GLMA Conference Preliminary Program Now Available

The preliminary program for GLMA’s 32nd Annual Conference is now available online. Click here to check out this year’s conference workshop, research and plenary topics and speakers! Also included in the preliminary program is the schedule of events and helpful information (and discounts) about travel to/from Baltimore.

We are thrilled to announce the Keynote Address: LGBT Health Priorities at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• Kathy Greenlee, JD, Administrator of the Administration for Community Living and Assistant Secretary for Aging
• Pam Hyde, JD, SAMHSA Administrator
• Jim Scanlon, MPP, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, HHS 
• Juliet Choi, Chief of Staff, Office of Civil Rights and Senior Advisory, HHS
• Moderator: Matthew G Heinz, MD, Director, Provider Outreach, HHS

Early bird registration for the Annual Conference ends July 15th! Click here to register now or to learn more about GLMA’s Annual Conference—the premier LGBT health conference and the world’s largest scientific gathering devoted to LGBT health issues and concerns. REMINDER: GLMA members receive a discount on registration! Join NOW!

We are also excited to announce the location of this year’s Annual Achievement Award Gala on Saturday, September 13th: The National Aquarium in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor!

Get your tickets now!
Gala tickets include free admission to the National Aquarium’s exhibits for one hour prior to the start of the Gala (6pm – 7pm)!

If you have already registered for the conference, but would like to add Gala tickets, please contact us!

National Workgroup to Address the Needs of Children and Youth Who Are LGBTQI2-S

National Workgroup to Address the Needs of Children and Youth Who Are LGBTQI2-S and Their Families ~Affirming LGBTQI2-S youth and families through full inclusion~

Biweekly Update, June 27, 2014 RESOURCE UPDATE OF LGBT TOPIC PAGE ON FINDYOUTHINFO.GOV Supported by the American Institutes for Research, FindYouthInfo.gov has just released a comprehensive update to the LGBT youth topic page. This U.S. government website helps to create, maintain, and strengthen effective youth programs. Included are youth facts, funding information, and tools to help you assess community assets, generate maps of local and federal resources, search for evidence-based youth programs, and keep up-to-date on the latest, youth-related news. NEWS Supreme Court Ruling on Reparative Therapy The U.S. Supreme Court of declined to review a 2013 decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding California’s Senate Bill 1172, a law that prohibits licensed counselors and therapists from engaging in dangerous practices to try to change the sexual orientation or gender expression of LGBT children. As this Equality California article notes, numerous medical and mental health organizations have condemned reparative therapy because it is known to lead to depression and suicide. YOUTH  STORY Web Article: Choosing Who I Let In: I found Family in My Group Home This article from Represent: The Voice of Youth in Care tells the story of an LGBT young person’s experience with the child welfare system and coming out in it.  Workgroup Chair, Captain Andrew Hunt, M.S.W., Public Health Advisor, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services, Child, Adolescent and Family Branch, andrew.hunt@samhsa.hhs.gov  Workgroup Coordinator, Jeffrey Poirier, Ph.D., Principal Researcher, American Institutes for Research, jpoirier@air.org

GLMA Concerned about LGBT Health Implications of Supreme Court Ruling

In response to the US Supreme Court ruling allowing closely held corporations to deny insurance coverage of contraceptives to their employees based on religious beliefs, GLMA executive director Hector Vargas issued the following statement:
“We are disappointed at today’s troubling ruling. This decision opens the door to employers interfering with the healthcare decisions that should be between the employee and their healthcare provider. We are very worried about the potential implications this decision could have on LGBT-related healthcare, such as HIV and transgender-related care.

“Earlier this year, GLMA joined Lambda Legal and Pride at Work in submitting a friend-of-the-court brief to the Supreme Court because we know all too well how allowing personal beliefs to interfere with healthcare services can result in biased care or departure from scientifically sound standards of care, and can have disastrous effects for LGBT patients.

“The Affordable Care Act (ACA), which includes the contraceptive coverage provision at issue in this case, is incredibly beneficial to the health and well-being of the LGBT community, including important non-discrimination provisions covering LGBT people. A decision, like the one today, chipping away at benefits provided by the ACA is extremely concerning.

“The attempts by the majority decision to limit the effect of its ruling are of little comfort to LGBT people and make GLMA’s educational and policy work to expand access to healthcare for LGBT people, including ensuring non-discrimination in healthcare, all the more critical.”

GLMA Early Bird Registration Closes July 15th

There is just one week left to get the best possible registration rate for GLMA's Annual Conference!  Join over 400 of your colleagues in LGBT health this September in Baltimore, MD, for GLMA’s 32nd Annual Conference.  Register NOW!

GLMA’s Annual Conference is the premier LGBT health conference and the world’s largest scientific gathering devoted to LGBT health issues and concerns.

GLMA’s Annual Conference educates practitioners and students—from across the health professions—about the unique health needs of LGBT individuals and families. The conference is a forum for discussion and exploration of how best to address these needs as well as the needs of LGBT health professionals and health profession students. GLMA’s Annual Conference also reports on research into the health needs of LGBT people.

GLMA members receive a discount on registration!  Join NOW!

Annual Conference registration includes:

• 19 Credit Hours of Educational Programming (workshop, poster and plenary sessions)
• Exhibit Hall Access
• Conference Bag and Materials
• Receptions
• Continental Breakfasts
• Membership Luncheon (members and registered guests of members only)

Tickets to additional special events such as the Annual Gala Banquet and Lunch & Learns are also available through the main registration system.
Registration for the pre-conference GLMA Nursing Summit on September 10th is also available!  To learn more about the GLMA Nursing Summit, click here.

For more information on registration rates and how to register, please click here. For more information about GLMA’s 32nd Annual Conference, including travel information and discounts, reduced rate for the conference hotel and much, much more, please click here!

Message from The Task Force on Opposing ENDA

We hope by now you have seen news reports about the Task Force's decision to oppose the current version of the Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA). I walk through our reasoning in this Op-Ed in The Advocate (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=8nJHIOOpFdIEILMzD&s=bpKMLXOAIgKIJNMqElH&m=esIKKZPIKgJQIdI) and encourage you to read it.

It was not a decision we made lightly. We have appreciated hearing from so many of you through social media, phone calls and e-mails, expressing support for doing the right thing regarding ENDA's broad religious exemption.

We simply couldn't continue to endorse a piece of legislation that -- especially in the light of the Supreme Court's recent Hobby Lobby ruling -- contains a huge loophole to discriminate against LGBT employees. The overwhelming majority of people across this country believe that employers shouldn't have a free pass to discriminate. Millions of people of faith believe that discrimination is immoral. That's why we took the stand we took -- to ensure that in the end we get the protections we have fought for and deserve.

We believe LGBT people deserve the same protections modeled on the language that's in Title VII of the landmark federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. This language contains protections and a reasonable religious accommodation. Equality is equality.

Please keep sharing your feedback with us as we intensify the fight for legislation that really provides the employment protections LGBT people deserve.

My best,
Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund


PS: Read more about our decision to oppose ENDA in an Advocate Op-Ed here (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=bqKNJXPBIgLKKVPMF&s=bpKMLXOAIgKIJNMqElH&m=esIKKZPIKgJQIdI).

DONATE
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=etITK6MNKjKQI5OZE&s=bpKMLXOAIgKIJNMqElH&m=esIKKZPIKgJQIdI)

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund builds the grassroots political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The Task Force Action Fund does this through direct and grassroots lobbying to defeat anti-LGBT ballot initiatives and legislation, and works to pass pro-LGBT legislation and other progressive initiatives. The Task Force Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation incorporated in New York. Contributions to the Task Force Action Fund are not tax-deductible. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund, 1325 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C., 20005. Phone 202.393.5177. TTY 202.393.2284.

BUILD POWER TAKE ACTION CREATE CHANGE
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=hmKZKfNZImIWKfNcG&s=bpKMLXOAIgKIJNMqElH&m=esIKKZPIKgJQIdI)

GLMA LGBT Health Digest

July 11, 2014
Table of Contents

Early Bird Registration Ends Tuesday, July 15th

Supreme Court Decision Worries LGBT Community
NCLR Launches #BornPerfect: The Campaign to End Conversion Therapy

Washington State Ends Discriminatory Transgender Health Insurance Policies

New Bisexual Research Collaborative on Health Formed
California’s Ban on Conversion Therapy Stands After Supreme Court Declined Case

Article: Improving Nursing Care for Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Women

Resource: Start Talking. Stop HIV

Event: LGBT Health Forum on Global LGBT Health & Rights

Webinar: The Foundations of Culturally Appropriate Integrated Services for LGBT Individuals
Webinars: Post-DOMA Federal Changes

Early Bird Registration Ends Tuesday, July 15th GLMA’s 32nd Annual Conference
September 10-13, 2014
Baltimore, MD

Join over 400 of your colleagues in LGBT health this September in Baltimore, MD, for GLMA’s 32nd Annual Conference! GLMA’s Annual Conference is the premier LGBT health conference and the world’s largest scientific gathering devoted to LGBT health issues and concerns. GLMA’s Annual Conference educates practitioners and students—from across the health professions—about the unique health needs of LGBT individuals and families.

Early bird registration ends Tuesday, July 15th! Click here to learn more and register for the conference.

Reminder: GLMA members receive a discount on registration! Become a member today!

Back to Table of Contents

Supreme Court Decision Worries LGBT Community
This June 30, 2014, Advocate piece explores the potential impact of the US Supreme Court decision in Sebelius v Hobby Lobby on the LGBT community. The court ruled 5-4 that closely held corporations can deny insurance coverage of contraceptives to their employees on the basis of religious beliefs. As the article notes, although the justices stated this ruling was specific to the contraceptive coverage component in the Affordable Care Act, LGBT advocates are concerned about the potential implications this decision could have on LGBT-related healthcare, such as HIV and transgender-related care.

GLMA joined Lambda Legal and Pride at Work in submitting a friend-of-the-court brief in the case earlier this year and released a statement in response to the ruling last week.
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NCLR Launches #BornPerfect: The Campaign to End Conversion Therapy
As reported in this June 23, 2014, Time article, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) launched a new campaign called #BornPerfect aimed at passing laws across the US to protect LGBT youth, fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by conversation therapy.

GLMA is a supporter of the NCLR campaign. Click here to read more about #BornPerfect and how to get involved.

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Washington State Ends Discriminatory Transgender Health Insurance Policies
As reported in the Advocate on June 26, 2014, the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner issued a clarification that all health insurance policies (public and private) must cover transition-related care, and cannot discriminate against transgender residents of Washington. Danielle Askini, a member of the Coalition for Inclusive Healthcare and advocacy director of the Gender Justice League, said, "Removing these outdated exclusions brings Washington up to date with the latest information from medical experts and will provide transgender Washingtonians with access to lifesaving and medically necessary healthcare.”

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New Bisexual Research Collaborative on Health Formed According to the Rainbow Times on July 2, 2014, this June, leaders in bisexual health research and community activists gathered to discuss the state of the research on bisexual health. The meeting was hosted by the Fenway Institute and was co-chaired by Judith Bradford, PhD, who was also a committee member for the 2011 Institute of Medicine report on LGBT health. The Bisexual Research Collaborative on Health (BiRCH) was formed at the meeting and will foster high-level discussions of bisexual health research, host a national conference and seek to advance public awareness of bisexual health issues.

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California’s Ban on Conversion Therapy Stands After Supreme Court Declined Case According to this June 30, 2014, New York Times article, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a California law that bans conversion therapy aimed at changing the sexual orientation of LGB minors. By not taking up the case, the federal appeals court ruling that the state’s ban does not violate free speech rights stands. In a letter to the editor in response to this article, the Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda notes there was a bipartisan-supported bill in the New York Assembly and the Senate that would have enacted similar legislation to that of California’s, as well as New Jersey’s. However, the Senate leadership refused to allow a vote on the bill.

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Article: Improving Nursing Care for Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Women Healthcare needs of lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) women are inadequately addressed in nursing education and practice, which may contribute to heterosexism and homophobia on the part of healthcare providers. Nurses have an obligation to use available tools and resources to assess and positively transform healthcare environments to ensure high-quality care for LBT women. The context within which care for LBT women is learned, practiced and experienced requires radical improvement. This article was published in the recent issue of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing and is available here.

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Resource: Start Talking. Stop HIV Start Talking. Stop HIV., a new phase of CDC’s Act Against AIDS initiative, seeks to reduce new HIV infections among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men by encouraging open discussion about a range of HIV prevention strategies and related sexual health issues between sex partners. Effective partner communication about HIV can reduce HIV transmission by supporting HIV testing, HIV status disclosure, condom use and the use of medicines to prevent and treat HIV. Created by and for gay and bisexual men, this new national HIV prevention campaign has a number of resources available online here.

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Event: LGBT Health Forum on Global LGBT Health & Rights July 15, 2014
7:00pm
Washington, DC

The 2nd annual LGBT Health Forum on Global LGBT Health & Rights will be held at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, Tuesday July 15th at 7:00 pm. The event is open to the public and will be webcast live worldwide. The Forum showcases current health issues for the LGBT community, this year examining the struggles of LGBT populations worldwide including ongoing persecution and violence against LGBT people and their care providers, HIV/AIDS and access to health services. Speakers include: Dr. Nils Daulaire, former assistant secretary for Global Affairs at HHS, Julie Dorf with the Council for Global Equality, Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Jack Andraka, a high school student who at age 15 developed a simple screening test for detecting several types of cancer. For more information, click here.

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Webinar: The Foundations of Culturally Appropriate Integrated Services for LGBT Individuals July 16, 2014
2:00-3:30pm EST

Integrated primary care and behavioral health providers can create culturally appropriate, highly accessible integrated care to members of the LGBT community with behavioral health conditions. Join CIHS and the CDC National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco & Cancer Control to discuss ways to evaluate current organizational barriers to accessing care, strategies for reducing these barriers and actionable steps for implementing culturally appropriate services. Review how to internally evaluate your agency’s services, and leave with an understanding of best practices and resources to increase engagement efforts with the LGBT community. Presenters: Andrea Washington, LCSW-S, SUD and Integrated Care Coordinator, Montrose Center; Dr. Scout, Director, Network for LGBT Health Equity at CenterLink; and National LGBT Health Education Center, The Fenway Institute. Click here to register.

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Resource: Webinars: Post-DOMA Federal Changes A year after the Supreme Court decision in United States v Windsor, federal agencies have been issuing rules that affect same sex couples regarding programs like Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare and Medicaid. In this two-part webinar series, you will learn what’s happened since the decision and what’s still needed to ensure the rights of LGBT same sex couples are fully recognized by the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Social Security and SSI Post-DOMA: Changes for Same Gender Couples?
July 22, 2014
2:00pm EST
Presenter: Gerald McIntyre, NSCLC Directing Attorney

Medicare & Medicaid Post-DOMA: Changes for Same Gender Couples?July 23, 2014
2:00pm EST
Presenters: Georgia Burke, NSCLC Directing Attorney

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GLMA’s LGBT Health Digest is an electronic newsletter with information and resources for health professionals concerned about the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations.

The Digest highlights issues, events, publications and other newsworthy items pertinent to LGBT health. Please feel free to circulate the Digest to your colleagues.

To sign up, send your request to digest@glma.org. Also, to submit an item to be considered for publication in the Digest, please send your request to Emily Kane-Lee at ekanelee@glma.org

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans smoke at much higher rates than average, so they suffer more smoking-related death and illness. We are excited to launch a new video to help you raise awareness about the impact smoking has on the LGBT community and also promote the 50th Anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health.

New Video Launched

Smoking is the largest preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans smoke at much higher rates than average, so they suffer more smoking-related death and illness. In this video, “Smoking Within the LGBT Community,” Dr. Scout, director of the Network for LGBT Health Equity at CenterLink, talks about what smoking does to LGBT communities, including the tobacco industry’s long history of marketing to the LGBT community.

What can I do to help spread the word?

You can help us to highlight this important tobacco-related health information  by using this material in your media, communication and outreach to promote and share SGR50 findings.  

You can also continue to spread the word that free help is available for all who want to quit – they can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or go to the Tips From Former Smokers Web site.

Here are some sample Tweets and Facebook posts you can consider using for your social media channels.

Sample Tweets

·         Learn how the tobacco industry uses marketing to target the LGBT community. #SGR50 #LGBTPrideMonth  http://youtu.be/qOdT-K66u3o

·         DYK that the LGBT community has higher smoking rates than any other population? #SGR50 #LGBTPRideMonth http://youtu.be/qOdT-K66u3o

·         The truth behind the tobacco industry’s eagerness to support the LGBT community. #LGBTPrideMonth #SGR50 http://youtu.be/qOdT-K66u3o

Sample Facebook Posts

·         Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans smoke at much higher rates than average, so they suffer more smoking-related death and illness. This video explores one of the main culprits of this health disparity. http://youtu.be/qOdT-K66u3o

Help us shed light on the tobacco industry’s deceptive strategies against the LGBT community by sharing this video  http://youtu.be/qOdT-K66u3o