Erie Gay News Participates In Open Letter About LGBTQ+ & COVID-19

Over 100 Organizations Ask Media & Health Officials to Weigh Added Risk

Erie, PA - March 11, 2020 Erie Gay News joined over 100 other organizations as signatories of a national open letter about coronavirus and the LGBTQ+ communities.

The letter, organized by the National LGBT Cancer Network and GLMA, addresses the LGBTQ+ communities' increased vulnerability for coronavirus 19 as a direct result of three factors:

1. The LGBTQ+ population uses tobacco at rates that are 50% higher than the general population. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that has proven particularly harmful to smokers.
2. The LGBTQ+ population has higher rates of HIV and cancer, which means a greater number of us may have compromised immune systems, leaving us more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections.
3. LGBTQ+ people continue to experience discrimination, unwelcoming attitudes, and lack of understanding from providers and staff in many health care settings, and as a result, many are reluctant to seek medical care except in situations that feel urgent - and perhaps not even then.

Further, the letter outlines a series of strategies for all parties handling COVID-19 surveillance, response, treatment, and media coverage to reduce further stigmatization of vulnerable groups in their future actions.

"Our communities are affected, like all people, and we must be attentive to the unique health concerns affecting LGBTQIA+ people. Erie Gay News has been proud to be involved with health issues and coverage since the early 90's", said Michael Mahler, Erie Gay News editor.

"Information and responses about COVID-19 are changing extremely fast. As the media and health communities are pushed into overdrive, we need to make sure the most vulnerable among us are not forgotten. Our smoking rates alone make us extremely vulnerable, our access to care barriers only make a bad situation worse," notes Dr. Scout, the Deputy Director for the National LGBT Cancer Network, "but this letter outlines simple steps to ensure no population is further stigmatized by a virus."

The open letter with the full list of signatories is available here: https://cancer-network.org/coronavirus-2019-lgbtq-info/