Koleinu (Our Voice) Healthcare Campaign
Koleinu is launching it's first-ever social justice campaign to redress the wrongs of the healthcare system's treatment of LGBTQ people. Find out how you can get involved in helping Koleinu accomplish their work.
Our congregation is celebrating Pride this month with many wonderful activities, events and services. As leaders of Koleinu (Our Voice), our congregation-based community organizing initiative, we want to share our pride in the launch of our first-ever campaign for social justice. But more importantly, we want to share with you the campaign issues developed by the members of the Eldercare/Healthcare Action Team, the action team's next steps, and tell you how you can become a part of the action.
The first campaign is dedicated to redressing the wrongs, insensitivities and outright discrimination that so many LGBTQ members of our congregation have experienced when accessing healthcare for themselves or for their friends or families. The issues identified are based on our stories.
After identifying the places where CBST members receive healthcare, the campaign will engage with those organizations to create tangible change in three key areas:
- Policy - by making sure that healthcare providers establish and follow a non-discrimination policy.
- Forms - by making sure that the forms used are inclusive of and welcoming to LGBTQ individuals.
- Training - by making sure that service providers at all levels understand our community's needs
You can help in large or small ways on all aspects of the Campaign. Some ways you can help:
1. Research different healthcare organizations; examine their policies, forms and training programs. Identify individuals who make key decisions.
2. Create or identify existing models of policies, forms and training.
3. Meet with decision-makers individually or in larger public forums and hold them accountable for making the changes our community needs.
Won't you join the more than 75 members who stood up to be counted at our Campaign Launch?
Koleinu is our voice. If you'd like to get involved with Koleinu but are more interested in issues affecting LGBTQ youth, please consider getting involved with our LGBT/Marriage Equality Action Team which will be launching another campaign this fall. Email Alex Weissman or Koleinu and join us. If not now, when?
Happy Pride!
Maryann King & Paul Marsolini, co-chairs, Eldercare/Healthcare Action Team
Elizabeth Cooper & Barbara Dolgin, co-chairs, LGBT/Marriage Equality Action Team
Adam Berger & Marsha Melnick, co-chairs, Koleinu
Alex Weissman, Social Justice Coordinator
