Gay Doctors Ireland

Irish LGBT organization

Gay Doctors Ireland (GDI) is an organisation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) physicians and medical students in Ireland. It was founded in Dublin by Conor Malone in 2010 as Ireland’s first association for LGBT doctors.^[1]^[2]

Activity

GDI was created to provide an educational, professional and social support network for LGBT doctors and medical students. In 2010, the group’s inaugural annual general meeting featured Doctor Jesse Ehrenfeld of Harvard University.^[1]^[3]^[4]

Among the issues addressed by the group is the Irish Blood Transfusion Service controversial ban on gay men donating blood. GDI argued the policies stigmatise gay men, and are a form of government-sponsored homophobia^[5]^[6] In September 2011, GDI criticised Deputy Brian Walsh’s efforts to deny surgery to transgender patients.^[7]^[8]

In April 2011, GDI announced an annual LGBT Health Research Bursary for medical students, the first of its kind in Ireland. Its purpose is to sponsor undergraduate medical students in Ireland to undertake a summer research project focussed on LGBT health.^[9]

References

[1]

McDonagh, Michelle (4 April 2010). “Gay and lesbian doctors find a voice”. Irish Times. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2010. Full version on GDI website here Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine.
[2]

Cosgrave, Terence; Connors, Aoife (28 April 2010). “Changing conservative views”. Irish Medical Times. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
[3]

Kelly, Pat (15 April 2010). “First Irish gay doctors AGM”. Medical Independent. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
[4]

Mudiwa, Lloyd (4 May 2010). “Making medicine more inclusive”. Irish Medical News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2010. (copy on GDI website here Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine)
[5]

Mudiwa, Lloyd (4 May 2010). “Gay Doctors Ireland criticise blood transfusion ban”. Irish Medical News. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. The interim Chairman of Gay Doctors Ireland (GDI) has said the IBTS (Irish Blood Transfusion Service) policy of refusing blood donations from gay men is “unscientific” and outdated.
[6]

Troy-Barnes, Ethan (4 October 2011). “Flesh and Blood”. The University Observer. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
[7]

“Gay Doctors Ireland slams TD’s comments – the Medical Independent”. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
[8]

Gartland, Fiona (14 September 2011). “State paid for 14 sex-change operations over five years”. The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
[9]

Fogarty, James (21 April 2011). “First LGBT health bursary announced”. Medical Independent. Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2011.