BOSTON, June 13, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Whittier Street Health Center, a community health center with a mission to serve as a center of excellence that provides high quality and accessible health care and social services that achieve health equity, social justice, and the economic well-being of a diverse patient population, is celebrating and recognizing the contributions and influence of LGBTQ+ people during PRIDE Month and beyond.
June has been commemorated as PRIDE Month for more than 50 years in the aftermath of the Stonewall Rebellion, a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. Although it wasn't the first gay uprising in this country, the Stonewall Rebellion became the impetus for the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.
"PRIDE Month serves as a testament to both the struggles and victories of the LGBTQ+ community," said Frederica M. Williams, president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center. "June now stands as a global symbol of celebrating and accepting all identities, a symbol we at Whittier Street Health Center honor and respect not only during this month, but every month of the year."
"The sacrifices by so many of the LGBTQ+ community, both past and present, to become legally and socially accepted are overwhelming," said Christine Pajarillo, vice president of programs and social services. "We honor those sacrifices during this month-long celebration of acceptance, diversity and self-pride."
About Whittier Street Health Center
Whittier Street Health Center is an independently licensed community health care center with a mission of providing high quality, reliable and accessible primary healthcare for diverse populations while promoting wellness and eliminating health and social disparities. A champion of equitable access to high quality, patient-focused care, social justice and economic equity, Whittier Street Health Center is accredited by The Joint Commission (TJC), certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, and recognized by the NCQA for its Behavioral Health Integration. Through its locations in Roxbury and North Dorchester, and its Mobile Health Van program, Whittier Street Health Center serves more than 30,000 patients and 20,000 community outreach visits annually; its ethnically and racially diverse patient base is primarily made up of individuals from Roxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, the South End and greater Boston. Approximately 28% of Whittier's patients are uninsured. Whittier Street Health Center provides a comprehensive array of 40 healthcare programs and services designed to meet the primary health care, behavioral health, and social needs of the community. For more information, please visit www.wshc.org as well as Facebook (www.facebook.com/WhittierStreetHealthCenter), Twitter (@Whittier_Boston), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/whittier-street-health-center), or call 617-989-3221. CONTACT: Nicole Joy Hales, PRfirst, 617-947-7983, nhales@prfirst.com.
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