Each week HuffPost Gay Voices, in a partnership with blogger Scout, LGBT HealthLink and researcher Susana Fajardo, brings you a round up of some of the biggest LGBT wellness stories from the past seven days. For more LGBT Wellness visit our page dedicated to the topic here.
1. Tobacco Lighting Up The Silver Screen
A new study looked at LGBT movies and found that tobacco was used on film an average of every 15 minutes. Researchers think that this normalizes tobacco and its use in movies probably contributes to the insanely high tobacco use rates among queer folks. Can we agree that tobacco doesn’t need Hollywood star power? It’s hurting us just fine on its own, thanks.
2. I Do For Our Health
Of course the biggest news this week is legalization of gay marriage. Did you know that legal marriage is protective for your health? Legally married people live longer, smoke less, are more likely to survive cancer and more. Future health surveys will mark this week as a watershed in the history of LGBTQ health.
3. Feds: Transitioning Covered For Federal Employees
Big news for federal employees: the Obama administration ordered insurance companies to cover transition services for federal employees. Hallelujah! Granted, we realize insurance companies will still try to exclude individual services, but now we can fight it more effectively.
4. Six Tips For A Successful Medical Appointment
We know that getting good care at medical visits can be a challenge. This week Mashable’s put up a list of six things LGBT people can do to get the most out of a medical appointment. We’ll add one to the list: know your rights.
5. Finding Trans Health Care Just Got Easier
How do you find trans-friendly health care in somewhere like North Dakota? Introducing a new resource: RAD. RAD is a yelp-style database of health care providers who are trans-friendly or specialize in trans care. Go check it out and add your favorite provider!
6. Youth In The Closet Suffer
In a new youth study by our friends at the Family Acceptance Project found that being open about one’s LGBT identity to more people was strongly linked with life satisfaction. Plus the more social support an LGBT youth experiences the better their mental health as a young adult. The authors call for increased social support for our youth, we heartily agree.
7. Court Rules Conversion Therapy is Consumer Fraud
A few weeks back we reported on a landmark lawsuit in NJ, putting conversion therapy on trial as consumer fraud. Today we’re happy to say the case has been won. The therapists have to refund thousands of dollars and more importantly the tide continues to turn against this dangerous practice nationwide.