Our Mission: To create health equity for LGBTQ patients in our communities and around the world through better health care services, education, and advocacy.
What is LGBTQ Health Equity?
“Health equity is when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.”
--The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Like all groups that have been historically linked to discrimination and exclusion, LGBTQ people have less access to health care, have worse health outcomes, and are at are at a higher risk for certain conditions.
At The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity, we are working to understand and end the health disparities that disproportionately affect LGBTQ communities so that all LGBTQ people have “the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.”
Learn More About Health Equity
Our History
The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity is part of Chase Brexton Health Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center with expertise in LGBTQ health care and HIV care. Founded as a volunteer-run gay men’s health clinic in the heart of Baltimore City in 1978, Chase Brexton was one of the first clinics on the front lines of the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Industry-Leading Expertise
The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity is home to renowned specialists in LGBTQ and gender-affirming health care. Our experts are a sought-after voice for LGBTQ health equity issues in the media, at conferences, and on task forces around the country.
Awards Spotlight
One of the first health care providers in the U.S. to meet all criteria for the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index.
We're Here to Help
Contact us today to learn how we can help you get health care, get training, or get involved.
What is LGBTQ Health Equity?
What is Health Equity?
Health equity is achieved when “everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible,” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health equity is not about creating equal health outcomes—uncontrollable factors like our genetics make that all but impossible. More so, it’s about giving every individual equitable opportunities to achieve their best possible health outcomes.
What is a Health Disparity?
The CDC defines health disparities as “preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.” As a socially disadvantaged population, LGBTQ communities face health disparities that are the direct result of stigma, discrimination, and denial of basic civil and human rights.
What We’re Doing to End LGBTQ Health Disparities
- Ending discrimination, stigma, bias, and misinformation in our health care systems through health care provider training and education.
- Reducing fear and mistrust of health care systems within the LGBTQ community through affirming and informed health care services.
- Advancing our collective understanding of LGBTQ health-related issues through research.
- Improving health benefits for LGBTQ people through workplace training and public advocacy.
- Promoting the health care needs and rights of LGBTQ people through advocacy.
Our History
The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity is part of Chase Brexton Health Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center with expertise in LGBTQ health care and HIV care. Visit the “More to the Story” section of our site to see original press clippings, photos, and more.
1970s
Chase Brexton is founded as a gay men’s health clinic in the heart of Baltimore City in 1978. A volunteer-run clinic, it is powered almost entirely by donations from the LGBTQ community.
1980s
Chase Brexton is one of the first clinics on the front lines of the fight against HIV and AIDS. Some volunteers are threatened with job loss by their employers for volunteering at the clinic.
1990s
Chase Brexton becomes a Federally Qualified Health Center, expanding to serve all underserved communities. Despite broadening our scope, our organization continued to remain at the heart of LGBTQ health care.
2000s
Chase Brexton becomes one of only 10 health care providers in the U.S. to meet all of the criteria for the 2009 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) by the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.
2010s
Chase Brexton establishes the LGBT Health Resource Center to offer specialized behavioral health services, LGBTQ-focused support groups, and education and training for organizations seeking greater LGBTQ competency.
2020s
The LGBT Health Resource Center expands its mission, becoming The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity at Chase Brexton Health Care. The new center focuses on ending health disparities for LGBTQ patient populations through health care services, advocacy, and education on the national and international stage.
Recent Awards and Notables
The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity and Chase Brexton Health Care continually lead the nation as an award-winning health care provider and voice for LGBTQ patients.
2009
Chase Brexton makes history, becoming 1 of only 10 health care providers in the U.S. to meet all of the criteria for the 2009 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) by the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association. HEI is the national LGBTQ benchmarking tool that evaluates healthcare facilities' policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ patients, visitors and employees.
2010-present
Chase Brexton continues its long-running streak as one of the top health care providers on the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index.
2016
The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity sponsors To Survive On This Shore, a groundbreaking portrait and interview series featuring transgender and gender older adults by artist Jess Dugan and social worker Vanessa Fabbre. View the series.
2017
Artists Jaimes Mayhew and Rahne Alexander select The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity as their nonprofit partner for Queer Interiors, their year-long exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The Center provided gallery talks, trained the docents and employees staffing the exhibit, and coordinated field trips to the exhibit in partnership with Action in Maturity. See the exhibit.
2018-2019
Chase Brexton receives back-to-back perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index—and surpasses all benchmarks in scoring. For example, perfect-scoring organizations are required to do 25 hours of internal training for staff. In 2019, The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity provided Chase Brexton staff with 292 hours of required, on-the-clock training in serving LGBTQ populations, as well as hosting the CME/CNE/CEU-accredited Best Practices in Transgender Care Symposium, and providing contracted training services to other health care and human service agencies.
