HCWH and HOT Partner to Tackle Climate Change and Health Disparities

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and Haus of Transcendent (HOT) are partnering to tackle climate change and health disparities. Members of the LGBTQ+ community – especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color – experience a disproportionate burden of environmental harm. For instance, LGBTQ+ people suffer higher rates of chronic diseases associated with environmental exposures, such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Health Care Without Harm seeks to transform health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability, and embraces its role as a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice. With the health care sector’s greenhouse gas emissions making up 8.5 percent of the U.S. total, the health care sector has a unique responsibility and opportunity to address climate change and its related health impacts and disparities. “Health Care Without Harm looks forward to working with Haus of Transcendent to advance federal policy at the intersection of climate, health, and equity,” said Emmie Mediate, U.S. Climate & Health Program Director at HCWH. “While climate change affects everyone’s ability to thrive, underserved populations – including members of the LGBTQ+ community – are more vulnerable to its impacts.”

HOT’s mission is to create an accessible, vibrant, and healthy community for ALL, which is why HOT focuses on addressing the social determinants of LGBTQ+ health. “Haus of Transcendent is excited to join forces with Health Care Without Harm to advocate for policies that reduce the carbon footprint of the health care sector,” said Jordi Luke, HOT’s CEO. “Climate change is harming people experiencing homelessness because it increases the frequency and intensity of adverse weather events, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and tornados. Almost 40% of transgender youth have been houseless; therefore, we cannot achieve health equity for LGBTQ+ people until we muster the courage to address climate change.”