The 50th Anniversary of the Declassification of Homosexuality As a Disease: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?

Fifty years ago, in 1974, the American Psychiatric Association, following controversial debates, held an unprecedented vote to decide that homosexuality should no longer be listed as a “disease” in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Yet controversies have continued over how medicine and society should view queer identities, including, most recently, transgender individuals.

Join us and a panel of experts for an exploration of these historical and ongoing tensions.

Speakers:

Ronald Bayer, Ph.D., Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University

Gina Chua, Executive Editor, Semafor

Tia Powell, M.D., Professor of Epidemiology and Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center; Cofounder, Slow Code Media

Barbra Bluestone Rothschild, M.D., Lecturer, Bioethics, Columbia University

Moderated By:

Robert Klitzman, M.D., Program Director, Bioethics; Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center

This event is cosponsored by the Making Gay History organization.

Making Gay History is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that addresses the absence of substantive, in-depth LGBTQ+-inclusive American history from the public discourse and the classroom. By sharing the stories of those who helped a despised minority take its rightful place in society as full and equal citizens, we aim to encourage connection, pride, and solidarity within the LGBTQ+ community—and to provide an entry point for both allies and the general public to its largely hidden history.

Registered guests will receive a Zoom link prior to the event.

For further information, please contact Marie Gugnishev, mg4441 [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (mg4441[at]columbia[dot]edu).

To obtain additional information about program offerings at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, please contact an Admissions Counselor at inquire [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu (inquire[at]sps[dot]columbia[dot]edu).

If you require closed captioning, sign-language interpretation, or any other disability accommodations, please contact Disability Services, disability [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu (disability[at]columbia[dot]edu), at least 10 days in advance.

This event is open to individuals irrespective of identity and sex.