Celebrating PRIDE at VCU School of Dentistry
Contributed by Carlos S. Smith, DDS, MDiv, FACD, associate dean of inclusive excellence, ethics and community engagement.
Continuing on our path towards a more inclusive School of Dentistry, we wanted to take a moment and reflect upon PRIDE Month and the recognition of our LGBTQ+ community members—patients, students, staff, and faculty.
Pride is a beacon of hope, lighting the way for future generations to live in a world free from discrimination and bias. It empowers us to create change, challenge norms, and forge a path towards a more inclusive and accepting society.
Not sure of next steps? Check out these resources – Here are a few resources we should all be familiar with to better care for our patients and to understand the lived experience of our LGBT+ friends and colleagues.
- Ten Things Dental Students Can Do To Support LGBT+ Patients
- 5 Reasons an LGBT+ Affirming Dentist Can Make All the Difference
- From the ADA New Dentist Blog – Five ways you can be a better ally dentist
- From the ADA New Dentist Blog – LGBTQ equality is on the rise; it’s time for dentistry to catch up
- Visit the VCU Health Sciences Diversity podcast on The PIPELINE podcast, entitled “A is for Ally” featuring Sander Jennings, TV personality (from the TLC reality series “I Am Jazz”) and LGBTQIAA+ and transgender rights advocate.
- Inclusive of ALL: Improving Care for LGBT+ Patients – we invite you to view webinars from our past Inclusive Excellence Weeks focusing on the LGBT+ communities.
- Trauma Informed Care and the Health Needs of the LGBTQ+ Community, with speaker and VCU graduate Melissa-Irene Jackson, M.S.W., from Virginia Planned Parenthood. View here.
- Inclusive of ALL: Improving Care for LGBT+ Patients with Dr. Steve Crossman, former Associate Professor & Vice Chair, Clinical Operations and Family Medicine Education, Department of Family Medicine and Population Health at the VCU School of Medicine. View here.
Want more information on pronouns?Gender Pronouns: A Provider’s Guide to Referring to Transgender Patients
Pronouns and Advocacy in Medicine
The inclusivity trap? Asking patients for their pronouns helps us treat them — unless they shut down