Psychiatric Treatment for homosexuality 1980
1980
Alan recalls getting psychiatric treatment for his homosexual urges in the early 80s as a way of avoiding a fine for cottaging. "So I went to a psychiatrist at All Saints (now part of Winson Green Prison), a Mr Imlah an elderly Scot. He said there was nothing wrong with me but he could put me on a course of psychology to deal with my behaviour. They monitored my thoughts and gave me brownie points if I did the right thing; they also offered me aversion therapy! One of the things I was told to do was to go and buy straight porn magazines, I had no idea where to go but I’d noticed a place on Summer Row in Birmingham. I psyched up my self and went to the door, but could not, went and had a cup of coffee and went back. Boy was it seedy, there were boxes with the magazines in and they were also wrapped in plastic so you could not read them. The first heading I saw was ‘Gay’, I picked a cheap one without looking at it, when I got home I’d picked up a straight bondage magazine!"
“In the end I went to court and they ignored the fact I’d been to a psychologist and fined me £25 anyway, the Education Authority also warned me if I did it again I would be out of a job. (Alan was a teacher). I did not cottage again for 12 years and really behaved myself, my wife was also very controlling. In a way I was fortunate as AIDS came along.”
Contributed by: Alan 1, 54