Political Advocacy

POLITICAL ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

Meeting: meeting time and place can vary, please check with Chair, Andrea Daley

The Rainbow Health Network's (RHN) Political Advocacy Committee works to effect change in the health and social services fields by advancing understanding and acting as a catalyst to the provision of equitable services to LGBTTIQ individuals.

Because the broad health care, social service, and social support issues of sexually diverse communities are not fully recognized either in the education and training of service providers or in health and social care policy, our needs are not being adequately addressed. Our goals are therefore to educate, lobby, and advocate for the changes that are necessary to ensure the LGBTTIQ communities have equitable access and effective and sensitive provision of services and supports to meet our specific needs.

We target key politicians, policy makers and educators to lobby for changes. We write letters and arrange meetings with them in order to voice our concerns, promote understanding, and monitor progress.

From 2004 through 2005, as part of the Ontario Rainbow Health Partnership Project (ORHPP), we worked on a proposal to expand Social Determinants of Health to include sexually diverse populations. We expect this could have a powerful impact on our recognition in the social determinants of health framework and in health policy.

Please note: Meeting times vary, contact Andrea Daley for details.