Australian psychologist fights for the right to ban gay sex
An Australian psychologist says he will fight for the right to criminalise gay sex and to discriminate against gay people, having been disciplined for his views.
Philip Pocock claims to be a psychologist of more than 30 years and in 2008 uploaded a You Tube video of himself defending the Pope’s anti-gay doctrine, arguing that homosexuality resembled a threat to humanity as great as climate change.
The psychologist previously referred to gay people as “perverts”.
He told the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn that most politicians are either inadequate to enforce “legitimate sexual expression” or they are addicted to “distortions of sexuality.”
Mr Pocock unsuccessfully ran for office in the Australian Capital Territory in 2012.
At the time he declared that “a true ‘union’ only occurs in heterosexual vaginal intercourse and homosexual unions not only deserve no special rights but must be seen as … destructive behaviours that should be actively discouraged”‘.
Mr Pocock was subsequently disciplined for his views following 19 complaints.
The Psychological Board of Australia imposed strict conditions on Mr Pocock’s licence to practice, forcing him to submit to a regime of supervision from another practitioner for 12 months.
The Age reports on Wednesday Mr Pocock announced that he would be appealing the decision.
“I’ve never had a formal complaint against my practice, it’s a witch hunt basically” he said.
“I argued that I have a right as a citizen to participate in politics and express my religious views.”
Mr Pocock said he was always upfront to new patients about his views on sex and sexuality and would refer patients who had difficulties with his opinions to another practitioner.
“In terms of seeing patients, I explain my position and offer to refer them on, I say that I don’t agree with homosexuality or adultery, they’re not kosher acts but the Psychology Board does and if someone wants to be referred on [to another psychologist] then I’ll refer them on,” he added.
