For a lot of LGBTQIA+ patients, walking into a new doctor's office comes with an extra layer most people never have to think about: will this provider understand who I am, or will I have to explain, correct, or brace for a reaction before we even get to why I'm here? That extra vigilance is exhausting, and it's a real reason people delay care. In a national survey, 18% of LGBTQ adults said they had avoided health care because they expected discrimination,[1] and in a large survey of transgender adults, nearly 1 in 4 had.[2]
What competent care actually looks like
Competence isn't a slogan on a website — it's intake forms that ask for the right information the right way, a provider who uses the name and pronouns a patient gives without correction or comment, and a physical exam conducted with the same respect and professionalism for every body in the room.
Why it changes health outcomes
When people avoid or put off care, problems get caught later, and providers end up working from an incomplete history. Discrimination in health care settings is still common, reported by about 1 in 6 LGBTQ adults,[1] and researchers studying healthcare avoidance among transgender people point to safe, affirming care environments as a direct way to reduce it.[2] A judgment-free setting isn't a nicety; it's what lets a patient give a full history, ask the questions they actually have, and stick with a treatment plan long enough for it to work.
How Golden Bear built this in from day one
Dr. Corey opened Golden Bear Chiropractic in San Leandro specifically to close this gap: a chiropractor who already knows how to talk to GRSM patients, so the visit can start with the actual complaint instead of an explanation. That same standard of care and respect extends to every patient who walks through the door, community member or ally.
The goal is simple
No one should have to vet a chiropractor before they can trust one. If a judgment-free visit is what's been keeping you from getting care, this is your sign to book.
Sources
Retrieved through PubMed. Numbers in brackets above refer to this list.
- Casey LS, Reisner SL, Findling MG, et al. Discrimination in the United States: experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans. Health Serv Res. 2019;54 Suppl 2:1454-1466. doi:10.1111/1475-6773.13229
- Kcomt L, Gorey KM, Barrett BJ, McCabe SE. Healthcare avoidance due to anticipated discrimination among transgender people: a call to create trans-affirmative environments. SSM Popul Health. 2020;11:100608. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100608