June is Pride Month, an incredible opportunity for us to celebrate the rich diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community at Women’s and beyond. This month, we’re featuring members of our Pride Committee.
Name: Stephanie Hatzifilalithis, PhD
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Title & Department: Research Lead for Healthy Cities – Women’s Age Lab
On the WCH team for: 1 year
1. Why did you decide to join thee Pride Committee in such a meaningful capacity this year?
Being a part of promoting, celebrating, and championing the 2SLGBTQ+ community at WCH was a no brainer. I started working at WCH in May of 2023 and the first thing I did was look for a pride committee. While I would come to find that celebrating our community is the as-you-do of WCH, I was keen to find and build relationships with folks who were passionate about amplifying visibility and representation. I had such a great experience last year and met such a lovely group of humans who share a similar passion for creating change and had no choice but to take part. The merch also helps!
2. What work makes WCH an inclusive place for 2SLGBTQ+ Communities?
As a queer woman, it brings me joy to be at WCH. It’s so refreshing to walk into a room and to be able to see queer folk celebrated – not just tolerated. It’s inspirational to see members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community openly and proudly in positions of power, making decisions, and leading the charge at a system level. I also appreciate that while WCH expresses a commitment to inclusion, they also acknowledge there’s ongoing work to dismantle inequities within our system which is paramount to getting the work done.
3. What is your greatest wish for 2024 as it relates to Pride Month and healthcare?
To center the voices of lived experts. In practice, in education, and in research. We need to continue to speak to the community directly and center their experiences in how we think about healthcare and the changes we need to make. I hope that WCH continues to position itself as a leader in addressing barriers to healthcare for marginalized folks and to continue to action equity. I’m also hoping to see research to address the unique health needs of older 2SLGBTQ+ folks as well as other equity-deserving groups in later life.
4. Who is your 2SLGBTQ+ Pride role model? Why?
While there are so many historical 2SLGBTQ+ figures who I admire, I would say an older member of the community that I met about two years ago doing research who I won’t name. They weren’t keen on the limelight but recently passed away and spent their life advocating on the front lines for older queer folk, speaking loudly, openly, and proudly about the impacts of experiencing later life as a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Their commitment to ensuring that generations to come didn’t have to experience discrimination or have to ‘go back in the closet’ as we get older was inspiring. Their advocacy, commitment to change, and being in service to others is something I hope to continue to center in both my professional career here at WCH as well as my personal life.