Worry

I often worry whether healthcare environments are safe and inclusive. Although I have not had cancer, I’ve seen how LGBTQ+ friends feel invisible in clinical settings—forms don’t reflect their feelings and some services aren’t tailored to their needs. This highlights the need for inclusive cancer care that affirms identity and offers respectful support.

Araya Gautam

Identifying being bisexual and having cancer

I’ve not really experienced any issues regarding my sexuality. Seeing a nurse or doctor with a rainbow lanyard does make things easier but there has an automatic assumption I’m completely straight. That, in general, is more of a society issue than a health issue, personally. Seeing a rainbow lanyard and/or badge does give me more confidence about speaking out regarding LGBTQIA+ and cancer, particularly about biphobia. Whenever I’m able to speak out about LGBTQIA+ issues, I make sure this is in the forefront of planning with PPI/E and EDI panels so it’s not an afterthought. It’s little but it makes…

Being treated for cancer when you're LGBTQI+

I was treated for head and neck cancer back in 2020 (radiation and chemotheraoy), then again in 2021-2023 (immunotherapy) when my cancer had metastisized. I'm also gay and non-binary, with my partner my carer for the first bout of treatment in 2020. Overall, I/we had a great amount of acceptance, especially by the oncologists and radiotherapy team. I had more difficulty though with some of the nurses, and food-serving assistants. It was frequently assumed that I was married to a woman, even when my partner was present on the ward with me while I was having treatment. On one occasion…