Doctors: Marriage Bans, DADT Unhealthy

The American Medical Association, the nation's largest professional group for doctors, voted Tuesday to declare that same-sex marriage bans promote health disparities, and to oppose the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The votes at the AMA's semiannual policy meeting in Houston were based on statistics and physicians' experience, according to the Associated Press.

"The health disparities policy is based on evidence showing that married couples are more likely to have health insurance, and that the uninsured have a high risk for 'living sicker and dying younger,' said Dr. Peter Carmel, an AMA board member," according to the AP.

"Doctors who pushed the group to oppose 'don't ask, don't tell' say the policy forcing gay service members to keep their sexual orientation secret has 'a chilling effect' on open communication between gays and their doctors," the AP reported.