In the 1960s, homosexuality was classified as a mental illness in the UK, and aversion therapy was used to 'cure' gay men. Peter Price, now a flamboyant entertainer, was admitted to a Chester psychiatric ward in 1964 at age 18. He was given nausea-inducing drugs and confined to a room, describing the experience as 'like being in a horror movie'. The three-day treatment, he says, destroyed 30 years of his life.
Colin Fox underwent similar treatment in Manchester around the same time. Wired to a 12-volt car battery, he was shown erotic pictures and given electric shocks. Both men volunteered for the therapy, believing they could be cured. Homosexuality was a criminal offence until 1967, and the social climate was intensely homophobic, with no openly gay role models or support groups.
Army captain Gerald William Clegg-Hill did not volunteer. Arrested in 1962 for homosexual practices, he was sentenced to treatment at a military psychiatric hospital. His half-sister, Alison Garthwaite, recalls the scandal and her family's shame. Tragically, Billy did not survive the treatment; no inquest was held, and the family never discussed it.
These cases highlight the brutal methods used to 'treat' homosexuality, which was classified as a mental illness until the early 1970s. Many gay men lived in fear of prosecution and social ostracism, leading them to seek dangerous 'cures' that left lasting trauma.
