The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s vision is grounded in the belief of ‘health, dignity, and justice for every human being.’ Recent events at the School, across the country, and worldwide have highlighted the need for Harvard Chan to meaningfully invest more to uphold this vision—particularly for our School’s LGBTQIA+ members.
Toward that end, the School will support the launch of an LGBTQIA+ Working Group, which will be empowered with the independence, authority, and resources needed to advance key priorities. The description below reflects early thinking about the Working Group’s potential charge, composition, and emerging priorities, though new Working Group members will be invited to refine these when we convene in fall 2023.
Charge
Strengthen support at Harvard Chan for LGBTQIA+ health issues and LGBTQIA+ School members by:
- Advising Harvard Chan Leadership, including on how to foster an LGBTQIA+-inclusive School;
- Enhancing training, research, and dissemination opportunities related to LGBTQIA+ health.
Composition
The Working Group will include students, postdocs, staff, and faculty across Harvard Chan’s academic departments and administrative units.
Emerging Priorities
One of the Working Group’s early priorities is to solicit broad input on how Harvard Chan can bolster its support for LGBTQIA+ health issues and LGBTQIA+ School members. Emerging priorities may include:
- Inclusive environments, such as ensuring spaces like bathrooms are affirming for the School’s LGBTQIA+ members;
- Professional development opportunities, such as those for faculty to learn how they can foster LGBTQIA+-inclusive learning environments;
- Curricular enhancements, such as new courses on LGBTQ health research;
- Pilot awards, such as for LGBTQIA+-focused research or practicums;
- Communication training, such as on how to write op-eds about LGBTQIA+ issues or disseminate LGBTQIA+-focused research conducted by School members.
Time Commitment
The Working Group will meet monthly for two hours. We ask that members commit to attending monthly meetings and volunteer an additional 2–4 hours per month to support specific activities.
Contact Information
For additional information or if you are interested in joining the working group, please contact Denise Simon (Denise_Simon@hphci.harvard.edu).
Resources
Please see below for additional resources available to the Harvard Chan Community:
- Harvard Chan LGBTQIA+/Queer Faculty and Staff: A list of Faculty and Staff at Harvard Chan that can provide support, guidance, and mentorship to Harvard Chan students.
- LGBTQIA+ Community Resource List: A list of various community resources that are local and accessible to all members of the Harvard Chan community. This list includes social, advocacy, and education-based resources, and more.
Share Your Feedback
Please know that your feedback and perspectives are important to our work. If you would like to provide any feedback or share your perspectives, please email us at odi@hsph.harvard.edu.
