This Chinese Trans Woman Sued A Hospital For Forcing Her To Undergo Electroshock Conversion Therapy And Won
Chinese trans woman Ling’er said she passed out every time during seven forced electroshock sessions, but the hospital refused her request to terminate the treatment.
This Chinese trans woman sued a hospital for forcing her to undergo electroshock conversion therapy and won.
28-year-old Ling’er was forcibly admitted to a hospital in China’s Hebei Province after she came out to her parents in 2022.
During her 97-day stay in the hospital, Ling’er said she was forced to undergo seven electric shocks sessions, which left her physically and mentally traumatized and led to heart problems requiring medication.
Ling’er said she passed out every time during the sessions, but the hospital refused to stop when she asked.
Although China removed being LGBTQ from its official list of mental disorders in 2001, so-called LGBTQ “conversion therapy,” that seeks to change or suppress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, remains in practice.
"Conversion therapy” has been widely rejected by medical associations, including the World Health Organization and the UN, as it relies on the assumption that sexual orientation or gender identity is something that can be changed or “cured.”
Ling’er decided to sue the hospital for the physical and mental harm it caused her in August 2024.
On Oct. 31, the court ruled in favor of Ling'er, ordering the hospital to pay 60,000 yuan (US$8,220) in compensation.
Ling’er said she hopes her case will help advance LGBTQ rights in China.
The hospital declined to comment.
About 1 out of 5 trans teenagers in China have been forced to undergo conversion therapy, according to a 2019 study, the Guardian reported.
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