The Fight for Acceptance: Depathologizing Homosexuality

This chapter chronicles the movement to remove homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), spearheaded by activist coalitions and sympathetic psychiatrists. It emphasizes critical research by Evelyn Hooker and the advocacy efforts of figures like Judd Marmer, who challenge the pathologization of homosexuality. The narrative highlights the tensions within the gay rights movement and the confrontations with psychiatric institutions, ultimately showcasing the struggle for recognition and acceptance in a historically stigmatizing field.