Visibility, connection are goals of first LGBTQ+ Forum

For Stanford Medicine’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning community and their allies and colleagues, a new event aims to increase visibility, celebrate diversity and encourage an inclusive environment.

The inaugural Stanford Medicine LGBTQ+ Forum is set for 3:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in Berg Hall at the Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge. The community-building event, which is free, welcomes students, trainees, staff, faculty and alumni from the School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children’s Health.

Registration and information for the event are available online.

Timothy Keyes, an MD-PhD student at the School of Medicine, is the founder of the event, which was developed based on input from more than 200 members of the Stanford Medicine community. “I hear from people who feel like they’re the only person who identifies as a sexual or gender minority in their department or in their entire program,” Keyes said. “It turns out, there are a lot of us here, but we don’t really have a lot of opportunities to connect with one another.”

Faculty leaders for the event are James Lock, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Marcia Stefanick, PhD, professor of medicine and of obstetrics and gynecology; and Yvonne Maldonado, MD, senior associate dean of faculty development and diversity and professor of pediatrics and of health research and policy. 

The forum will feature personal and professional stories from LGBTQ+ members of the Stanford Medicine community, as well as networking activities, refreshments and giveaways.