By Dara Lightle, Psychedelic Navigator
Unlimited Sciences affirms the dignity, value, and validity of all queer identities and categorically rejects any framework, past or present, that pathologizes LGBTQIA2S+ people. We believe psychedelic research must actively reckon with its past and remain accountable to the communities it aims to serve.
Unlimited Sciences Values Integrity, Transparency and Inclusive Science
At Unlimited Sciences, we are committed to integrity, transparency, and inclusive science. These values are at the heart of our research, our community partnerships, and the way we show up for the people we serve. This includes calling out historical harm and standing alongside sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, especially when aspects of psychedelic history resurface that do not reflect the world we are collectively building.
We’ve read Dr. Stanislav Grof’s open letter addressing homophobic language and pathologizing narratives in his previously published work. We’ve also read the responses from members of the queer community, including practitioners and researchers, who rightfully expected more than a partial acknowledgement. Many of us here at Unlimited Sciences, our staff, researchers, advisors, and callers to our Info Line, are queer or have loved ones who are. We are actively involved in psychedelic research involving SGM individuals and staunch advocates for SGM rights. The legacy of psychedelic science matters deeply to us, and so does its future.
Let us be unequivocal: framing queerness as a sexual deviation, emotional disorder, or pathology is harmful. That it was ever printed in the pages of influential psychedelic literature is a reminder of the work that remains. These narratives contributed to an era when queer people were subjected to psychedelic-assisted conversion therapy, something we must name for what it was: a violation of bodily and spiritual autonomy.
We are heartened to see these issues coming into public discourse. However, we also echo the sentiment raised by community voices: apologies and clarifications must not remain buried in website footnotes or back-page blog posts. They deserve space on the platforms where people live and interact, especially during a time when queer and trans people are under attack politically, socially, and medically.
As researchers, we understand that growth requires revision. Science, like society, evolves, and so must we. If our field cannot publicly hold its own leaders accountable for the harm their writings have caused, we risk building a future on foundations that were never safe for everyone.
Unlimited Sciences reaffirms our dedication to:
- Using inclusive, affirming language in all public-facing materials
- Advocating for queer-led psychedelic research and participation in ongoing psychedelic science
- Providing accurate, science-backed support to LGBTQIA2S+ individuals on our Psychedelic Info Line
- Naming and learning from harm, even when it is uncomfortable
We thank those in the field who are courageously pushing these conversations forward. Your voices matter and Unlimited Sciences is listening.
The future of psychedelic science must be co-created with the people it seeks to serve, including those historically excluded or harmed by it. That means affirming queer lives not just in apology, but in action.
With respect and accountability,
The Unlimited Sciences Team