Vanderbilt University Medical Center is recognizing Pride Month by taking part in area celebrations during June.
- On June 3, Vanderbilt Health had a presence at Franklin Pride, held at Harlinsdale Park in Franklin, Tennessee.
- Vanderbilt Health is also a sponsor of the Nashville Pride Festival, being held June 24-25 at the Bicentennial Capital Mall State Park. Employee volunteers will be present throughout the event.
- At the Nashville Pride Festival, LifeFlight Event Medicine is providing emergency medical support and will have a medical command center on site to assist attendees.
VUMC has an active P.R.I.D.E. Resource Group whose mission is to celebrate the vibrant community of LGBTQ employees at VUMC, and to provide them with the resources needed for growth and development. The group hosts regular events and activities open to members and allies.
Some of the Upcoming Events in June sponsored by the P.R.I.D.E. Employee Resource Group (ERG):
- Potluck at Long Hunter State Park for Pride ERG members to join with their friends, families and loved ones. Saturday, June 10, RSVP here.
- What it’s like? – A panel discussion about the anxieties LGBTQ+ individuals experience going to the doctor. Tuesday June 20, 2023, 11:30 a.m.
More information will be released soon. Contact the Pride ERG if you have questions.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community disproportionately experience health disparities ranging from premature death from chronic diseases, to increased rates of depression and suicide. In response, Vanderbilt Health has launched VIVID Health to promote physical, mental and spiritual well-being for adults of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
VUMC has created policies that intentionally include and support LGBTQ+ patients and employees and is recognized as a designated LGBTQ+ health care leader by the Human Rights Campaign.
Pride Month, celebrated in June, is a national recognition and celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights and culture. Pride Month began after the 1969 Stonewall riots, protests by members of the gay community in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. The monthlong event has since spread outside of the United States and is now recognized around the world.
