Jul 05 2017 : The Times of India (Chennai)
Man wins forced gay conversion therapy suit
Beijing
AP
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A gay man in central China has successfully sued a mental hospital over forced conversion therapy , in what activists are hailing as the first such victory in a country where the LGBT rights movement is gradually emerging from the fringes.A court in Zhumadian in Henan province ordered a mental hospital to publish a public apology in local newspapers and pay the 38-yearold man 5,000 yuan ($735) in compensation, according to a copy of the June 26 judgment The man, surnamed Yu, had been forcibly admitted to the institution in 2015 by his wife and relatives and diagnosed with “sexual preference disorder,“ court documents show.He was forced to take medicine and receive injections before fi nally walking free after 19 days.
In its ruling, the court did not weigh in on the practice of gay conversion therapy or account for Yu's sexual orientation. The court said forcing Yu into a mental institution if he did not pose a danger to himself or others amounted to “infringing on the plaintiff 's right to individual freedom.“
Yu's lawyer expressed satisfaction with the outcome on Tuesday but declined to discuss the case, saying his firm asked him not to speak to media. Yu declined to comment.
The Zhumadian mental hospital did not comment when reached by phone. China removed homosexuality from its list of recognised mental illnesses 16 years ago, but families still admit their relatives for conversion therapy
In its ruling, the court did not weigh in on the practice of gay conversion therapy or account for Yu's sexual orientation. The court said forcing Yu into a mental institution if he did not pose a danger to himself or others amounted to “infringing on the plaintiff 's right to individual freedom.“
Yu's lawyer expressed satisfaction with the outcome on Tuesday but declined to discuss the case, saying his firm asked him not to speak to media. Yu declined to comment.
The Zhumadian mental hospital did not comment when reached by phone. China removed homosexuality from its list of recognised mental illnesses 16 years ago, but families still admit their relatives for conversion therapy
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