Pronouns are a reflection of a person’s identity. Using the correct pronouns:

• Affirms an individual’s gender identity.
• Fosters respect, belonging, and trust in professional and educational settings.
• Reduces harm, exclusion, and emotional distress often caused by misgendering.

By normalizing the practice of asking and using correct pronouns, we create environments where everyone feels seen, valued, and respected.

Creating spaces where pronoun sharing feels safe and natural is key. Here are best practices for respectfully asking for pronouns:

Introduce Yourself with Pronouns:

• “Hi, I’m Alex, and my pronouns are they/them. What pronouns do you use?”
• This sets the tone for openness and inclusion.

Make Pronoun Sharing Optional:

• Avoid pressuring individuals to share pronouns if they are uncomfortable.

Use Neutral Language Until Confirmed:

• Default to neutral terms like “they/them” or refer to individuals by name until pronouns are clarified.

Ask Thoughtfully:

• “What are your pronouns?” instead of “What’s your preferred pronoun?”
• (The word “preferred” can imply it’s optional, which it’s not).

To ensure inclusivity in professional and educational systems:

Add Pronoun Fields:

• Include optional fields for pronouns on forms, registrations, and intake sheets. Example:
• Name: [Text Field]
• Pronouns: [He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, Other: ______]

Ensure Forms are Gender-Neutral:

• Avoid binary gender options like:
• “Male/Female” where unnecessary.
• Include “Non-Binary” or “Prefer not to say” where applicable.

Digital Signatures and Name Badges:

• Offer space for pronouns in email signatures, name tags, and profile systems. Example:
• Alex Smith (they/them)
• Pronouns: She/Her

Even with the best intentions, mistakes can occur. Here’s how to handle them respectfully:

• Acknowledge and Correct Yourself: “I’m sorry, I meant they, not he.” Move on without over-apologizing.

• Learn from the Experience: Take the mistake as an opportunity to be more mindful next time.

• Model Inclusive Behavior: Gently correct others if they misgender someone: “Actually, Alex uses they/them pronouns.”

• Avoid Drawing Unnecessary Attention: Don’t single out individuals or make it about your discomfort. Keep the focus on respect.

Incorporate gender-neutral language into your daily interactions:

• Instead of: “Ladies and gentlemen” → Say: “Everyone” or “Colleagues.”
• Instead of: “He/she will respond” → Say: “They will respond.”
• Instead of: “The patient’s husband/wife” → Say: “The patient’s partner.”

• Normalize Pronoun Sharing: Encourage pronouns in introductions, meetings, email signatures, and profiles.
• Train Your Team: Offer cultural competency workshops on pronouns, gender identity, and respectful communication.
• Lead by Example: Consistently model the use of inclusive language to inspire others to do the same. By making correct pronouns a standard practice, we can build inclusive spaces that recognize and honor everyone’s identity.

Read the official statement of solidarity from the Division of Diversity, Equity + Inclusion at IUPUI, reaffirming a commitment to supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals through policies, inclusive practices, and resources.

• Link:
  

• OutCare Health
  A national resource that connects LGBTQIA+ individuals to affirming healthcare providers and resources.
• Website: OutCare Health (update with exact URL if needed)
• The Trevor Project
  A leading organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ youth.
• Website: The Trevor Project
• Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
  Advocates for LGBTQIA+ equality through education, policy, and legal reform.
• Website: Human Rights Campaign
• GLAAD
  Amplifies LGBTQIA+ voices through media advocacy, education, and awareness campaigns.
• Website: GLAAD

• Indiana Youth Group (IYG)
  Provides programming and support for LGBTQIA+ youth in Indiana, fostering safe and affirming spaces.
• Website: Indiana Youth Group
• Eskenazi Health Gender Health Program
  Offers comprehensive, gender-affirming care and resources for transgender and non-binary individuals in Indianapolis.
• Website: Eskenazi Health Gender Program
• Indy Pride
  An organization that supports LGBTQIA+ individuals through community events, advocacy, and education in Indiana.
• Website: Indy Pride

• LGBT National Hotline
  A free and confidential service providing support for individuals and families.
  
• Phone: 1-888-843-4564
• Website: LGBT National Hotline
• Trans Lifeline
  A peer-support hotline run by and for trans people, offering emotional and financial support.
• Phone: 1-877-565-8860
• Website: Trans Lifeline
• The Trevor Lifeline (Youth Support)
  24/7 crisis support for LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing distress.
• Phone: 1-866-488-7386
• Website: Trevor Lifeline

• GLSEN
  Focuses on LGBTQIA+ education and creating safe, inclusive K-12 school environments.
• Website: GLSEN
• PFLAG
  The first and largest organization uniting LGBTQIA+ people, families, and allies.
• Website: PFLAG

Cultural competency is about understanding, respecting, and effectively interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. For LGBTQIA+ individuals, cultural competency:

• Improves Outcomes: Inclusive education and affirming care reduce barriers, improve comfort, and promote positive experiences.
• Builds Trust: Recognizing and honoring identity fosters trust and stronger relationships in professional settings.
• Reduces Disparities: Addressing gaps in knowledge and practice helps eliminate inequities in healthcare, education, and workplaces.

To address gaps in LGBTQIA+ representation, our curriculum mapping tools provide:

• Step-by-Step Frameworks: How to assess and integrate LGBTQIA+ topics into programs across disciplines.
• Best Practices: Examples of successful curriculum reforms that promote inclusivity in healthcare, behavioral sciences, and education.
• Adaptable Models: Flexible guidelines that apply to classrooms, training programs, and professional development.

Inclusivity starts with everyday processes and materials. Our tools help professionals create:

• Gender-Neutral Forms: Updating forms and applications to include fields for pronouns, preferred names, and non-binary gender options.
• Inclusive Policies: Guidance for developing organizational policies that prioritize respect, equity, and accountability.
• Sample Templates: Ready-to-use examples of inclusive intake forms, surveys, and educational materials.

Example for Forms:

• Name: [Text Field]
• Pronouns: [He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, Other: _______]

Practical tools that model cultural humility, emotional intelligence, and trauma-informed care through real-life examples:

• Interactive Scenarios: Simulated situations demonstrating inclusive communication, such as addressing misgendering and using affirming language.
• Case Studies: Stories showcasing best practices and the impact of cultural competency in education and healthcare.
• Problem-Solving Models: How to navigate challenges, like unconscious bias, with grace and professionalism.

1. ECHO Training Sessions

• What It Is:
  Virtual 90-minute interactive sessions facilitated by LGBTQIA+ health experts.

Topics Covered:

• Cultural humility and understanding minority stress.
• Using inclusive language and interrupting bias.
• Trauma-informed care, emotional intelligence, and hard conversations.

• Outcome: Professionals gain actionable strategies to implement inclusive practices in their roles.

2. Simulated Learning Programs

• Interprofessional OSCE (iOSCE): Team-based simulations that prepare participants to practice LGBTQIA+ inclusive care.
• Key Features:
• Realistic patient scenarios involving affirming care, communication, and collaboration.
• Feedback mechanisms to assess skills and encourage growth.
• Impact: Participants develop confidence in addressing the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals in professional settings.

3. Professional Development for Educators + Clinicians

• What It Is:
  Training designed to build skills, address barriers, and implement inclusive practices.
• Program Components:
• Faculty workshops on LGBTQIA+ health, inclusivity, and communication.
• Resources for navigating difficult conversations and overcoming personal discomfort.
• Tools for modeling respectful, affirming behavior in classrooms and workplaces.

By implementing cultural competency tools + training, we can:

• Reduce Barriers:
  Eliminate inequities in education, healthcare, + professional spaces.
• Foster Inclusivity:
  Build trust and belonging for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
• Promote Equity:
  Ensure every person feels seen, valued, and celebrated.

Cultural competency is not a one-time goal but an ongoing journey of awareness, learning, and action. Together, we can create spaces that honor diversity, build understanding, and drive meaningful change.

OVERVIEW
A collaborative educational model designed to enhance cultural competence among dental and pharmacy students, emphasizing interprofessional teamwork and inclusive care.

KEYFINDINGS

• LGBTQ+ health integrated through ECHO sessions, simulations (iOSCE), and clinical shadowing opportunities.
• Results demonstrated improved cultural humility, awareness, and readiness for affirming care.

DIRECT LINK TO PUBLICATION –> PubMed Study Link

• Inclusive Practices: Insights on how faculty training and inclusive tools improve patient and student comfort.
• Faculty Development: Barriers, recommendations, and the role of formalized LGBTQIA+ education in fostering equity.
• Educational Outcomes: Summaries of interprofessional training effectiveness, improved teamwork, and cultural readiness.

Links to PDFs of full project reports and research findings can be provided here for further exploration.

• ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) training sessions provide virtual, interactive learning opportunities led by LGBTQIA+ health experts. These sessions focus on building awareness, cultural humility, and practical skills to foster inclusive environments.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Cultural Humility: Understanding minority stress, implicit bias, and the importance of creating affirming spaces.
2. Inclusive Language: Best practices for using gender-neutral language and asking for pronouns respectfully.
3. Trauma-Informed Care: Recognizing trauma within LGBTQIA+ communities and delivering care that prioritizes emotional safety.
4. Navigating Hard Conversations: Strategies for addressing conflicts, unconscious bias, and complex patient scenarios.

• Format:
• Virtual 90-minute sessions
• Interactive case discussions with practical examples
• Led by LGBTQIA+ inclusion and healthcare experts
• Outcome: Participants leave with actionable tools to foster respect, improve communication, and create affirming experiences for LGBTQIA+ individuals.

To address gaps in LGBTQIA+ representation in education, our curriculum mapping tools guide educators in integrating inclusive topics across courses and disciplines.

 Features:

• Framework for Inclusion: Step-by-step guidance to evaluate current curricula and identify opportunities for integration.
• Best Practices: Proven methods for weaving LGBTQIA+ cultural competency topics into both didactic and clinical learning.
• Customizable Templates: Tools for course development and lesson planning, ensuring LGBTQIA+ topics are seamlessly included.

Areas of Focus:

• Communication skills (e.g., pronoun usage and inclusive interactions)
• Cultural humility and trauma-informed care
• LGBTQIA+ health disparities and affirming practices

Outcome: Educators gain practical tools to build curricula that equip students with the skills to provide inclusive, affirming care and support in their professional fields.

The Interprofessional Observed Structured Clinical Examination (iOSCE) is a simulated, team-based learning experience designed to prepare participants for real-world collaborative care scenarios.

 What is iOSCE?

• Simulations that include role-play with standardized patients (actors trained to represent LGBTQIA+ individuals).
• Designed for dental, pharmacy, and other healthcare students to practice teamwork, communication, and patient-centered care.

Key Learning Objectives:

• • Inclusive Communication: Practicing respectful, affirming language and addressing patient needs with cultural humility.
  • Team-Based Care: Enhancing collaboration and understanding roles within interdisciplinary care teams.
  • Patient-Centered Scenarios: Addressing real-world issues like gender-affirming care, unconscious bias, and inclusive practices.

Structure:

• • 1-hour simulated sessions (virtual or in-person)
  • Team-based interaction, followed by structured feedback and assessment
  • Focused on six core competencies:
    • Communication
    • Collaboration
    • Roles and Responsibilities
    • Patient-Centered Approach
    • Conflict Management
    • Team Functioning

Outcome: Participants gain hands-on experience, building confidence in delivering inclusive, culturally competent care and fostering collaboration across disciplines.

Our educational materials provide a foundation for creating respectful, affirming spaces in education and healthcare. From training guides to interactive tools, these resources equip professionals with the skills to advocate for equity, inclusion, and meaningful change.

LGBTQIA+ individuals often face significant challenges in accessing quality care due to systemic barriers, biases, and limited cultural competency among providers.

Ensuring healthcare equity means:

• • Eliminating Disparities: Closing gaps in healthcare access, outcomes, and experiences for LGBTQIA+ patients.
  • Fostering Trust: Creating environments where individuals feel safe, respected, and heard.
  • Promoting Inclusion: Delivering care that acknowledges and celebrates diverse identities and lived experiences.

1. Inclusive Language and Communication
   Affirming language is a cornerstone of equitable care. This tool helps professionals:

• Adopt Gender-Neutral Language: Replace binary terms like “he/she” with inclusive alternatives such as “they/them” or “partner” instead of “husband/wife.”
• Integrate Pronouns in Care: Guidance on respectfully asking for, using, and honoring preferred pronouns.
• Avoid Microaggressions: Recognize and avoid language or assumptions that may alienate or harm LGBTQIA+ patients.

Example:

• “What are your pronouns?” or “How would you like me to address you?”

2. Addressing Barriers to Care
   This resource outlines key challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals and strategies to overcome them:

• Systemic Barriers:
• Discrimination in care settings, lack of LGBTQIA+ training, and outdated systems (e.g., forms lacking gender options).
• Solution: Implement policies for zero-tolerance discrimination and modernize intake systems to include inclusive fields.
• Provider Gaps:
• Limited education and awareness of LGBTQIA+ health disparities.
• Solution: Offer cultural competency training, like ECHO sessions and simulations, to prepare professionals to address diverse needs.
• Access Issues:
• Limited access to affirming care, especially in underserved or rural areas.
• Solution: Develop networks of affirming providers, telehealth options, and local resource connections.

3. Fostering Patient-Centered Care

Patient-centered care prioritizes the unique needs and experiences of individuals. This tool includes:

• Creating Affirming Spaces:
• Visual cues like LGBTQIA+ affirming posters, inclusive policies displayed publicly, and waiting rooms that feel welcoming.
• Example: “This is an LGBTQIA+ affirming space” signage.
• Trauma-Informed Care:
• Recognize past traumas LGBTQIA+ individuals may have experienced and respond with sensitivity, respect, and emotional safety.
• Training includes communication techniques to foster trust and reduce stress.
• Shared Decision-Making:
• Collaborate with patients on their care plans while respecting their identities, values, and lived experiences.

4. Tools for Data-Driven Equity

Improving healthcare equity starts with understanding disparities through data. Tools include:

• Equity Assessments: Resources for healthcare systems to evaluate policies, practices, and patient outcomes to identify gaps.
• Health Disparity Dashboards: Metrics and tools to analyze disparities in access, outcomes, and satisfaction rates for LGBTQIA+ patients.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Surveys and focus group tools to gather input from patients and staff on inclusivity and gaps in care.

In Healthcare Settings:

• Train staff on cultural humility and LGBTQIA+ affirming practices.
• Update intake forms, policies, and communication guidelines to reflect inclusive language and pronoun use.
• Provide access to LGBTQIA+ affirming care networks and community resources.

In Education Systems:

• Integrate LGBTQIA+ health topics into medical, dental, and nursing curricula.
• Train faculty and students on inclusive patient-centered care models.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaboration through programs like iOSCE simulations to prepare future professionals.

By implementing these tools and strategies, professionals and organizations can:

• Improve Patient Trust: Build stronger, more respectful relationships with LGBTQIA+ patients.
• Enhance Health Outcomes: Reduce disparities in healthcare access, experiences, and results.
• Promote Inclusive Workplaces: Foster a culture of equity and understanding among staff and leadership.
• Empower Educators and Providers: Equip professionals with the skills to deliver affirming, high-quality care.

Achieving healthcare equity requires ongoing learning, collaboration, and action. These tools provide the foundation for building systems where all individuals—regardless of identity—receive equitable, respectful, and affirming care.

OutCare Health

• About: OutCare Health is a national nonprofit organization committed to providing LGBTQIA+ culturally competent healthcare resources, including directories of affirming providers, education, and training programs.

Collaborative Efforts:

• Development of training sessions on LGBTQIA+ affirming care for healthcare providers.
• Creation of tools to identify and connect patients with culturally competent healthcare professionals.

• Impact: Ensures that LGBTQIA+ individuals can access safe, affirming care from trusted providers.

Eskenazi Health Gender Clinic

• About: Eskenazi Health’s Gender Health Program specializes in providing comprehensive, affirming care for transgender and nonbinary individuals.

Collaborative Efforts:

• Clinical shadowing opportunities for dental and pharmacy students to interact with LGBTQIA+ patients in inclusive care settings.
• Hands-on experience delivering trauma-informed and gender-affirming care.

• Impact: Empowers healthcare students with real-world skills to provide inclusive, respectful, and patient-centered care.

Queer Philanthropy Circle (Indiana University Foundation)

• About: The Queer Philanthropy Circle supports initiatives that promote LGBTQIA+ equity, education, and advocacy through targeted funding and resources.

Collaborative Efforts:

• Financial support for research projects and interprofessional training models focused on LGBTQIA+ health equity.
• Sponsorship of inclusive curriculum reforms and faculty development programs.

• Impact: Advances education, policy change, and healthcare outcomes through direct investment in LGBTQIA+ initiatives.

We collaborate with leading institutions that share our mission of advancing equity and inclusivity across healthcare and education:

Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD):

• A hub for groundbreaking research and faculty-led initiatives to integrate LGBTQIA+ cultural competency into dental education.
• Collaborates on curriculum mapping, training programs, and faculty development.

Indiana University Interprofessional Practice and Education (IU IPE Center):

• Supports interprofessional education (IPE) models that prepare healthcare professionals to collaborate and deliver inclusive care.
• Partners on initiatives such as the Interprofessional OSCE (iOSCE) and ECHO training programs.

Purdue University College of Pharmacy:

• A leader in developing interdisciplinary learning models that enhance collaboration between pharmacy, dental, and healthcare professionals.
• Contributes to research and training on LGBTQIA+ cultural competence.

Interprofessional Education Models

• ECHO Training Sessions: Virtual sessions led by LGBTQIA+ health experts to address topics such as cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and inclusive practices.
• Interprofessional OSCE (iOSCE): Simulated, team-based care scenarios that teach students to collaborate and deliver affirming care.
• Clinical Shadowing Opportunities: Real-world experiences at Eskenazi Health Gender Clinic to build confidence and practical skills for inclusive care.

Inclusive Practices in Action

Partner institutions have successfully implemented:

• • Gender-inclusive intake forms that collect preferred names, pronouns, and gender identities.
  • Zero-tolerance policies for discrimination in clinics and educational settings.
  • LGBTQIA+ affirming signage and materials in waiting rooms and classrooms.

Curriculum Mapping Tools

• Collaborative tools developed with our partners to integrate LGBTQIA+ cultural competency topics into healthcare education.
• Examples include modules on inclusive language, bias training, trauma-informed care, and health disparities.

• LGBTQIA+ Provider Directories:
  Tools such as OutCare Health’s searchable database to help patients and professionals find affirming providers.
  
• Case Studies and Reports:
  Real-world examples and published studies demonstrating the impact of inclusive practices on patient outcomes.
• Community Advocacy Organizations:
  Links to local and national LGBTQIA+ organizations that provide advocacy, education, and support.

Our external partners and collaborative tools play a vital role in advancing equity. By combining expertise, research, and real-world examples, these resources provide professionals, educators, and advocates with the knowledge and skills needed to create affirming, inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals.