American Medical Association Makes Case for Ending Marriage Discrimination
Largest health group joins leading public health authorities in condemning marriage discrimination
Press Contacts:
Jackie Yodashkin, Freedom to Marry, jackie@freedomtomarry.org, 917-620-4502
Hector Vargas, GLMA, hvargas@glma.org, 202-600-8037
Inga Sarda-Sorensen, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, isorensen@thetaskforce.org, 646-358-1463
Joshua A. Friedes, Equal Rights Washington, jfriedes@equalrightswashington.org, 206-324-2570
(New York, NY, June 27, 2011) – With New York State
now the sixth – and largest – state to end the exclusion of same-sex
couples from marriage, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a
policy position declaring that excluding same-sex couples from marriage
is “discriminatory” and reaffirming existing AMA policy to support
relationship recognition of gay and lesbian couples as a means of
addressing health disparities faced by those couples and their families.
“With
this deliberate policy statement by the American Medical Association,
the nation’s doctors diagnose the pain and injury that exclusion from
marriage inflicts on lesbian and gay couples, their children, and loved
ones – and make clear that ending marriage discrimination is the cure,”
said Evan Wolfson,
founder and President of Freedom to Marry. “The AMA now joins every
other mainstream public health organization in America in making the
case for providing the freedom to marry – and the critical safety-net
that comes with marriage – to loving, committed same-sex couples.”
The policy, H-65.973 Health Care Disparities in Same-Sex Partner
Households, was adopted the AMA on Monday, June 20th, and states:
Our American Medical Association: (1) recognizes that denying civil
marriage based on sexual orientation is discriminatory and imposes
harmful stigma on gay and lesbian individuals and couples and their
families; (2) recognizes that exclusion from civil marriage contributes
to health care disparities affecting same-sex households; (3) will work
to reduce health care disparities among members of same-sex households
including minor children; and (4) will support measures providing
same-sex households with the same rights and privileges to health care,
health insurance, and survivor benefits, as afforded opposite-sex
households. (Modify Current HOD Policy). (Emphasis added.)
“GLMA applauds the AMA for recognizing the discrimination, bias
and stigma gay and lesbian couples and their families face because they
are unable to marry in almost all parts of the country,” said Hector
Vargas, Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.
“Through GLMA’s work to address health disparities, we know that bias
and stigma contribute significantly to the health disparities LGBT
people encounter, which is why it’s so important that the AMA adopted
this policy and reaffirmed its commitment to work to reduce health
disparities affecting lesbian and gay couples and their families.”
The policy the AMA adopted on Monday is the latest in a series of
policies the AMA has approved to address not only the needs of LGBT
physicians and medical students but also the needs of LGBT patients.
The policy reaffirms the consensus among leading professional medical,
scientific, and social science communities that ending the exclusion of
same-sex couples from marriage would provide additional support and
stability to couples in committed relationships. To read the full list
of AMA policies regarding sexual orientation, click here.
“Marriage inequality is not only unfair, it literally places
families in harm’s way. Right now, all across this country, same-sex
couples and their children are needlessly being put at risk because they
are denied the freedom to marry. They are vulnerable to greater health
disparities because they are blocked from important protections and
benefits afforded through civil marriage, including access to health
insurance and federal survivor benefits. No family should have to suffer
because of discrimination. We thank the AMA for recognizing and
responding to this critical issue,” said Rea Carey, executive director
of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Other professional health organizations that support the freedom
to marry include the American Psychological Association, the American
Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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Freedom to Marry is
the campaign to win marriage nationwide. We are pursuing our Roadmap to
Victory by working to win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the
national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage
discrimination. We partner with individuals and organizations across the
country to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage and the
protections, responsibilities, and commitment that marriage brings.
The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association,
the oldest and largest association of LGBT health professionals, works
to ensure equality in health care for LGBT individuals and health care
professionals.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the
grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community
by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with
skills needed to organize campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and
advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity
of our movement. Our Policy Institute provides research and policy
analysis to support the struggle for complete equality. As part of a
broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that
respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates
opportunity for all. Learn more at www.theTaskForce.org.
Equal Rights Washington (ERW) works to ensure and
promote dignity, safety, and equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender Washingtonians. Since our creation in 2003 equal rights
Washington has successfully worked for, among other things, the passage
of statewide antidiscrimination, domestic partnership, hate crimes, and
anti-bullying laws all of which are transgender inclusive. ERW is
leading the fight for marriage equality in Washington State.