2023 Global Congress Location
April 24, 2023
Dear AAGL Membership,
As a women’s health care organization, our choice to hold our Global Congress in a state that has passed restrictive regulations on women’s abortion rights and transgender medicine is generating passionate responses from some in our membership who request that we reconsider the location of our meeting.
While we understand that there is some perception that we are an advocacy organization because we have put out statements opposing the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade and a statement of disagreement regarding discriminatory laws passed in Texas before our 2021 meeting there, we are, in fact, not a political association. Our sole purpose is to educate minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons, teach best practices, and elevate science among the greatest number of physicians who we can reach. At times the education we provide may seem like political advocacy because we continue to teach scientific principles despite the political opinions of our meeting location. However, political advocacy itself is not the purpose of the AAGL.
The location of our meetings historically, have been based on locations that can accommodate the most surgeons from our worldwide membership. Specific cities cater to international flights and provide the most affordable options to allow for greater accessibility. It is true that contracts in cities for our Global Congresses are made several years in advance and that it is extremely cost prohibitive to break these contracts. However, contracts alone are not the reason we keep our commitments. We also wish to promote the greatest equality of attendance among our membership.
We do hear your dissent regarding the location of this year’s meeting and understand the rationale and passion of your stance. However, we encourage you to consider another perspective. Please consider the support that women, transgender individuals, and the gynecologic physicians in restrictive states would feel by having us physically alongside of them, teaching evidence-based medicine and equality in the very locations that attempt to quiet both of those topics?
In our extensive membership, we come from such varied backgrounds and beliefs that at times we will clash in our opinions. In most cases, these differences are what make us stronger by giving us new perspectives and insights, but we also know that there are times when we will have to move forward with some disagreement about our choices. The AAGL Board and I take this topic very seriously. We weighed each factor and concluded that the purpose of our association, the greater accessibly to the meeting by our full membership, and our ability to be a light in dark places, should dictate our choice in locations rather than taking political stances in those regions.
We know that this explanation may not satisfy all of you. We wish that there was a way to please all our members and to always be in one accord. For now, our hope is that this provides clarity about our decision-making process.
Sincerely,
Andrew I. Sokol, MD, President
On behalf of the AAGL Board of Directors Executive Committee