by Contributing Writer Hannah Bronsky
In March, after a lot of hard work, the Sexual Diversity Committee put on another stellar event. This year, the theme was Health Care Access in the LGBTQI communities through different lens. After a delicious spread where students and faculty sat at tables arranged and covered to look like a rainbow, and got to enjoy their beverages out of mugs designed by the committee to give out as parting gifts, a panel of speakers from the community answered questions and talked to the audience about their personal experiences with health care access. As health care professionals it is important to be informed about the unique needs of the communities we serve. This event helped open our eyes to the issues that LGBTQI individuals face when seeking health care services. For example, “Physicians need to know the right questions to ask…few doctors are asking their patients to get an HIV test even after the CDC has recommended everyone get the tests despite their sexual practices,” says Troy May, panel member and editor of ON (Out Now) magazine.
The event had 190 people in attendance which is wonderful for not only the success of the event but the future of the Sexual Diversity Committee and the future of the relationship between the Health Science department and its commitment to LGBTQI issues. It’s also important to reach out to the community and educate kids at a younger level as well as provide services to the elderly LGBTQI community, says Committee Chair Michele Mashburn. “More advocacy needs to be done and programs need to be done to address the needs of the LGBTQI community and not just a once a year event,” she says. The take home message of the event was to open people’s eyes to just some of the issues that the LGBTQI community face. The Sexual Diversity Committee can be proud of sending that message loud and clear.
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