[May 16, 2014]

AHF Lauds Georgia Department of Public Health for Rescinding Job Offer to Anti-gay Pasadena, CA Health Director

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."

• website: www.aidshealth.org
• Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth
• Twitter (News - Alert): @aidshealthcare

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.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]