In order to provide a safe and inclusionary space for members of the LGBTQ community, the LGBTQ Center Long Beach will host a one-day vaccine clinic on Friday, May 21.
The clinic will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Houghton Park. Although an appointment is not required, it is encouraged and can be made by calling (562) 270-6428.
According to a recent study referenced in a statement from the LGBTQ Center, due to fear of experiencing stigma and medical mistrust from providers, sexual and gender minority populations are less likely to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
“While many in the public may not need this service themselves, they likely know a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or a fellow churchgoer who might need a safe place to access this life-saving service,” said Executive Director of the LGBTQ Center Long Beach Carlos Torres. “No one should have to fear discrimination when receiving medical treatment for a worldwide pandemic.”
Last year, the Trump administration finalized a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administrative rule that rolled back health care discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community. As of May 10, 2021, HHS announced it would enforce prohibitions on sex discrimination based on a ruling by the Supreme Court.
“For many LGBTQ people, discrimination and disrespect are felt upon entering a medical setting where they often fill out intake and registration forms that ask for age, race and ethnicity as well as gender,” the LGBTQ Center said in a statement. “However, the latter most often refers only to the sex a person was assigned at birth, not the gender with which they identify, and leaves out questions of sexual orientation.”
The Center for American Progress noted that despite earlier protections, members of the LGBTQ community faced health care discrimination.
Data from a nationally representative Center for American Progress study conducted in 2017 showed that the discrimination faced by LGBTQ people in healthcare settings discourages individuals to seek care. The data also found that LGBTQ people may have a hard time finding alternative services if turned away.
For transgender individuals, discrimination in healthcare settings comes at a high rate.
Approximately one in five trans people reported they had been denied care by a provider in a 2010 study conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Approximately 28% reported having experienced harassment in a medical setting.
“There is a lot of work to be done in helping medical providers understand the LGBTQ community,” Torres said in a statement. “The LGBTQ Center Long Beach salutes the city of Long Beach’s Department of Health and Human Services for being at the forefront of care for our community.”
The COVID-19 vaccine clinic is also made possible with the support of the CARE Program, the AIDS Food Store, Bienestar Human Services Long Beach, Long Beach Pride, the 4th Street Business Association and more.
For more information on the services provided by the LGBTQ Center and to stay up to date, visit CenterLB.org and follow @CenterLB across social media.
