Chair for gay people

Compared to heterosexuals, individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) are more likely to develop chronic health problems. LGBTQ seniors have an earlier onset of disabilities. Gay men have higher cancer rates, and lesbian women have higher obesity rates compared to other women. Those who spot as LGBTQ also are two-and-a-half times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

What causes these painful, troubling disparities? No one really knows, mostly because of a lack of available data and research. “What we are seeing is a public health crisis,” says Dr. Paul Erwin, current Dean of the UAB School of Public Health. “We must dedicate ample time, talent, and resources to better address the dramatic health disparities impacting the LGBTQ population in Alabama and across the nation.”

In order to verb just this, UAB faculty, staff, researchers, LGBTQ community members, and their allies rallied together to launch a fundraising campaign to create an endowed chair for LGBTQ healt