Amp Questions On Sex ‘discriminatory’ (Press, 18 July 1989)
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Summary: Amp Questions On Sex ‘discriminatory’ (Press, 18 July 1989)
On 18 July 1989, Mr. Warren Lindberg, the director of the A.I.D.S. Foundation, publicly accused the AMP Society, a life insurance company, of discriminating against gay men through its insurance application process. This came in response to reports that the company had refused life insurance to certain individuals, labelling them as high-risk due to their sexual practices, particularly targeting promiscuous homosexual men. Lindberg argued that the broad questions about sexual preferences in the AMP questionnaire were both unfair and unnecessary. He specifically called out the policy of asking applicants whether they have sexual relations with other men, asserting that this line of questioning was irrelevant. Instead, he proposed a more precise question: “Do you have male-to-male anal sex?” Lindberg pointed out that it is only anal sex that is associated with a higher risk of contracting A.I.D.S. In his view, the frequency of sexual partners should not be a determiner for risk if those individuals are practising safe sex. Furthermore, Lindberg raised concerns about the extent of medical information that AMP was requesting from life insurance applicants. He noted that AMP was demanding broader permission to seek medical details compared to other insurance companies, suggesting that applicants might not fully understand that by signing consent forms, they were allowing AMP to inquire about any aspect of their medical history—from their doctors—whether or not it was medically relevant. He highlighted that the Life Offices Association’s new code of practice discourages such inquiries about male-to-male sexual activity, favouring a specific question focused on anal sex instead. As a notable precedent, it was reported that AMP had turned down approximately 50 applicants based on perceived lifestyle choices and the associated risk of A.I.D.S. Furthermore, since the previous year, AMP had instituted a requirement for applicants seeking life insurance of $250,000 or more to sign a declaration agreeing to undergo an H.I.V. test. Lindberg's comments indicate a critical stance against the insurance industry's approach to assessing risk related to sexual orientation and practices, aiming for a more equitable treatment of all applicants regardless of their sexual identity.
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