Bill Buffie, the advocacy stud.
I've blogged about my dad and his proposal to the Indiana State Medical Association before, but here is the biggie! At the same time that I was speaking at the Marriage Equality rally at City Hall in New York a few weeks ago, my dad's resolution passed with amended language and was adopted by the Indiana State Medical Association. This makes Indiana the first state to accept such a resolution which acknowledges the health care disparities of same sex couples who do not have marriage equality. It is so exciting to see that one state at a time, from medicine to pageants, we are using our talents and abilities to change our society and advocate for equality across the board. The official resolution as it passed is below. I think it's safe to say, I'm a really proud daughter :)You can also read the blog he wrote for the Human Rights Campaign Backstory Blog about the resolution. Guest Post: Pageants, Medicine, and LGBT Rights
ISMA Resolution 10-02A, passed September 26, 2010 by the House of Delegates
(following discussion by Public Health Issues Reference Committee on September 25th)
Title: Same-Sex Marriage: Public Health Implications
Introduced by William C. Buffie, M.D.
1) Whereas, legal marriage status confers numerous financial and legal benefits upon married individuals that improve access to health care;
2) Whereas, better access to health care results in lower overall mortality;
3) Whereas, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community has diminished access to health care;
4) Whereas, the LGBT community suffers from significantly worse mental and physical health outcomes compared to the community at large;
5) Whereas, the American Medical Association, at the November 2009 convention, acknowledged that same-sex marriage bans do contribute to health disparities in the U.S.;
6) Whereas, evolving medical/social science literature attest to the health benefits conferred by the social and legal recognition of same-sex marriage;
7) Whereas, the ISMA is a body that is to be guided in its decision-making by science, reason, and public policy standards that promote the health and well being of all Indiana citizens;
8) Whereas, same-sex marriage equality has not been demonstrated to have any deleterious consequences for society in general;
Therefore, be it resolved that the Indiana State Medical Association (1) recognizes that exclusion from civil union or marriage contributes to health care disparities affecting same-sex households; (2) will work to reduce health care disparities among members of same-sex households, including minor children; and (3) will support measures providing same-sex households with the same rights and privileges to health care, health insurance, and survivor benefits, as afforded opposite-sex households.
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