The City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues sent letters to U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Dick Durbin (Illinois’ representatives), imploring them to ‘thoroughly and skeptically scrutinize President Bush’s nomination of Dr. James Holsinger to the position of Surgeon General.’
The council cited Holsinger’s 1991 document entitled ‘Pathophysiology of Male Homosexuality.’ According to the group’s letter, Holsinger asserted, among other things, ‘that homosexuality is unnatural and dangerous.’
Lastly, the council pointed out that the surgeon general’s post is extremely important to the health of the nation’s LGBT residents. The council asked the senators to ‘take into consideration his past anti-gay writings, his employment history as Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs … under the former President Bush, [and] his associations and affiliations.’