Nu? Koleinu?

For the past two years, CBST members have been engaged in the process of Congregation Based Community Organizing . They’ve conducted a listening campaign, developed two actions teams, had a two Koleinu shabbatot, hosted a report back to the community, conducted research meetings with seven different community-based organizations, and launched their first campaign. Now, the Healthcare/Eldercare Action Team is in full swing as they are gearing up to target care institutions in the city to better serve LGBTQ individuals.

What does this mean? Under the leadership of the Healthcare/Eldercare co-chairs, Maryann King and Paul Marsolini, Koleinu members will be influencing the Policy, Forms, and Training of care facilities. For Policy, do their non-discrimination policies include sexual orientation and gender identity/expression? Do their Forms have multiple gender options and relationship boxes that are more than “married” or “single?” Do they train their staff in the best practices of working with LGBTQ individuals? Koleinu’s going to make sure the answer to all of these questions is a resounding Yes.

Right now, Koleinu members are concretizing our “asks,” that is, when we meet with the power holders at these facilities, what are we going to be asking them to commit to? How much training and by whom? What does the best form look like? How much policy change are we talking about here? The action team is researching best practices right now and thinking about what is strategic and winnable, what will make a significant change in people’s lives and still be within our power to achieve.

Next, we will be identifying the facilities that we will want to change. From there, we will conduct a power analysis to figure out who has the power at these institutions to make the changes we want to see.

CBST members chose this campaign because of the stories that we heard from the rest of the congregation of homophobic comments from staff, forms that made trans people feel invisible and unwelcome, and fear from folks having to closet themselves if/when they go into care facilities, be they nursing homes or hospitals. We believe that receiving care should not be fraught with fear and anxiety. At times when we are at our most vulnerable, we do not want to worry about discrimination.

Interested in making this dream a reality? The Healthcare/Eldercare Action Team meets on the first Monday of every month at 7PM and is open to all CBST members.

Feel free to email aweissman@cbst.org or Koleinu@cbst.org for more information.