LGBTQ+ Coloradans Have Unique Healthcare Needs
Colorado is home to hundreds of thousands of people in the LGBTQ+ community, with a variety of identities related to their gender expression and sexual orientation.
As a member of the community, I know how important it is to feel seen and valued by the people we engage with every day. We have diverse, unique experiences and compelling stories to tell.
However, we are often overlooked or underserved, even as the federal administration acts to silence and dehumanize us. Now more than ever, it is important to stand with our neighbors.
The Colorado Health Access Survey (CHAS) can help tell our stories. For example, our latest CHAS report shows that LGBTQ+ people often feel disrespected or dismissed when seeking healthcare. The CHAS provides data to quantify the problem, and these numbers let us — and the whole state — know that we are not alone in our experiences.
Intersecting Identities and the Impact on Health
No one has a single identity. We all have parts of ourselves that come together to make a whole. For example, a Black nurse and mother in Jefferson County may have a very different health experience than a trans Chicano performance artist and barista in Pueblo.
We bring these identities to the systems we interact with every day. These systems can provide people with a safe place to show up as themselves to get the kind of support that they need, or they can harm people with discrimination.
Negative healthcare experiences dissuade people from seeking health care in the future, ultimately hurting their health. Who you are shouldn’t change your experience trying to get care — but unfortunately it does.
LGBTQ+ Coloradans have unique healthcare needs, not just those related to gender-affirming care. They also cited disability, weight, and chronic illness as reasons for feeling disrespected when seeking healthcare. All these factors may have led to poorer healthcare outcomes when compared with their cisgender, heterosexual neighbors.
When providers increase their awareness of the distinct needs of their LGBTQ+ patients and practice responsive care, they can help reduce the negative interactions people have with the healthcare system and encourage them to continue getting the care they need.
Our Stories Are Powerful
Now more than ever, it is important that we show up for each other. Understanding people’s stories is one place to start. Organizations like Rocky Mountain Equality create safe and accessible spaces for people to be themselves.
CHI has partnered with Rocky Mountain Equality in previous work to understand how local public health agencies across Colorado engage with and serve LGBTQ+ people, as well as gaps in their understanding of the community in their areas. Last year, we did a webinar on LGBTQ+ data for public health.
Rocky Mountain Equality is just one of many groups working to make sure LGBTQ+ people have a safe place to call home, and that they can be healthy and thrive in our state.