LGBTQ+ and Allied Organizations Issue Second Open Letter Urging Decisive Action to Prevent COVID-19 Discrimination
For Immediate Release
April 21, 2020
Contact:
Scout, 401-267-8337, scout@cancer-network.org or
Jewel Addy, 202-204-5531, jaddy@whitman-walker.org
170 Organizations Highlight Need for Nondiscrimination, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Data Collection, and More Help for Economically Devastated Communities
Washington, DC – One hundred and seventy national, state and local LGBTQ+ and allied organizations have joined in a second
open letter to health and policy leaders highlighting the importance of measures to prohibit discrimination in COVID-19 treatment and prevention, and
clear communication of those measures and policies to better serve the health needs of marginalized communities with histories of discriminatory encounters
with the medical and public health systems. The letter also urges medical providers and public health authorities to collect sexual orientation and
gender identity data for COVID-19 cases in addition to data on race, ethnicity, age, sex and disability, in order to document and address the pandemic’s
impact on minority communities. The signing organizations also emphasize the urgent need for more robust relief for lower-income individuals and families,
and for persons who are dependent on lower-paying jobs in hospitality and other industries which are being decimated by the pandemic.
“We are in the middle of an unprecedented global health crisis – and we cannot afford to leave anyone behind,” said Rep. Barbara Lee, Vice Chair of the
Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. “As our work continues to get families and communities the resources they need to survive, we
must ensure that protecting LGBTQ+ communities is a core part of our country’s response to COVID-19. Ensuring non-discrimination has and always will
be a priority for me, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to make that a reality.”
“LGBTQ people have increased risk factors for COVID-19, including higher HIV and cancer rates, higher rates of smoking, and increased risk of homelessness,”
said Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who serves as Chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus and recently led a letter urging data collection.
“We must ensure that the LGBTQ community has access to the resources it needs to face this pandemic, including quality, non-judgmental, and affordable
healthcare, as well as unemployment benefits for every impacted industry, including the service and entertainment sectors. We also must collect data
to understand how the LGBTQ+ community is being impacted by COVID-19.”
“Whitman-Walker and other community health centers that care for LGBTQ+ patients and others in marginalized communities have many patients who are understandably
fearful of neglect or mistreatment in this pandemic,” said Laura Durso, PhD, Chief Learning Officer of the Whitman-Walker Institute. “Many of our patients
work in lower-paying jobs that are particularly vulnerable in this crisis. We are committed to protecting those who are bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s
economic devastation.”
“Early surveillance has shown how health disparities create very different outcomes for vulnerable populations,” notes Scout, PhD, the Deputy Director
of the National LGBT Cancer Network, “which shows us how important it is to add LGBTQ data collection to COVID-19 surveillance.”
These organizations call on public health authorities, medical providers and government agencies to reinforce safeguards against discrimination; to foster
collaborative relationships with LGBTQ+ service providers and advocates; to collect important data on patients, including sexual orientation and gender
identity; and to expand the economic relief and legal protections needed by individuals and families particularly hard-hit by the pandemic.
The letter was initiated by a coalition of six organizations: The Whitman-Walker Institute; the National LGBT Cancer Network; GLMA Health Professionals
Advancing LGBTQ Equality; SAGE; New York Transgender Advocacy Group; and National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance. The full letter text, full
signer list, and additional organizational response resources can be found online at this link: https://cancer-network.org/coronavirus-2019-lgbtq-info.
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About the National LGBT Cancer Network
The National LGBT Cancer Network runs a CDC funded public health network focused on eliminating tobacco and cancer health disparities. Due to the disproportionate
impact COVID-19 will have on our population as a result of increased smoking and cancer rates, the Network has been actively creating resources
for LGBTQ+ organizations to help respond to this unprecedented public health crisis. Learn more at cancer-network.org.
About Whitman-Walker
Whitman-Walker operates a community-centered enterprise that provides primary medical care, behavioral health care, dental care, and a range of health-related
legal and support services, with specialties in LGBTQ+ and HIV care, to more than 20,000 individuals and families annually in the greater Washington,
DC metropolitan region. The Whitman-Walker Institute was established to support the needs of our patients, and the communities at the heart of
our mission, with clinical and behavioral health research, public policy advocacy on the national, regional and local levels, and clinical and
community education. Learn more at www.whitman-walker.org.
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