Rainbow Health Network: An LGBT Health and Wellbeing Community Development Model

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Rainbow Health Network An LGBT Health and
Wellbeing Community Development Model

• Phyllis Waugh Nick Mulé
• Moderator Nancy Nicol
• World Outgames 2nd International Conference on
  LGBT Human Rights
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• July 27, 2009

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Agenda

• Moderators Introduction
• Socio-Political Context
• LGBT Health Wellbeing Issues in Toronto
• About RHN
• RHN Model
• RHN Achievements Challenges
• Discussion

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Socio-Political Context

• National LGBs recognized in Canadian Human
  Rights Act and Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Provincial/Territorial Sexual orientation
  included in Human Rights Codes across Canada
• Local City of Toronto fully recognizes LGBTs in
  its Anti-Racism, Access and Equity Policy
• Variance in LGBT Rights Trans populations not
  recognized federally or provincially/territorially
  , except for the Northwest Territories
• Recognition in human rights legislation does not
  necessarily translate into acceptance

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Socio-Political Context 2

• Lack of LGBT recognition in health wellbeing
  policy, funding programming
• General discomfort regarding issues of sex,
  sexuality and gender variance in policy, funding
  services world
• LGBTs not seen as a culturally distinct group
• Research methodological limitations for evidence,
  due to the closet
• Systemic heterosexism and homophobia
• Systemic forms of oppression that marginalize
  LGBTs

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Socio-Political Context 3

• National Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition
  (CRHC)
• Provincial Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights
  in Ontario (CLGRO)
• Local Rainbow Health Network (RHN)

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LGBT Health Wellbeing Issues in Toronto

• Toronto Demographics
• Toronto pop. 2.5 million, GTA 5 million
• LGBT 10? Toronto 250,000 GTA 500,000
• All income levels, classes, dis/abilities
• All racial and ethnic backgrounds immigrants
  refugees
• Toronto is one of the worlds most multicultural
  cities
• Half of pop. born outside Canada. 43 visible
  minority
• First Nations (Aboriginal) pop. approx. 12,000
• Francophones approx. 43,000
• Earliest incidents of homophobia in Canada
  European colonizers meet First Nations
  Two-Spirited people - a respected social and
  spiritual role that combines male female
  spirits.

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LGBT Health Wellbeing Issues in Toronto 2

• Toronto is a centre that draws LGBT people from
  all over the world
• It has specialized services Sherbourne Health
  Centre, The 519 Community Centre
• Large teaching hospitals
• Still, LGBT people face discrimination
• Nationwide - Lesbians gay men have unmet health
  needs twice as high as heterosexuals, bisexuals
  even higher, trans are the highest.

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LGBT Health Wellbeing Issues in Toronto 3

• Access to healthcare is affected by
  homo/bi/lesbo/transphobia
• Avoidance of healthcare visits, lack of
  preventive screening
• Provider misinformation lack of knowledge
• LGBT patients may face multiple types of
  discrimination
• Discrimination affects health
• Stress related diseases, anxiety, depression,
  suicidality
• Violence, assault, threats greatest for trans
  people
• Substance use is higher among LGBT people
• Tobacco use, Toronto LGBT 36 heterosexuals
  15

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LGBT Health Wellbeing Issues in Toronto 4

• Trans People
• Few doctors/clinics provide hormones, monitoring
• Discrimination in employment, services, families
  and communities - very high rates of depression,
  suicidality, and substance abuse
• Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) reinstated in
  Ontario - limited access to approval process or
  pre-operative care
• RHN is active in establishing the new protocol

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LGBT Health Wellbeing Issues in Toronto 5

• Families, Youth, Seniors
• Lesbian baby boom specialized services
  created
• Mainstream family services alienating - fertility
  clinics, adoption agencies, day care, schools
• LGBT youth and children of LGBT parents face
  discrimination in schools 80 of bullying is
  related to gender identity and sexual orientation
• Seniors - avoid homecare, day programs and
  nursing homes. 3 Toronto Long Term Care homes
  have an LGBT program

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About RHN - Vision

• Our vision is the optimal health and wellness of
  people and communities of all gender identities
  and sexual orientations, as well as intersex
  people. This includes and is not limited to -
  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, Two-Spirit,
  Transsexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning
  people and our allies.

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About RHN - Mission

• The Rainbow Health Network is a catalyst and a
  resource for activities promoting the health and
  wellness of people of diverse sexual orientations
  and gender identities, in Toronto and beyond.
• We are committed to equity-based,
  community-based, anti-racism and anti-oppression
  values. We strive for representation of the full
  diversity of our communities and commit to
  building partnerships to achieve this goal.
• As a volunteer network with limited resources,
  our activities are focused primarily in Toronto,
  and our advocacy and lobbying primarily in
  Ontario. However, since issues of sexual and
  gender diversity cross all boundaries, we are
  open to sharing information and support across
  provincial and national borders.

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About RHN - Objectives

• Networking
• Advocacy
• Equity
• Education

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RHN Model

• Spawned from CLGRO to address recommendations in
  Project Affirmations final report Systems
  Failure
• Grassroots network of LGBT-identified or friendly
  individuals that work or are recipients in the
  health care and social service fields
• Volunteer driven

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RHN Model 2

• Committee Structure
• Steering Committee (chair, secretary,
  treasurer, reps for networking, education,
  advocacy, and equity, two members at large)
• Committees
• Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression Education
  Committee
• Political Action Committee
• Trans Health Lobby Group
• Monthly Meetings

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RHN Model 3

• Listserv
• Website www.rainbowhealthnetwork.ca
• Projects
• Education Tools (Toolkit, Training for Change)
• Northern Partnerships
• Professional Associations
• Social Determinants of Health (paper, brochure)
• Smoking Cessation
• Public Education
• Mainstream Health Care and Social Service
  Professionals
• Students
• Funding
• Training Fees - Grants (projects)
• Consultations
• Donations

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RHN Achievements Challenges

• Networking
• Challenge- volunteer driven, lack of funding
• Whats been on the listserv recently? Ex. of what
  types of info are shared

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RHN Achievements Challenges 2

• Advocacy
• Sex Reassignment Surgery re-listed
• Trans Human Rights Campaign
• Rainbow Health Ontario
• Province wide, Community Outreach Team
• RHO website and databases
• Conference March 31 April 2, 2010

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RHN Achievements Challenges 3

• Equity
• RHNs entry point is sexual and gender diversity
• Challenge LGBT people experience
  marginalization for many reasons - such as sex,
  class, ability, race, etc.
• Need an integrated anti-oppression framework
• Anti-Racism Report (2005/06)
• Achievement Anti-Racism / Anti-Oppression
  (ARAO) Committee / Initiative
• Need more formal structure for accountability

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RHN Achievements Challenges 4

• Equity
• Challenge - Some key ethnocultural orgs in
  Toronto that engage with LGBT issues are funded
  for HIV/AIDS work.
• RHN needs to find a balance.

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RHN Achievements Challenges 5

• Education
• Equity work and education were merged
• Public forums emphasis on intersections of
  oppressions
• Toolkit, workshops in hospitals agencies
• Challenges
• limited RHN resources limits education work
• resistance from institutions attitudes and
  funding

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RHN Achievements Challenges 6

• Achievement Training for Change An
  Anti-Oppression Framework
• Based on input from trainers representing diverse
  communities
• Key findings
• Anti-oppression work can lack an intersectional
  analysis
• Language and concepts can be interpreted
  differently and create additional barriers
• Lived experience of the trainer is a factor

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Conclusion / Discussion

• Wed like to hear from you about how a model like
  this could be appropriate in your area.
• Some questions to consider
• In the era of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, how do we
  address broader health and wellbeing issues of
  LGBT people?
• How can LGBT health professionals be accountable
  to our own communities, when larger systems may
  not be supportive?
• How can LGBT service users voice their concerns
  about health care and social services?

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Contact Us

• Phyllis Waugh LHIN7_at_rainbowhealthontario.ca
• Nick Mulé nickmule_at_yorku.ca
• Nancy Nicol nnicol_at_yorku.ca
• Rainbow Health Network www.RainbowHealthNetwork.ca
  
• Rainbow Health Ontario www.RainbowHealthOntario.ca
  
• Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition
  www.RainbowHealth.ca
• Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario
  www.CLGRO.org