Gay/Straight Dental Alliance
Inaugural Reception at FAH
By McKinsee Broderick
On May 7th, 2009 the Gay/Straight Dental Alliance (GSDA) held its inaugural reception at UCSF Faculty Alumni House. The reception brought together dental students, alumni, faculty members and staff to celebrate the formation of the GSDA. It hosted distinguished UCSF School of Dentistry alumni Michael Perona, George Kohn, Jeff Nebenzahl, Marco Reyes, and Don Fisher. Dean Featherstone and Associate Dean for Education Perry both attended the event, and affirmed the School Administration’s commitment to ensuring a tolerant environment for diversity in all of its forms. The GSDA enthusiastically thanks everyone who attended.
When asked how the GSDA will help the student body at UCSF School of Dentistry, third year dental student Osama Ahmed poignantly responded “Establishing GSDA is an accomplishment that should be praised and celebrated. I am happy to finally see this dream come true. GSDA will endorse diversity in the School of Dentistry at UCSF. It will make lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered individuals feel recognized. It will make them feel more comfortable being around the premises of School, as they would have someone that they could seek out for support and guidance. The GSDA may not be able to change the way that certain individuals feel about homosexuality, however the presence of this association will remind these individuals the need to be respectful of others regardless of what their sexual orientation is, and of the beauty of human lives in their diversity. Let us all accept one another for who we are with all our differences and similarities.”
The GSDA was created to enhance and enrich the climate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) individuals, and to increase the visibility of these individuals in the UCSF School of Dentistry. The organizational mission is to work towards creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for LGBT students, staff and faculty, to educate and communicate issues specific to this group, and to prevent homophobia and discrimination of LGBT individuals in the School and in our student clinics. The Gay Straight Dental Alliance intends to move forward by providing encouragement and support to the LGBT dental community. The GSDA will organize an AIDS Walk San Francisco team and participate in UCSF Diversity Week. Regular brown bag lunch time events will be held to gather members and supporters of the GSDA.
