MADISON, Wis. — Pride Month is all about celebrating our LGBTQ+ community and acknowledging the strides we’ve made towards accepting people regardless of race, religion, creed, color or sexual orientation. While we’ve come a long way, medical professionals say we still have a long way to go.
Emergency physician Mike Lutes said he’s seen an increase in the number of LGBTQ+ patients ending up in the hospital after experiencing a mental health or medical emergency.
“They’re not feeling accepted. They’re feeling bullied or people are questioning who they are as a person,” Lutes said.
Lutes is an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, but admits, he took the time to educate himself after a hard-learned lesson with a patient.
“I deeply offended a transgender patient about a year ago out of my own ignorance,” he said.
Lutes said after taking the time to educate himself on the LGBTQ+ community, he now takes better care of his LGBTQ+ patients and is an overall better physician and better person because of it.
“It seems so simple just to accept people for who they are,” Lutes said. “That goes a long way.”
UW Health’s Co-Medical Director of Gender Services Program Dr. Ronni Hayon M.D. said she is noticing the same trend in the number of LGBTQ+ patients needing medical assistance after experiencing a lack of social acceptance from their family and peers.
“LGBTQ youth are 2-3 times more likely to attempt suicide,” she said. “Seventy-four percent of LGBTQ middle and high school students are harassed because of their sexual orientation and 55% because of their gender expression.”
Lutes and Hayon said simply being willing to listen to the LGBTQ+ community and taking the time to educate ourselves more will make a huge difference.
“It was telling that last week I had two transgender patients that came in with mental health issues and a bisexual patient that came in with mental health issues. These things were all tied to either lack of acceptance from friends and family or being bullied at school,” Lutes said. “I’m coming to this interview as a cisgender, straight white Christian male. So take all of this for what you will, but I think the simple thing is just to listen.”
There are local resources in Dane County for the LGBTQ+ community, including Outreach, Briarpatch Youth Services and GSAFE.
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