What does LGBT+ History Month mean to me?
Chris Pinch – Whipps Cross LGBTQ network lead tells us why LGBT History Month is important to him and why we need it in today’s society.
February is known as the month of love when we celebrate the ancient tradition of St Valentine’s Day, but it’s now also a month-long celebration of LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) diversity history.
Some may question its relevance today in our society where we have equality in front of the law, but there is still some way to go to genuine equality in our society.
We have all seen the vitriol and hate on our televisions and in social media from protesters outside schools who have taken a progressive stance to teach inclusion, tolerance and acceptance. Just this month, a school in Wood Green, which commissioned a rainbow crossing on the road outside the school has been met with outpourings of homophobia and negativity on Twitter, with over 200 messages within the first two days, although interestingly none from parents who have voiced their support for the initiative.
There has also been a standoff outside a Birmingham school by parents and protesters, angered by the use of a textbook which included reference to all different types of family units, including a couple of male penguins looking after an egg.
Some like me have been lucky. I have had in the most part reasonably positive experiences, I’ve been able to create my own ‘urban family’ who love and respect me, for me, but I too faced fear and rejection when first navigating my true authentic self, back when I was 17 years old, and this was from people who I thought loved me unconditionally. This experience shapes you and it changes how you view the world, makes you approach new acquaintances with caution, and forces you to make selective decisions about who can know the real you. This happens over and over again, and is still happening.
The facts
Last year, Human Rights Watch reported that, in the previous year, the UK had seen a shocking 14,491 crimes committed against people because of their sexual orientation, with a further 2,333 offences against the transgender community because of their gender identity. This is even more worrying when you consider that research by Stonewall, suggests that only one in five attacks due to sexuality or gender is ever reported.
How does it relate to healthcare and patients?
It is only just over 50 years ago since homosexuality was decriminalised and, in the lifetime of some of our patients, it was still considered a fitting punishment to chemically castrate gay men. This was the fate that befell Alan Turing, a man whose work on developing computing and code breaking arguably shortened the Second World War. He subsequently committed suicide.
I mention this, particularly as it is relevant to the care we provide and that you will not always know someone’s struggles or history. All of our patients, especially those who lived through these dark times, may need encouragement and support to be their authentic selves and to allow us to develop that vital therapeutic relationship.
Stonewall found in 2018 that one in seven members of the LGBTQ+ community did not access timely healthcare due to fear of discrimination from staff. They concluded that the community was vulnerable to poor sexual health, domestic violence, substance dependence and mental health issues. They said that in some cases, health services were not able to address these needs, which led to inequality and poor health outcomes.
So, what can you do?
- Wear the NHS rainbow badge and join our network as a member or an ally - see how to do this below.
- Help spread awareness and work to halt poor practice.
- Call out discriminating language and behaviour.
- Be aware of the impact your language may have. For example, ‘Do you have a wife and children?’ is a very natural question to ask a male patient, but try instead, ‘Is there anyone special in your life?’ It can make all the difference and opens the door to other conversations and greater understanding.
You can pledge to support the LGBTQ+ community and donate £2 to receive your rainbow badge. These will be available during the history month celebration on Monday 24 February at 12pm in the boardroom, or contact me directly to collect one.
Joining the network is easy, and this year we will be holding two types of meeting - a more open casual drop in meeting to discuss upcoming events and planning, and a more structured closed meeting which is a safe space for staff representatives to voice concerns and shape the direction of travel for our network. It’s really important to us that all voices are heard and we are looking for representation from all areas of the LGBTQ+ community, plus allies.
You can join the network by emailing bhnt.lgbtq@nhs.net to be added to the mailing list – here you will receive updates and important dates for your diary. Contact christopher.pinch@nhs.net or d.celestine@nhs.net to find out what’s happening locally.
I wholeheartedly support Stonewall‘s pledge that no one should be a bystander in the fight for equality and respect for all. So when I am asked by colleagues “why do we need an LGBTQ+ network or a celebration of its history at Whipps Cross?”, I say that l will continue until a patient can come to hospital worrying only about their illness rather than the fear of discrimination and in the case of transgender patients that as a hospital, we are comfortable in meeting their needs with dignity and respect.
Ultimately, I believe it is all about choice. We are not born to hate. It’s not in our DNA, yet some people across the world still continue to choose hate over love, and intolerance over acceptance, fuelled I believe by a lack of understanding or taught behaviour.
We still have some way to go but I am confident that with everyone’s help, we can make our hospital even more inclusive.
Christopher Pinch – Senior Nurse Workforce / LGBTQ Network lead