Randy Rafter is the executive director of Black Pride STL, the second oldest Black gay pride organization in the country.
The group began more than 30 years ago during the AIDS epidemic, but has sense evolved and expanded to serve the entirety of a person.
Rafter spoke about how physicians and medical settings can develop environments of trust, safety, and respect to better meet the needs of Black LGBTQ+ patients.
For the month of June, we are focusing on the stories of LGBTQ+ Missourians.
Randy Rafter: There's so many different things that we can be doing to make sure that people feel affirmed in their care, and I'm not just saying, “Well, go to the doctor, get your prescriptions, you got insurance” – it's bigger than that.
I mean, to be seen and to be heard by your medical provider is a huge thing.
The HIV epidemic is still a challenge within the community as a whole. 50% of all new HIV cases are within the Black community, and most of those cases are within the LGBT community.
So, we have to look at those different things – especially with Missouri being identified as an “Ending the Epidemic” state, and so, with that, we work with different agencies and organizations to make sure there's cultural competency.
We make sure that they understand that you can't just sit back in the office – you have to be out in the community meeting people where they are, so they can do the work, and we provide those different resources and activities to do something like that.
It's so important that they feel welcome and seen, and not just by the doctor, but from the person at the front desk, from the security guard, to any of those different factors, because that one opportunity is your opportunity to get that person in and make sure they feel seen, heard, and healthy.
Versus if they have that bad experience, they're not going to come back, they don't want to come back, it's a dread – especially sitting at the intersection of Black and queer.
I still know, within the Black community, we talk about the Tuskegee experiments, and how that mistrust happens within our community on a regular basis because of those different things.
And so, doctors and providers, clinics – all have to remember that it's important that we meet people and understand that we want them to be seen and also make sure that they feel safe in those environments. Not judged.
If I give you my pronouns, and my pronouns are they/them, and you say something completely different – I don't feel like you've seen me or heard me.
And if you don't understand what I'm going through, why am I even having this conversation with you?
And also, it prevents you from doing your job because, guess what, they're not going to be completely honest with you. And if they don't trust you, you’re not going to get anywhere, and guess what, you're [going to] end up hurting and harming that individual more than you helping, and you took an oath to help to be that provider to uplift and provide proper health care for all.
