May is known as Mental Health Month, or Mental Health Awareness Month, and it has been observed in the United States since 1949. Started by Mental Health America (MHA), Mental Health Month exists to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illness, the realities of living with mental illness, and strategies for attaining mental health and wellness. Additionally, the month draws attention to suicide … Continue reading It’s Mental Health Month
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Do you ever wonder how organizations, businesses, and individuals know when a certain observance or awareness month, week, or day is? If so, below is a tailored list of observances for the month of May 2021 specifically for military, Veterans, and LGBTQ+ folx. We may issue graphics for some of the events listed below. Because there are so many events and awareness campaigns, the listing … Continue reading May 2021 Observances
VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS) will resume offering the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years and older, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance, following a 10-day pause recommended by the CDC and FDA after a very small number of people who received the vaccine experienced rare but serious blood … Continue reading VA NorCal Update on Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Transgender people have served in all branches of the U.S. military and are a rich part of history. Here are some notable Veterans: Kristin BeckBeck served 20 years in the U.S. Navy Seals where she was a member of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group and the special counter-terrorism unit SEAL Team Six. For her service, Beck was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing … Continue reading Trans Resilience & Military Service: Transgender & Non-Binary Veterans #TDOV
Did You Know Over 134,000 U.S. Veterans are estimated to be transgender and, before the transgender military ban was lifted in 2021, there were over 15,000 transgender people serving in the U.S. military Transgender people are at least two to three times more likely to have served in the U.S. military; motivated by patriotism, life direction, and family history of service, transgender people may have … Continue reading #TDOV: Transgender Veterans
WASHINGTON, D.C — Today, President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation into law expanding COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to veterans and their families under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), following efforts from House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs leaders Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Ranking Member Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). The Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans … Continue reading Vaccine Access Opened to Veterans’ Families, Spouses
According to the largest-ever study of transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States, about 56% of those surveyed had experienced discrimination while trying to seek medical treatment. A 2016 survey found that 68.5% of LGBT+ people who experienced discrimination in the year before had been negatively affected psychologically, about 43.7% said discrimination had adversely affected their physical well-being. For all the legislation and … Continue reading LGBT+ Health Awareness Week: Non-Discrimination
In October 2019, the UCLA’s Williams Institute released a study detailing the preferences and characteristics of LGBT+ voters in relation to the 2020 General Election. The study indicated that, at the time, 1 in 5 LGBT+ adults (~21%) was not registered to vote and almost 9 million LGBT+ adults were eligible registered and eligible to vote. 2020 saw the nation grappling with a pandemic, a … Continue reading LGBT+ Health Awareness Week: Voting
