Revisiting and Disavowing the New York Academy of Medicine’s 1964 Report on Homosexuality

In 1964, The New York Academy of Medicine published an article entitled “Homosexuality. A Report by the Committee on Public Health” in its Bulletin, the predecessor to this journal. In the spirit of accountability, and of aligning the organization’s actions with its current beliefs and commitment to health equity, NYAM recently disavowed and apologized for the harm caused by this report. What follows is a brief historical overview of the report and the public response at its time of publication, as well as the full statement released by NYAM President Dr. Judith A. Salerno on June 15, 2022. (An original version of the historical overview first published on Books, Health and History, the blog of the NYAM Library on June 9, 2022.)