Dr Christian was motivated to find out more about so-called ‘gay cures’ after being approached by a patient who wanted to be ‘cured’ of his homosexuality.
‘I never for a moment believed they worked,’ he says. ‘So many people take them- it’s a big underground industry.'
Dr Christian says he set out to discover more about these ‘gay cures,’ adding: ‘we tried to be as scientific as possible.’
The documentary was immersive, with the TV doctor undergoing some of the ‘treatments’ himself.
‘I took the cures,’ he said. ‘We went to Cornell University where they’ve developed a test for sexual orientation- its very clockwork orange.’
He explains: ‘You go into a booth. It involves pupil size and the obvious- you wear a thingy round your ‘thingy.’ When you see somebody or something that arouses you your pupils dilate and you can’t control that. Its very hard to cheat- you can’t lie.’
Dr Christian revealed that, shockingly (but perhaps not surprisingly) many of those conducting the treatments allegedly underwent the ‘cures’ themselves.
He said: ‘I interviewed the guy who used to run it who now is living happily with his male partner and he’s turned his back completely (on the cures)… He used to be married and he said he was never sexually attracted to her (his wife).’
Dr Christian added: ‘There are still doctors and therapists that are doing this- we ought to know better.’
The documentary struck a personal chord with Dr Christian as an openly gay man.
He said: ‘The World Health Organisation took homosexuality off the list of mental disorders in 1993- so in my lifetime I have gone from being mentally to not being mentally ill… It was a really personal and emotional journey for me, doing this.’
Dr Christian revealed that early on in his medicine career- during the earlier stages of the HIV epidemic- he came across shocking homophobia.
He told us that during his studies a doctor asked him: ‘What’s the X-ray sign of HIV?’
The doctor answered: ‘There’s a belly button ring, he’s a gay male must have HIV.’
‘I remember being horrified,’ Dr Christian said.
He continued: ‘The homophobia around that was quite shocking. Of all the professions doctors need to be the least judgemental and the most accepting.’
With recent public figures coming out as gay and lesbian- such as Ellen Page and Tom Daley- Dr Christian says he’s hopeful that the tide is turning, despite the anti-gay propaganda laws in Russia and rife homophobia in countries like Uganda.
‘I think it is starting to change and I think that’s hopeful despite the extremes of certain places.’
The 36-year-old said on the recent coming out of actress Ellen and Olympic diver Tom : ‘Its going to normalise it- and of course its normal- but it needs normalising’
‘Cure Me, I’m Gay’ will be show on March 20th.