Allies we love you, BUT, please don’t wear a rainbow if you aren’t striving for change within yourself first. Many well meaning allies in healthcare are eager to show their support for LGBTQ+ communities by wearing a rainbow sticker on their badge. While we appreciate the intent, we also need you to be competent when providing our communities care. 🩺 🔹Are you aware of the different health disparities within our communities and how it relates to the systemic discrimination we face in our everyday life? 🔹Do you know how to take an inclusive patient history? 🔹What about performing an inclusive physical exam? 🔹If you haven’t completed training in gender-affirming care, do you know who you can refer your patient to? 🔹What other LGBTQ+ affirming health and community resources are available for your patients? 🔹When you make a mistake and a patient informs you of it, how do you respond? 🔶Aside from clinical competency, are you an ally when your patients aren’t around? When family and friends are making homophobic comments, do you stay silent? In your own time, are you making the effort to challenge your own biases and commit to a life long journey of learning? A rainbow flag signals that you’re a safe provider. Please carry that with responsibility. ❤️ ✨Today’s Reflection✨ Am I doing the professional and personal work of allyship? Head to our stories and join the conversation! 🙂 #inclusivecaresaveslives 🩺