June brings us LGBTQIA+ Pride Month — an important time for many in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/ally communities around the globe.
 
Pride Month recognizes and celebrates the contributions of LGBTQIA+ people in history and pays tribute to the significant impact the 1969 Stonewall Uprising had on LGBTQIA+ rights.

Stonewall uprising

The Stonewall Uprising was a series of events between police and gay rights activists that began on June 28, 1969, outside of the Stonewall Inn, a bar in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. Police raided the mafia-owned bar, which was patronized by members of the city’s gay, lesbian and transgender communities. Protestors fought back over six days, ultimately ushering in a new age of LGBT activism in the U.S. and around the world.
 
A year later, New York City held its first Gay Pride Week, with activists in other major cities organizing gay pride celebrations that year too. The activism born at Stonewall in the 1960s fueled LGBTQIA+ rights movements across the world and became an enduring force that carries on today through annual Pride celebrations and more.
 

Healthcare can differ for LGBTQIA+ 

It’s important that each and every one of our patients and visitors feels that Community is accessible, inclusive and knowledgeable about the care they need and deserve, as well as inclusive of our team members. LGBTQIA+ persons, especially People of Color, may delay or avoid getting healthcare due to:

• Fear of coming across bias

• Getting turned away (even with state laws that prohibit discrimination)

• Receiving less-than-optimal treatment in medical encounters with practitioners who feel uncomfortable, not sufficiently knowledgeable or biased toward LGBTQIA+ patients

• Difficulty getting health insurance
   

Community’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging

Diversity has many dimensions — race, age, gender, religion, education, sexual orientation, physical ability, political viewpoints and more. These influence our beliefs, values, behaviors, experience, expectations and make us unique individuals.
 
Community’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging is a cornerstone of our patient care and work culture. Our diversity helps us better serve our patients, fosters an innovative, attractive work environment and provides for a healthier culture within our organization. 
 
All are welcome as valued members of our community, whether patient, employee, physician, student or visitor. For more information, read Community’s statement on diversity and inclusion.