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vii Foreword When I joined GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality as its executive director in 2010 (then known as the Gay and Lesbian Med- ical Association), the nation was on the cusp of very profound changes in how it would view and treat lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. “LGBT American” became part of the common dialogue. Same- sex couples would soon have the freedom to marry in every state, and the White House was lit in rainbow colors. We witnessed heightened aware- ness and understanding about transgender individuals and the pervasive challenges they face. This revolution cascaded into all aspects of LGBTQ life, and LGBT health was no exception. Leading health care institutions and ­ associations—including the National Academy of Medicine, Joint Com- mission, American Medical Association, and American Academy of Nurs- ing, just to name a few—studied and adopted policies addressing the health and well-being of LGBT individuals. Health professional students of all disciplines demanded their schools provide more opportunities to learn about LGBT health. The federal government implemented initiatives ensuring LGBT inclusion in health and human services programs and funding opportunities, research and data collection, and nondiscrimina- tion policies. As I write this foreword today, however, we live in a dramatically changed political environment. So much of the progress we have experi- enced in LGBT equality and health has been stymied, and we are seeing formidable attempts to erode the gains we have made, particularly in areas such as nondiscrimination in health care access and coverage and inclu- sion of LGBT people in national health surveys. Like other civil rights movements, we are encountering an almost inevitable deceleration after a period of significant advances.