A conversation with the Department of Medicine’s 2SLGBTQ+ Think Tank

The Department of Medicine’s 2SLGBTQ+ Think Tank is a grass roots group of queer identifying faculty and learners who are passionate about diversity, inclusion and visibility within the Department of Medicine (DoM). The group is led by three Co-Chairs: Drs. Tehmina Ahmad, Laura Targownik and Andriy Katyukha.

This Pride Month, we spoke with Dr. Tehmina Ahmad to learn more about the importance of the 2SLGBTQ+ Think Tank and what the group does:

When did you join our department’s 2SLGBTQ+ Think Tank and why did you want to get involved?

I first got involved as an ambassador four years ago when I was a third-year internal medicine resident. What made me want to get involved is that, interestingly, even though Toronto is incredibly diverse, I found that it was sometimes challenging to find that diversity in our medical departments, particularly when it came to queer identities. That left me feeling a little lonely and I found myself looking for that sense of community, particularly because we spend a lot of our time at work in the hospitals. My fellow group members and I wanted to increase the visibility of 2SLGBTQ+ voices within the department, and that’s the incentive behind our group – to say hey, we’re here.

What initiatives does the group have planned for this Pride Month or in the future?

Every year, we host a social at O’Grady’s and it’s a mixer for all medical students, residents and staff. It's an awesome, informal way to meet our group and other queer members of the community. Some people may be looking for research projects, particularly when it comes to the medical students, and others may be looking for mentorship. This way, we meet on an annual basis to let everyone know that we exist and we're always open to chatting. We also march in the Pride Parade every year with the Ontario Doctors and Allies group. We usually get about 200 people marching and this year, that will be happening on June 30.

We also act like an affinity group to the DoM’s Culture & Inclusion portfolio, so we work closely with Dr. Umberin Najeeb. This past year, we’ve been discussing some policies to better help address inequities that are faced by 2SLGBTQ+ residents and physicians. For example, last year on Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20), we put out a departmental statement of support. We recognize that there are mounting political pressures and concerns surrounding safety for members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, both inside and outside of medicine. We developed this statement to demonstrate our commitment to providing an inclusive space, in addition to offering support to our colleagues and action items that our department and others at U of T can put into place.

Why do you think having a 2SLGBTQ+ Think Tank is important?

I think we do need to be proactive in addressing some of the emerging concerns and potential threats that are coming up, again both inside and outside medicine, that deeply impact the 2SLGBTQ+ community. With that in mind, we also need our allies involved and aware of what the issues are, what people are facing and what those barriers and facilitators are so that we can overcome these barriers. We really are trying to create a culture of safety and preserve the dignity of our community members. Just by utilizing the support that exists within the department, we've been able to start moving toward those changes from a policy perspective.

We want the DoM to know that we exist if there are folks who are looking for support. Our group is here and open to having conversations should you wish to reach out.