Date: June 30, 2022
Small-Town Pride Celebrations Supporting Social Connectedness & Well-Being for LGBTQ+ Rural Residents: Feelings of social connectedness and belonging vary by sexual orientation and gender identity. For example, lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults report lower social cohesion in their neighborhoods, which may be perpetuated by discrimination and homophobia from members of their community. In addition, recent research found that rural LGB adults reported the lowest levels of having their social and emotional needs met, compared with urban LGB adults, urban heterosexual adults, and rural heterosexual adults. This case series highlights examples of two small-town Pride celebrations that contribute to social connectedness and belonging for rural lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) community members.
Rural Community Organizations Building Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ+ Residents: Community organizations play a key role in providing services and programming in rural communities. This case study series highlights examples of rural community organizations providing LGBTQ+ welcoming and inclusive programming and services from different regions across the U.S.
Improving Access to LGBTQIA+-Friendly Care in Rural Areas: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and asexual/agender (LGBTQIA+) individuals face many barriers to accessing health care, including lack of health insurance, a shortage of health care providers that are skilled in treating LGBTQIA+ patients, as well as stigma and discrimination in health care settings. This case study series features two organizations that are working toward improving health care for rural LGBTQIA+ patients.
Contact Information:
Mariana Story Tuttle, MPH
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Phone: 612.626.8401
tuttl090@umn.edu
Additional Resources of Interest:
- More information about the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
- More information from the Rural Health Information Hub’s topic guides: Rural Mental Health, Rural Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health for Rural People