Top Big Gay News Stories of 2016: #1 – Without Anyone Noticing, D.C. Passed a Remarkable LGBT Bill

Big Gay News is on holiday hiatus until January 3, 2017. Until then, we’re doing a countdown of the most popular stories for 2016.

Published on February 8, 2016, “Without Anyone Noticing, D.C. Passed a Remarkable LGBT Bill” was the most popular story on Big Gay News.

Advocate.com reports the Council of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.’s governing body, unanimously passed B21-168, the LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act, and once it is signed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, the district will be the first jurisdiction in the nation to require LGBTQ cultural competency training for health care providers.

Although LGBTQ people make up about 10 percent of the population of the district, most healthcare professionals receive little or no training regarding the particular health issues these communities face.

While similar measures requiring training on LGBTQ cultural competency have been proposed in various states, this bill is both the first to pass and unique in that it affects all health care providers in the district that are required to receive continuing education.

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