Dr Christian Jessen, the British TV doctor who presents Embarrassing Bodies, is to test a series of controversial therapies for 'curing' homosexuality, as part of a new Channel 4 documentary series, Cure Me, I'm Gay.
Jessen, who is openly in a
long-term gay relationship, will be assessing the medical credibility of several 'conversion' or 'reparative' therapies by undergoing them himself, and then taking tests to measures his sexual arousal afterwards.
Historically, treatments for 'curing' homosexuality - advocated predominantly by right-wing fundamentalist American religious organisations and groups such as the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) - have included electric shock therapy, inducing nausea while being exposed to homoerotic material, praying, exorcism, trips to brothels to have sex with women, and hypnosis.
Dr Christian Jessen will himself test out therapies for 'curing' gay people from homosexuality in his new show Cure Me, I'm Gay
In Sacha Baron Cohen's 2009 film Bruno, in which the British comedian played a gay Austrian fashion journalist, he visits an American organisation where he is told that that homosexuality is wrong, and curable by just blocking out gay thoughts.
In Cure Me, I'm Gay, Jessen will talk about homosexual patients who visit doctors asking to be 'cured' from being gay, and people who claim they have genuinely been 'cured', as reported in Attitude Magazine and Huffington Post.
Speaking to Ditch The Label about being a gay doctor, Jessen said: 'There is a massive prejudice around being a gay doctor. It was different for me as I have never been "obviously" gay and so people are often surprised when they find out.
'I have been exposed to off-the-cuff homophobic comments from other doctors, especially when being trained in sexual health.
'Prejudice towards patients and sexual health do exist. I never hid my sexuality but never wove a flag either; I don't see it as being relevant. I am a doctor and not a "gay doctor".'
Men's rights campaigner Peter Lloyd says he hopes the programme will highlight that it is homophobia, not homosexuality, that is the problem.
‘The fact this series has been commissioned is great – but not for the reasons people may think. If done correctly, it will prove that trying to change a person’s sexuality is futile.
'Medicine cannot – and should not - alter a person’s orientation. It’s homophobia that needs eliminating – not homosexuality. Besides, medicine has much bigger fish to fry.’
Cure Me, I'm Gay will be screened on Channel 4 later this year. A spokesman was unable to provide more information, or to clarify exactly which therapies Dr Jessen would be undergoing.
Dr Jessen said: 'I have been exposed to
off-the-cuff homophobic comments from other doctors, especially when
being trained in sexual health'
Historically, therapies indenting to 'cure' people of homosexuality have included electric shock therapy
Hypnosis was often thought to be able to cure homosexuality
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