EDMONTON—Alberta has finally scrubbed homosexuality from its diagnostic guide to mental disorders, more than 35 years after the psychiatric profession made the same move.

Alberta Health and Wellness spokesman Andy Weiler says the move was made Tuesday after the matter was brought to the department’s attention by a reporter.

“It was brought to our attention and the minister heard about it and took decisive action and asked for it to be removed,” Weiler said. “That’s what we did.”

Homosexuality has been listed in the province’s official diagnostic guide under sexual deviations and disorders. It appears heading up a section that includes pedophilia and bestiality.

The code also listed transvestitism and transsexualism as disorders. It is unclear if they remain in the list.

The American Psychiatric Association stopped considering homosexuality a disorder in 1973.

Weiler could offer no explanation as to why it remained so long on Alberta’s list.

“I don’t have the answer to that,” he said. “It’s a document that contains thousands of codes in it.”

The diagnostic guide is used in helping doctors bill the health-care system for treatment they give patients. Weiler said department officials will meet Wednesday to discuss the implications of the sudden move.

“We’re going to have more discussions within the department . . . to see what the next step is,” he said.