Lesbian health conference on June 19 in San Francisco

By Eve Harris

Legal issues that affect lesbian health will be the special focus of the fourth annual Lesbian Health Conference in San Francisco on Saturday, June 19.

Co-sponsored by the National Center on Lesbian Rights and the UCSF Lesbian Health Research Center (LHRC), the event will he held at the UCSF Laurel Heights Conference Center, 3333 California Street, from 9 am to 3 pm.

Discussion topics will include marriage, parenting, aging, disability issues and coming out as a lesbian. Those attending will be welcomed by Kate Kendell, director of the National Center; California Assemblywoman Carole Migden; and Patty Robertson, MD, co-director of the UCSF LHRC and a perinatologist at UCSF Medical Center.

“What’s special about lesbian health? We’ll answer that question all day long at the conference,” said Suzanne Dibble, RN, DNSc, co-director of the LHRC and adjunct professor at the UCSF Institute for Health and Aging (IHA).  “We invite women to arm themselves with knowledge to help them take control of their health, their lives and their futures.”  LHRC is part of the UCSF IHA.

Health checks for glucose, blood pressure and body mass index will be available throughout the day along with access to acupuncturists and massage therapists.

The conference will conclude with a screening of the movie “Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House,” a documentary directed by academy award-nominated filmmaker Deborah Dickson. The film depicts the story of Ruthie and Connie, a longstanding couple who won a landmark lawsuit in 1994 that provided domestic partner benefits for all New York City employees.

“Celebrating Our Champions” will be a conference-related reception at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center on Saturday evening.  At this event, Esther Rothblum, PhD, editor of Journal of Lesbian Studies and a former president of the American Psychological Association’s LGBT division, will receive the Lesbian Health Research Award.  Philanthropic leader and executive recruiting consultant Jan Zivic will receive the Award for Philanthropic Excellence, presented jointly by the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and the LHRC.  Awards will also be given for civic leadership to Supervisor Bevan Dufty and for community leadership to Brenda Crawford, executive director of Progressive Research & Training for Action, a nonprofit organization based in Berkeley. Tickets are $150; proceeds will benefit the LHRC.

For more information or to register for the conference call 415-502-5209 or visit Lesbian Health Info.