Yes. For Rs. 2100, Dr. Dilbag will send medications that he claims will cure homosexuality with no side effects within 30 days!
On his website here is what, Dr. Dilbag says
Dr.Dilbag’s clinic has a team of “qualified” and “professional” Ayurvedic and Homeopathic doctors, who can cure homosexuality and other sexual problems. They have branches in Delhi and Amritsar (Gaysis from Delhi, please see what these guys are upto).
Unfortunately doctors like Dilbag are not a rarity. Unethical medical practices, including conversion therapies, are prescribed and administered by several qualified doctors across India. These doctors let their personal belief systems and judgments get in their way of offering proper medical advice, and claim a person’s sexual orientation can be changed.
Dr. Shanti Davidar, a leading psychiatrist from Chennai, compares homosexuality to alcoholism and domestic violence. She was challenged by Gay rights activist Sunil Menon in a live debate hosted by NDTV Hindu. Dr. Davidar was not hesitant about her claims and insisted that she has cured several homosexuals. When asked about the details of the treatment, however, she said it is confidential. Appalling! Isn’t it?
The Delhi High Court’s historic July 2nd, 377 judgment decriminalizing same-sex acts has brought homosexuality out of the Indian closet. Indian parents now hear “Mom, Dad, I am Gay” more than ever. Often their first reaction is to contact a nearby psychiatrist, hoping he or she will be able to cure their son or daughter’s homosexuality.
While the American Psychiatric Association (in 1973) and the World Health Organization (in 1981) have declared that homosexuality is not a disease or a disorder, the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), the largest group of Psychiatrists in India, does not have an official stand on homosexuality. Dr. Prabha S Chandra from National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHAANS) has written an article stressing the need for IPS to take a clear stand and also demanding IPS to carry an affirmative statement on homosexuality on their website.
In October 2009, Orinam.net, a Chennai based LGBT resource website, launched an online signature campaign called “Campaign for Open Minds” to counter the LGBT phobia prevalent in the Indian medical community. Several leading doctors from India, including big names like Dr.Vijay Nagaswami, Dr.Suresh Kumar and Dr.Prabha S Chandra have signed the campaign extending their support to the LGBT community and condemning unethical, biased, and discriminatory medical practices.
These individuals make a huge difference in the Indian medical community, but it is very critical for the well being of the Indian LGBT community that IPS take a stand on this issue. IPS should also declare medical practices like conversion therapies (including electric shock therapies) unethical and unscientific.
As Dr. Prabha S Chandra says, “The Court judgment has brought down a wall. It is now the responsibility of mental health professionals to reach out, walk over the debris and help build a shelter for those who need it.”
