A Chinese man identified by the
pseudonym Xiao Zhen has sued the clinic that tried to “shock the
gay” out of him.
According to LGBT rights advocate All
Out, the 30-year-old Zhen filed his first of its kind lawsuit in July
and a verdict is expected next month.
Zhen claims the clinic used
electroshock treatment and hypnosis in an attempt to alter his sexual
orientation from gay to straight.
“I was electro-shocked at a gay
'cure' center in China,” he said in a statement. “Doctors
hypnotized me and said they would 'shock the gay' out of me.”
“In families like mine, being gay is
still seen as something that can be cured, and scam clinics prey on
that fear. Now, I want my friends, my family and everyone in China
to understand that being gay is normal.”
Zhen also launched an All Out petition
asking the World Health Organization (WHO) “to join in and speak
out against gay 'cures'.”
“It could help convince [Chinese]
officials to finally ban these dangerous gay 'cures,'” he added.
As of Friday, more than 87,000 people
had electronically signed Zhen's
petition.