About Us About LGBT HERO About LGBT HERO LGBT HERO is the national health and wellbeing charity supporting over 100,000 LGBTQ+ people a month by providing trusted information, advice and various types of support including one-to-one, group and peer-support. LGBT HERO aims to improve the health, enhance the wellbeing and champion the rights of LGBTQ+ people. LGBT HERO provides LGBTQ+ people with accurate and credible information so they can build skills that enable them to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. We encourage LGBTQ+ people to create social change in our communities by providing a platform where they are heard and valued. LGBT HERO wants to see a world where LGBTQ+ people have the same opportunities in life as all other people, and are not disadvantaged by health or social inequalities because of their sexuality or identity. LGBT HERO is also the organisation behind GMFA - the sexual wellbeing project for gay, bi and trans men who have sex with men providing frank and honest info, advice, support and campaigns about all things sex and sexual health while providing support to men living with HIV. Tackling Health and Social Inequalities: Health inequalities are unjust and avoidable differences in people’s health across the population and between specific population groups. Health inequalities harm social justice. They do not occur randomly or by chance. They are socially determined by circumstances largely beyond an individual’s control. These circumstances disadvantage people and limit their chance to live longer, healthier lives. The existence of health inequalities in the UK means that the right of everyone to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is not being enjoyed equally across the population. WHAT WE WANT TO TACKLE LGBT HERO has identified the following health and social inequalities it wants to address: Mental Health and wellbeing - Destigmatise mental illness within the LGBTQ+ community through information, campaigns and true life stories while advocating for better LGBTQ+ specific services. Suicide and Self Harm - Develop interventions which aim to stop LGBTQ+ people dying by suicide and/or self-harming, while campaigning to increase funding for LGBTQ+ interventions. Sexual wellbeing - Increase knowledge of STIs and how to prevent them, while informing LGBTQ+ people how to have a happier, healthier sex life. HIV and HIV stigma - Increase knowledge of how to prevent HIV in gay, bisexual and trans communities, while increasing knowledge of the issues people living with HIV face and how it negatively impacts our community. Further aims: Alcohol and drugs: We signpost LGBTQ+ people to LGBTQ+ services, while increasing awareness. Black, South Asian and minority ethnic health issues: Develop interventions which tackle health issues affecting black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBTQ+ people, such as HIV and mental health. Black, South Asian and minority ethnic social issues: Develop interventions which tackle social issues affecting black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBTQ+ people, such as racism on the LGBTQ+ scene Domestic abuse: We increase awareness of the high levels of domestic violence occurring in the LGBTQ+ communities and how to overcome it. General relationships: We provide information, advice and a platform for LGBTQ+ people to talk about relationships. Hate crime and LGBTQ+ rights: Develop interventions which tackle hate crime while increasing knowledge of issues affecting LGBTQ+ people in the UK and throughout the world. Lesbian health: Develop interventions that improve general lesbian health and wellbeing. LGBTQ+ families: We provide information and support about marriage, civil partnerships, divorce and LGBTQ+ adoption. Loneliness and isolation: Support LGBTQ+ people to connect with one another Sexuality and gender: We provide basic information about sexuality and gender, including coming out stories, to improve knowledge within the LGBTQ+ community. Smoking: We provide information, support and signposting to organisations that can help the high numbers of LGBTQ+ people who smoke. Trans health: Increase awareness of trans health needs while providing information and support. Trans social issues: Increase awareness of the issues trans people face in the UK and around the world. HOW WE WANT TO TACKLE THEM Ensuring LGBTQ+ people have access to information and support to enable them to make the best health choices for themselves. Decreasing the number of LGBTQ+ people who experience mental illness and / or suicidal thoughts by offering information, advice, peer-support and signposting to support services. Improving LGBTQ+ people’s sexual health, including eradicating new HIV infections by publishing up-to-date information about HIV and STIs while encouraging regular HIV and STI testing. Challenging HIV-related stigma with campaigns that emotionally connect with our communities. Increasing representation of LGBTQ+ black, Asian and minority ethnic groups within LGBTQ+ communities by ensuring BME LGBTQ+ people are at the forefront of our work. Supporting all LGBTQ+ people to live emotionally and physically healthy lives by providing holistic means to improve their lives. Volunteer leadership LGBT HERO is an organisation informed by the communities it serves. We use volunteers from those communities to guide our work and inform our campaigns. People from LGBTQ+ communities write for us, advise us on the direction of campaigns, and feature in all of our published material. OUR VALUES: All people, regardless of age, race, nationality, religion, disability, gender identity or sexuality, should have equal opportunities in life. All people regardless of their sexuality and gender identity are entitled to equal rights and respect. The needs of LGBTQ+ people should be considered in all aspects of their health, well-being and life. Our work will address identified health inequalities within LGBTQ+ communities and advocate for full acceptance of and equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. Health promotion is done best when LGBTQ+ community members collectively contribute to its development and delivery, it is underpinned by evidence and it can demonstrate its positive impact. OUR GOALS Ensure LGBTQ+ people have access to information and support to enable them to make the best health choices for themselves. Decrease the number of LGBTQ+ people who experience mental illness issues. Decrease the number of LGBTQ+ who die by suicide. Improve LGBTQ+ people’s sexual health, including eradicating new HIV infections. Challenge HIV-related stigma. Increase representation of LGBTQ+ black, Asian and minority ethnic groups within LGBTQ+ communities. Support all LGBTQ+ people to live emotionally and physically healthy lives. CURRENT SERVICES: Click here to find out what we do and what our current services are.