Reporting on LGBTQ+ Health and Healthcare: Tips and Resources
When covering LGBTQ+ health and healthcare, it is essential for journalists to approach the subject with sensitivity, accuracy, and inclusivity. By using appropriate language, establishing connections with LGBTQ+ organizations, and exploring diverse story ideas, reporters can contribute to a better understanding of the unique challenges and experiences faced by the LGBTQ+ community. In a recent panel at the Association of Health Care Journalists conference, experts shared valuable tips and resources to assist journalists in reporting on LGBTQ+ health effectively.
Language evolves, especially within minority communities like the LGBTQ+ community. Reporters should stay up to date with correct terminology and avoid language that may be considered derogatory or politicized. The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists' Stylebook and the Trans Journalists Association's Style Guide offer valuable resources for journalists seeking guidance on appropriate language usage. Moreover, these guides are checked and updated often: even within the last decade, words like “queer” have changed definition in some communities, but may not be well received in others—The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (also known as NLGJA) has a method of addressing terminology conflicts rapidly that anybody can submit concerns to..
Journalists are also encouraged to establish authentic relationships with LGBTQ+ organizations, considering the maltreatment the media has exercised against LGBTQ+ people in the past. Newspapers were among the first to name HIV/AIDS a “gay virus,” one instance in a series of misconduct that eroded the LGBTQ+ community’s trust in journalists over time. Genuine, connected relationships with organizations such as GLMA (formerly the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association) and other professional LGBTQ+ associations (LGBTQ+ organizations exist for everything from people in STEM to chefs) will help reporters gain a better understanding of the community's diverse perspectives and challenges, and will build trust from the LGBTQ+ community on the inverse.
The LGBTQ+ community is under attack in the United States at present, and largely from Republicans blocking access to appropriate healthcare. Banning of gender-affirming care for transgender youth is one of the most prolific issues right now. Journalists can gather data on these pieces of legislation by monitoring the American Civil Liberties Union's map of state-level legislation and bills related to gender-affirming care. There are also several attempts to ban LGBTQ+ inclusive sex education (and even education about the existence of LGBTQ+ people), as per Florida’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
These bills have a direct connection to the mental health of LGBTQ+ people, especially youth: The Trevor Project's National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 58 percent of LGBTQ+ youth experienced symptoms of depression. Nearly half of LGBTQ+ youth in the USA have considered suicide at some point.
Despite these challenges, the LGBTQ+ community also experiences a lot of joy—especially in the month of June, when communities around the globe celebrate the hard-won rights for Pride Month. While the LGBTQ+ community is experiencing severe hardships across the globe, it is important for journalists to characterize both pain and joy in order to paint a complete picture of the state of LGBTQ+ healthcare in the United States, and encourage LGBTQ+ readers to stay on top of their own health by providing complete and concise information.
