Historical cases of homophobia from the UK’s medical regulator have been acknowledged after the General Medical Council (GMC) apologized. The regulator was involved in disciplinary action that led to the end of some gay doctors’ careers – eight doctors were struck off the register. The erasures happened up until 1966, the year before the partial decriminalization of sex between men in England and Wales. The GMC found that the personal and professional damage caused by homophobic laws and attitudes added to the harm some male medics had suffered.
The archives reveal the GMC considered cases against at least 40 practitioners, who were engaging, or attempting to engage, in consensual sexual activity and intimacy with other men. In some cases, the individual’s career came to an abrupt end due to regulatory action. The regulator accepts that these disciplinary practices were wrong, and it is “truly sorry” that these historical events occurred. The GMC cannot determine the precise number of doctors affected by the policy, but it felt it could remember that the influence on every individual was enormous.
The apologizing gesture by the GMC was initiated within the organization. However, while doctors are no longer struck off for their sexuality, unfortunately, the prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender healthcare staff persisted. The apology is an essential step in attempting to redress the harm that past decisions caused so many medical professionals, but there is still a lot of work to be done toward true equality. The GMC recognizes the damage it caused and the need to apologize for these historical cases.
Dr. Duncan McGregor, from Gladd, The Association of LGBTQ+ Doctors and Dentists, called the GMC’s apology an essential step in acknowledging past injustices. “The profound impact of these actions on their lives cannot be overstated,” he stated. Additionally, the apology prompted positive feedback from other LGBTQ+ groups such as the Pride in Surgery Forum (Prism) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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