EDI Mini-Fest - Awarding Gaps

Session Outline:

In the context of a strained NHS and increasingly hostile public discourse worldwide, access to appropriate healthcare for LGBTQ+ individuals in the UK remains unequal. This talk explores how structural barriers, from prolonged waits for gender-affirming care to a lack of culturally competent support services, continue to marginalise queer and trans people within healthcare systems. Drawing on current research and community perspectives, the presentation examines how political narratives and media framing intersect to undermine healthcare equity. It also considers the emotional and physical toll this disparity takes on LGBTQ+ lives, and the ways in which communities are mobilising to fill the gaps.