AMA adopts policy supporting same-sex marriage

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.dallasvoice.com/ama-adopts-policy-supporting-same-sex-marriage-1081453.html

The American Medical Association today adopted a new policy in support of same-sex marriage, saying that excluding sa,e-sex couples from legal marriage recognition is discriminatory and that the AMA supports relationship recognition as a means of addressing health disparities and that gay and lesbian couples and their families face.

H-65.973 Health Care Disparities in Same-Sex Partner Households, adopted today by the AMA, declares: “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.”

The new policy is just the latest in a list of policies adopted by the AMA intended to protect LGBT physicians and LGBT patients and their families. You can see the full list here.

Freedom to Marry President Evan Wolfson, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association Executive Director Hector Vargas and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rhea Carey all issued statements applauding the AMA’s new policy.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That is GREAT news.

I had no idea the AMA was this progressive.

Recommended.

[cbayer]

2. K & R

[Kber]

3. Is it just me, or does the AMA have new leadership or something

They used to be reliably conservative, but that's not really the case these days.

another nail in the "center / right nation" theory.

[cbayer]

5. They began slowly severing their ties with the Republicans about 10 years ago.

As the practice of medicine became less and less gratifying due to the current climate, more of the "outer" classes began to rise within the association.

Women, GLBT, students/residents, people of color and foreign medical grads have all had a significant impact on the direction of the AMA and have formed alliances that were previously not there. This has been effective at challenging the good old white boy AMA structure, and things have definitely been changing.

Don't get me wrong - there is still a long way to go. But there has been, and will continue to be, positive change, imo.

[Oceansaway]

4. K&R...n/t

[joeybee12]

6. KNR!