The Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists said that
they do not endorse the view that homosexuality is due to a disease of the mind or body.
In a statemeny following the recent outcry regarding remarks of a Youtube councilor named Ama Dissanayake that homosexuality is a mental disease at a Police training in Kandy, they said,
“Modern day psychiatrists do not identify or diagnose homosexuality as a mental illness or treat it as such. This myth that homosexuality is a mental illness is not in keeping with the evidence-based science practiced by our membership. According to modern medical knowledge and social values, the lifestyle choices of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intesex and queer (LGBTIQ) community are to be respected and not discriminated against.
“We would like to strongly urge the authorities to change article 365 of the penal code which states that homosexuality is a criminal act. This archaic law should be abolished and homosexuality decriminalised in Sri Lanka,” the statement said.
Dissanayake’s remarks went viral after she said that homosexuality is a mental disease and children should be rescued before ‘falling into it.’