Participation creates health

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Over 100 people from the fields of education, healthcare, politics, counseling and the community attended the conference in Dortmund. The conference participants listened to presentations on the health of non-heterosexual women*, exchanged ideas in workshops and discussed suitable strategies for reducing discrimination in the healthcare system.

The starting point for the symposium was the Queergesund* study, a participatory study that analyzed the health promotion needs of lesbian, bisexual and queer women*. It showed that there is still a need for action in the area of anti-discrimination and equality for non-heterosexual lifestyles. In particular, the results also pointed to necessary changes in care practices and access barriers for non-heterosexual women*.

After welcoming addresses by Professor Wilhelm Schwick, Rector of the Fachhochschule Dortmund, and Manfred Sauer, Mayor of the City of Dortmund, Barbara Steffens, Minister for Health, Care, Emancipation and Ageing of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, emphatically emphasized that the health care system and the various professional groups must be made more aware of the needs and requirements of lesbian, bisexual and queer* (LBQ*) women.

Various international studies have shown that experiences of discrimination represent a health burden and that discrimination makes access to the healthcare system more difficult.
Opening of the conference by Gabriele Dennert
In contrast, the resources and potential that can be associated with a life "against the mainstream" and beyond the majority society are given too little consideration - both subjectively and socially. This was made clear by the speakers Prof. Ulrike Böhmer (Boston University, USA), Dr. Bärbel Traunsteiner (WU Vienna, Austria) and Dr. Gesa Teichert (HAWK, Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen, Germany). Their keynote speeches were dedicated to cancer in non-heterosexual women*, lesbians and age(ing), as well as the (re)production of heteronormativity and its effects on dealing with physicality, illness and health.

Eight forums offered in-depth discussions on topics such as lesbians and the desire to have children, trans*positive counseling approaches, women's* history, the health consequences of cis-normative discrimination and violence. In addition, two World Cafés offered the opportunity to develop joint approaches for action. The two days concluded with a fishbowl discussion on the question "What next?". The standardized recording of gender and sexual identity and lifestyle in health care, the anchoring of diversity-related content in the training and further education curricula of the health professions, the development of a diversity seal of approval for medical practices and clinics are some of the concrete approaches and strategies that were compiled and discussed.

The participants engaged in intensive discussions - not only among the traditional players in the healthcare system and health policy, but also between those working in different contexts such as politics, counseling, education, research on gender aspects and health. Continuing the discussion and exchange was therefore a frequently expressed wish of the participants.