SANTA BARBARA — June is designated as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month to remember the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan and celebrate this milestone for the LGBTQ community in America. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. While the last Sunday of the month was originally designated as the day of celebration, communities around the country eventually chose various days within June to celebrate which lead to the variety of events, both celebratory and awareness-focused, that are now held throughout the month. Learn more at on the Library of Congress’s website.
Healthcare for the LGBT community does not compare to the quality of healthcare for heterosexual patients. Only 15 states have laws preventing health insurance discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity according to the Movement Advancement Project. Additionally, providers also have the responsibility to educate themselves on how sexual orientations differ and how that affects their delivery of medical care. Optimistically though, Kenneth Mayer, a Professor at Harvard Medical School who spoke as a panelist at the LGBTQ Health Forum in 2018 said “The hook, and it’s the right hook for providers, is you’re going to do a better job providing patient care. Did you really go into this profession to do a bad job? I think if we can get people to understand that, that will help turn things around.”
Quick Facts from The Trevor Project and Pacific Pride Foundation’s 2020-2021 report
- More than 80% of LGBTQ youth stated that COVID-19 made their living situation more stressful — and only 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth found their home to be LGBTQ-affirming across the United States.
- 75% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at least once in their lifetime throughout the country.
- 600 people received clean syringes and were educated about HIV prevention practices including prep and safer sex materials throughout Santa Barbara County.
Connect online by posting on social media: Follow Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition on Instagram at opioidsafetysb. Follow Pacific Pride on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and use the hashtag #PrideMonth all month. Write to incarcerated individuals who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ through Black & Pink National’s PenPal Program.
Events: Attend the Pacific Pride Festival for FREE which is hosted by Pacific Pride Foundation and will be this August.
For more information about Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics or Santa Barbara Opioid Safety Coalition, you can contact Eugene Kim or Paul Ristuccia at vista@sbclinics.org