AMA on marriage equality

The Federal Council of AMA voted in support of a position statement in favour of marriage equality at its last meeting. Having chaired the working party that developed this position statement, I was obviously pleased and relieved that this position was supported. I was also very proud that our organisation, through its members on Federal Council, was able to support a position that in essence rejects discrimination based on sexuality, and recognised the need to develop policy based on medical and scientific evidence, rather than religious or political ideology.

Public health position statements and policies are an important part of the work that your AMA does at both State and Federal levels all the time. Policies arise from issues that are topical in the mainstream, in politics, and in the day-to-day work of our members. The medical and scientific evidence available in the literature is used as the basis for formation of policy. What published data exists for the issue of marriage equality illustrates that the ongoing prevention of access to legally-sanctioned marriage for gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and intersex people has adverse health consequences.

As doctors, our duty is to both treat, and to prevent illness where possible. For me, that means that rejecting discrimination in all its forms, and the unwavering defense of human rights, is fundamental to medical practice. When I fall ill, I want the doctor treating me to be oblivious to my sexuality, gender, politics, religion (or lack thereof), race, nationality, and income. It therefore follows that I want the AMA to formulate policy that is based on the same principles.

At AMA (NSW), we see one of our important roles as being a “Voice for the Vulnerable”. That means we represent our members when they are in difficulty. That means we support medical students and doctors-in-training. It also means we fight for equality and fairness for our patients. If the government of the day, or our public institutions, fail to follow these principles, all the more reason for the AMA to fill that void. It is my hope that both our LGTBI colleagues, and patients, feel a little safer with the AMA behind them.

The positions we adopt at council level of AMA are not universally popular with our membership. That is obvious from feedback we receive at times, and often causes pause for reflection. However, our membership continues to diversify and reflect the changing demographics of our profession, and reinforces to me the need for policy to be evidence-based and bold. One could argue the failure of modern politics is in large part due to a dichotomous conflict between entrenched ideology and enslavement to opinion polls. As both scientists and carers, we must guard against both.