Presscontact:GuillaumeBonnetinParis,+33661615736,press@allout.

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Gay'cure'clinicvictiminChinapetitionsWorldHealthOrganizationforhelp

66,000+AllOutmembersjoincalltoWHODirectorGeneral:
Beinggayisnotamentaldisease

Paris/BeijingAugust28,2014Inlessthan24hours,morethan66000AllOutmembershave
signedthepetitionofaChinesegaycuresurvivor.ThepetitionurgestheWorldHealth
Organizations(WHO)ExecutiveDirectortoreaffirmtheorganisationsstatedpositionthat
beinggayisnotamentaldisease,andtounequivocallycondemngaycuresforthefirsttime.

ChinesepetitionstarterXiaoZhen*,30,isthefirstpersontosueanantigayclinicinChina,after
itusedelectroshocktherapytotrytoshockthegayoutofhim.XiaoZhen*isleadingaglobal
outcrytopushWHOtospeakoutandhelpconvinceChineseofficialstobanshamgay'cures'
thatarespreadingthroughoutthecountry.

"I'vebeenthroughelectroshocksatagaycureclinicinChina.NowI'mfightingbacktotell
everyoneinChinaandbeyondthatbeinggayisOkayandtomakesurethatgay'cures'are
banned,"saidXiaoZhen*.Togetherwith66,000AllOutmembers,ImcallingonWHOtoback
meupandsendasimplemessagetoChineseauthoritiesandtheChinesemedicalcommunity:
beinggayisokay!Itsnotadisease.NooneshouldhavetoendurethetraumathatIhave,ever
again.

LastJuly,afterenduringtheshamtreatment,XiaoZhen*filedthefirstlawsuitagainstagay
cureclinicinChina.TherulingofthislandmarklegalbattleisexpectedinSeptemberandcould
meanthatgay'cures',orsocalledconversiontherapy',couldbebannednationwide.

"Theglobalmobilisationandthetrialcouldbeagamechangerforlesbian,gay,andbipeoplein
Chinaandtherestoftheworld.TheWorldHealthOrganizationhastheauthoritytopersuadethe
politicalandmedicalauthoritiestobangaycures,saidAndreBanks,AllOutsCofounder
andExecutiveDirector.WHOExecutiveDirector,DrMargaretChancanuseherpowerful
voicetohelpbangaycuresforgood.

Chinastoppedviewinghomosexualityasamentaldiseasein2001.Despitethisofficial
recognition,thousandsofclinicsinthecountrycontinuetooffershamgaycures.

"InChina,beinggayisstillseenassomethingthatcanbecured,andthousandsofscamclinics
preyonthatmyth.Despiteofficialrecognitionbythegovernmentthatbeinggayisnotamental
disease,parentsanddoctorsarepressuringgaypeopletoundergophoneytreatments."said
XiaoTie,ExecutivedirectoroftheBeijingLGBTCentrewhoisbackingthelegalactionand
joiningAllOut'sglobalmobilisation.

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

Theseshamgaycureskill.Theirpersistenceperpetuatesdiscriminationandcanhave
disastrous,orevenfatal,consequencesforthegayorlesbianpersonsubjectedtothepainful
andhumiliatingtreatments.saidTingtingWei,ExecutiveDirectoroftheChinesegay
rightsorganizationQueerComrades,whohasstagedprotestsinsupportofthelawsuitand
isalsosupportingAllOut'sglobalmobilisation.

Foranuptodatepetitionsignaturecountclickhere:
www.allout.org/endgaycureschina

*Thisisapseudonym

AboutAllOut
In77countries,itisacrimetobegayin10itcancostyouyourlife.AllOutismobilizingmillions
ofpeopleandtheirsocialnetworkstobuildapowerfulglobalmovementforloveandequality.
Ourmissionistobuildaworldwherenopersonwillhavetosacrificetheirfamilyorfreedom,
safetyordignity,becauseofwhotheyareorwhotheylove.

TheBeijingLGBTCenterandQueerComradesareChinesegayrightsorganisations.

***
Notetotheeditors:

AllOutmembershavebeenfightinggay'cures'allovertheworldandwinningsince2012.Thousands
havehelpedgetofficialsinArgentina,FranceandEcuadortostatethat'gaycures'aredangerousand
helpedpassalawinCaliforniathatbans'gaycures'foryoungpeople.MembersinBrazilhelpedbuildthe
pressuretostopBrazilfromlegalizinggaycures.

OnMay171990,theWorldHealthAssemblyremovedhomosexualityfromthelistofmentaldisorders
whenitapprovedanewversionoftheWorldHealthOrganizationsInternationalClassificationofDiseases
(ICD10).

On17May2012,PanAmericanHealthOrganizationWHODirectorDr.MirtaRosesPeriagorecognized
thatthereisnomedicalindicationforchangingsexualorientationandthatpracticesknownas"reparative
therapy"or"conversiontherapy"represent"aseriousthreattothehealthandwellbeingeventhelivesof
affectedpeople."

Inits2011report,theUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRightsrecalledthatspecial
proceduresoftheUNhavealsocriticizedthepracticeofsocalledreparativetherapyintendedtocure
individualsoftheirhomosexualattraction,asbeingunscientific,potentiallyharmfulandcontributingto
stigma.ReportoftheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRights,A/HRC/19/41
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