LGBTQ Equality. Where does your state stand?

Hey there, friends. I'm returning to my exploration of the links available on my Links of Interest page. Today's link is one I truly hoped would become obsolete. But, here we are, July of 2022, and the information shared by the LGBTMap.org is needed more than ever.

We all know there's a wide range of policies and laws when it comes to LGBTQ+ equality across the United State. But where does YOUR state stand on issues such as relationship and parental recognition? How about nondiscrimination, religious exemption laws, policies that impact LGBTQ youth, healthcare laws and policies,  criminal justice practices, the ability for transgender people to correct name and gender markers on identity documents, and even more. Do you know? And how do you find out? A great place to start is by visiting the LGBTMap.org website.

My home state of Michigan has made progress since I first started visiting this site, but according to the website, only 1 county out of 83 has an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections). And only 33% of the state population is protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation in private employment, housing, and public accommodations (full protections). The site breaks down current policies in several important areas and even offers a snapshot by county.

I am still waiting for a day when this type of information isn't needed. But, until then, please, educate, inform, and if necessary, protect yourself and your loved ones. Now, more than ever, we need to know.

Exploring Links of Interest - TheBody.com

I'm continuing my exploration of some of the links on my Links of Interest page on my blog and website with a trip back to the 1980s. Do you remember the days of big hair and bigger shoulder pads? I sure do. But the decade is also remembered for another reason: the growing awareness of HIV/AIDS. My experiences with HIV/AIDS came from two directions: membership in the LGBTQ+ community and exposure through volunteer work with those who lived with drug addiction. 

I remember the fear and confusion. I remember the uncertainty. I remember when the bathhouse down the street from my apartment was turned into an AIDS Hospice. I remember the friends who are no longer with us. And, just like during the current COVID-19 crisis, I remember the desperate need for accurate and updated information.

This was before smart phones. Before Google. Before the understanding that this disease could impact anyone at any age and wasn't just a price paid for love. I'd like to think we've come a long way since then. Medical knowledge and treatment can now offer what then seemed like unbelievable options. But awareness, well, a recent discussion with some young acquaintances showed me there's still a long way to go.

If you read my short story, Better with Sprinkles (currently unavailable), you might remember the dedication where I wrote about my own experiences with HIV/AIDS testing. Or perhaps you chuckled over my rant about safer sex practices and dental dams.

More than one reader and reviewer found it a bit preachy and it probably was. But I also had readers who emailed and confessed they had never heard of dental dams and their role in stopping the spread of sexually transmitted disease. Times don't seem to have changed all that much.

Accurate and non-judgmental information, no matter our orientation, is important. One source I regularly point to, especially when it comes to HIV/AIDS, is TheBody.com. This site has been a vital part of education and understanding over many years and continues to offer current updates and information. Please, click on the link and explore for yourself. Whether you're just curious, or you know someone the information could help. It all starts with a click.

 

Exploring Links of Interest - SageUSA.org

 It's a quick Tuesday post today as I am, once again, battling the mindset of being behind. I'm continuing my exploration of the Links of Interest page available on my blog and website with one of my favorites:

Honestly, I don't even know where to start with how awesome this organization is. The best way to tell you is to ask you to go to their website: https://www.sageusa.org/ and explore for yourself.

If you only ever had the time or energy to get involved or support only one LGBTQ+ organization, this one would be my pick. The scope and importance of their work can't be underestimated. I believe so strongly in what they do, I had to give them a shoutout in my novella, A Holiday Tradition, recently published by JMS Books, LLC and I appreciate the readers who emailed to ask if this was a real organization.

Please. Go ahead and check them out, then let me know what you think. For extra bonus points, go ahead and get involved.

Exploring Links of Interest - GLMA.Org

 Have you ever moved to a new town and then needed to find a healthcare professional? It's a pain when it's easy, and worse when it's not. As someone who has moved multiple times in their life, I've had to work through this process for a variety of health conditions. But what do you do when you'd like to find a healthcare provider informed and better able to relate to your sexual orientation?

Happy Tuesday, friends. Many long-time readers of my blog might or might not be familiar with my Links of Interest page. Over the years I've shared authors I enjoy, fun websites, and a variety of links that have helped impact my life. I spent the tail end of 2021 cleaning up my blog pages and refreshing my links, and I'd like to share some of them with you in the year ahead.

Back in what used to be dinosaur years (a/k/a before internet), as a person of non-heterosexual orientation, when I moved to a new area there was a process involved if I wanted to find a healthcare provider informed in my area of orientation. Could I choose not to find such a provider? Sure. Human bodies are human bodies, and work the same despite who we share them with. I certainly have many friends who will only see a provider of their own gender regardless of their orientation. Many times, depending on the area I moved to, I was simply grateful to find someone who took my insurance. But, being part of a community usually leads to a desire to support others in that community.

And, sometimes, especially in areas of physical and mental health, it's helpful not to have to hide who we are from those involved in our care. Even in the 90s when I started a new relationship and went for HIV/Aids and other testing as I shared in the dedication of my short story, Better with Sprinkles, I did so through anonymous health departments rather than have any indication of such testing show up on my insurance or medical records. 

It's very pleasing to me now to know there are those who might read this post and have absolutely no understanding of what I'm writing about. Progress. Even in small areas, is great progress.

But back to dinosaur years. I had a strategy in each new town. It usually involved finding the local gathering place of like-minded individuals (back then, it was usually a bar), getting to know the people there, and then asking for recommendations. In the last several years I've been pleased to find more community outreach centers sharing such information rather than bars, but in many places, bars were, and still are, the community outreach center.

With this bit of backstory you can imagine how thrilled I was when I poked around the internet and came across the GLMA. What are they? Here's a bit of info from their website:

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality (previously known as the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association) is the world's largest and oldest association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) healthcare professionals. GLMA was founded in 1981, as the American Association of Physicians for Human Rights, with the mission of ensuring equality in healthcare for LGBTQ individuals and healthcare professionals.

Progress, my friends. Progress. 

If you aren't familiar with the organization or their website, I urge you to spend some time clicking through. Pay special attention to their "Find a Provider near me" page, where you can put in your zip code and find (within a specific mile radius) a healthcare provider you might be interested in. The service is free and you do not have to register. The site is sometimes a little slow and sometimes a little clunky, and not nearly as comprehensive in their list of providers as a gal might like, but I'm still in awe every time I visit and with a keystroke, can find the information I need.

How about you? Have you done the find a new provider dance after a move? Have you ever thought of what it might be like for someone of a different orientation or have you lived through the experience yourself? Send me an email if you are uncomfortable sharing on a post, I'd love to chat with you.