Let’s take a deep breath and celebrate dr Evelyn Hooker — a psychologist whose groundbreaking research debunked the basic myth of homosexuality. Her work ultimately resulted in the diagnosis of “homosexuality” removal from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association.
In 1953, dr Evelyn Hooker conducted research on “normal homosexuals”, a term that was considered an oxymoron of sorts at the time. During this time, homosexual acts were a crime, and a variety of medical and psychological treatments to *cure* homosexuality were in the mix — including electroshock, ice pick lobotomies, chemical castration with hormonal treatment, or aversive conditioning.
Besides being considered “mentally ill”, gay men were forced out of government jobs and were arrested in police raids. The “illness” propaganda went on so far that even gay men ultimately believed they were sick.
Hooker’s proposal to study gay men began as a result of a close friendship she developed with a former psychology student, Sam From.
From introduced her to the gay subculture and told her at the time that it was her “scientific duty” to study homosexuals and promised her access to all the subjects she needed.
Soon, Hooker began an investigation that would ultimately result in the removal of homosexuality as a form of psychopathology from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III of the American Psychiatric Association.
Hooker’s project was derisively referred to as “The Fairy Project” by some federal officials in Washington.
The Fairy project
Dr Hooker recruited 30 homosexual and 30 heterosexual men, matched for age, IQ scores, and education. Each participant took three projective tests: The Rorschach, the Make a Picture Story Test (MAPS), and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
An adjustment rating was assigned to each participant based on the test scores, and then the experts were given paired Rorschach protocols, one from a gay participant, and one from a straight participant, and asked to identify the homosexual.
As with heterosexuals, homosexuals’ adjustment varied from superior to disturbed.
Experts were unable to identify the gay participant’s protocol from the matched pairs at better than chance accuracy. There was no association between homosexuality and psychological maladjustment.
Hooker reported that one of the most exciting days of her life was the day she presented the results of her research at APA’s 1956 Annual Convention in Chicago. This ground-breaking research and the work that followed on the homosexual subculture led to Hooker’s award in 1992 for Distinguished Contribution to Psychology in the Public Interest from APA.
She shared the award with the gay and lesbian community and said that her research and “long advocacy of a scientific view of homosexuality” could make their lives and the lives of their families better.
She closed her address with a letter she had received from a gay man thanking her for her work and saying, “I think you did it because you knew what love was when you saw it, and you knew that gay love was like all other love.”
‘What is called this year “evil” and whatever, next year may constitute the blessing of the human race.’Evelyn Hooker,September 2, 1907 – November 18, 1996