Come Out Orlando works toward getting protections for transgender patients at Orlando Hospitals

July 2, 2010 - PRLog -- Come Out Orlando

Media Contact: Nicky Aleshe – 407-697-7720, comeoutorlando@gmail.com

Come Out Orlando, a group advocating for LGBT equality here in Central Florida, went to the Farmer’s Market Sunday in Orlando, FL as part of an ongoing campaign fighting for transgender patient protections in Central Florida hospitals.

“Come Out Orlando is about educating and motivating people in our community to stand up for the rights of every citizen, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Anna Leach, a member of Come Out Orlando.

They arrived at Lake Eola to spread the word about the lack of protections for transgender individuals at our local hospitals here in Orlando, as part of a campaign to get them added to the policies of those hospitals. They passed out flyers encouraging citizens to voice their opinions via phone calls directly to the Presidents/CEOs of Florida Hospital, Health Central, and Orlando Health. Although the response from the community was overwhelmingly positive, there were some who took issue with their message. “One man said that while he does believe in equal protections, special protections, as he put it, are not needed,” Leach says.

Transgender people have unique needs, profoundly misunderstood by the medical community worldwide. They constitute a legitimate minority in our society, and asking that they be formally protected from discrimination just as many others already are, is not an unreasonable request.

Leading hospitals around the country, such as:

Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center – Los Angeles, CA
Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Boston, MA
Jackson Memorial Hospital – Miami, FL
Rush University Medical Center – Chicago, IL
Group Health Central Hospital – Seattle, WA
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center – Houston, TX

currently include gender identity or expression in their anti-discrimination policies for patients. All three major hospital systems in Central Florida do not. How can they ever hope to call themselves leading hospitals without these basic protections? Anyone can contribute by making a simple phone call. For phone numbers and further information, please visit our website at www.comeoutorlando.weebly.com, and watch us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP1dM7kDuGQ



Come Out Orlando is a group of local queer and supportive people dedicated to achieving equal rights and protections for Central Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Established in June 2010, Come Out Orlando’s mission is to create an environment that promotes uncompromising equality for LGBT people in all matters governed by law and society using non-violent direct action to educate and facilitate positive change.

www.comeoutorlando.weebly.com

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Come Out Orlando is a group of local queer and supportive people dedicated to achieving equal rights and protections for Central Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Established in June 2010, Come Out Orlando’s mission is to create an environment that promotes uncompromising equality for LGBT people in all matters governed by law and society using non-violent direct action to educate and facilitate positive change.