Each week HuffPost Gay Voices, in a partnership with blogger Scout, LGBT HealthLink and researcher Michael G. Bare, brings you a round up of some of the biggest LGBT wellness stories from the past seven days. For more LGBT Wellness visit our page dedicated to the topic here.
1
Binge-Eating Higher Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women
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A recent study found binge-eating to be more prevalent among bisexual and lesbian women than heterosexual women: 19.8 percent of lesbians and 13.9 percent of bisexual women reported some level of binge eating, usually to cope with discrimination.
2
Historic Trans & Bi Victory During SOTU
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History was made on Tuesday when, for the first time ever, transgender and bisexual individuals were directly mentioned in a State of the Union address! President Obama has previously shown his support but this is the first time he has addressed these communities during such an important, highly-watched event. Kudos to you, Mr. President! Cue a small uptick in our mental health nationwide.
3
Transgender Doctor Named Pennsylvania’s Next Physician General
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Dr. Rachel Lavine has just been named Pennsylvania’s next Physician General! She will be the highest-ranking transgender individual in Pennsylvania’s government and is believed to be the first transgender woman to hold the title of physician general.
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4
More Responses to Leelah Alcorn’s Suicide
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Illinois legislators just introduced a bill to ban performing LGBT conversion “therapy” on minors. Sadly, Virginia saw a similar bill fail last week in the State Senate.Also, Cincinnati’s Central Clinic has opened a new Transgender Wellness Program. The clinic aims to match patients with trans-friendly mental health services and end discrimination within the healthcare system. Keep up the good work!
5
Advocates Move to Collect SO/GI Info on Death Records
An article this week outlines new efforts to get sexual orientation and gender identity data collected post-mortem. Experts point out how hamstrung we are in understanding suicide rates without these data. They plan to develop and test a protocol for collecting SO/GI data at very least in cases of violent deaths.
6
Civil Rights Overview
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The Washington Post’s Hunter Schwarz does a nice job this week giving an overview of the many gaps in LGBT legal protections nationwide. Remember: we know acceptance and civil rights directly impact our communities’ health.
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7
Three More Weeks Till Open Enrollment Closes
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Go to Out2Enroll.org and sign up for health insurance now!