[gtranslate]
News

Enough is enough: Australian Medical Association calls out Parliament on marriage equality

The country’s largest and most influential association of medical practitioners has publicly called out the Australian Parliament on their marriage equality policies.

This follows on from recently published news that same-sex attracted young Australians are still six times more likely to attempt suicide in their life, compared to countries which have already instituted marriage equality.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) believe that a lack of same-sex marriage legislation is posing massive mental and physiological health concerns, and their President, Dr Michael Gannon, has penned letters to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten urging them to approach the issue differently.

australian medical association marriage equality

When the largest medical association in Australia is forced to throw their weight into the marriage equality debate, you might have fucked up.

“Discrimination has a severe, damaging impact on mental and physiological health outcomes, and LGBTIQ individuals have endured a long history of institutional discrimination in this country,” Dr Gannon said in his statement.

“This discrimination has existed across the breadth of society; in our courts, in our classrooms, and in our hospitals.

“Many of these inequalities have been rightly nullified. Homosexuality is no longer a crime, nor is it classified as a psychiatric disorder. The ‘gay panic’ defence is no longer allowed in cases of murder or assault, and same-sex couples are allowed to adopt children in most jurisdictions.

“However, LGBTIQ-identifying Australians will not enjoy equal treatment under Australian law until they can marry.

“It is the AMA’s position that it is the right of any adult and their consenting adult partner to have their relationship recognised under the Marriage Act 1961, regardless of gender.

“There are ongoing, damaging effects of having a prolonged, divisive, public debate, and the AMA urges the Australian Parliament to legislate for marriage equality to resolve this.”

Despite countless attempts at rendering a proper policy in this country, Australia has somehow become an international embarrassment where gay marriage is concerned.

Questioning the legitimacy of the AMA? Go ahead and read their Code of Ethics here. I’ll wait.

Via Australian Medical Association.