From the office of Dr. Carlos Smith, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the VCU School of Dentistry.

Continuing on our path towards a more inclusive School of Dentistry, we wanted to take a moment to both reflect  and celebrate PRIDE and the recognition of our LGBTQ+ community members – patients, students, staff and faculty.

We invite you to participate in the upcoming American Dental Association sponsored Amplifying Voices: An Open Forum on LGBTQ+ Community and the Dental Profession on  Wednesday June 23 at 8 pm EST. You can register and learn more here.

• PRIDE Month initially began in recognition of the Stonewall Uprising in 1969. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Learn more here.

Loud and Proud – Speaking out against inequality, discrimination and their inextricable link to health disparities and inequities is something each of us could turn up the volume on. Here are a few resources we should all be familiar with to better care for our patients and to understand the lived experience of our LGBT+ friends and colleagues. 

• Connect with the Houston Equality Dental Network – a dentist led advocacy group with the goal of advancing equality for LGBTQ+ dental professionals in their work and learning environments.
• Ten  Things Dental Students Can Do To Support LGBT+ Patients 
• 5 Reasons an LGBT+ Affirming Dentist Can Make All the Difference
• From the ADA New Dentist Blog –  Five ways you can be a better ally dentist
• From the ADA New Dentist Blog – LGBTQ equality is on the rise; it’s time for dentistry to catch up
• Inclusive of ALL: Improving Care for LGBT+ Patients – we invite you to view our 2020 Inaugural Inclusive Excellence Week webinar featuring Dr. Steve Crossman, Associate Professor & Vice Chair, Clinical Operations and Family Medicine Education, Department of Family Medicine and Population Health at the VCU School of Medicine. View here.
• Recent graduate, Dr. Chase Phillips, was profiled last year by VCU News for his research on LGBT+ patient perspectives. Read more here.

Want more information on pronouns?

Gender Pronouns: A Provider’s Guide to Referring to Transgender Patients

Pronouns and Advocacy in Medicine

The inclusivity trap? Asking patients for their pronouns helps us treat them — unless they shut down