After Quite a Long Time: Federal Cultural Competency WIN!

by Dr. Scout    Reposted at http://www.keystothecloset.blogspot.com,

Scout, Ph.D.

Director, The Fenway Institute's Network for LGBT Health Equity

with additional reporting from the esteemed Daniella Matthews-Trigg

Sometimes you really do have to wait for good things to happen. So if you didn't catch the news earlier this week we wanted to start your weekend off by reporting on the progress of a few different action alerts we ran back in... can you believe it, 2010.

Back then the Office of Minority Health was asking for input on their Cultural and Linguistically Appropriate Services. We were happy to oblige and ran a few different action alerts urging people to write in with smart ideas on how to include LGBT people in the standards for the first time. See our action alerts below:

·         ACTION ALERT: FEDERAL CULTURAL COMPETENCY STANDARDS BEING ENHANCED: OPEN COMMENT PERIOD NOW!

·         ACTION ALERT: FEDERAL CULTURAL COMPETENCY STANDARDS BEING ENHANCED: OPEN TILL 12/31/10!

The National CLAS was originally published in 2000, and provides a framework for all health organizations to address diverse populations, and provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care. The standards aim to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate healthcare disparities. Importantly, hospitals and healthcare groups really pay attention to these standards.

What we're very happy to report is we now have culture! The enhanced National CLAS Standards have adopted an expanded definition of culture that now includes sexual orientation and gender identity. The implementation blueprint even urges trainings and data collection no less! Read more details in this great post from our friend Kellan on all the different changes here: New Health Services Standards Ensure Respect For LGBT Patients. Or poke around the new standards directly on the federal Think Cultural Health website.

Mostly, for all of you that wrote in back in 2010 that you wanted sexual orientation and gender identity to be included, we just wanted you to know, the long wait was worth it. 

Note to SCOUT: 

Think Cultural Health website , you can log in on that page using username: lgbthealthequity

password: Fenway2013@
you can access the whole document there.

National Safe Schools Day for LGBTQ Youth

by Emilia Dunham, Program Associate Posted at http://lgbthealthequity.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/national-safe-schools-day-for-lgbtq-youth/ Reposted at http://keystothecloset.blogspot.com

Today we’d like to raise awareness for an important campaign by Safe Schools Action Network: National Safe Schools Day. As you likely know there were quite a few highly publicized LGBTQ youth suicides as a result of anti-LGBTQ bullying clustered around this time last year, which makes this day so important. You probably all know the facts about Health Risks of LGBT kids including the obscene statistics about high suicide rates among LGB, and especially T people.

It’s of some relief to know that the government is starting to respond with supportive policies and recommendations. At a Network we do our best to support LGBTQ youth in our policy advocacy, trainings, supporting you in your efforts, hosting LGBTQ youth initiatives, action alerts, and youth focused funding technical assistance calls. However, sometimes it’s useful to provide resources with what people can do directly, which is just what Safe Schools is doing and why we gladly support their efforts.

Take Action
The Safe Schools Action Network website hosts many ways to get involved, provides resources for LGBTQ youth, and lists many ways to take action such as:
• Send a Letter/Email to a School, Community Leader or Local Newspaper Editor
• Speak with your representatives in government to support LGBTQ youth
• Work with your schools to educate and create task forces for LGBTQ youth
• Talk with neighbors, friends, co-workers and families
• Be a mentor to an LGBTQ youth

Make it Personal
Some of you already do great work, but we should all push ourselves to do one extra thing this month for the youth. For me, I’ve decided to contact my old school district, asking for them to support LGBTQ youth. Like many LGBTQ people, when I was growing up I was bullied quite a bit. Well before I even came out, peers directed homophobic and transphobic taunts and slurs at me on a regular basis, and I became very depressed and isolated for feeling so different from my straight, gender conforming peers. When I did come out in high school, it felt good to be myself, but bullying got more defined. However, my school’s administration was very supportive of me and were there when I needed them. Looking back, I consider myself lucky to have had such support in a small, conservative town and I’m not sure if I would here today if it wasn’t for that support. Therefore I am resolved to write a letter to my school thanking them for their support and asking them for their continued support of transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer and questioning students.

So whatever you do, whether you’re making it personal or taking action because it’s the right thing, please do something for the youth.

Make it a Commitment
All of October is Bullying Prevention Month too, so for the next few weeks, please make a committment to support LGBTQ youth.