Lifting up the LGBTQ+ community and encouraging inclusion throughout Pride Month

As the new executive sponsor for Tenet’s LGBTQ+ employee Resource Group (ERG), I’m excited to celebrate Pride month. Although my hometown of Palm Springs, CA, celebrates in November when temperatures are cooler, we still recognize this as an important time to honor the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community.

The rainbow is a symbol for Pride. Over time, people have added variations to the rainbow flag to highlight unique segments of the LGBTQ+ community. In the same way, the “+” represents inclusion of other identities that have been added (including the letter A, which stands for Ally or Asexual).

Allies can be described as people who do not self-identify with another letter, but still openly support the community as a whole. I want to highlight allies because they are significant for LGBTQ+ inclusion. As more allies show their support, the community grows stronger.

At Desert Regional Medical Center (DRMC), we are proud to have been named a leader in the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. We support several community events and organizations throughout the year, help transgender patients navigate the healthcare system and have become a leader to combat HIV in our community.

So, as the country celebrates Pride this month, know that everyone is welcome to participate. Even if you don’t self-identify as being LGBTQ or +, Allies are an important part of every community too.

James (Jim) Kelley
Chief Human Resources Officer, Desert Regional Medical Center
Executive Sponsor for Tenet’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group