Ego-dystonic sexual orientation

Ego-dystonic sexual orientation (Sometimes sexual orientation disturbance)is a somewhat controversial term associated with ego-dystonic homosexuality, ego-dystonic bisexuality which came to be included in DSM-III after a substantial crisis within the American Psychiatric Society.

In 1973 it was decided to take homosexuality out of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. This sparked furious protests which was only resolved by protracted and fierce debate and a referendum ballot of the full membership. The outcome was to include homosexuality only on the basis of the stress caused by the degree of ego-dystonia and to accept that where it was ego-syntonic it was not to be considered a mental disorder.