The health unit continually strives to put in place best practices to create safer more positive spaces for staff, clients and community members of all gender identities and sexual orientations (LGBTQ). We collaborate with local community partners to increase the capacity of our health and social service providers to offer equitable, culturally competent and inclusive services.
According to Rainbow Health Ontario, “LGBTQ people have many of the same health concerns as anyone else, but cultural differences and the impact of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia and systemic discrimination mean that these health needs may be experienced quite differently. Due in part to negative past experiences, many LGBTQ people may delay or avoid seeking health care or choose to withhold personal information from health care providers. In general, LGBTQ people end up receiving less quality health care than the population as a whole.”
Here are some resources to support the integration of LGBTQ inclusive services into your work.
