A man in China has launched a legal challenge against a “conversion clinic”, which uses electroshock therapy to “cure” homosexuality. In a report by Al Jazeera’s digital channel AJ+, Yanzi Peng successfully challenged the clinic in a landmark case. A court declared that being gay was not an illness and that “gay treatments” were illegal.
Pressured by traditional family values, Peng went to a “conversion clinic” in February 2014 hoping to be “cured” of homosexuality.
“The consultant hypnotised me and asked me to think about the sense of having sex with men. Then he electric-shocked me,” Peng said.
The clinic insisted the treatment was effective as long as “patients” cooperated.
Peng decided to sue the clinic and search engine Baidu for advertising the service. In December 2014, a court ruled in favour of Peng.
“We can use the (court) results to tell everybody that, especially tell the parents in China gay cannot be changed,” he said.
