Q&A: Rainbows in Gastro aims to guide change for LGBTQ+ trainees, patients in GI
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In 2022, gastroenterologists and hepatologists who identify as LGBTQ+ formed the national affinity group Rainbows in Gastro to improve trainee experience in these fields and expand patient care for those in the LGBQT+ community.
“One of the main areas we are starting to focus on is advocacy,” Alexander M. Goldowsky, MD, a GI fellow at Boston Medical Center and member of Rainbows in Gastro, told Healio. “We are particularly focused on the current influx of laws and bills targeting transgender and gender-nonconforming communities and are trying to take the lead, asking GI societies to work with us to look out for not just providers but also patients who identify as members of those communities.”
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In a Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology commentary, fellow Rainbows in Gastro member Nikki Duong, MD, a gastroenterology and transplant hepatology fellow at VCU Health, and colleagues stressed the importance of collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data to accurately determine health disparities among the LGBTQ+ community.
Rainbows in Gastro also advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in trainee recruitment practices and against harmful policies and legislation, emphasizing the need for gender-neural bathrooms in clinical and nonclinical workplaces.
Rainbow signs are important, Duong and colleagues said; however, they are not enough.
Healio spoke with Duong, Goldowsky and Rainbows in Gastro members Howard T. Lee, MD, and Sonali Paul, MD, MS, to discuss how the society was formed, its mission and future goals, as well as how LGBTQ+ gastroenterologists and hepatologists can get involved and advocate for physicians, patients and trainees who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
How did Rainbows in Gastro come about?
Paul: The power of social media was key. I had written an article in The American Journal of Gastroenterology about my son and my experiences with my wife and how I was handling the health care system. Duong reached out to me on Twitter, saying he had read the article and wanted to do a Zoom call. We then met with Lee and a few other people and it turned into this affinity group. We wanted it to be not just for trainees but for attendings and students as well.
I am 7 years out of fellowship, and going through training and medical school, I never had LGBTQ+ mentors. I did not even think that the gastroenterology community had people who were openly LGBTQ+. This was a great way to connect and form this group.
Lee: We started an online webinar and Q&A session in August 2021 for all LGBTQ+ trainees who were interested in a GI fellowship, and we had pretty good attendance. We had a lot of people reach out to us and many of them encouraged us to make this an official group.
We spent 1 year talking about how we were going to structure the group and then the next year, in August 2022, we officially launched Rainbows in Gastro.
What is group’s mission?
Lee: We came up with our mission using the word CHARM.
- C is for community: We are trying to build a LGBTQ+ friendly community and increase the visibility of the LGBTQ+ providers in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology.
- H is for healing: We are trying to develop clinical guidance for GI and hepatology providers to deliver the best care to LGBTQ+ patients.
- A is for advocacy: We want to be advocates for our LGBTQ+ patients and providers, which includes the open letter we put out during Digestive Disease Week 2023 requesting that GI societies choose LGBTQ+ friendly locations for conferences to make them more inclusive for all participants.
- R is for research: Currently, there is a lack of studies regarding LGBTQ+ patients with GI and liver disease. The biggest concern is that sexual orientation and gender identity data were not collected in most of the studies. There are also systemic issues, including a lack of funding to support such research. We are trying to break those barriers and start doing more research.
- M is for mentorship: Similar to many other procedure-based specialties, gastroenterology was considered a not-so-LGBTQ+ friendly specialty. There is also a lack of visibility of LGBTQ+ leaders in our field. We want to change the current climate and encourage more LGBTQ+ people to get involved in gastroenterology. We plan to start with a mentorship program that gives senior faculty an opportunity to mentor junior faculty or trainees who identify as LGBTQ+ and are interested in gastroenterology and hepatology.
What are your goals for the future?
Duong: In the past we have had webinars and Q&A sessions relating to the fellowship interview process and how it uniquely impacts people who identify as LGBTQ+. We hope to continue these and other webinars that are relevant to digestive health and the greater LGBTQ+ community.
At previous meetings, including Digestive Disease Week, we had a high turnout at our social and networking events, and we would like to host similar events at upcoming national meetings. It is important for our supporters to understand that these opportunities and events are integral to the mission statement of Rainbows in Gastro. It helps create an inclusive environment for our trainees and our allies and allows for open dialogue and discussion, which benefit networking and lifelong mentorship opportunities.
What projects are in the works for Rainbows in Gastro?
Lee: We are conducting a survey and encouraging everyone to join and participate, because we want to identify the general climate for LGBTQ+ patients, providers and trainees in our field. There are several ongoing research projects regarding care of LGBTQ+ patients who have GI and liver disease. We encourage everyone, if interested, to reach out to us.
What are some ways health care providers can get involved?
Goldowsky: We are building relationships with other LGBTQ+ affinity groups in different fields, including surgery, anesthesiology and emergency medicine. We are working with patient-centered groups, since patients are the reason for our work, and we are looking to them to determine the direction we should take in the future.
We are a very young organization, but there are a lot of new things going on. Since this is our first year as a group, I encourage people to reach out if they have a new idea or have an idea that they think Rainbows in Gastro would be interested in participating in. We are open to suggestions as we grow our group going forward.
From a logistical standpoint, the best way to get involved is by letting us know you are interested in working with us, either via Twitter at @Rainbowingastro or email at rainbowsingastro@gmail.com. We would love to have as many people as possible involved in our endeavors and grow the group.
We appreciate being able to introduce Rainbows in Gastro to the greater world of gastroenterology and hepatology and look forward to everything that is in store in the coming months and years.
References:
- Duong N, et al. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;doi:10.1016/S2468-1253(23)00005-5.
- Goldowsky A, et al. Gastroenterology. 2023;doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2023.02.011.
- Sonali Paul. Am J. Gastroenterol. 2021;doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001359.
- Vélez C, et al. Am J Gastroenterol. 2022;doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001804.
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