Trans activists have expressed concern over appointments to a task force which will oversee revisions of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Diagnosis of Mental Disorders (DSM-V).

The manual lists different categories of mental disorders and the criteria for diagnosing them. It is used worldwide by clinicians and researchers, as well as insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and policy makers.

There is particular concern is over the appointment of Dr Kenneth Zucker to the task force.

Zucker, who has been selected to chair the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders working group, is an advocate of reparative ‘ex-gay’ therapy to ‘cure’ gender-variant children.

TransActive Education & Advocacy, a US group which supports transgender and gender variant youth, has released a media statement opposing Zucker’s selection.

“[Our] position is based upon his approach to clinical treatment of transgender and gender non-conforming identity in children and youth,” the release states.

The group also cites a statement made by Zucker on US National Public Radio, in which he said, “It is legitimate for parents to establish limits for their children on cross-gender behaviours. If not, the behaviour is, in effect, being reinforced.”

A spokesperson from TransGender Victoria told MCV that Zucker believes gender variant children should be classed as homosexual and therefore could ‘benefit’ from reparative ‘ex-gay’ therapy.

“His aim is that they display what he believes is hetero-normative gender conforming behaviour. His appointment is essentially negative for trans people based on the queer phobic views he has exhibited.”

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