Is there/should there be a gay/lesbian nurses association?

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 18, 2004

Maybe divisive wasn't the best word to use in my response. I guess what I think at work is that I just don't care whether the nurse or tech or any other employee is gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual or anything else. All I want is an intelligent, well-organized, compassionate nurse to work with. The rest just doesn't matter.

It may not matter to you but it matters to us!

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 18, 2004

It's a legitimate question, so i completely and strongly disagree with it being a "pot-stirrer" and the OP being called a "troll".
But no, i do not think there should be a gay/lesbian nurses association, it would only cause a bigger distance in the divide that already exists.
My namebadge doesn't say "Straight LPN" and a co-workers does not say "Gay RN". Personal lives (preferences) are just that, personal, and an association will only succeed in bringing profession and personal life together, when in fact, they should be separate.

Being gay is not a "preference". I just am gay not through choice but because I just am.

If you think that being gay has no connection with professional life then what about facing discrimination at work? What about not getting equal benefits through work? What about suffering the loss of a partner and needing time off? All of these issues are relevant to the workplace, and next time a heterosecual coworker has to take time off because of a sick child or spouse, or is able to get benefits for their partner, then you will understand how personal life will always blur into the professional one.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jul 18, 2004

I'm not understanding the need for an organization based on a combination of an occupation and __________ .

I see the reasoning for organizations for gay and lesbians, but not for one pertaining to a combination with nursing, because any issues that concern gay and lesbians can apply to any occupation and not just nursing.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jul 18, 2004

Being gay is not a "preference". I just am gay not through choice but because I just am.
If you think that being gay has no connection with professional life then what about facing discrimination at work? What about not getting equal benefits through work? What about suffering the loss of a partner and needing time off? All of these issues are relevant to the workplace, and next time a heterosecual coworker has to take time off because of a sick child or spouse, or is able to get benefits for their partner, then you will understand how personal life will always blur into the professional one.

Well, excuse me, i was at a lack of words to call it, but thanks so much for the clarification. :rolleyes:

And i never said that being gay has no connection with the professional life, i just do not agree (and just said in a prior post) that there should not be an organization for just nursing only.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Jul 18, 2004

As I explained in my previous post...partner benefits, isolation, discrimination, support and friendship are all relevant issues that nurses face. What is so wrong about wanting support regarding these issues as a nurse? We are not robots or automatons...we're human, and until you know and understand what it's like to be a minority then you won't understand the importance of a group that can offer support and advice. Who will be the gay patients advocate? Who can guide heterosexual nurses when it comes to offering support to gay patients and their issues with loss, isolation, support, advice, legal issues etc? You can say that we should treat everyone equally, but sadly that doesn't always happen, and if a gay patient's mother is stopping their partner from visiting them or gaining information about their care, how will you understand the implications of that and how to deal with it if there is no representation of the gay community in the nursing community? Gay people have their own unique issues and they should have the right to form groups in order to discuss and deal with those issues. Would you object to a black nurses organisation?

Maggie Mae · Jul 18, 2004

Rocknurse., rock on! Very nice post. You made some great points. Especially the ones about benifits for partners. Thank you for speaking up.

I glad the original poster joined right, why not. people who post here have so many different types of ideas and experiences, for me reading the posts have been very informative and eye opening.

Maggie Mae · Jul 18, 2004

Rocknurse., rock on! Very nice post. You made some great points. Especially the ones about benifits for partners. Thank you for speaking up.

I glad the original poster joined right, why not. people who post here have so many different types of ideas and experiences. I love reading the posts. people are so interesting! :)

Maggie Mae · Jul 18, 2004

Rocknurse., rock on! Very nice post. You made some great points. Especially the ones about benifits for partners. Thank you for speaking up.
I glad the original poster joined right, why not. people who post here have so many different types of ideas and experiences. I love reading the posts. people are so interesting! :)

I am glad the original poster joined right in

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 18, 2004

:) I would have no problem whatsoever with it. It unites a group with deep-rooted commonalities and who have suffered (and still do) serious discrimination in so many ways. If it were to come about, I would not consider it divisive, but unifiying for a group who deemed it necessary to do so. I would never complain about that. It's not about ME after all. :)

leslie :-D · Jul 18, 2004

ideally, there shouldn't be a need for this type of association but realistically , it is very needed. until homosexuality is completely blended in with the norms of society, there is nothing wrong with having a group that recognizes the very issues and prejudices that still remain, no matter how we intellectualize it. whatever it takes to get the support needed.

LydiaNN · Jul 18, 2004

I think the very fact that there is so much resistance to such an organization speaks to the need for one!

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · Jul 18, 2004

i'm not understanding the need for an organization based on a combination of an occupation and __________ .

i see the reasoning for organizations for gay and lesbians, but not for one pertaining to a combination with nursing, because any issues that concern gay and lesbians can apply to any occupation and not just nursing.

i believe their point is that being lgbt isn't a *preference/lifestyle*....it's just is. str8 folks don't chose to live a 'str8 *preference/lifestyle*...we just date/fall in luv with others we're attracted to...it just so happens that we're attracted to other str8 people of the opposite sex.

like rocknurse said...people from the lgbt community have a basic need to belong....to be able to have that common ground with other people who understand. being denied certain benefits offered to str8 people is a hard & bitter pill to swallow for the lgbt community. many str8 people are closed minded regarding wanting to *share* or *know* some events that occur within a same sex relationship/household. and i'm not talkin' about the things that go on in the bedroom either.

otherwise common things that we str8 people can freely disgust without anyone becoming dismissive or passing judgment. for example....how many of us str8 people can go on vacation, bring back pictures & everyone in the office/unit want to look at & share in the good times had. now how many str8 people would be willing to do the same when a lgbt co-worker go on vacation? how many are *opened* to share in looking at pictures & hearing about the good times had? its the little things (& big things) like this is why a lgbt nursing association isn't a bad thing. furthermore...all these various organizations are opened for all to join freely & learn about the experiences of whatever that group/organization is about. that's how we all can become culturally educated. education doesn't only come from reading it in books & on the net. people learn by interacting with people who are different from themselves. the danger come in where people try that spiel that we're all the same & there shouldn't be any division stuff. the only time that is applicable is in the case of imposed divide when people are forced-out or ignored via discrimination & forced segregation.

i just don't understand why the lgbt community can't have professional organizations to belong to including & particularly nursing. if they're denied the right to have such a professional support organization/group....then i 'spose the rest of the other *professional nursing groups/organizations* (be it ana, all the ethnic nursing associations, etc) be disbanded to reduce the *divide* in nursing.

that would be unproductive, impractical, & unrealistic. let's face it...there is a multitude of people who are nurses & there will always be various *nursing groups/organizations*. who are we from the str8 community to make such a swift decision regarding people from the lgbt community :angryfire? until we can walk a mile in others' shoes 'n all that....

inquiringnurse, you can go to lgbt.com to join & do your search/question there....or you can go to glbt.com & click on any of their organization links to do your search/inquiry.

good luck ~ cheers!

moe