A judge in Brazil has approved the use of gay conversion therapy, amid a furious backlash from campaigners, psychologists and celebrities.

Federal judge Waldemar de Carvalho ruled that homosexuality could be considered a disease.

The Brasilia judge last week backed a controversial evangelical psychologist, Rozangela Justino, who wanted to ‘treat’ gay people with discredited and harmful sexual orientation conversion therapies.

The Federal Council of Psychology approved a resolution in 1999 prohibiting psychologists from treating homosexuality as a disease.

The council said the ruling "opens the dangerous possibility of the use of sexual reversion therapies" and would appeal the injunction.

The council’s chief, psychologist Rogério Giannini, told the The Guardian: “It is not a serious, academic debate, it is a debate connected to religious or conservative positions.”

David Miranda, an openly gay Rio de Janeiro politician, told the newspaper: “This decision is a big regression to the progressive conquests that the LBGT community had in recent decades.”

Referring to reactionary backlashes to gay events in recent weeks, he added: “Like various countries in the world, Brazil is suffering a conservative wave.”

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russia’s antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT “propaganda” allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this ‘crime’ since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

Toni Reis, who heads the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Alliance, told reporters the injunction was a step backward and he planned to appeal it at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Other prominent Brazilians have also voiced their opposition to the ruling.

Popstar Anitta wrote on Instagram: “People dying, hungry, the government killing the country with corruption, no education, no hospitals, no opportunities... and the authorities are wasting their time to announce that homosexuality is a sickness.

“Homosexuals and bisexuals now have a treatment for this ‘sickness’ here. So I ask... who is the real sick person here? I'm praying to God that these real sick people find the cure of these crazy minds and start to look at the real important things here.”

Another singer, Ivete Sangolo, echoed this sentiment. "The sick ones are those who believe in this great absurdity," he said on social media.

Also on social media, the hash tag #curagay (‘gay cure’) was widely shared, along with messages of support for the LGBT community.