50 years ago, the American Psychiatric Association removed the diagnostic code 302.0, homosexuality, from the DSM.

Almost.

Welcome to the Carlet Psychiatry Podcast, keeping psychiatry honest since 2003.

I'm Chris Aiken, the editor-in-chief of the Carlet Psychiatry Report.

And I'm Kelly Newsom, a psychiatric MP and a dedicated reader of every issue.

In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the DSM.

At least, that is the story that we're told. The real story is more complex.

What really happened in that APA conference room back in 1973 was you had over a thousand

psychiatrists in a very dark room with a brand new

light bulb. But the problem was, the light bulb had to want to change.

First, a preview of the CMA quiz for this episode. 1. A 1957 study by psychologist Evelyn Hooker found that homosexual and heterosexual men was similar on what outcome.

A. Rates of psychiatric disorders. B. Stages of

psychological development. C. Functional status. D. Projective testing.

Let's journey back to where it all began at the Sheraton Waikiki, where the APA annual meeting

was held in Honolulu, May 7, 1973.

Back then, membership had its benefits.

The conference was free for APA members and their families, crowned by a grand ballroom

dance for the participants. But it was a more restrictive group. Heterosexuality was part of the

admissions criteria for psychoanalytic training, and even for the general psychiatrist,

they could risk losing their job or their medical license by revealing a different

sexual orientation. Education was more experiential back then. The makers of a blood alcohol

monitoring device hosted a booth that would, quote, make drinking and blood alcohol level

...