Removing the classification of homosexuality as a mental illness had been a mission of gay activists since at least the mid-1960s.
Both of them are hugely important moments in terms of LGBT civil rights,” said Malcolm Lazin, executive director of Equality Forum, an LGBTQ organization that has long supported the scholarship and recognition of Fryer’s work. “From my viewpoint, Fryer’s testimony on May 2, 1972, is at least equal in significance to Stonewall. It has been 50 years since Fryer’s speech, a moment that was central to removing homosexuality from the list of mental disorders, the impact of which contributed to the progression of LGBTQ rights through the next several decades.
