[May 16, 2014] |
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AHF Lauds Georgia Department of Public Health for Rescinding Job Offer to Anti-gay Pasadena, CA Health Director
LOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)--
The
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today lauded the Georgia Public
Health Department for its decision to rescind a high-level job offer to Dr.
Eric Walsh, the disgraced former Director of the City of Pasadena's
Department of Health, who resigned that position earlier this week after
revelations of his ongoing and very publicly stated anti-gay,
anti-Muslim and other prejudices came to light. Walsh had been
conditionally offered a position in Georgia as District Health Director
of the North Georgia Health District. Over the past two weeks since
revelations of Dr. Walsh's statements and prejudices came to light,
advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation and other groups mobilized in
Pasadena and Georgia to decry his homophobic remarks and actions and to
urge both municipalities to sever ties with Walsh.
In an article
published online today in GAVoice, the self-described 'media outlet of
record for the LGBT community in Atlanta and throughout the state,'
reporter Dyana Bagley writes, "…the Georgia Department of
Public Health (DPH) has retracted the conditional offer of employment to
Dr. Eric Walsh for the position of District Health Director of the North
Georgia Health District. Today's action by the Department follows a
thorough examination of Dr. Walsh's credentials and background as well
as consultation with the six local Boards of Health which comprise the
district."
"Georgia health officials are to be commended for recognizing that Dr.
Walsh's repugnant remarks are simply incompatible with an effective
public health leader," said Michael Weinstein, President of the
AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Georgia is fighting a growing HIV epidemic
in which too many people are already afraid to seek lifesaving care
because of fear and stigma. Health officials there made the correct call
on this."
"HIV stigma and homophobia have no place in our State Health
Department," said Tim Webb, an Atlanta-based HIV activist. "By
bringing on someone with Dr. Walsh's views on homosexuality, the state
was telling gay men 'we don't care about your health.' We thank Georgia
health officials for their swift and decisive action on this matter."
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS
organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over
300,000 individuals in 32 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin
America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe.

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