Goodside Health joins with organizations across the U.S. and around the world in celebrating Pride.

This year marks the 54th annual observance in the U.S., which dates back to the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City that sparked the civil rights movement that continues this June.¹

For members of the LGBTQ+ community – which includes those who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and more identities – accessing culturally competent care continues to be a challenge in 2023.²

Finding equitable physical and mental health care more important than ever, especially for LGBTQ+ youth. Consider these findings from a recent Centers for Disease Control study, which noted that students in a sexual minority – or non-heterosexual – are more likely to³:

• Get bullied at school
• Seriously considered suicide
• Feel sad or hopeless
• Use illicit drugs

This month, the Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans following a significant increase in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative activity at the state level. Along with its declaration, the HRC published a guidebook to help provide clarity, education, and resources on the state-specific rights of LGBTQ+ individuals.⁴

What else can be done to promote better health outcomes for the Pride communities? From creating safe spaces to listening and promoting kindness and inclusion, The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that⁵:

• “LGBTQ youth who found their school to be LGBTQ-affirming reported lower rates of attempting suicide.”
• “LGBTQ youth who felt high social support from their family reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who felt low or moderate social support.”
• “LGBTQ youth who live in a community that is accepting of LGBTQ people reported significantly lower rates of attempting suicide than those who do not.”

Another step to consider is to become an Ally to the Pride movement. An LGBTQ+ ally is any individual that stays updated on LGBTQ+ issues and events, advocates for policies that promote equality for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and works to actively prevent individuals from experiencing discrimination.

Do you know an LGBTQ+ youth in need of support? The Trevor Project provides a variety of resources that can help. Learn more at thetrevorproject.org.

Goodside Health is committed to serving patients by providing appropriate, quality care that considers the gender, sexual orientation, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, lived experiences, and values of every individual. We understand that:

• Culturally Competent care starts by acknowledging that every group as well as every person is inherently unique.
• The way that someone receives, processes, and reacts in a healthcare setting is both rooted in their culture and their own lived experience.
• ‘What is important to you?’ and ‘How can we be helpful?’ are always appropriate questions for the patient and family.
• Patients and partners trust Goodside Care to care for their families because of our expertise as well as our capacity to adjust recommendations to best meet the patient’s and family’s life circumstances.

Goodside Health is proud to serve a growing number of increasingly diverse communities through our school-based and virtual care services as well as across our Urgent Care for Kids clinics.

Stay tuned to our Good News page as we celebrate important cultural and diversity observances throughout 2023.