Chinese man forced into ‘gay conversion therapy’ wins landmark lawsuit against hospital
Henan mental hospital that treated him for ‘anxiety disorder’ against his will ordered to make public apology and pay compensation
A gay man in the central Chinese province of Henan has successfully sued a mental hospital over forced conversion therapy, in what activists are hailing as the first such victory in a country where the LGBT rights movement is gradually emerging from the fringes.
The district court in Zhumadian ordered the hospital to make a public apology and pay the man 5,000 yuan (US$735) in compensation after he was forced to undergo treatment for “anxiety disorder”, according to court documents.
The hospital had infringed on the right of 38-year-old Yu Quanhu, not his real name, to individual freedom, the court said in its June 26 judgment. But it did not weigh in on the practice of gay conversion therapy.
Yu was sent to the hospital by his wife and relatives in October 2015 after he tried to get a divorce. He was kept there for 19 days, during which time he was forced to take medicine and given injections by staff, Yu told the court.
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The hospital released him after he called friends for help but he told China News Service last year that he was unable to lead a normal life afterwards. He said he left his family home because he was worried about being forced into hospital again.
Yu’s lawyer, Huang Rui, told the South China Morning Post that they were pleased with the ruling. “Winning this lawsuit can give all gay people confidence that they can safeguard their rights through the courts,” Huang said, adding that the verdict would also act as a deterrent to other hospitals carrying out such treatment.
