The Transforming Care Awards honor people and organizations who have made exceptional contributions to the health and wellness of the LGBTQ+ and/or HIV communities in the Midwest. Since 2016, we have been proud to offer this recognition to outstanding leaders in our community. We are pleased to present to you the nominees and winners of the 5th annual Transforming Care Awards. Transforming Care Conference attendees can join Equitas Health Institute Lead Trainer Ramona Peel (she/her) and Kaleidoscope Youth Center Deputy Director Karen Hewitt (ze/hir/she/her) for a
Author Archives: Ramona Peel
On September 18-19, people living with HIV met at a five scenic sites across Ohio to renew their bonds of community and friendship. The Life+ Weekend was a first-of-its-kind event that provided an opportunity to connect with old and new friends despite the current public health emergency in face-to-face socially distanced settings. As Equitas Health Prevention Education Manager Matthew Ellwood told us, “This was an overnight retreat for people living with HIV/AIDS, particularly long-time survivors or anyone age 40 and above Five Ohio state parks hosted
When we talk about the health care challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community, the specific concerns of lesbians are often overlooked. Not only do lesbian members of our community face the same obstacles to high-quality care that all women do, and that all LGBTQ+ people do, but there are more specific issues that are directly relevant to our lesbian friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. What are some of the specific health disparities that impact lesbians? -Lesbian women suffer from higher rates of breast cancer and cervical cancer,
This year at the Transforming Care Conference, we are once again honoring five outstanding people and one superlative organization who have made major positive impacts on behalf of the LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS communities. This year, our Awards Committee is putting additional emphasis on recognizing providers, community activists, and organizations who are helping provide care and support to The Invisibles while also actively fighting white supremacy. Now it’s your turn to make sure your voice is heard! You can submit your nominees for the 2020 Transforming Care
Approximately 15 million people in the US are LGBTQ+, and despite persistent stereotypes to the contrary, a significant chunk of this population lives in rural areas. About one out of every five LGBTQ+ folks in the US lives in sparsely populated areas outside of major cities, and these 3 million people face additional challenges on top of the ones faced my sexual and minorities everywhere. Despite this, there is an expectation that rural LGBTQ+ folks should move (or want to move) to more “friendly” urban areas.
http://transformingcareconference.com/2020-registration/ The Equitas Health Institute, OhioHealth, and the OSU Wexner Medical Center will welcome hundreds of activists, academics, community members, and health & social service professionals to our virtual conference space October 14-16. The conference will provide a unique opportunity for professionals and community members from across the nation and the globe to come together online and share not only research and best practices, but also practical information about topics including family planning, wellness activities, and health and safety initiatives. This year’s conference theme is focused
Happy International Non-Binary People’s Day, y’all! While some of the terminology might be new, in human populations there have always been folks whose gender identity didn’t fit neatly into the male or female boxes. Here’s some tips to be a better ally and advocate for non-binary people: 1. Don’t assume or guess what another person’s gender identity is based on observable gender expression cues. 2. Introduce yourself with your name and pronouns to signal your intent to be inclusive. This also will create space for the
One of the most important parts of creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ folks is basic structural competency. How does interacting with your organization’s website, social media accounts, and online scheduling tools make members of this marginalized population feel? Do they see themselves included in how your organization presents itself? Do they see indicators of your organization’s intent to be LGBTQ+ inclusive? Do your forms avoid asking questions rooted in heteronormative or cisnormative assumptions? Do patients have the ability to share their chosen names?
The Institute has not been immune to the vast and unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Before the pandemic, the vast majority of our training and education work had been conducted in person. In some cases, training would be administered in a small room to a handful of people in close quarters. At the other extreme, our trainers would address packed auditoriums filled with hundreds of participants. As you can imagine, while in-person training is not impossible, the circumstances where it can be done
The last few years have mostly seen setbacks in the arena of LGBTQ+ rights, most notably with the Trump Administration’s attempts to strip civil rights protections from trans and non-binary folks. However, the movement scored a major victory at the US Supreme Court on June 15 in the case of Bostock v Clayton County. In fact, this victory could have broader positive effects than the landmark decision that made marriage equality the law of the land five years ago today. Why is this ruling so important?