“Queer Migrants Welcome” in Public Health Teaching

Abstract

Abstract Background People with heterogeneous sexual orientations and gender identities are rarely the focus of public health research or teaching. LGBTQ people (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) are particularly at risk of being discriminated against in accessing and using health care. In order to give students of public health a perspective that is sensitive to diversity and which will allow them to consider LGBTQ people in their future research, teaching and practice, these topics must be actively reflected on during their studies. Methods A website was built by a team of students of the Bachelor degree program in Health Communication at the School of Public Health, Bielefeld University in Germany. The aim of this course was to learn about the health situation and risks of LGTBQ people. One main emphasis of this project was to develop a medium that focuses on the perspective for newcomers, migrants and refugees in the context of LGTBQ health in a participatory way. Results The students developed an understanding of LGBTQ, migration and health largely independently through individual research and group discussion, decided to create an English-language website (https://queermigrantswelcome.jimdofree.com) and present existing findings in blog posts they wrote on their own. The pictures on the homepage were drawn by the students themselves, as they perceived the freely available LGBTQ pictures as too stereotypical. They contacted counselling centres for LGBTQ persons throughout Germany and asked in which language they offer counselling and have included these counselling possibilities on the homepage. Conclusions Already at the Bachelor’s level, students can design innovative media that can improve the health care of marginalized people and contribute to the dismantling of discriminatory structures. It is important that the students are given sufficient freedom to make their own decisions and identify with the topic, thus facilitating a major learning process. Key messages Desiderates in health communication can be reduced by well accompanied student projects. The topic LGBTQ must be implemented in the curricula of public health study programmes to reduce discrimination in health care.