Background

On 20 May 2017, the Australian Medical Association released its Position Statement on Marriage Equality:
● AMA Position Statement on Marriage Equality 2017
● AMA media release re its Position Statement on Marriage Equality

On 5 August 2017, a group of six doctors published online a dissenting “Medical Critique” of the AMA’s Position Statement, accusing the AMA of having “mislead politicians and the public” by suppressing scientific studies showing “evidence of harm” to “children raised in same-sex parented families.” The authors sent a mass email to Australian doctors, asking them to sign a petition calling for the AMA Position Statement to be retracted:
● The “Medical Critique” of the AMA’s Position Statement on Marriage Equality
● The CritiqueAMA.com website

Responding to the “Medical Critique” of the Australian Medical Association’s Position Statement on Marriage Equality

The responsibility of health professionals is to present science in an objective manner, regardless of whether it suits any personal political beliefs. Scientific appraisal is not an exercise in the mere existence of peer-reviewed articles but rather the critical analysis of these articles to assess whether the data actually support what is being claimed:
● Medical Critique of the “Medical Critique” of the Australian Medical Association’s Position Statement on Marriage Equality

Regarding the scientific literature on the effects of same-sex parenting, the “Medical Critique” of the Australian Medical Association’s Position Statement on Marriage Equality consists of gross misrepresentations and outright falsehoods, misleading the Australian public and medical community. It should be retracted by its authors and medical practitioners who have signed the petition in its support should withdraw their signatures.