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Homosexuality in Medicine

I'm a gay male medical student. It seems to me that although the majority of medics in my year are accepting, there are a fair few that I would describe as homophobic. It would be expected from future doctors, who will eventually see all sorts of people from different walks of life, that they would be tolerant individuals and certainly not hateful towards any particular demographic. In fact, I would expect them not to have a problem with gay people in the same way as I'd expect them not to have anything against people from a different race or religion.

They say homophobia stems from a lack of education. If we cannot trust our doctors to be indifferent, who can we trust? I don't flaunt my sexuality to anybody, but should I be wary of ever mentioning it to people I will work with someday?

Has anybody else experienced or witnessed the same as me? I'm keen to hear other opinions. Keep it friendly!

Reply 1

Scienceisgood

Actually intelligence is a double edged sword IMO.
Some people are simply taught to hate it/think it is wrong due to personal or religious beliefs 99% of the time, you then get the whole "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" or something along those lines.

So, while you can teach someone to be tolerant and show people it is not a choice, but a biological trait, you can THEN teach people this kind of thing. However, some people put their faith ahead of what science proves to be fact and then are completely blind to anything else because it's what they've been taught/raised on for the rest of their lives.
Example, I believed in God until I was like 15, simply because I was told he existed, then, I reaised I only believed this stuff because I was being told it, not because I was thinking on my own two feet.

So, some people have it drilled into them through teaching due to faith, others realise it themselves and the rest are taught it s acceptable.

Also, I am homosexual. =l

In short, intelligence can be used to hurt people as well as help people.

EDIT:
I suppose the best example I can think of is the Westboro Baptist Church (the morons with the sandwich boards outside of funerals saying "God H8s Fags").
The kids have had it drilled into them since day 1.