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Sexual orientation in the workplace

June 2005

BMA policy and publications
BMA equal opportunities policy statement
The British Medical Association is committed to equality in the provision of its services to its members and stakeholders. This ensures that all members, those applying for membership, and other service users will receive the highest possible standards of service from the BMA, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, chronic illness, religion or beliefs.

Our equal opportunities policy has been developed to ensure that BMA members and staff are fully aware of our commitment to provide equality of opportunity in all of our functions. Furthermore, the BMA will monitor the implementation and application of our equal opportunities policy and ensure that it reflects and meets the requirements of the increasingly diverse membership, which we seek to serve.

This resource complements some of the BMA’s earlier work in equality and diversity. In 1998 the BMA’s Career Progress of Doctors Committee produced a publication entitled Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation: guidelines for promoting equal opportunities in the health service. [Go to reference 46]. Central to the publication was that:

- equal opportunities policies should state clearly that doctors have the right to be open about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or transgender at work

- those doctors who choose not to be open about their sexuality have the right not to have their sexuality disclosed by colleagues to others at work without permission.

The BMA has continued to address equality and diversity, recently publishing the Career barriers in medicine: doctors’ experiences (2004) [Go to reference 1] report. This report features a strong but often marginalised voice from gay, lesbian and bisexual doctors highlighting some of the barriers that exist within medicine. Other BMA publications such as Dealing with discrimination: guidelines for BMA members (2004) [Go to reference 29] further illustrate the prevalence of discrimination towards doctors and provide guidance in dealing with these issues for individuals and organisations. Other guidance that the BMA has produced for members and staff include anti-discriminatory language guidelines and an equal opportunities policy and guidelines. BMA policies aim to promote a working environment where all forms of discrimination and harassment are considered unacceptable and incidents arising from such behaviour are not tolerated. The BMA is also involved with other professional stakeholders to address many of the issues relating to equality and diversity within the medical profession.