The Role of the Scarecrow in Surgery

Abstract

In 1998, a Wyoming cyclist noticed what he initially thought was a scarecrow was actually a person. When he took the time to investigate, he found Matthew Shepherd bound to a fence, beaten and left for dead, attacked for being gay. This heinous act of hatred represented a shift in how the United States treats hate crimes, leveeing severe ramifications for the motivations themselves. Although progress has been made, many in medicine who identify in as LGBTQI+ choose to conceal their truths out of fear. With available evidence suggesting a worsening shortage of surgeons in the country, populations of interested people cannot be excluded. Data on representation is severely lacking but is key to attract candidates; inclusivity, modern vocabularies, and the demonstration of engagement are important. Surgical organizations must understand the importance of being a welcoming, mentoring, and allying environment for interested LGBTQI+ candidates, serving as beacons for their interest, or we will simply remain complicit in seeing only scarecrows.

Keywords: LGBT; LGBTQ+; gay; surgeon; surgical workforce.