SAN FRANCISCO -- February 18 -- The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) today responded to comments by John Nelson,MD, in which he clarified remarks quoted in the Westchester Journal News on Saturday, Feb. 12. In that story, Dr. Nelson, who said he was "speaking for the American Medical Association (AMA)," likened the ban of a gay and lesbian medical student group at New York Medical College to Brigham Young University's decision to suspend four football players accused of rape and with the Mormon school's refusal to allow caffeinated soft drinks on campus. In an report published by the Associated Press this morning, Dr. Nelson is quoted as saying, "I apologize to anyone who may have been offended by what they read," but the article "does not represent my views or the policies of the AMA."

GLMA's Executive Director, Joel Ginsberg, responded, "While we appreciate Dr. Nelson's comments, they are not really a retraction of these hurtful analogies. As gay and lesbian people we try to live their lives with integrity and honor and being compared to sexual predators is callous and degrading. I'm sure that, like the vast majority of people who go into medicine, Dr. Nelson wants only the best for people. But most of the homophobia in medicine comes not from a desire to discriminate but from this sort of thoughtless disregard of the realities of people's lives. Casually homophobic remarks like this are damaging to people's health and are a large part of why GLMA still needs to exist. That's why GLMA will continue to work with the AMA to ensure that when the AMA talks about health disparities, sexual orientation and gender identity are included."

Ginsberg said that GLMA will extend an invitation to Dr. Nelson and other AMA staff to meet with GLMA leadership during their March board meeting in Washington, D.C., coinciding with the AMA's National Advocacy Conference. At that time, GLMA will press the AMA to expand the scope of the AMA's new Commission on Health Care Disparities to address disparities experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

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