HAROLD KOODEN, Ph.D.

The National Lesbian and Gay Health Foundation (founded 1977) and the Alliance of Lesbian and Gay Health Clinics (founded 1992) merged in June of 1994 to form the National Lesbian and Gay Health Association. It was a part of the Federation of AIDS Related Organizations (FARO) and sponsored annual conferences for lesbian, bisexual, and gay health workers. The Lesbian and Gay Health Conference and AIDS/HIV Forum provided opportunities to share research data and program expertise. NLGHA created a National Research Institute for Lesbian and Gay Health to assist health professionals in designing research, identifying funding opportunities, and communicating research findings. Located in Washington, NLGHA also advocated at the federal level on health issues facing the lesbian, bisexual, and gay community: breast and cervical cancer; STDs; hepatitis; substance abuse; mental health; lbg-related violence; suicide; and HIV/AIDS. A scholarship in honor of Paul Paroski Jr. was created and began to be offered to support lesbian and gay medical students in 1991. In 1997, NLGHA published The Gay Men’s Wellness Guide: The National Lesbian and Gay Health Association’s Complete Book of Physical, Emotional and Mental Health and Well-Being for Every Gay Male. The organization had financial and administrative difficulties and closed sometime between 1997 and 2002.