America should take notes…

On Tuesday, the Peruvian government officially categorized both transgender and intersex people as “mentally ill.” 

The decree, signed by President Dina Boluarte, notes that “transsexualism, dual-role transvestism, gender identity disorder in childhood, other gender identity disorders and fetishistic transvestism” are now all recorded as mental illnesses in Peru, as Daily Mail reported.

The Peruvian government insisted that this will help make “psychological treatment” more freely available to those struggling with these identity and ideology disorders. Now in Peru, people who experience confusion when it comes to their body and identity can receive free health services for said confusion. The shift “categorically reaffirms respect for the dignity of the person and their free actions within the framework of human rights, providing health services for their benefit.”

The move, as Daily Mail indicated, came out just days before the 34th anniversary of when the World Health Organization (WHO) removed “homosexuality” from the list of International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Additionally, the word “transexuality” was removed from the list in 2019.

But to Peru, those identity terms are now considered mental health illnesses.

A report from Yahoo News included a quote from Percy Mayta-Tristán, a medical researcher at Lima’s Scientific University of the South.

“You can’t ignore the context that this is happening in a super-conservative society, where the LGBT community has no rights and where labeling them as mentally ill opens the door to conversion therapy,” he said.

Critics noted that this new policy would open the door to conversion therapy. But that begs the question, if you’re converting from a delusion, isn’t that good?

In response to the news, users on X seemed to be supportive of the move.

“I never thought I would see the day Peru was more advanced then the US,” a user wrote on X, while another wrote, “truth hurts.”

A different user noted that Peru is “making public what most people are thinking” and said “Good for Peru” Similarly, others said things like “they’re right” and “well done Peru.”

I wonder when, if ever, the United States will do the same.