Coll. 137: Gay Nurses Alliance Finding Aid

Coll. 137: Gay Nurses Alliance Finding Aid

The Gay Nurses’ Alliance (GNA) of Boston was founded in 1978 and its history can be traced to the Pennsylvania Nurses’ Association (PNA) which was founded in 1973 in Philadelphia by David Waldron and Carolyn Innes. Waldron and Innes wanted to create a gay caucus within the professional organization of nursing to address concerns within the gay and lesbian community within the nursing profession. In 1974 John Lawrence, RN, Director of Education at Health Service, headed the first gay caucus outside of Philadelphia, from which the Boston GNA was created in 1978.

The objectives of the GNA was to provide a forum for gay nurses, foster awareness that gay people exist as patients and members of the nursing profession, provide information to refute stereotypes about gay people, aid nurses who experience job discrimination, improve quality of care to gay patients, and diagnose and treat homophobia.

THP-FA-137