What Does It Mean to Be 2SLGBTQIA+ in 2024?
2SLGBTQIA+ is the most recent, inclusive acronym used by the queer community starting in 2023, which stands for Two(2)-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual/aromantic/agender. Two-spirit is a queer identity used by some Indigenous people, and it has been added to the front of the LGBTQ+ acronym to acknowledge that we are on Indigenous land (this is not the first time the queer acronym has been changed; the acronym was changed from GLBT to LGBT in the 1990s to recognize the important work of lesbians during the HIV/AIDS crisis). Regardless of how a person identifies queer affirming healthcare is difficult to find, and has become increasingly difficult due to massive pushes from Republicans and red states to introduce discriminatory legislation.
What Does It Mean to Be a 2SLGBTQIA+ Ally?
Regardless of gender or sexual orientation, anyone can be an ally. Being an ally means being informed and aware of the challenges the queer community faces and defending members of the community when you see discriminatory behavior. Allyship is more than sticking a rainbow flag in the window during pride month—though that can be a helpful marker of inclusive spaces—it is using your privilege to stand up for and protect the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, in words and in actions.
As a healthcare provider, being a 2SLGBTQIA+ ally involves non-judgemental acceptance when patients disclose their orientation. But that’s not all. Allied providers offer support and patient-centered care. They also receive some training on 2SLGBTQIA+ healthcare needs and have worked on unpacking implicit bias. Unpacking implicit bias includes not assuming someone’s gender, sexual orientation, or pronouns and providing a safe space for them to disclose. At a fundamental level, an allied provider understands the unique needs that LGBTQIA+ healthcare may encompass.
How to Find a 2SLGBTQIA+ Allied Provider
Finding an inclusive provider can make all the difference in your healthcare experience. Unfortunately, in healthcare, 2SLGBTQIA+ discrimination is pervasive. In a 2022 survey, 24% of LGBTQ+ patients said they had been blamed for their health problems while visiting a health care provider, compared with 9% of non-LGBTQ+ people. A 2024 report of LGBTQ+ experiences showed that 6 in 10 queer adults say they prepare for insults from a healthcare provider, and 33% of queer adults report experiencing unfair or disrespectful treatment by a healthcare provider.
The effects of receiving healthcare from someone who is not part of the queer community or an ally can be detrimental to mental and physical wellbeing. Namely, a patient might delay care or neglect to seek healthcare in the future. A 2022 survey of queer patients found that 70% of people from LGBTQ+ communities have had experiences that damaged their trust in the healthcare system, and that means those patients are less likely to want to return to a doctor anytime soon.
Not sure if a healthcare provider is an ally? When in doubt, it’s worth calling a provider’s office ahead of time to ask a few questions such as the following:
- Does your office have experience regularly treating 2SLGBTQIA+ (or mention a specific identity marker) patients?
- Does your practice have a nondiscrimination policy?
- Will your providers respect pronouns and/or a chosen name might be different from the one on your medical files?
Resources
This free, searchable directory allows patients to search for 2SLGBTQIA+-friendly providers by their zip code.
An international healthcare directory that helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit folks find LGBTQ+ friendly and affirming providers. The OutList is open to all healthcare providers of any identity and specialty.
World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH)
WPATH’s free international provider directory allows you to screen for doctors of varying specialties who offer affirming trans and gender-nonconforming healthcare.
OutCare Health’s provider directory helps connect 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals to inclusive providers of varying specialties.
This spreadsheet lists queer and queer affirming mental health providers in all 50 states that provide gender affirming care and will provide a letter for hormones/surgery/gender marker changes in just one session.
Your local queer community center
Your local 2SLGBTQIA+ center will likely have resources to help connect you with an affirming provider. Not sure where your local LGBT center is? CenterLink’s LGBTQ Community Center Member Directory can help you locate it.
Word of mouth
When unsure where to go, asking trusted friends and family members in the LGBTQIA+ community can help.
In 2024, we need to be celebrating the advancements in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, while also realizing there is work to be done regarding cultural competency. In addition, finding a queer affirming provider can make all the difference for mental and physical health and how likely someone is to seek care in the future.
This pride, as reproductive rights are under attack alongside 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, we are reminding you that people all across gender and sexuality spectrums seek abortions. Abortion is for everyone. Now, more than ever, we must fight against attacks on reproductive rights and queer rights. As Alliance for Justice states, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and reproductive rights share a common quest for autonomy and dignity.