Kuwaiti academic 'found cure for homosexuality'. But it's not a disease.

Many so-called Arab physicians, therapists, and academics are still trying to push the ridiculous "theory" that homosexuality is a disease. Not only that, some of them claim to have found cures for it. 

Enter Kuwaiti anti-gay and anti-lesbian researcher Dr. Mariam Al-Sohel. The scholar made a television appearance on the Gulf state's Scope TV last month and spoke of her supposed "cure." 

Earlier this week, a video of her segment resurfaced online after it was posted by MEMRI, a U.S.-based news outlet covering stories from the Middle East. During her TV interview, Al-Sohel said she believes four genders exist among humans, "male, female, feminine gay men and butch lesbians."

She also added that her cure is inspired by Islamic prophecies, is based on science, and involves "therapeutic suppositories."

Explaining her bizarre "treatment", Al-Sohel actually showed the guest and hosts of the show samples of the suppositories she created.  

"The sexual urge develops when a person is sexually attacked. And afterwards it persists because there is an anal worm that feeds on semen. It feeds on sperm. So, what I did was to produce suppositories, which are to be used by certain people at a certain time. It cures those urges by exterminating the worm that feeds on the sperm."

She then claimed that specific kinds of food can help increase masculinity.

"Any food that is buried underground provides men with stability, strengthens their muscles and increases their masculinity. Bitter foods increase masculinity," she added. 

If ever applied, the academic's cure would fall under what's known as Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), "which are futile and harmful attempts to change one's sexuality from gay to straight."

Also, there is practically nothing scientific about her arguments because homosexuality is not a disease. 

Therefore, believing that any form of conversion therapy is needed to cure it is unacceptable and surely explains why thousands of online users reacted to Al-Sohel's resurfaced statements with outrage.

Anytime the LGBTIQ+ community is featured on Arab TV or social media, someone comes along and suggests homosexuality is an illness. Some celebrities in the region have also alluded to that during interviews or public appearances.

This certainly isn't the first time an Arab scientist or doctor claims they've found a cure. Years back, Egyptian psychiatrist Awsam Wasfi launched a clinic aimed at "curing homosexuals." 

In a 2015 interview, the man said homosexuality is an illness that's just like any other and needs to be treated. 

In the face of such ignorant discourse, several organizations across the region including Lebanon's LebMASH have launched campaigns aimed at raising awareness on the matter. 

In the face of crackdowns and persecution, individuals from within the Arab world's LGBTIQ+ community continue to fight for their rights. 

Throughout the Arab world, dialogue and awareness surrounding LGBTIQ+ oppression have been gaining greater salience in the past few years. Activists, artists, and organizations have been challenging traditional societal taboos surrounding sexual identity.

In addition to that, the community's musicians, actors, and international-Arab celebrities, including Mashrou' Leila's Hamed Sinno, Egyptian-American Amin El Gamal (Prison Break), and Iraqi-British Amrou Al-Kadhi have continuously raised awareness about their intersectional community. 

Change isn't just happening with people, it's happening within countries, too.

In 2016, the UAE passed a federal decree introducing substantial changes to healthcare in the Gulf state, challenging prevailing cultural norms, one of which was permitting doctors to conduct sexual reassignment surgery.

With that, it became the second country in the Arabian Gulf to legalize sex reassignment surgery after Iran.

Certain schools of Islamic jurisprudence recognize transgenderism, and the laws do not necessarily fly in the face of religious teachings.