LGBT Relay for Life

The American Cancer Society will hold our signature community fundraiser, Relay For Life, on September 25, 2010 at the World Financial Center in New York City. While the Society holds Relay For Life events around the country, this is the first time we have done so specifically for the LGBT community and friends.

World Financial Center

September 25, 2010

10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

We'll be going all day, but we'd love for you to come even it if it's only an hour or two. And if you can't come, please consider donating. I am a part of TEAM MIXX and have invited all of the Miss New York contestants, and surrounding Miss America Contestants as well. We hope to see you there!

Watch the Relay for Life video HERE to get a glimpse at what we're walking for and read below.

My Reason to Relay
Cancer affects everyone, whether directly or indirectly. We all know SOMEONE. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is more than just an event to me. It is my personal opportunity to help save lives from cancer by supporting the American Cancer Society.

Taking this awareness to a new level is the LGBT factor.

• Many health insurance policies do not cover unmarried partners. This makes it harder for lesbian and bisexual woman to access quality of health care. Cancer risks are greater for lesbian women who avoid preventive health care because they fear discrimination and insensitivity by health care providers.
• Some men may not want to tell their health care providers that they are gay or bisexual because they do not want discrimination to affect the quality of healthcare they receive.
• Uninsured rates are highest among transgender people. In New York City, for example, the Department of Health reported in 1999 that 21% of transgender respondents reported having no health insurance of any kind. Even those with health insurance can face difficulties in obtaining appropriate cancer screenings. A transgender woman, listed on her insurance as a female, but still having an intact prostate gland, would not be covered for prostate cancer screening. The same is true for transgender man with an intact cervix. 

But, by taking part in Relay, I am helping the American Cancer Society save lives of ALL PEOPLE by:

• Helping people stay well by helping them take steps to prevent cancer or detect it early, when it’s most treatable
• Helping people get well by being in their corner around the clock to guide them through every step of their cancer experience
• Finding cures by funding groundbreaking research that helps us understand cancer’s causes, determine how best to prevent it and discover new ways to cure it
• Fighting back by working with lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and rally communities worldwide to join the fight

Please support my efforts by making a donation or by joining my Relay For Life team. Together, we have the power to help create a world where cancer can no longer claim another year of anyone’s life.