An every growing body of research can help you to learn more about culturally competent care, why it is so important, and steps that you can take to make your patients feel welcome. Use this information to learn more about these issues and how they impact your practice, office or hospital by checking out the links below.

We acknowledge that this is by no means a comprehensive list of resources and that links may become out of date without our knowledge. If you notice a link that no longer works or have suggestions for something that we should consider please contact [email protected]!

Additional Resources on Cultural Competency/Inclusion:

Gender and Sexual Diversity Learning Module
This Canadian site provides a comprehensive, interactive online module good for all healthcare providers, showcasing the importance of being culturally competent while giving mini lessons on things like LGBTQ+ insider language, gay culture, and common health concerns in the LGBTQ+ community.

The Fenway Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health
A textbook entirely devoted to LGBTQ+ issues in healthcare. Though it is quite long, it is an exhaustive resource.

Healthy People
Recommendations to the U.S. government for how to treat LGBTQ+ people, their specific health concerns, and how to provide culturally competent care to the LGBTQ+ population.

Intimate Health Consulting
Intimate Health Consulting works to address gaps in medical professional training resources and provider competency around sexual health. IHC offers full-service consultations on staff training and professional development, sexual health program evaluation, and cultural diversity and sensitivity needs.

Transcultural Nursing Society
TNS encourage cultural competence in practice, research, education, and administration by supporting scholarship and developing strategies to advocate for social change.

Medical Therapy and Health Maintenance for Transgender Men: A Guide For Health Care Providers
This guide is a healthcare provider handbook for understanding medical issues surrounding transgender men which includes a discussion of hormone therapy, sex reassignment surgery and other treatment options.

Nonprofit Organizations:

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality
GLMA's mission is to ensure equality in health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals and health care providers.

The National Coalition for LGBT Health
The Coalition is committed to improving the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals through federal advocacy that is focused on research, policy, education, and training.

Human Rights Campaign's Healthcare Equality Index
The HEI surveyed many hospitals looking for five main policy criteria: patient non-discrimination, visitation, decision making, cultural competency training and employment policies and benefits. This is a great place to find out what policies are in place at your hospital.

Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE)
SAGE is a great resource for LGBTQ+ elders, their caregivers, and their loved ones. Based in New York City, they provide direct services to LGBTQ+ elders as well as training programs for healthcare providers. And they can serve as a good resource for any healthcare providers’ questions on LGBTQ+ aging issues.

Professional and Academic Associations:

American Medical Association (AMA)
LGBTQ+ advisory committee and the AMA’s policy statements on LGBTQ+ healthcare.

American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
Specifically for medical students, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA)’s Gender and Sexuality Action Committee is a cross-discipline group that aims to support LGBTQ+ and women patients.

American Academy of Pediatrics
The SOLGBTHW of the American Academy of Pediatrics is a group of pediatricians and other health providers interested in LGBTQ+ health and wellness.

American Nurses Association
The ANA is committed to addressing discrimination of any kind in nursing, education, practice, and in the organizations where nurses work.

American School Nurses Association
NASN believes that all students are entitled to a safe environment that is conducive to academic achievement regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

American Psychological Association
The mission of the APA Office on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge on gender identity and sexual orientation to benefit society and improve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people's lives.

The Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists
A site not only for LGBTQ+ psychiatrists, but also allies in the psychiatric field.

National Association of Social Workers
What social workers need to know about LGBTQ+ issues.