Rolling out the rainbow carpet

“A lot of what we do is about trying to help people in the LGBTIQA+ community to feel comfortable and safe when coming to hospital,” Senior LGBTIQA+ Patient Liaison Tegan Murnane (she/they) said.

“It can be a difficult place to be at times, particularly for those who may have faced discrimination and barriers or had challenges in the past when navigating the health system.

“I’ve had experiences in hospitals myself as a patient where I’ve been misgendered and had to explain my gender identity and pronouns to people the whole way through.

“By rolling out the rainbow carpet and understanding and advocating for an individual’s unique needs, we can help our LGBTIQA+ patients to feel safe and supported. Even things that might seem small can make a big difference in creating a safe and welcoming healthcare experience.”

One way that people can show support for the LGBTIQA+ community is by wearing purple to celebrate ‘Wear it Purple Day’ on Friday 25 August.

Tegan said that the day is important for young LGBTIQA+ people, showing that they have the right to be proud of who they are and who they are becoming.

This year’s theme for Wear it Purple Day is ‘write your story’ – something that Tegan can relate to from their own experiences.

“I grew up in a really small country town and it didn’t feel safe to be out there, so it’s really nice to kind of reflect on my story of how things can change,” Tegan said.

“If I was a young person and I saw things like Wear it Purple Day happening and knew there was this kind of support where I grew up, then I might have felt a lot more safe and a lot more comfortable.

“The message that it can send to people is really huge. It is really important to empower young LGBTIQA+ people to share and be the author of their own story and to be proud of who they are.”

Find out more about the LGBTIQA+ Patient Liaison Service.