# When did homosexuality stop being classified as a mental disorder?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-homosexuality-stop-being-classified-as-a-mental-disorder/283050>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 4, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-homosexuality-stop-being-classified-as-a-mental-disorder/283050 "2005-01-04T17:01:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Sablicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Sablicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sablicious)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-homosexuality-stop-being-classified-as-a-mental-disorder/283050/21 "2010-08-08T17:02:11Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> > [@Sablicious](#):
> >
> > Don’t know the official date (if there’s such a thing), but methinks around the same time people started to accept the fact that more than few of [history’s more notable figures](http://www.gay-art-history.org/) were either outright gay or, as with all men, had homosexual tendencies.
> 
> While it’s certainly possible that all men have homosexual tendencies, I don’t believe that we can say that is a factual statement given our limited knowledge of the subject.

Indeed. You’re right. Given our limited knowledge of the subject matter, hereinafter we will refer to this phenomenon as ‘swamp gas’, shall we? 😉

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**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-homosexuality-stop-being-classified-as-a-mental-disorder/283050/22 "2010-08-08T20:34:50Z")

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> [@Kiyoshi](#):
>
> > [@mrsface](#):
> >
> > Thanks a lot for prompt replies and links - 1973 was later than I’d thought, though I don’t know why I should be surprised since homosexuality was only legalised in the UK in 1967.
> 
> Only in England and Wales. It wasn’t decriminalised in Scotland until 1980 and Northern Ireland until 1982! :eek:

It took until 1993 for the Republic of Ireland to decriminalise.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-homosexuality-stop-being-classified-as-a-mental-disorder/283050/23 "2010-08-08T21:29:30Z")

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> [@An\_Gadai](#):
>
> > [@Kiyoshi](#):
> >
> > Only in England and Wales. It wasn’t decriminalised in Scotland until 1980 and Northern Ireland until 1982! :eek:
> 
> It took until 1993 for the Republic of Ireland to decriminalise.

It took the US until 2003.

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**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-homosexuality-stop-being-classified-as-a-mental-disorder/283050/24 "2010-08-08T22:49:13Z")

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> [@Captain\_Amazing](#):
>
> > [@An\_Gadai](#):
> >
> > It took until 1993 for the Republic of Ireland to decriminalise.
> 
> It took the US until 2003.

It was a state by state process until 2003. Illnois for example decriminalized gay sex in _1961_ when it adopted a new penal code. And it’s still illegal if you’re in the military.

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