health initiative asks georgia department of public health to rescind job offer

May  15,  2014    Brenda  Fitzgerald,  M.D.  Commissioner  Georgia  Department  of  Public  Health  2  Peachtree  Street,  NW  15th  Floor  Atlanta,  GA  30303-­‐3186    Dr.  Fitzgerald,    We  are  writing  you  today  to  urge  you  to  rescind  the  job  offer  extended  to  Dr.  Eric  Walsh  by  the  Georgia  Department  of  Public  Health.  The  Health  Initiative  works  throughout  the  state  to  connect  LGBT  Georgians  to  health  services  and  resources.  We  value  the  work  of  the  Department  and  have  partnered  on  outreach  campaigns,  such  as  efforts  to  promote  smoke-­‐free  spaces.      Dr.  Walsh’s  public  displays  of  anti-­‐gay  propaganda  and  religious  rhetoric  will  become  symbols  of  the  department  and  will  further  isolate  an  already  vulnerable  population.  We  believe  this  hire  is  detrimental  to  the  wellbeing  of  our  community,  as  well  as  to  the  effectiveness  of  the  Department  to  conduct  meaningful  outreach  to  LGBT  Georgians.    As  spelled  out  by  the  federal  Healthy  People  2020  report  and  the  Institute  of  Medicine’s  2011  findings,  LGBT  individuals  are  more  likely  to  avoid  accessing  preventative  health  screenings  due  to  a  lack  of  culturally  competent  providers  and  an  overall  fear  of  discrimination.  When  adding  an  additional  factor,  such  as  living  in  a  rural  community,  this  disparity  is  further  heightened.  This  avoidance  of  care  results  in  LGBT  populations  exhibiting  higher  rates  of  a  variety  of  health  conditions,  such  as  heart  disease,  and  higher  mortality  rates  for  treatable  conditions,  such  as  cervical  cancer.  In  short,  homophobia  is  a  health  risk.    Placing  Dr.  Walsh  in  a  leadership  position  will  validate  our  community’s  fears  in  engaging  health  systems  and  will  hurt  the  credibility  of  any  future  campaign  launched  by  the  Georgia  Department  of  Public  Health  that  may  seek  to  address  LGBT  health  disparities.      We  believe  the  work  that  the  Department  has  done  to  reach  the  community  is  tremendously  important,  including  having  a  presence  at  the  annual  Atlanta  Pride  Festival.  We  do  not  wish  to  see  those  efforts  diminished  by  bringing  onboard  an  individual  that  speaks  out  so  vehemently  against  the  LGBT  population.      Our  organizations  share  common  goals  of  educating  Georgians  about  their  health,  encouraging  them  to  access  screenings,  and  to  take  actions  that  will  increase  their  longevity  and  wellbeing.  Today,  we  are  asking  the  Department  to  continue  to  act  in  the  best  interests  of  the  state  and  rescind  the  offer  that  was  made  to  Dr.  Walsh.    Thank  you  for  your  consideration,  

 Linda  Ellis,  MEd,  MDiv,  LPC  Executive  Director  The  Health  Initiative,  Inc.  404-­‐688-­‐2524  ext.  112