IMA Keralam opposes conversion therapy; says LGBTQIA+ identities are not diseases
The Kerala branch of the Indian Medical Association has officially denounced conversion therapy, stating it lacks scientific basis and violates medical ethics. This follows ongoing legal and social advocacy efforts in Kerala to protect LGBTQIA+ individuals from forced practices.
Why it matters
It represents a significant medical consensus against harmful practices, influencing public health policy and human rights protections for the queer community.
The Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Keralam State branch has come out strongly against the so-called conversion therapy, saying there is no scientific or medical basis for practices that seek to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
In a statement issued in Thiruvananthpurm on Monday (September 14, 2026), the IMA Keralam said that sexual orientation and gender diversity are not diseases requiring treatment, and warned that practices aimed at changing these go against evidence-based medicine, medical ethics, human dignity and the principle of “do no harm.”
The statement comes against the backdrop of long-running controversies over the alleged conversion therapy practices in Keralam, and complaints from LGBTQIA+ people, which had reached before the Kerala High Court also in recent times.
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