| Cuba: Transsexuality to be removed from the list of mental diseases |
 |
 |
| Escrito por Sara Más | |||||||||
|
Local experts have endorsed a declaration supporting the idea of removing transsexuality from the International Classification of Mental Diseases. “We hereby reaffirm that transsexuality and transgender are only expressions of sexual diversity,” the text indicated. Issued by the Cuban Society for Interdisciplinary Sexuality Studies (SOCUMES), the declaration was read by Alberto Roque, head of its Sexual Diversity Section, at the 5th Cuban Congress on Sex Education, Orientation and Therapy, which was held earlier this month in Havana. The American Psychiatry Association plans to keep transsexuality on the list of mental diseases and to continue applying birth-sex adaptation therapy to boys and girls under the fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual on Mental Diseases, which will be published in 2012. “Psychological, medical and surgical treatment should be provided to transsexuals and transgender so that they can be better equipped to deal with social stigma and discrimination,” the declaration stressed. “Adaptation therapy should never be applied to redress their gender identity, and no sex-reassignment operation should be performed on those under 18 years of age,” it added. “We strongly believe, however, that the above-mentioned procedures are in keeping with bioethical principles and respect for individual sexual rights, freedom and justice,” it indicated. “We highlight the need to enact the legislation that may be necessary to recognize these rights, including the so-called Gender Identity Law, which involves authorizing change of identity even when no sex-change operation is performed,” it emphasized. “We also favor the idea of formulating and implementing educational strategies on sexual orientation and gender identity, as set forth in the National Sex Education Program,” it stressed. “We stress the need to provide comprehensive care to transsexuals under social policies of the Cuban State and government, in keeping with the United Nations Declaration dated 18 December 2008, which condemns human-rights violations based on sexual-orientation and gender-identity considerations,” it said. International human-rights organizations had expressed concern over this issue in the past. While recognizing the right of all Cuban citizens to free and universal public-health services, the declaration established that complementary legislation should be developed to protect transgender rights in a comprehensive manner.
Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.25
3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."
|
