The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to end homophobia in healthcare.

Mission
GLMA works to ensure equality in health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and health care professionals. GLMA achieves its goals by using medical expertise in professional education, public policy work, patient education and referrals, and the promotion of research.

Vision

* GLMA is the recognized expert in LGBT evidence based medicine.
* GLMA is a home for LGBT health care professionals of all disciplines.

Overarching Strategies

* Pursue an intense focus on eliminating disparities in health care for LGBT people by increasing their access to culturally competent care.
* Demonstrate commitment to diversity in all our activities.

Key Tactics

* Develop and promulgate standards for competency in the specific issues related to LGBT health and the various communities represented therein.
* Collect resources to support our policy and education goals, such as presentations and original research.
* Leverage the medical expertise of GLMA members by developing a speakers' bureau.
* Grow membership. We believe that all LGBT health care professionals should be members of GLMA.

Guiding Values, Beliefs and Principles

* We recognize that LGBT people experience serious disparities in health care. We have a unique role as the voice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in public policy debates about LGBT health.
* We draw our strength and credibility from our membership.
* We focus our efforts where we have unique competence.
* We are sensitive to the diversity of our communities – including differences of sex, gender, gender expression, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, physical ability, and geography – in our membership, leadership, program portfolio and policy priorities.
* We understand that our ability to take full advantage of the unique talents of a diverse board and staff require us to create a welcoming, accepting and respectful environment.
* We seek to collaborate with and provide technical assistance to others who are already doing good work.
* We make spending decisions based on conservative revenue projections and follow best practices of nonprofit financial management.
* We evaluate potential program ideas according to the following 8 criteria: unmet need, impact, net cost, effect on visibility, organizational capacity, fit with mission, fundability, value to members, impact on visibility and availability of partners.
* We invest in program evaluation in order to ensure that our resources are wisely spent.

Core Strategies

* Policy and Advocacy
* Education
* Research
* Membership and Development
* Infrastructure and Operations

Click here to read GLMA's Strategic Plan for 2004-2007 (PDF format - 87.2KB)

History The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) is the world’s largest and oldest association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) health care professionals. GLMA was founded in 1981 as the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights with the mission of ensuring equality in health care for LGBT individuals and health care professionals.

Today, there is still considerable ignorance about LGBT health issues, with many assuming that LGBT health involves only HIV/AIDS. In fact, the full scope of the LGBT health agenda includes breast and cervical cancer, hepatitis, mental health, substance abuse, tobacco use, depression, access to care for transgender persons, and other concerns.

GLMA’s work in LGBT health also encompasses issues that relate closely to health and wellness, such as marriage and family recognition, reparative therapy, and “refusal clause” legislation – laws that are intended to immunize health care professionals from liability for discriminating against persons of whom they disapprove.

Originally open only to physicians, residents and medical students, in 2002 GLMA expanded its mission and now represents the interests of tens of thousands of LGBT health professionals of all kinds, as well as millions of LGBT patients. GLMA’s membership includes approximately 1,000 member physicians, medical students, nurses, physician assistants, researchers, psychotherapists and other health professionals. Our members reside and work in most US states and several countries. Their practices represent the major healthcare disciplines and a wide range of medical specialties--including internal medicine, family practice, psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, emergency medicine, neurology and infectious diseases.

Over the past two decades, GLMA has tackled many initiatives and projects. Early on, GLMA focused on HIV/AIDS and the issues faced by physicians coming out at work. As the climate and culture have changed, GLMA has become a leader in public policy advocacy related to LGBT health.