Text and image Edwien Bodjie
Paramaribo – “Everyone must feel safe and familiar in healthcare. That is why it is time to switch to an LGBTQ+ inclusive care, “says psychologist Eva Stroo of Mind Matters Foundation Suriname. She spoke on Tuesday during the presentation of the LGBTQ+ inclusive health care protocol on the Banquet Hall of Hotel Torarica.
During this free session it was discussed how inclusive care can be guaranteed in practice. The participants received concrete tools for the implementation. The protocol has been developed to support healthcare professionals in offering an inclusive and safe care environment for people with various gender identities and sexual orientations, including lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and queer people. In addition to guidelines for care providers, training courses have been developed for education.
“The healthcare sector is still too often assuming that everyone is cisgender and heterosexual”
Psychologist Eva Stroo
Identity
During the presentation, various cases were presented, which made it clear what LGBTQ+persons encounter in healthcare. A common problem is that care providers assume that someone’s partner is always of the opposite sex. For example, when a gay man is asked how his ‘girlfriend’ is doing while he has a male partner.
Also in conversations about children’s wishes, a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity is often not taken into account. “The healthcare sector is too often assuming that everyone is cisgender and heterosexual,” said Stroo. “This can lead to psychological complaints in patients who do not feel recognized in their identity.”
Gender -inclusive language
One of the most important advice from the presentation is the use of gender -inclusive language. “By consciously opting for inclusive terms you increase the quality of care and trust among clients. Respect for various gender identities also prevents misunderstandings and even medical mistakes, “said Stroo.
Some practical recommendations are offering apologies if a wrong assumption has been made about someone’s gender. “Be careful in communication, also in e-mails, and keep in mind that someone may not identify himself as a man or woman and use gender-neutral pronouns such as’ Die ‘and’ them ‘instead of’ he ‘or’ she ”, was given.
Continuous process
During the session it was discussed in groups how far Suriname is with the implementation of LGBTQ+ inclusive care. It was indicated that positive developments are already visible, although in public spaces so far only refer to ‘man’ and ‘woman’ and not yet to ‘gender neutral’.
On the other hand, there are more and more care providers in health care who are trying to take into account clients who do not identify themselves as a man or woman and avoid language use that makes LGBTQ+ people feel excluded. “Yet we still live in a society in which it seems as if only men and women exist and relationships only take place between a man and a woman,” said Giovan DjojosoEtarto, employee of Mind Matters Foundation.
According to him, Suriname still has a long way to go, but there is progress. “It is a continuous process of lobbying and creating awareness. We’ll get there. ” For example, he mentions the rainbow flags that are increasingly hung by companies and the Pride Month that is getting more and more support.
The presentation was organized by Mind Matters Foundation Suriname and Stichting Projekta, in collaboration with PAREA and with financing the European Union. The session was attended by psychologists, healthcare providers, educational professionals, members of the LGBTQ+community and delegates from the Ministry of Health, who later sat down.
