Lesbian and bisexual women's community : city of Durham, Durham County : an action-oriented community diagnosis : findings and next steps of action
Creators: name: Muellner, Juliette
name: Lopez, Carla
name: White, LaToya
name: Pedersen, Brian
name: Cathorall, Michelle
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2006

description: From September 2005 to April 2006, a team of five first-year graduate students in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill conducted an Action Oriented Community Diagnosis (AOCD) process with the lesbian and bisexual women’s (LBW) community of Durham. An AOCD is a process in which the strengths and needs of a community are identified using several techniques to gain internal and external points-of-view regarding the community. For this AOCD, the student team was guided by Beth Bruch, of the Lesbian Resource Center (LRC), and Mandy Carter, founder of Southerners on New Ground (SONG). Their role as the student team’s co-preceptors was to assist the team in gaining entrée into the community and providing the team with guidance on activities and methods appropriate for the LBW community of Durham. Results were presented to the community at a forum held on April 22, 2006. Major themes (or needs) discussed at the community forum included: addressing health care access, addressing racial/ethnic divisions, supporting women as they age, addressing violence, and creating physical space. Action steps for each of these themes were developed by smaller discussion groups at the community forum and are summarized below: There is a need for more LBW-knowledgeable and sensitive health care providers who can be publicly listed and referred within the community. 1. Develop and distribute pamphlets/cards explaining why one should come out to her provider. 2. Publicize the existence of the “friendly provider” list maintained by LRC. 3. Research other models that have been used in other communities and tap into national networks to build upon their lessons-learned. 4. Create a shorter version of the LRC sensitivity training curriculum (in collaboration with providers, Duke and UNC medical schools) and make this curriculum available on the Internet. There is a need to increase interaction between racial/ethnic groups in the LBW community. 1. Hold cultural events for outreach. 2. Have diverse film showings at the annual film festival. 3. Obtain contacts of minority listservs and organizations from student team—add to this list and maintain to keep community connected to each other and informed. 4. Have discussion with African American LBW to discuss diversity concerns. 5. Hold drop-in dinners/potlucks. 6. Make sure there are events that have diverse appeal—child-friendly, non-religious, affordable. There is a need for greater efforts to address issues affecting aging lesbian and bisexual women. 1. Identify community events that can be used as opportunities for local organizations/agencies to create awareness of their services in the community. 2. Inventory key players (organizations & events) that can be engaged to develop linkages between organizations and the community through events. 3. Develop a communication strategy that identifies key organizations, point persons at each organization and best methods to communicate with each organization’s membership. 4. Create linkages with non-LGBTQ specific agencies/organizations/publications to increase awareness of services/events amongst women that do not frequent/read LGBTQ specific agencies/publications. There is a need to address violence amongst lesbian and bisexual women. (Please note: Because no community forum participants selected to participate in the small group discussion on “Addressing Violence,” action steps for this theme were not developed.) There is a need for LGBTQ-specific physical space that can help address the weak sense of unified community. 1. Organize a follow-up meeting to: Assess other efforts currently underway with similar goals. List organizations that should be involved in this effort. 2. Invite representatives form organizations to establish a larger action committee that will: Research models. Address segmentation for the collective good/buy-in. Develop a strategic plan that includes funding.