Alberta Guidelines Still List Homosexuality as Mental Disorder

The province promised to change its diagnostic code in 1998 but has yet to do so.

The Alberta health system’s problems are well-documented, but you’d think a relatively easy fix would be to eliminate a single entry in the province’s diagnostic code. The code still lists homosexuality as a mental disorder, lumping it in with pedophilia, bestiality, transvestitism, and exhibitionism. Homosexuality was de-listed from the U.S. diagnostic code in 1973, and Canada and the UN followed suit in 1982 and 1990 respectively. China de-listed homosexuality in 2005. Alberta’s health ministry reviewed its guidelines that year as well but declined to remove homosexuality from the code, even though the government promised to make the change in 1998. Gay rights activists say listing homosexuality as a disorder promotes bigotry by allowing homophobic groups to claim gays are diseased.