AMA (NSW) President: There is still time to say ‘Yes’ to marriage equality

AMA (NSW) President, Prof Brad Frankum, is encouraging Australians to vote yes in the Marriage Law Postal Survey – before it’s too late.

“We have a monumental opportunity to reject discrimination and promote equality for all Australians,” he said.

“The AMA supports marriage equality, because this is a health issue.

“LGBTIQ Australians experience significantly poorer mental and physiological health outcomes than the broader population.

“People who identify as LGBTIQ also have the highest rates of suicidality of any population group in Australia.

“As doctors, we feel we have a duty to our patients to address the inequities that members of the LGBTIQ community face.

“By supporting marriage equality, we reduce stigmatisation. And by reducing stigmatisation, we can improve overall health outcomes among LGBTIQ populations.

“Legal recognition of same-sex couples also means that in the tragic circumstance of a medical emergency, individuals would have the right to advocate for their same-sex partner. At the moment, that can’t happen.

“I ask any heterosexual person to imagine how it would feel to have the love of your life taken to hospital in life threatening circumstances and be told that you could not see them or have the power to make decisions regarding their health care,
because you are not a member of the patient’s immediate family?

“It’s devastating, and yet, this is the current situation for same sex couples.

AMA (NSW) held a marriage equality rally in September, which included former AMA Presidents, doctors and medical students, to tell Australians that this issue is a health issue (https://www.facebook.com/pg/amansw/videos/?ref=page_internal).

Many other health groups have since joined the call to vote yes, including a coalition of mental health groups and more than a dozen medical Colleges.

Health experts have also recently re-affirmed that children raised in same-sex families develop as their peers in families with heterosexual parents do. In fact, the real damage they face is from misrepresentations from the ‘no’ campaign.

The specialists, who contributed to an article in the Medical Journal of Australia, urged readers that inaction is not an option.

Australians are strongly encouraged to return their votes by 27 October, with the final deadline to return forms being Tuesday 7 November. The survey results will be released by 15 November.

“For health’s sake, vote yes,” said Prof Frankum.

Mental health groups in support of marriage equality include:
The #mindthefacts Campaign: ReachOut, the Black Dog Institute, headspace, the Brain and Mind Centre at University of Sydney, and Orygen, the National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health

Medical Colleges and associations in support of marriage equality include:
Australian Medical Association – AMA
Royal Australasian College of Physicians – RACP
Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists – RANZCP
Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists – ANZCA
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists – RANZCOG
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists – RANZCR
Australian College for Rural and Remote Medicine – ACRRM
General Practice Registrars Australia – GPRA
Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians – ACSEP
Australian Medical Students Association – AMSA
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation – ANMF
College of Intensive Care Medicine – CICM
Australian College for Emergency Medicine – ACEM
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners – RACGP

Media contact: Andrea Cornish 0419 402 955