Trans is Not the New Gay: How Psychoanalytic Elitism and the Rejection of Science are Creating a Repetition of the Past

Psychoanalysis has a troubled history with regard to sexual minorities. Throughout much of the 20^th century, prominent analysts endorsed a highly pathologising and coercive approach to homosexuality, which was essentially a form of conversion therapy. This departure from accepted analytic technique persisted for decades due to psychoanalytic elitism and the rejection of mounting empirical science contradicting the psychoanalytic position.

Today, a pressing concern for psychoanalysis is to avoid repeating this history when theorising about and working with trans people. In particular, approaches that explore the psychodynamic formation of trans identities, are being framed as forms of conversion therapy. However, this is not the case, as it is based on a misconception that equates psychodynamics with pathology. Furthermore, unquestioning gender affirmation shares an important conceptual similarity with gay conversion therapy, in that it can collude with a wish to eliminate a shame-filled or hated part of the self.

In our haste to avoid repeating the past, psychoanalysis is deploying the very same tactics that insulated psychoanalysis from revision and course correction in relation to homosexuality, but now with regard to trans. The author argues that, if we are to avoid causing further harm to our patients and our profession, we ignore the science at our own peril.