LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024 (Free Events!)

 

LBT+ Women's Health Week is next week! LBT+ Women's Health Week is nearly upon us, taking place from the 4th-8th March with the theme of Mental Health and Wellbeing. We have so many fantastic events taking place, for LBT+ women & femmes and the professionals who want to better support them. All of the events are 100% FREE so sign up now before tickets are all gone! Laura Clarke Partnership Coordinator National LGBT Partnership

Our 2024 Ambassador: Dr Julia Shaw This year we are thrilled to have the wonderful Dr Julia Shaw as our LBT+ Women's Health Week ambassador. Julia is a psychological scientist as well as a best-selling author of multiple books, including Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality which is now out in paperback. (If you haven't read this yet, we thoroughly recommend it!) Julia is going to be hosting our panel event at the start of the week — more info below! LBT+ Women's Health Week Panel Monday 4th March, 10am-12pm Join a panel of experts for a discussion about LBT+ women's mental health. Hosted by Dr Julia Shaw, and presented by Sarah Humphreys. To kickstart LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024, the National LGBT Partnership are hosting a panel. This year's theme: LBT+ Women's Mental Health Join us for a discussion about the pressing issues affecting the mental wellbeing of LBT+ women and femme-aligned people, featuring a panel of experts, a presentation by Sarah Humphreys of elop and hosted by the wonderful Dr Julia Shaw. This event is open to everyone, from allies working in healthcare to members of the queer women's community. Sign up here. Black and Brown LBT Women - Where are we now? Monday 4th March, 7pm-8:30pm An event hosted by METRO and NAZ for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024 in collaboration with the National LGBT Partnership. METRO and NAZ, in partnership, will be hosting a discussion around Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Black, Brown and Women of Colour. The discussions will be framed around visibility and representation in the modern-day world from a social, cultural and political angle, exploring topics of racism, homo/bi/transphobia from an intersectional lens. These conversations will centre around empowerment through storytelling of women with lived experience, bringing these stories to life in an organic setting and how to support with their mental health, having to navigate these societal and cultural pressures. Please come and join them, our target audience are people who work with LBT women and femmes of colour. Sign up here. Supporting Trans Women and Femmes: A Discussion Tuesday 5th March, 2:30pm-4pm An event hosted by Yorkshire MESMAC for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024 in collaboration with the National LGBT Partnership. Yorkshire MESMAC are hosting an interactive discussion around how services and professionals can support trans women and transfemmes with their mental health and wellbeing. The discussion will run from 2:30 to 4pm, opening with an introduction to specific challenges faced by trans feminine people, the interactive portion of the discussion will then explore how services can address these challenges, the importance of community and peers in building resilience for trans people, and how through working with and listening to the trans community, trans femmes can be better supported to feel confident in accessing services and taking care of their mental health and wellbeing. Whilst the topic of the discussion focuses on mental health and wellbeing, this discussion recognises that mental health does not exist in a vacuum and welcomes professionals from any service which would benefit from an increased understanding of how to support trans women and trans feminine people. Sign up here. It's HOT in here Tuesday 5th March, 7pm-8:30pm An event hosted by Club Kali for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024 in collaboration with the National LGBT Partnership. The workshop will enable LBT+ women and femmes of colour to discuss the topic of how they experience mental health and what could support their wellbeing during menopause. Specifically the voices and experience of LBT+ Women of Colour tends to be looked at differently, alongside the support and interventions (if) available. Trans women of colour equally are overlooked and very little material is available. This session will be fun, conversational and structured (with specific questions) to engage and explore experiences for LBT+ women and femmes of colour around aspects such as: experience with health providers the stereotypes and barriers to seeking professional medical help menopause and cultural context stories about menopause (from attendees experience) who do they confide in for support Within peer networks and friendship circles this topic may have been discussed, what remains is where exactly is the professional help for LBT+ women and femmes of colour Sign up here. Bi & Borderline Wednesday 6th March, 12pm-1pm An event hosted by the National LGBT Partnership for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024. Join the National LGBT Partnership as they present the findings of their upcoming report - Bi & Borderline. This report explores the experiences of bi+ women and femmes with diagnoses of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). We know that BPD is over-diagnosed in women, but how does this effect bi+ women, when the diagnostic criteria of BPD overlap with negative stereotypes of bisexuality? Does BPD, a heavily stigmatised diagnosis, improve access to mental health support, or reduce it? Are diagnoses always accurate? Or, at least, how accurate are they perceived to be by the woman who are assigned them? This event is for anybody working in mental health who would like to learn more about the intersections of BPD with gender and sexual orientation. Sign up here. Carers at Work - Lived experience of juggling caring demands with work Thursday 7th March, 11:30am-1pm An event hosted by MindOut for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024 in collaboration with the National LGBT Partnership. MindOut are hosting an event for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024, come and join them! LBT+ women in the sector still seem to juggle traditional caring responsibilities within the home (carer for children, elderly parents) and hold down a job in the sector. We would like to further explore our experience of juggling these demands and impact on LBT+ mental health and get an idea of needs. This will be a supportive space for sharing. Sign up here. Supporting your mental health on the pathway to parenthood Thursday 7th March, 7pm-8:30pm An event hosted by LGBT Mummies for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024 in collaboration with the National LGBT Partnership. LGBT Mummies is an organization who provides a global community, guidance, support groups, events, & a safe haven to celebrate LGBTQ+ women & people on the path to motherhood or parenthood. Through their educational arm they also campaign for equity & equality for all LGBTQ+ families, & education & services to healthcare professionals including the NHS, Government & organisations to provide inclusive & safe care. This session will be discussing the barriers that LGBTQ+ people face on their parenting journey, things to consider, & tools to equip them to manage their mental health throughout & have a positive experience. Sign up here. Thriving Under The Double Rainbow Friday 8th March, 2:30pm-4pm An event hosted by Erin Ekins (Queerly Autistic) for LBT+ Women's Health Week 2024 in collaboration with the National LGBT Partnership. Erin Ekins, queer autistic advocate and author of Queerly Autistic: The Ultimate Survival Guide for LGBTQIA+ Teens on The Spectrum will be hosting ‘Thriving Under The Double Rainbow’, an event for women and femmes who live at the intersection of being autistic and LGBTQIA+. The event will explore how LGBTQIA+ autistic people can thrive, rather than just survive, and how we navigate a world that often fails to acknowledge our existence or meet our specific needs as members of both communities: dealing with the unique mixture of desexualisation/infantilisation and hypersexualisation that we face as women and femmes who are both autistic and LGBTQIA+, staying safe when exploring community and relationships, finding our space in the LGBTQIA+ community, and dealing with bullying and bigotry in a world that doesn't always understand us. Erin will be drawing from her own journey in leading this session, but this will be a space for everyone to share and discuss their own experiences – every queer autistic person’s story is unique, so come along to share the many challenges and joys of living under the double rainbow. Sign up here. Resources Don't forget that the Partnership's website has an array of publications available for download covering a diverse range of LGBT health issues. As we navigate through the pandemic and beyond it is important to reflect on the lived experiences of LGBT people and communities as we rebuild new ways of working and explore the additional impacts on vulnerable and marginalised communities. Jobs & Volunteering Paid Roles The Consortium website has a page dedicated to jobs in the sector. Voluntary Roles There are currently a significant number of voluntary opportunities also outlined on the Consortium page. If you would like to advertise a vacancy relevant to LGBT Health & Social Care in our newsletter please email nationalgbtpartnership@gmail.com