Michigan State University researchers are studying the experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities within the healthcare system, as more and more people identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
With faculty and students from three colleges and nine departments, the Consortium for Sexual and Gender Minority Health, housed in the MSU School of Social Work within the College of Social Science, focuses on physical, mental, emotional, and community health and well-being across the lifespan, intersecting identities, and social contexts.
“We are forming a collaborative network of peer-to-peer social support and mentorship for research and scholars that have, historically, been relegated to the margins,” said Consortium Director Dr. Carla A. Pfeffer (she/her).
Kristen A. Renn (she/her), the Mildred B. Erickson Distinguished Chair in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education, is the College of Education faculty member serving on the panel. Her research centers on college student learning, development and success in higher education, with current projects focusing on low-income, first-generation students and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender college students.
“Being part of this group of researchers from across campus gives me insight into how the larger landscape of health and wellbeing intersect with my work on LGBTQIA+ college students,” said Renn, also MSU’s associate dean of undergraduate studies for student success research. “The Consortium for SGM Health is a critical hub on campus for understanding LGBTQIA+ people’s lives interact with social and policy contexts such as education.”
MSUToday shared an interview with Renn earlier this month on how higher education institutions can better support LGBTQIA+ college students.
According to a 2021 Gallup poll, the percentage of U.S. adults who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual has increased to a new high of 7.1%, which is double the percentage from 2012.
This increase has led to greater awareness of the barriers and health care disparities that exist for sexual and gender minorities. Consortium members are committed to working with patients, medical providers, medical educators and community members to increase access and positive outcomes for SGM health.
“It is imperative that we begin searching for social and systemic root causes of discrimination, stigma and oppression as the virulent forms of social sickness that they are and to begin to work to treat them just as we’d aim to treat other deadly health issues,” said Dr. Pfeffer. “Until we create socially-just environments, we cannot expect the people who live in them to be healthy and enjoy wellness.”
Issues the group is tackling include:
- Physical and mental health outcomes
- Patient care
- Education and training for healthcare providers
- Social inequities and health
- Trauma, stigma and discrimination
- Coping mechanisms
- Cultural and structural competency
- Resilience and resistance
- Harm reduction
- Social and political analysis and change
“Our faculty focus not only on health outcomes/disparities but also on the institutional dynamics of medicine and allied medical professions. Further, our faculty frequently collaborate together as co-investigators on research grants, co-authors on scientific publications, and co-mentors of doctoral students. Because of this, MSU is poised to drive the intellectual evolution of SGM health scholarship for years to come,” said MSU Sociology Chair Aaron McCright (he/him).
Interview opportunities are available by contacting Becky Jensen, Director of Communications for the MSU College of Social Science at jensenr7@msu.edu or 989-277-8912.
*According to a 2021 Gallup poll, the percentage of U.S. adults who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual has increased to a new high of 7.1%, which is double the percentage from 2012.
This story was originally written by Karessa Weir (MSU College of Social Science) and is being shared with permission. A section has been added to that original story to highlight Kristen Renn’s involvement.