Wednesday 11 November 2009

The American Medical Association voted to oppose “don’t ask, don’t tell’’ policy currently in force in the military. Doctors claim that “don’t ask, don’t tell’’ forces "gay service members to keep their sexual orientation secret" having "'a chilling effect' on open communication between gays and their doctors."

Lindsey Tanner of The Associated Press  reports:

"The American Medical Association yesterday voted to oppose the military’s 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy, and declared that gay marriage bans contribute to health disparities....

"The nation’s largest doctors’ group stopped short of saying it would seek to overturn marriage bans, but its new stance angered conservative activists and provides a fresh boost to lobbying efforts by gay-rights advocates....

“'It’s highly significant that the AMA as one of this country’s leading professional associations has taken a position on both of these issues,' said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a Washington-based advocacy group. The health disparities measure 'in the long run, will certainly help efforts to win marriage equality,' Carey said."

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