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| APA statement to the news media regarding Hawaiian Governor Lingle's veto of a civil union bill. APA Calls for Removal of the Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy APA Board of Trustees Approves position statement for civil marriage equality GLMA Hails Pediatric Academy Policy Statement on Sexual Orientation and Adolescents Virginia and Michigan Legislation Two Health Officials Say They Were Misquoted In Rolling Stone Article on Men Seeking HIV Infection Through Unprotected Sex [Jan 24, 2003] Parenting Rights for Same-Sex Couples Advanced |
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| The APA released the following statement to the news media on July 8, 2010 regarding Hawaiian Governor Lingle's veto of their civil union bill: American Psychiatric Association to Hawaii Legislature: Keep Trying for Civil Unions ARLINGTON, Va. (July 8, 2010) —The American Psychiatric Association strongly supports legislation recently approved by the Hawaii legislature that would have made Hawaii the 11th state, along with the District of Columbia, to recognize same-sex civil marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships. “We regret Gov. Lingle’s veto and pledge our ongoing support for enactment of same-sex civil marriage or civil union laws in Hawaii and throughout the United States,” said APA President Carol A. Bernstein, M.D. “As physicians who specialize in psychiatry, we recognize the positive influence of a stable, adult partnership on the health of all family members,” Dr. Bernstein said. “Marriage and family, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, are among the cornerstones of social relationships and other supports that help us face life’s challenges. All Americans should be able to enjoy these benefits.” In 2004, the APA Board of Trustees approved a Position Statement that “supports the legal recognition of same sex union and their associated legal rights, benefits, and responsibilities, and opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits, and responsibilities.” In 2005, the APA Board of Trustees approved a Position Statement strongly in favor of the legal recognition of same-sex civil marriage, declaring that “In the interest of maintaining and promoting mental health, the American Psychiatric Association supports the legal recognition of same-sex civil marriage with all rights, benefits, and responsibilities conferred by civil marriage, and opposes restrictions to those same rights, benefits, and responsibilities.” The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psych.org and www.HealthyMinds.org. APA Calls for Removal of the Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy Emma Hitt, PhD February 2, 2010 — The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is calling for the USmilitary to abandon the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which allows sexual orientation to be used as areason to dismiss individuals from the US Armed Services. The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was adopted during the Clinton administration as a way of compromising on a complete ban on gays and lesbians in the military. According to the Service Members Legal Defense Network, 14,000 military service members have been forced out of service because of the policy. “The US should repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and allow capable men and women to serve without regard to sexual orientation,” noted APA President Alan F. Schatzberg, MD. The APA Board of Trustees has voted to urge abandonment of the policy. President Barack Obama has stated his opposition to the law that keeps openly gay people from serving in the US military. Today’s APA statement accompanies a US Senate Armed Services Committee meeting to take place today that will begin the process to lift the ban. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared before the committee. Adm Mullen told the US Senate that allowing openly gay personnel to serve was "the right thing to do." He added that it was his opinion only but that he was concerned about a policy that forces people to "lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." “As I understand the political situation, this is the first time that a sitting member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is actually coming out in favor of reversal,” said Jack Drescher, MD, distinguished fellow of the APA and a past chair (2000-2006) of the APA’s Committee on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Issues. “This is a good thing,” Dr. Drescher said. “This is consistent with policies that we believe in that we do not serve the mental health of our fighting forces by forcing those to hide the truth of who they are.” He noted that the APA has opposed discrimination in the US Armed Services since 1990, when the first position statement came out. GLMA Hails Pediatric Academy Policy Statement on Sexual Orientation and Adolescents SAN FRANCISCO – The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association hailed the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on the publication today of its policy statement, "Sexual Orientation and Adolescence," in the June 2004 issue of Pediatrics, the AAP’s monthly scientific journal. The statement updates the AAP’s "Homosexuality and Adolescence" policy statement from 1983, which was last updated in 1993. The six-page document examines barriers to health care faced by sexual minority youth and "reaffirms the physician’s responsibility to provide comprehensive health care and guidance in a safe and supportive environment for all adolescents, including nonheterosexual adolescents and young people who are struggling with issues of sexual orientation." Further, the statement urges pediatricians "to assume the additional role of advocating for nonheterosexual youth and their families in their communities." The American Academy of Pediatrics is the premier professional organization of pediatricians and pediatric sub-specialists in the US and has over 50,000 members nationwide. "This updated policy from American Academy of Pediatrics will undoubtedly improve the health of sexual minority youth by helping make pediatricians aware, not only of the health care needs of these youth, but of their very existence," said Kenneth Haller, MD, President of GLMA. "For over twenty years the AAP has taken a lead in supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning adolescents and worked to reduce the health care disparities suffered by these kids." Dr. Haller, who is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and a Fellow of the AAP, continued, "The ‘Homosexuality and Adolescence’ Policy references the Healthy People 2010 document from the US Department of Health and Human Services which details 29 health disparities which exist between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons and heterosexual persons. Many of these disparities – including access to care, tobacco use, injury and violence prevention, and lack of immunization – are felt even more acutely by LGB youth. The AAP statement, with references from over 40 evidence-based medical studies and articles, presents a rational yet compassionate guide for approaching sexual minority youth." Haller concluded, "Two years ago, when the Academy adopted its ‘Coparent or Second-Parent Adoption by Same-Sex Parents,’ it faced a great deal of criticism from reactionary, homophobic groups. We at GLMA are pleased that the AAP has once again placed science and reason over ideology." Further information on the Healthy People 2010 Companion Document on LGBT Health can be found at the GLMA website, www.glma.org. • • • GLMA, the recognized leader in LGBT health, represents the interests of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender physicians, medical students, and other health professionals as well as millions of LGBT patients throughout North America. The largest organization of its kind, GLMA was founded in 1981 to make the health care environment a place of empathy, justice, and equity. http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/pediatrics;113/6/1827?maxto show=&HITS=&hits=&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=sexual+orientation&searchid=1086229483025_ 575&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX= CLINICAL REPORT Sexual Orientation and Adolescents ABSTRACT The American Academy of Pediatrics issued its first statement on homosexuality and adolescents in 1983, with a revision in 1993. This report reflects the growing understanding of youth of differing sexual orientations. Young people are recognizing their sexual orientation earlier than in the past, making this a topic of importance to pediatricians. Pediatricians should be aware that some youths in their care may have concerns about their sexual orientation or that of siblings, friends, parents, relatives, or others. Health care professionals should provide factual, current, nonjudgmental information in a confidential manner. All youths, including those who know or wonder whether they are not heterosexual, may seek information from physicians about sexual orientation, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, or various psychosocial difficulties. The pediatrician should be attentive to various potential psychosocial difficulties, offer counseling or refer for counseling when necessary and ensure that everysexually active youth receives a thorough medical history, physical examination, immunizations, appropriate laboratory tests, and counseling about sexually transmitted diseases (including human immunodeficiency virus infection) and appropriate treatment if necessary. Not all pediatricians may feel able to provide the type of care described in this report. Any pediatrician who is unable to care for and counsel nonheterosexual youth should refer these patients to an appropriate colleague. Abbreviations: STD, sexually transmitted disease • HIV, human immunodeficiency virus • AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics • AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Back to Top of Page Virginia and Michigan Legislation During the 2004 legislative session, the Virginia House of Delegates narrowly approved legislation that would allow private companies to extend health insurance benefits to their employees' domestic partners, and sent it on to the state Senate for consideration. The bill remains in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, where it will be taken up again in 2005. Working with Equality Virginia and other business organizations, the APA strongly supported the measure, House Bill 1016. The APA testified in support of the bill on the House side, and provided a strong letter of support from APA Medical Director Jay Scully, M.D. to the chair of the Senate Committee. The APA worked hard to advance the bill, but the committee's last-minute fear that the measure would lead to premium hikes stalled it. The good news is that the bill made it further than anyone thought and that there will be other opportunities to work for its passage, including an effort to educate lawmakers on what, if any, premium increases might actually result. The APA will continue to work with advocates in support of HB 1016. The bill, which was introduced by a Northern Virginia Republican Delegate and resoundingly defeated in 2003, passed the House by a three-vote margin. Proponents attributed its success during this session to a shift in strategy that heavily accentuated its pro-business advantages while downplaying it as a gay rights measure. The Washington Blade quoted the sponsor: "We were able to push this through because the gay community kept a very low profile and let us keep the focus on business recruitment." The Virginia insurance is the result of language that limits the ability of insurance providers to insuring the spouse and dependent children of employees. Virginia is the only state in the country to restrict the level of insurance coverage businesses can offer their employees. In Michigan, the House passed a package of bills House Bill 5006, 5276, 5277 and 5278), related to a health provided "conscientious objector" policy. HB 5006, the most significant bill in the package would create the "conscientious Objector Policy Act to allow a health care provided to object, as a matter of conscience, to providing pr participating in a health care service on professional, ethical, religious, or moral grounds. Whereas a provider may not assert an objection based on any classes protected under the state's Civil Rights Act, the Michigan Act does not cover sexual orientation, giving rise to concerns that health providers could refuse treatment to persons who are Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual or Transgendered. The Michigan State Medical Society opposes HB 5006, but was unable to stop it in the House where there was a very determined sponsor. The Michigan Psychiatric Society has provided information to the medical society in preparation for a meeting with the Administration. MPS is working on the Senate Committee, and the issue was to be taken up by the Society's legislative committee. The APA has offered assistance to MPS and remains in contact with staff on this issue. Back to Top of Page Two Health Officials Say They Were Misquoted In Rolling Stone Article on Men Seeking HIV Infection Through Unprotected Sex [Jan 24, 2003] |
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