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Gay Pride at Inova Alexandria Hospital

Inova Alexandria Hospital is once again flying a Gay Pride flag out front.

While the hospital’s participation in Gay Pride Month may be intended to express inclusion of some people, it excludes the hospital volunteers, employees, patients, and visitors who have serious reservations about gay pride. Gay pride goes beyond treating everyone with respect. It celebrates and promotes certain people’s sexual identities.

Furthermore, hospital participation in Gay Pride Month looks like a medical endorsement. AIDS seems irrelevant. And whereas eight researchers concluded that “all physicians included in gender dysphoria treatment are facing great bioethical challenges and dilemmas” (“Gender Dysphoria: Bioethical Aspects of Medical Treatment,” Biomed Research International, 2018), by flying the Gay Pride flag, the hospital seems to suggest that any sex change is something to be proud of.

I asked Rina Bansal, MD, President of Alexandria Hospital, to reconsider the hospital’s participation in Gay Pride Month. She did not address the concerns I raised, which are expressed above, except to say, “Inova is an Anti-Racist, Anti-Discrimination Health System.… we ask that everyone who works for our system, including volunteers, uphold our Inova values and this statement.” She also said that Inova will continue participating in Gay Pride Month. (The Inova values are “Patient Always,“ “Our People,” “One Team,” “Integrity,” and “Excellence”; they do not clearly imply celebrating or promoting anybody’s sexual identity.)

As an Inova volunteer, I treated all patients, family members, staff, and volunteers with respect. Being anti-racist and anti-discrimination does not require endorsing pride in certain sexual identities—or maybe at Inova it does.

Stephen G. Dunham
Former Inova volunteer
Former Inova financial donor

My letter to Dr. Bansal

Dr. Bansal’s reply