Donate

Sam Ames

OPEN LETTER ABOUT CORONAVIRUS AND THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES

Over 100 Organizations Sign On To Letter Outlining Added Risk

As the spread of the novel coronavirus a.k.a. COVID-19 increases, many LGBTQ+ people are understandably concerned about how this virus may affect us and our communities. The undersigned want to remind all parties handling COVID-19 surveillance, response, treatment, and media coverage that LGBTQ+ communities are among those who are particularly vulnerable to the negative health effects of this virus.

Our increased vulnerability is a direct result of three factors:

  1. 
The LGBTQ+ population uses tobacco at rates that are 50% higher than the general population. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that has proven particularly harmful to smokers.
  2. The LGBTQ+ population has higher rates of HIV and cancer, which means a greater number of us may have compromised immune systems, leaving us more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections.
  3. LGBTQ+ people continue to experience discrimination, unwelcoming attitudes, and lack of understanding from providers and staff in many health care settings, and as a result, many are reluctant to seek medical care except in situations that feel urgent – and perhaps not even then.

In addition, there are more than 3 million LGBTQ+ older people living in the United States. LGBTQ+ elders are already less likely than their heterosexual and cisgender peers to reach out to health and aging providers, like senior centers, meal programs, and other programs designed to ensure their health and wellness, because they fear discrimination and harassment. The devastating impact of COVID-19 on older people – the current mortality rate is at 15% for this population – makes this a huge issue for the LGBTQ+ communities as well.

LGBTQ+ communities are very familiar with the phenomena of stigma and epidemics. We want to urge people involved with the COVID-19 response to ensure that LGBTQ+ communities are adequately served during this outbreak. Depending on your role, appropriately serving our communities could involve any of the following actions:

  • 
Ensuring that media coverage notes the particular vulnerabilities of any person with pre-existing respiratory illnesses, compromised immune systems or who uses tobacco products. While populations – like LGBTQ+ communities – can be at increased risk, it is important to note the overall state of health that contributes to any person’s increased vulnerability to contracting COVID-19.
  • 
Ensuring health messaging includes information tailored to communities at increased risk for COVID-19, including LGBTQ+ populations. An example of such tailored messaging is including imagery of LGBTQ+ persons in any graphic ads.
  • Providing LGBTQ+ individuals resources to find welcoming providers, such as the ones provided here, if they are experiencing symptoms like a cough or fever and need to seek medical attention.
  • Ensuring funding to community health centers is distributed in a fashion that accounts for the additional burden anticipated by LGBTQ-identified health centers.
Whenever possible ensuring health agencies partner with community-based organizations to get messaging out through channels we trust.
  • Ensuring surveillance efforts capture sexual orientation and gender identity as part of routine demographics.
  • 
Ensuring health workers are directed to provide equal care to all regardless of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity/presentation, ability, age, national origin, immigration status, race, or ethnicity.
  • Ensuring that all COVID-19 responses take into account exceptionally vulnerable members of the LGBTQ+ communities, including our elders, bi people, and black and brown trans and gender nonconforming/nonbinary people.
  • Since xenophobic responses are heavily impacting the Asian American communities, ensuring all communications and responses related to COVID-19 attempt to counter any such xenophobic responses, avoid racial profiling, and discourage the public from doing so as well.
  • Ensuring LGBTQ+ health leadership, along with all providers and health care centers, are provided with timely and accurate information to disseminate.

As LGBTQ+ community and health leadership, the undersigned organizations offer to stand shoulder to shoulder with the mainstream health leadership to make sure we learn from history and do not allow any population to be disproportionately impacted or further stigmatized by a virus.

Initial signers:
National LGBT Cancer Network
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality
Whitman-Walker Health
SAGE
New York Transgender Advocacy Group
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

Additional Signers:
Advocates for Youth
Advocating Opportunity
Alder Health Services
Antioch University MFA Program
Athlete Ally
Atlanta Pride Committee
BiNet USA
Black Lives Matter Houston
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
CARES
Center on Halsted
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Compass LGBTQ Community Center
Corktown Health Center
Counter Narrative Project
CreakyJoints & Global Healthy Living Foundation
CrescentCare
Darker Sister Center
Deaf Queer Resource Center
Desert AIDS Project
Desi Queer Diaspora
Equality California
Equality Federation
Equality North Carolina
Erie Gay News
Family Equality
Fenway Health
GALAEI
Gay City: Seattle’s LGBTQ Center
Gender Equality New York, Inc. (GENY)
Gender Justice League (Washington State)
Georgia Equality
GLAAD
GLBT Alliance of Santa Cruz
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality
Greater Palm Springs Pride
Harvey Milk Foundation
Hetrick-Martin Institute
HIV AIDS Alliance of Michigan
HIV Medicine Association
Horizons Foundation
Howard Brown Health
Human Rights Campaign
Independence Business Alliance
Indiana Youth Group
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Inside Out Youth Services
InterPride
Keystone Business Alliance
Lambda Legal
Lansing Area AIDS Network (LAAN)
Lansing Association for Human Rights
Legacy Community Health
LGBT Center of Greater Reading
LGBT Center of Raleigh
LGBT Elder Initiative
LGBTQ Center OC
MassEquality
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Milwaukee LGBT Community Center
Minority Veterans of America
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition for LGBT Health
National Equality Action Team
National LGBTQ Task Force
Newburgh LGBTQ+ Center
No Justice No Pride
Oasis Legal Services
Oklahomans for Equality
Our Family Coalition
Out Alliance
Out And Equal
Out Boulder County
OutCenter of Southwest Michigan
OutFront Kalamazoo
OutRight International
Pennsylvania Youth Congress
Persad Center, Inc.
PFund Foundation
Pizza Klatch
Positive Women’s Network
Pride Center of the Capital Region
Pride Center Of Vermont
Princess Janae Place Inc
Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County
Rockland County Pride Center
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
SAVE – Safeguarding American Values for Everyone
SERO Project
SF LGBT Community Center
SisTers PGH
St. James Infirmary
Still Bisexual
The LGBTQ Center Long Beach
The LOFT LGBT Community Services Center
The Montrose Center
The Social Impact Center
The Source LGBT+ Center
The Trevor Project
Thomas Judd Care Center
Thundermist Health Center
Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT)
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund
Triangle Community Center
Trillium Health
TriVersity Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity
UNIFIED-HIV Health and Beyond
U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus
Wellness AIDS Services
William Way LGBT Community Center

Picture of Sam Ames

Sam Ames

All Posts

Leave a Comment

read more

recent posts

Blog

UPDATED: The Skrmetti Decision is a Setback, Not the End

Read More
June 23, 2025
Blog

Your Rights in California in Response to Recent Executive Orders

Read More
March 20, 2025
Blog

SB 951: PAID LEAVE JUST GOT A RAISE

Read More
December 18, 2024

Thank you for joining us in celebrating and supporting LGBTQ families.

Every contribution, whether one-time or monthly, helps us honor the extraordinary LGBTQ families in our community. Our Family Coalition is the only organization in California dedicated to advancing equity and advocating on behalf of our families, and one of the few nationwide. By giving, you stand with us in pride and solidarity, ensuring that every family feels seen, valued, and celebrated. Your support has been crucial and with your help we can continue this legacy for generations.

Donate Now

Ask About Alternatives

You’re entitled to know if there are other options that might work for you. If a provider presents a single course of action, ask, “Are there other ways to approach this?” or “What other treatments might be possible?” or “Why are you recommending this treatment plan compared to alternative options?”

Pause and Reflect

If you’re unsure about a treatment recommendation, it’s okay to take a pause. Say something like, “I’d like to take some time to consider this before making a decision.” This gives you the space to process without feeling pressured. You can discuss a timeline with your provider that works for you. It is okay to want more time.

Right to Informed Consent

You have the right to understand all aspects of your care, including the risks, benefits, and alternatives. Never feel pressured into any procedure without clear information.

Confidentiality Protections

HIPAA laws safeguard your privacy and health information. Healthcare providers must keep all your personal health information confidential.

Anti-Discrimination Protections

Federal laws like Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act prohibit discrimination in healthcare on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age, or disability.

Advocate for Comprehensive Explanations

You have the right to fully understand any diagnosis, treatment, or procedure. Don’t hesitate to ask for explanations that make sense to you. For instance, say, “Can you walk me through how this treatment will work?” or “What are some possible side effects?” “What should I look out for?” 

Trust Your Own Knowledge

 

While healthcare providers bring expertise in medicine, you are the expert on your own body, experiences, and needs. If something doesn’t feel right, trust yourself and communicate your concerns. Phrases to lean on: “This is not normal for my body” “I have never experienced these symptoms before now” … 

Add Your Heading Text Here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Click here

User Registration

In order to ask or answer questions, you must be logged in. Please create an account.

registration form

Subsribe to our newsletter

Sign in

In order to ask or answer questions, you must be logged in. 

User Registration

In order to ask or answer questions, you must be logged in. Please create an account.

registration form

Teacher Trainings and Professional Development

Each of OFC’s outstanding and practical workshops include:

  • Content learning, lesson plans and book lists​ that support teachers to have effective
    and developmentally supportive dialogue when teaching LGBTQ History
  • Reflective activities​ that allow participants to connect with their intersectional identities,
    gender stories and explore the dynamics of implicit bias to better challenge gender stereotypes
  • Current language and techniques​ to support families and teachers to talk more fluently
    and comfortably about all types of difference
  • Frameworks and models for effectively organizing coalitions​ interested in accountability
    and policy change in schools and organizations

Workshop topics:

  • LGBTQ History​: Teaching the New California History and Social Science Framework
  • LGBTQ-Focused Education Law and Policy​:​ Understanding Obligations and Protections
  • Implementing LGBTQ History:​ From Policy to Practice in your Region
  • Family Diversity:​ ​ The Early Childhood Classroom and Making All Families Visible
  • Gender Inclusion:​ ​ What is a Gender Spectrum and How Do I Reduce Gender Bias?
  • Transgender and Non-Binary Students​:​ How to Create Inclusive Spaces for All Genders
  • Anti-Bullying & Social Emotional Learning​:​ A Welcoming Schools Approach
  • Family and School Advocacy:​ Building Coalitions for Sustainable Change

For more information or to schedule a workshop, please contact the OFC Education Team: ​education@ourfamily.org

Download PDF
Sponsoship Benefits

Apply for a job

Job application
Enter email
Confirm email
Can be one or two files

Community Annoucements

Share your event or opportunity

Announcements will appear:

  • in a blog post on our blog (published and archived on our website, which is viewed by over 2,500 unique visitors each month)
  • highlighted in our monthly e-newsletter (distributed to over 7,500 email addresses)

Listings must be:

  • Designed for or of particular value to LGBTQ families and children and/or prospective LGBTQ parents
  • Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, if in person, or available online/ virtually, if outside Northern California

Deadline:

  • Content submitted by the third Tuesday of the month will appear in in the following month’s newsletter.

We love lifting up the good work that members of our community and other social change organizations are doing in the Bay Area and beyond! Let us know if you wish to share a community event or opportunity with our families.

Community Announcements
Title of event or opportunity, including host organization if applicable. For example: "LGBTQ Parents & Parents-to-Be Support Circle" or "Seeking Gay Dads for Study"
Location and address in one line, if applicable. For example: "Natural Resources, 1367 Valencia St., San Francisco"; "Link to the Study or Info Page”
Up to 300 characters (with spaces; about 50 words), describing the event or listing. For example: "This group is offered for LGBTQ-parents and parents-to-be who are awaiting adoption, the birth of their child(ren) through surrogacy, or who are pregnant. Share newborn care tips and learn simple mindfulness practices to increase ease during this time of so many unknowns and exciting transitions.”
Upload a logo or an image you'd like to accompany your listing. (optional)
Accepted file types: jpg, png, gif. Maximum file size: 256 Mb.

For further information

Enter email
Confirm email
Enter Email
Events can be distributed up to 3 times. For events far in advance, please specify which months you would like the event to run in our e-newsletter.

Share your story

We’re looking for stories by or about LGBTQ+ parents/caregivers or prospective parents, as well as the grandparents or adult children of LGBTQ+ headed families.

Generally, we hope your story will not only inform other families on LGBTQ+ family topics, but also let others know that they are not alone in the journey of advocating for our families.

Whether you feel like you’ve arrived, or your story is not yet complete, know that we can keep one another company all along the way. And it always helps to feel a little less alone.

  • How is your family structured?
  • What is your family formation story?
  • Have you faced challenges in forming your family or parenting because of your identity?
  • How were you able to navigate these challenges?
  • What has been the impact on you/your spouse/children?
  • What systems/people helped guide you?
  • What advice would you have for other LGBTQ-headed families – or perhaps just your younger self?
  • How have you or your family dealt with challenges at schools, medical providers, or elsewhere?
  • Were there times when you expected resistance and instead were welcomed?
  • Do you have opinions you’d like to share about current events, or perhaps movies, TV shows, music, or more?
  • Do you have a story about how Our Family Coalition has had an impact on your or your family that you’d like to share?
Share your story

Upload your story content here - up to 1,000 characters

By checking this box, I consent to the content I've uploaded here, both written and photographic, to be published on Our Family Coalition's blog.

I understand that the content will be freely available on the internet and may be seen by the general public. I further understand that Our Family Coalition cannot be held liable for the theft and re-publication of this content.

I further understand that I will be given an opportunity to review (or revoke) the piece before it is published.

This consent will be treated confidentially.

Scroll to Top