Protests planned as ‘gender repair clinic’ psychiatrist is invited to Manchester
Article published: Tuesday, November 30th 2010
Controversy has erupted around the invitation to Professor Ken Zucker, best known for his contentious work on Childhood Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and the ‘gender repair clinics’ he runs in Toronto, to a prestigious conference in Manchester.
Controversial professor
A psychiatrist and academic, Zucker has been asked to be a keynote speaker at the British Psychological Society’s (BPS) annual Clinical Psychology conference on Friday 3 December at the Lowry Hotel. Yet his theories on gender have drawn criticism, with fellow-psychiatrist Simon Pickstone-Taylor describing his methods as “something disturbingly close to reparative therapy,” which was previously used in attempts to ‘convert’ homosexuals to heterosexuality.
Childhood Gender Identity Disorder (GID), Zucker’s area of study, is diagnosed by psychiatrists when children present with a variety of ‘symptoms’ such as refusing to play with stereotypically gender-appropriate toys, games and activities or refusing to wear stereotypically gender-appropriate clothing.
In Toronto Zucker works with children as young as three to ‘help’ them avoid the social exclusion and difficulties that come with being gay or transsexual, stating once: “Many parents bring their children to me because they would prefer that they not grow up to be gay.”
Equality campaigners have condemmed his practices, with Misha Elizabeth Balch of Gender Alliance Of The South Sound arguing that “Dr Zucker’s work, taken as a whole, is an affront to the dignity of transgendered people everywhere.”
A campaign group called Protest Zucker has been set up to highlight the “offence and harm” Zucker and his colleagues cause to their patients, peers and the public. They say the legitimacy given to his work by such prestigious platforms as the Clinical Psychology conference dismisses gay and trans discrimination in society and could lead to those who challenge gender stereotypes being deemed ‘pathological’ or ‘abnormal’.
Concerns have even been raised by the group that his treatments are against human rights legislation, in reference to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Yogyakarta Principles which state: “No person may be forced to undergo any form of medical or psychological treatment, procedure, testing, or be confined to a medical facility, based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
A spokesperson for Protest Zucker said: “Advertising Zucker as an ‘expert’ is very worrying to many groups and individuals. Zucker says that he ‘treats’ children with GID – but he chooses to ‘treat’ individual children, rather than encouraging acceptance of gender diversity in society. In fact, he actively discourages tolerance for gender diversity in his treatments and says that parents who tolerate their child’s behaviour are part of the ‘problem’.
“His views are damaging and he should not be given a platform at this conference.”
Fellow academics, students and local people are planning to protest Zucker’s presence, after the BPS refused to withdraw his invitation despite a petition and lobbying by Protest Zucker. According to Professor William Spurlin, “This is just another example of the perpetuation of misogyny and homophobia in culture under the guise of medical authority. Certainly there is more enlightened clinical work to be showcased at the Clinical Psychology Annual Conference.”
Andy Lockhart
More: Manchester, News
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