Be An Ally

On Oct. 26, 2015, Brigham and Women’s announced the establishment of its first Patient & Family Advisory Council for Gender and Sexuality (PFAC), one of the first of its kind in the nation. To coincide with the launch of the new PFAC and National Coming Out Day earlier this month, members of the Brigham community (BWH and BWFH) are coming out as allies to express their support of LGBT patients, visitors and colleagues. The Brigham is also launching a social media campaign in support of the initiative.

We invite you to help raise awareness by participating in the social media campaign with us. To participate, users can take a photo of themselves while holding a sign that reads “Be An Ally" or “I am an Ally" and can also write a caption about how or why they support the hospital’s efforts to further reduce the inequities in LGBT healthcare, and share it with us on our social channels using the hashtags #BWHAlly and #GotYourBack. #GotYourBack is a social media campaign run by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) focused on building acceptance and demonstrating support of the LGBT community.

There are many different ways to share your photo:

Upload a photo of you with one of these signs to BWH’s Facebook Page and use the hashtags #BWHAlly #GotYourBack. Include a caption with your photo about how or why you are an Ally and/or the importance of being an Ally.

Email this photo to bwhmediarelations@partners.org and include a caption with your photo about how or why you are an Ally and/or the importance of being an Ally.

Share a photo of you with one of these signs on Twitter, tag @BrighamWomens, and use the hashtags #BWHAlly #GotYourBack. Include a caption with your photo about how or why you are an Ally and/or the importance of being an Ally.

We encourage you to share news of this campaign on your social media channels and have included some sample tweets and Facebook posts below for your consideration. All photos using these hashtags will be uploaded onto the hospital's Facebook and Pinterest pages.

Facebook:

Are you an Ally? Join this social media photo sharing campaign to raise awareness about the inequities the LGBT community faces in healthcare. To participate, take a photo of yourself holding one of these signs and share it on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Facebook page.

Be an Ally! Join this social media photo sharing campaign to raise awareness about the inequities the LGBT community faces in healthcare. To participate, take a photo of yourself holding one of these signs and share it on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Facebook page.

Twitter:

Are you an Ally? Share your photo w/@BrighamWomens #BWHAlly #GotYourBack

I am an Ally because ________ @BrighamWomens #BWHAlly #GotYourBack

Since 2008, Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFAC) have been working to create an environment that fosters patient- and family-centered care across BWH and BWFH. At BWH, there are currently 17 councils comprised of 90 patient and family advisors who serve various inpatient and ambulatory populations, using their experiences as patients or family members to help inform the relationship between patients, families and staff. Most of the councils are geared toward a specific line of service, such as cardiology or neurology. However, the Gender and Sexuality council will support our LGBT patients across all departments. The council will meet 10 times a year, and the goal is to convene a diverse group of patient voices that can collaborate successfully in the spirit of improving the LGBT patient experience.