To LGBT Breast Cancer Survivors:
I co-led a lesbian cancer support group and understand many of the issues associated with breast cancer, other forms of cancer, and LGBT issues with medical care. If you and/or your partner need to talk about cancer, please call. I also recommend accessing the following free online support:
Resource: Free Online Support Forums for LGBT Breast Cancer Survivors
The National LGBT Cancer Network is offering FREE online support forums to lesbian, bisexual and transgender breast cancer survivors. Many LGBT survivors do not feel welcome or understood in mainstream support groups and transgender survivors have been especially excluded. There are very few LGBT cancer support groups across the country and those who live further from major metropolitan areas are very unlikely to find one at all. A study conducted by the National LGBT Cancer Network confirmed that tailored support groups were the top request made by LGBT cancer survivors.
They offer separate forums for interested participants: a forum for lesbian- and bisexual- identified women, a forum for gay- and bisexual- identified men, and a forum for transgender-identified people with cancer. Each forum will be moderated by a social worker and will be available to participants 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The groups will operate in 12-week cycles, with new members accepted for the first four weeks of the cycle, and then the group will be closed until the next cycle.
Forum topics may include:
- Coming out to healthcare providers
- Sexuality and relationships after cancer treatment
- Pressure for gender conformity
- Body image
To register, go to http://www.cancer-network.org/support_groups_for_survivors/