Diversifying Our Communities of Practice

Although I didn’t visit any amusement parks during the SGIM Annual Meeting in Orlando a few months ago, I distinctly recall a greeting that launched the end-of-night music, light, and fireworks show during an earlier visit in December: “Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls…” I was pleasantly surprised to hear, only one week before the annual meetings, that the greeting would be changed to be more inclusive and welcoming of “dreamers of all ages’’ and “friends.” The change, albeit small, is one tangible and immediate way to ensure our words reflect our values.

In alignment with SGIM’s anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments,^{1, 2} this month’s theme issue of “LGBTQIA+, Sex, and Gender Minority Health” focuses on the health of gender diverse populations and sex and gender minority (SGM) populations. Particularly in light of several passed recent state laws that further marginalize—or even outright criminalize the facilitation of care for—some of these patient populations, SGIM members once again responded publicly to amplify the voices and needs of those in our care as physicians.

Unsurprisingly, this issue of SGIM Forum will not stand alone on this theme of LGBTQIA+ and SGM Health: sufficient submissions were received so that the July 2022 issue will serve as an ad hoc second issue on the theme. In this issue, readers can appreciate a diversity of articles, including reflections and learnings from the SGIM Annual Meeting #WeSayGay #WeSayTrans rally, activities of the SGIM LGBTQ Health Interest Group, lived experiences shared by a resident who identifies as lesbian and a chaplain who identifies as queer, a conversation with an SGIM leader who identifies as lesbian, and access a quick guide on gender-affirming hormone therapy in primary care.