Presscontacts:

GuillaumeBonnetinParis,+33661615736,press@allout.org,(English,French)

FirstChinesetosuegay'cure'clinicgoesglobalandpetition
WorldHealthOrganization

60000+AllOutmembersjoincalltoWHOExecutiveDirector:Beinggayisnotamental
disease

Paris/BeijingAugust28,2014Inlessthan24h,morethan60000AllOutmembershavesigned
thepetitionofanChinesegaycuresurvivor.ThepetitionurgestheWorldHealthOrganizations
(WHO)ExecutiveDirectortoreaffirmitsstatedpositionthatbeinggayisnotamentaldisease,and
tounequivocallycondemngaycuresforthefirsttime.

ChinesepetitionstarterXiaoZhen*,30,isthefirstpersontosueanantigayclinicinChina,afterit
triedtoshockthegayoutofhim.XiaoZhen*isleadingaglobaloutcrytopushWHOtospeakout
andhelpconvinceChineseofficialstobansham'cures'thatarespreadingthroughoutthecountry.

"I'vebeenthroughelectroshocksatagaycureclinicinChina.NowI'mfightingbacktotell
everyoneinChinaandbeyondthatbeinggayisOKandtomakesurethatgay'cures'are
banned",saidXiaoZhen*.Togetherwith60000AllOutmembers,ImcallingonWHOtobackme
upandsendasimplemessagetoChineseauthoritiesandtheChinesemedicalcommunity:being
gayisok!Itsnotadisease.NooneshouldhavetoendurethetraumathatIhave,everagain.

LastJuly,afterenduringtheshamtreatment,XiaoZhen*filedthefirstlawsuitagainstgaycuresin
China.TherulingofthislandmarklegalbattleisexpectedinSeptemberandcouldmeanthatgay
'cures',orsocalledconversiontherapy',couldbebannednationwide.

"Theglobalmobilisationandthetrialcouldbeagamechangerforlesbian,gay,andbipeoplein
Chinaandtherestoftheworld.TheWorldHealthOrganizationhastheauthoritytopersuadethe
politicalandmedicalauthoritiestobangaycures,saidAndreBanks,AllOutsCofounderand
ExecutiveDirector.WHOExecutiveDirector,DrMargaretChancanuseherpowerfulvoiceto
helpbangaycuresforgood.

Chinastoppedviewinghomosexualityasamentaldiseasein2001.Despitethisofficialrecognition,
thousandsofclinicsinthecountrycontinuetooffershamgaycures.

"InChina,beinggayisstillseenassomethingthatcanbecured,andthousandsofscamclinics
preyonthatmyth.Despiteofficialrecognitionbythegovernmentthatbeinggayisnotamental
disease,parentsanddoctorsarepressuringgaypeopletoundergophoneytreatments."said

XiaoTie,ExecutivedirectoroftheBeijingLGBTCentrewhoisbackingthelegalactionand

Presscontacts:
GuillaumeBonnetinParis,+33661615736,press@allout.org,(English,French)

joiningAllOut'sglobalmobilisation.

Theseshamgaycureskill.Theirpersistenceperpetuatesdiscriminationandcanhavedisastrous,
orevenfatal,consequencesforthegayorlesbianpersonsubjectedtothepainfulandhumiliating
treatments.saidTingtingWei,ExecutiveDirectoroftheChinesegayrightsorganization
QueerComrades,whohasstagedprotestsinsupportofthelawsuitandisalsosupportingAll
Out'sglobalmobilisation.

Foranuptodatepetitionsignaturecountclickhere:
www.allout.org/endgaycureschina

*Thisisapseudonym

AboutAllOut
In77countries,itisacrimetobegayin10itcancostyouyourlife.AllOutismobilizingmillionsof
peopleandtheirsocialnetworkstobuildapowerfulglobalmovementforloveandequality.Our
missionistobuildaworldwherenopersonwillhavetosacrificetheirfamilyorfreedom,safetyor
dignity,becauseofwhotheyareorwhotheylove.

TheBeijingLGBTCenterandQueerComradesareChinesegayrightsorganisations.

***
Notetotheeditors:

AllOutmembershavebeenfightinggay'cures'allovertheworldandwinningsince2012.Thousandshave
helpedgetofficialsinArgentina,FranceandEcuadortostatethat'gaycures'aredangerousandhelpedpassa
lawinCaliforniathatbans'gaycures'foryoungpeople.MembersinBrazilhelpedbuildthepressuretostop
Brazilfromlegalizinggaycures.

OnMay171990,theWorldHealthAssemblyremovedhomosexualityfromthelistofmentaldisorderswhenit
approvedanewversionoftheWorldHealthOrganizationsInternationalClassificationofDiseases(ICD10).

On17May2012,PanAmericanHealthOrganizationWHODirectorDr.MirtaRosesPeriagorecognizedthat
thereisnomedicalindicationforchangingsexualorientationandthatpracticesknownas"reparativetherapy"or
"conversiontherapy"represent"aseriousthreattothehealthandwellbeingeventhelivesofaffected
people."

Inits2011report,theUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRightsrecalledthatspecialproceduresof
theUNhavealsocriticizedthepracticeofsocalledreparativetherapyintendedtocureindividualsoftheir
homosexualattraction,asbeingunscientific,potentiallyharmfulandcontributingtostigma.ReportoftheUnited
NationsHighCommissionerforHumanRights,A/HRC/19/41###