Equality California Institute

Members of the LGBT community are more likely to lack health care than their straight peers, but right now as part of the Health Happens with Equality program, we're making sure that low-income LGBT people across the state have access to high-quality, affordable health care.

We've already done:

94 Community Outreach Events in 28 cities

26 Facebook messaging Campaigns 1,912,040 online impressions 39,931 Outreach Contacts 2247 Enrollments Now we're continuing the outreach to low-income LGBT people with a focus on people of color, lower-income and transgender people, all of whom are outside of traditional outreach efforts.

From Jack Lorenz, our Deputy Director of Programs:

"The first person I enrolled, back in October, is a friend of mine. His name is Paul and he’s 47-years old. He has had HIV for over 20 years. I have folks sit next to me when I enroll them so they can see what's happening on the computer screen. Paul was sitting next to me and when I hit 'submit,' he started to cry. I asked him what was wrong. He said that he had been uninsurable and had to keep his income below $40,000 a year so he could qualify to get his HIV meds. He said he was so grateful to be able to pay for his own insurance and get the full care he needed. He cried even harder when he said, “I won’t have to beg for heath care ever again." I started to cry too.

In addition to enrolling folks in our 3 statewide offices we also go into the community to do enrollment. I really love my job but the most important 3 hours of my workweek are Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. That's when I go to a street corner in the eastern part of West Hollywood that is fairly industrial and has become a place where the homeless sleep. The UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine sends about 20 medical students and a van full of medical supplies to treat the nearly 300 people who show up every week. The West Hollywood Food Bank arrives and provides them with a hot meal and then I enroll them in MediCal so they can get the health care they really need. I sit on the sidewalk with them and listen to their stories and give them a bit of hope — that people really do care about them. The majority of these people are LGBT and many are between 18 and 25. Last Wednesday, I enrolled a 27-year-old man named Rick. He has been on the streets since he was 16 when his family threw him out because he is gay. He’s now a crystal meth addict with HIV who hasn’t had meds for over two years. I was able to enroll him in Medical and within the next few weeks he will be able to get his meds again, and if he is willing I will help get him into a detox and rehab program that his new insurance will cover. I wish I could tell you that he is an exception, but I help kids like him every week. I can’t thank you all enough for giving me the opportunity to do this work. Your support and commitment is making a profound difference in the lives of countless LGBT people and on their behalf I want to thank you."