Charles Silverstein and the Declassification of Homosexuality as a Mental Illness Interview

Unheard Voices: Stories of LGBT History

ADL, GLSEN and StoryCorps collaborated to create Unheard Voices, an oral history and curriculum project that will help educators to integrate LGBT history, people and issues into their instructional programs.

Between 1952 and 1973, homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association (ADA). Gay men and women across the country were subjected to a variety of treatments aimed at curing their "condition."

During that era, Dr. Charles Silverstein was in graduate school training to become a psychologist. At Storycorps, he talks about his role in changing the medical community's ideas about homosexuality.

Other Interviews and Backgrounders