July 25 , 2008

At the Mautner Project, our mission is to improve the health of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women and their families - your health. It is your stories that motivate us and that show us not only what can be done right, but why we have so far to go in ensuring that quality healthcare is truly accessible to all people. In our work, we routinely hear from women who have been discriminated against in medical settings or who face other barriers to good care. And now, we want to hear from you.

We are inviting you to tell us about your experiences accessing health care as a lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgender person, both good and bad. Why? Because your voices are very powerful! Stories from real people's lives help us to explain why we do the work we do to friends, funders, and others. In addition, we'll also share these stories through the e-newsletter. Hearing how other members of our community have dealt with challenges and successes can help us all.

Please consider sharing your story by contacting Sara Jaye at 202.332.5536 or ssanford@mautnerproject.org. You are welcome to submit anonymously, and we won't share your story - anonymously or not - without your permission. Thank you!

Thanks to the Mystics and SunTrust!

We'd like to extend a very special thank you to the Washington Mystics for hosting our event last Sunday, which was a great success! We also thank our Community Partner, SunTrust Bank, for offering us the generous hospitality of their spectacular hospitality suite at the game. And finally, and most importantly, we'd like to thank you! Over a hundred of you joined us at our gathering in the Dewars' lounge, including many new friends. And it surely didn't hurt that the Mystics won, too!

Stay Tuned for Our Gala!

We've been hearing from many of you about our next big bash, the gala, and we just wanted to give you an update.

We're very excited that Big Love, our 19th Anniversary Gala, is going to be held on Valentine's Day in 2009. You might notice that we've skipped ahead to "19th Anniversary," and we chose to do this to honor not only the day we became an official nonprofit organization (in November, 1990), but also our earlier roots when, in January 1990, a group of volunteers came together to serve the women in their community. Their service and dedication truly deserve to be considered part of our official founding! If you want to learn more about how you can participate in the gala, visit our website.

Of course, we couldn't let fall go by without any celebration - so we hope you'll join us at the Big Love Kickoff Party at TOWN Danceboutique on Friday, October 24! To learn more, click here.

Take Action

The Boston University School of Public Health is currently working on several studies relating to the wellbeing of lesbian and bisexual women, funded by the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. If you are a woman who partners with women and you are over age 40 OR you have been diagnosed with breast cancer within the past ten years, you may be able to participate! You can receive $20 for filling out a one-time mail survey. Email women@bu.edu or call 1-877-414-1399 to find out more.

The Mautner Project improves the health of lesbians, bisexual, and transgender women who partner with women, and their families, through advocacy, education, research, and direct service. We envision a healthcare system that is guided by social justice and responsive to the needs of all people.

Health Education Team
Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization
202.332.5536