Gay and Lesbian Medical Association

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) is an international organization of approximately 1,000 (as of Aug 2008) lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) physicians, medical students, and their supporters in all 50 U.S. states and 12 countries. Founded in 1981 as the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights, GLMA "came out of the closet" and changed its name in 1994. GLMA "works to combat homophobia within the medical profession and in society at large; to promote quality health care for LGBT and HIV-positive people; to foster a professional climate in which our diverse members can achieve their full potential; and to support members challenged by discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association works to ensure equality in health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and health care professionals. GLMA achieves its goals by using medical expertise in professional education, public policy work, patient education and referrals, and the promotion of research.

GLMA worked with the American Medical Association to adopt measures requiring "the physician's nonjudgmental recognition of sexual orientation and behavior," and to reverse a 13-year-old A.M.A. policy of encouraging programs to acquaint gay patients with "the possibility of sex preference reversal in selected cases." They also publish the Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

Read more about Gay And Lesbian Medical Association:  Research Activities

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