NYC Lesbians Need Cancer Support Groups
by Michele Forsten

Unlike cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, and Washington, New York City does not have a lesbian-centered or mainstream organization offering an active cancer support group for lesbians. With three million women over the age of 20 in New York City, an estimated ten percent of them who partner with women, and a lifetime incidence rate of cancer among women at one third, there are likely tens of thousands of lesbian cancer survivors living here — a large percentage over the age of 50. It’s shameful that a city as big as New York doesn’t have a lesbian cancer project.

It’s true that many of the issues are the same for lesbians as for other women, but whom lesbians feel comfortable talking to about those issues is another story. My experience is a case in point. After participating in a six-week breast cancer support group run by SHARE (Self-help for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer) in which I was the only lesbian, I needed to discuss more intimate concerns about body image with cancer survivors who were lesbian.

However, no opportunities for this kind of support were available. Although SHARE listed a lesbian support group, it didn’t run because there weren’t the minimum three people signed up for it. Gilda’s Club’s monthly gay and lesbian cancer networking group was attended by two gay guys, my partner, and me. Other groups around the city were canceled or discontinued. What’s the reason for this? Isn’t there a need for lesbian-specific cancer services?

According to Diane Bruessow, founder of the Long Island Lesbian Cancer Initiative (LILCI), support groups for lesbians with cancer are difficult to maintain because of the barriers that clients face. She explained that forming a group can be especially difficult given that, "Many lesbians are completely closeted, others won’t disclose their sexual orientation in their neighborhoods, some women who partner with women won’t use the word ‘lesbian’ to describe themselves."

This has to change. Lack of lesbian cancer support services in New York points to a larger problem faced by lesbians all over the country — their invisibility in the health care system. This is something we need to challenge. Lesbian cancer survivors have to marshal energy to ask for the support they need. For some, it may mean coming out, for the first or second time. We have to be open with doctors and mainstream cancer organizations about our sexual orientation and demand the services we need.

If you are in New York, sign up for the six-week "Lesbians Facing Cancer" support group at SHARE (212.382.2111), conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, so it can run. Show up at the monthly gay and lesbian cancer networking group at Gilda’s Club (212.604.6095), which is led by a lesbian therapist. Call St. Vincent’s Comprehensive Cancer Center (212.605.6095), which is trying to get a lesbian therapist-run group off the ground, and express your interest.

Every lesbian, no matter where she lives, should have the opportunity to receive from (and offer support to) other lesbian survivors.

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Michele Forsten is a writer living in New York City. This article appears in the fall issue of the SAGE newsletter.

© Michele Forsten 2003