Have you ever thought this? It’s normal to feel defensive when our competency or values feel challenged. When I first began learning about my own privileges and biases it was extremely uncomfortable. I found myself constantly pushing back with thoughts of “but I’m a good person” and “but I’m not homophobic/transphobic/racist”. I was after all someone who got into healthcare because I wanted to help everyone - my patients’ sexual orientation, gender and race did not matter to me. It wasn’t until years later that I realized how problematic my thinking was. 😬 Medicine is largely based on straight, cisgender, white bodies. It’s the standard in our schools and healthcare institutions, and it has set us all up for failure when it comes to queer, trans and racialized patients. Despite my belief that I was a “good person”, my actions and practice didn’t always align with my values. It took me a long time to understand how embedded homophobia, transphobia and racism is in our medical system. It’s so insidious many of us unknowingly perpetuate it. But we can also hold two truths at once: 🔹We can be good healthcare providers for straight, cisgender people AND acknowledge that we lack competency in LGBTQ+ care. 🔹We can be good healthcare providers for straight, cisgender people AND acknowledge that we need to unpack straight and cisgender privilege in medicine. 🔹We can be good healthcare providers for straight, cisgender people AND interrogate the homophobia, biphobia and transphobia within our ourselves and our healthcare system. 🔹We can be good healthcare providers for straight, cisgender people AND acknowledge that we’ve harmed queer, trans and racialized communities. Some of you may be feeling very uncomfortable reading this post. I know the feeling, I’ve been right where you are now. And you know what, that means you’re one step ahead on your journey than you were yesterday. So I invite you to stay open and keep learning. ❤️ — Ellie 💕 #inclusivecaresaveslives Join the conversation in today’s stories! ☀️