Pride Month 2024: Celebrating progress, pursuing comprehensive inclusion

By Billy Oglesby, PhD, MBA, FACHE

The month of June figures prominently in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQIA+) communities. Signifying a way to honor and celebrate achievements of progress in the face of discrimination, Pride Month is rooted in history.

In the 1960s, police in many cities regularly raided bars and restaurants where members of the Gay and Lesbian community gathered.? People fought back for the first time when the New York Police Department aggressively dragged patrons and employees out of the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village on June 28, 1969, setting in motion six days of confrontations and protests that culminated in the?gay rights movement .? The following June, an estimated 3000-5000 people marched in the country’s first gay pride parade in New York City. Fast forward to June of 2000 when President Bill Clinton officially designated June as “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month” in recognition of the Stonewall Riots and gay activism throughout the years.

Pride Month continues to be celebrated every June - not only in the U.S. but also in Canada, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. ?Events are being hosted in cities throughout the U.S. – from festivals, community events and parades to rallies and panel discussions around advocacy.? Although challenges remain, these gatherings and events highlight the successful efforts of activists and generate positive energy for the future.? ?

How does this affect us in the healthcare community?? ?Despite protections under the law, LGBTQIA+ people continue to experience fear bias-based discrimination and potential mistreatment in medical facilities. They and their loved ones are looking to healthcare providers to advocate for and offer fully- inclusive services.? To that end, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) compiles and annually updates the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) to help LGBTQIA+ people locate healthcare facilities where welcoming policies and practices are the norm.?

HEI is the national benchmarking tool for evaluating healthcare facilities’ policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQIA+ patients, visitors and employees.? A record 1,065 of the nation’s healthcare facilities actively participated in the 2024 HEI survey.? Participants are scored on the number of LGBTQIA+ inclusive policies and procedures they have in place for specific criteria including:

• Non-discrimination and staff training (patient non-discrimination, equal visitation, employee non-discrimination)
• Patient services and support (LGBTQIA+ services/support, Transgender services/support, medical decision-making, patient self-identification and data collection)
• Employee benefits, policies and procedures, with transgender inclusive health insurance
• Patient and community engagement

This year, Jefferson Health takes great “Pride” in having earned the “LGBTQIA+ Healthcare Equality High Performer ” designation from the HRC.? Jefferson was among fewer than 500 healthcare facilities honored for its exceptional commitment to inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ patients and their families. ?Some of Jefferson’s specific programs and centers include :

Jefferson Pride Care, Haddonfield, NJ

Pride Care at Community Practice Center, Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital, North Philadelphia

Pride Care at the Center for Health Aging, Center City

Providing high quality, inclusive, welcoming, gender affirming, tailored care will help overall to improve health equity and healthcare outcomes for LGBTQIA+ communities. The White House Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Pride Month 2024 states: “We are ensuring that the LGBTQIA+ community is protected against discrimination when accessing health care, and the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice launched a safety partnership to provide critical training and support to the community, including resources to help report hate crimes and better protect festivals, marches, community centers, businesses, and health care providers serving the community.” The proclamation goes on to outline important initiatives including resources for mental health services and a crisis hotline for LGBTQIA+ youth. It is with these structural and policy shifts that we can improve our collective care for LGBTQIA+ communities.

?Billy Oglesby, PhD, MBA, FACHE is the Humana Dean of Jefferson College of Population Health.

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