Medical News

SAN FRANCISCO, CA February 21, 2004–??Sadly, nothing in this report is a surprise,? Kenneth Haller, MD, GLMA President stated. ?This report validates the experiences of GLMA members and researchers who, for over a year now, have reported censorship of research into HIV and LGBT health. Most recently the NIH has had to spend precious time and resources on an internal investigation into over 150 grants, many given to researchers into HIV and LGBT health, based by charges leveled by the Traditional Values Coalition ? charges that were found to be completely baseless by NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni. That Congress and the Bush Administration should give credence to such specious charges is a scandal.?

Haller concluded, ?What is chilling is how pervasive these trends are, affecting not only LGBT health, but all areas of health and biomedical research, as well as environmental, and nuclear weapons policy. GLMA has spoken out on these issues on numerous occasions and will continue to do so. We call on all who value accuracy in medical and scientific research to call for a return to integrity regarding science policy in this administration.?

The largest organization of its kind and the recognized authority and leader in LGBT health, GLMA exists to make the health care environment a place of empathy, justice, and equity. The organization, founded in 1981, represents the concerns of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health professionals as well as millions of LGBT patients throughout North America.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA February 21, 2004–??Sadly, nothing in this report is a surprise,? Kenneth Haller, MD, GLMA President stated. ?This report validates the experiences of GLMA members and researchers who, for over a year now, have reported censorship of research into HIV and LGBT health. Most recently the NIH has had to spend precious time and resources on an internal investigation into over 150 grants, many given to researchers into HIV and LGBT health, based by charges leveled by the Traditional Values Coalition ? charges that were found to be completely baseless by NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni. That Congress and the Bush Administration should give credence to such specious charges is a scandal.?

Haller concluded, ?What is chilling is how pervasive these trends are, affecting not only LGBT health, but all areas of health and biomedical research, as well as environmental, and nuclear weapons policy. GLMA has spoken out on these issues on numerous occasions and will continue to do so. We call on all who value accuracy in medical and scientific research to call for a return to integrity regarding science policy in this administration.?

The largest organization of its kind and the recognized authority and leader in LGBT health, GLMA exists to make the health care environment a place of empathy, justice, and equity. The organization, founded in 1981, represents the concerns of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health professionals as well as millions of LGBT patients throughout North America.