Share these resources with employees during Pride Month

The month of June recognizes Pride Month! It is an opportunity for employers and individuals to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQIA+) communities. Although progress has been made, people in the LGBTQIA+ community still face inequities. At Mass General Brigham Health Plan, we know that individual awareness can lead to more education and acceptance. During this month, we honor the past while recognizing that there is more work to do to ensure a safer, more inclusive future. 

Continue reading to educate yourself about some of the current laws impacting the LGBTQIA+ population. We will also share supportive resources offered through Mass General Brigham and other organizations.

The Equality Act

The Civil Rights Act banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin, and the Equality Act would go a step further to include protections based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Right now, the United States has 23 states with no explicit statewide laws that protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Earlier this year, the Equality Act was reintroduced to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

As the fate of this bill hangs in the air, we feel it is important to highlight the discrimination that many LGBTQIA+ individuals face in healthcare today. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), “18 states have seen legislation introduced that would criminalize the provision of medically necessary gender transition-related care to minor patients. These bills target surgical interventions as well as medications and hormone therapies that delay puberty while children explore their gender identities.” These bills argue that transgender care for minors is extreme while implanting government advisement into clinical decisions for a population already dealing with increased rates of mental health and substance use disorders. These health disparities only increase for LGBTQIA+ people of color.

You can learn more about The Equality Act from the Human Rights Campaign.

Gender-affirmation care management at Mass General Brigham Health Plan

Our gender affirmation care management program started as a resource for members who were having difficulty navigating the healthcare system for gender-affirming services. We created this program so that members could call our Customer Service Department to learn how to gain access to providers, what services were covered, and answers to questions related to medical policies around gender affirmation. Our care managers can assist members seeking care through our in-network specialists who offer gender affirmation services. Learn more.

Transgender Health Program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH - Mass General)

The Transgender Health Program at MGH offers patients access to gender-affirming care, endocrine/hormone management, and case management in a safe, affirming, inclusive environment. The program also connects patients with behavioral health and surgical services throughout the MGH network. Mass General is committed to advancing transgender health with patient-centered research, continued education, and training providers throughout the system. The Transgender Health program works within the Department of Medicine and Harvard Medical School to continue advancing education within policies and processes.

Patients can book an appointment or call at 617-643-7210. Visit massgeneral.org/transgender-health-program for more information.

See below for additional resources and hotlines.

PFLAG:

• Greater Boston PFLAG: gbpflag.org
• Greater Boston PFLAG resource page: gbpflag.org/resources
• PFLAG National: pflag.org
• Gender Spectrum: genderspectrum.org

Medical and mental health

• Mass Eye and Ear Transgender Voice Therapy:  masseyeandear.org/treatments/transgender-voice-therapy
• Fenway Health/Sydney Borum: fenwayhealth.org/info/locations/the-borum
• Boston Children’s GeMS Clinic: childrenshospital.org/centers-and-services/programs/f-_-n/gender-multispecialty-service#
• Boston Glass, serving youth of color and their allies: jri.org/services/health-and-housing/health/boston-glass
• Boston Medical Center CATCH Center: bmc.org/transgender-child-adolescent-center

Social groups for youth:

• Bagley Network: bagly.org/the-agly-network
• OUT MetroWest: outmetrowest.org
• Framingham Glass: masstpc.org/event/sample-event-3/2020-10-01/
  • an online safer space for LGBTQ+ youth of color ages 16 to 25 youth of color
• Gender Spectrum: genderspectrum.org/articles/gender-spectrum-groups
  • virtual groups for teens and pre-teens that trained volunteers facilitate
• Q Chat Space: qchatspace.org
  • online discussion groups for LGBTQ+ teens ages 13 to 19

National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org

Mass Transgender Political Coalition: masstpc.org/issues/employment

Crisis and support:

• Trans Lifeline: translifeline.org
• Trevor Project: thetrevorproject.org
• LGBT National Youth Talkline: glbthotline.org/talkline.html
• GBPFLAG: gbpflag.org/support-groups

Stay connected with Mass General Brigham Health Plan by following @MGBHealthPlan on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.