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Editor fired for homophobia

The American Heart Association (AHA) dismissed cardiologist Roberto Bolli from his position as editor in chief of its journal Circulation Research as a result of homophobic comments he made outside the academic environment. In March 2018, Bolli, who is a professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics at Kentucky University’s School of Medicine, received a promotional email for a Louisville Ballet LGBT event that featured an image of two male dancers holding hands alongside the slogan: “If you love someone, let him go.” The doctor replied to the email accusing the organizers of “promoting sodomy and homosexuality” and demanding that the ballet’s “minions of Satan” stop sending “filth” to his home. The response was published on a culture blog that accused Bolli of discrimination. He responded by confirming that he wrote the comments and asserting: “My personal religious views on homosexuality have NOTHING to do with my treatment of queer patients.” The American Heart Association had little sympathy. “The American Heart Association has a zero-tolerance policy with respect to personal conduct that conflicts with its guiding values and its commitment to an environment that embraces diversity and inclusion, and values cultural, racial, gender, and other differences to help it succeed in achieving its mission and goals,” Greg Donaldson, the AHA’s senior vice president and head of marketing, said in a statement, according to the Medscape website.

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