their humanity as well…We must use our skills and wisdom to help them—and us—grow to be comfortable with that little piece of humanity called homosexuality.” Fryer received a standing ovation, and the speech often is cited as a turning point in the struggle against the APA’s designation. By the end of the year, the APA removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. Dr. Fryer did not publicly reveal himself as having been Dr. Anonymous until 1994; he died in 2003. #lgbthistory #lgbtherstory #lgbttheirstory #lgbtpride #HavePrideInHistory -- source link
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