baywindows.com – by Hannah Clay Wareham – Staff Reporter
The National Academies’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) — advisors to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine — has formed the groundbreaking Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues and Research Gaps and Opportunities.
On Feb. 1, Dr. Jason Schneider, immediate past president of the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), presented testimony before the Committee in Washington, D.C., asking that the IOM “not shy away from strong recommendations related to politically charged issues. Legal recognition of same-sex relationships and marriages, non-discrimination in employment, and same-sex parenting and families are topics that, while polarizing, directly affect the health and wellness of LGBT people. These issues are deserving of special focus as research gaps and opportunities.”