Knowledge is useless if it is not put to work to create change.  Using what we learn, The Fenway Institute analyzes existing public policy and recommends change.  We advocate for this change by educating lawmakers, community leaders, media and other opinion leaders. 

Working with other organizations, we develop new public policy around health care issues that affect the LGBT community and create demonstration projects that can be incorporated into clinical care.

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Policy Priorities

The Fenway Institute is committed to increasing the public health for the whole community with special attention to the needs of communities that are traditionally underserved, like women, people of color and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.  The Fenway Institute is also a leader in advocating for the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

LGBT Health
When the first draft of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2010 report was published, it made virtually no mention of LGBT health.  This was a critical omission, as Healthy People 2010 serves as a blueprint for improving the nation's health in the first decade of the new century.  The Fenway Institute and other organizations came together and created a Healthy People 2010 companion document addressing health disparities in the LGBT community was created.

The Fenway Institute holds a seat on the Executive Council of the National Coalition for LGBT Health and work with others from around the country to see that on both federal and state levels across the country the unique health needs of the LGBT community continue to be given attention and value.   

HIV/AIDS
Since 1993, Fenway has shared its expertise and coalition-building skills through its leadership role in the Project ABLE (AIDS Budget Legislative Effort) Coalition to fight for adequate funding for HIV/AIDS and substance abuse treatment programs. 

The Fenway Institute is also represented on the Executive Committee of the Ryan White Care Coalition that works to ensure renewal of the federal Ryan White Care Act, which provides funding for HIV/AIDS care across the country.The Fenway Institute is committed to increasing the public health for the whole community with special attention to the needs of communities that are traditionally underserved, like women, people of color and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.  The Fenway Institute is also a leader in advocating for the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Women's Health
The Fenway Institute is committed to prioritizing research into women's health issues, especially the health issues of lesbians and bisexual women, which are often overlooked in mainstream health studies.  Fenway has collected, analyzed and shared data on topics ranging from the effects of alcohol use on lesbian couples to the health care needs of sexual minority women with Breast Cancer.  We are currently involved in studying vaginal microbicides to help prevent the spread of HIV in women. 

The Institue is also committed to sharing this knowledge with others and recently assisted with curriculum and evaluation development for the Provider's Knowledge of Lesbian Mental Health Needs conducted in Mumbai, India by Aanchal Trust.

Health Care in Communities of Color
The Fenway Institute works to address the health needs of people of color, especially those that are LGBT people and otherwise traditionally disenfranchised from the health care system.  The Institue runs and supports health system navigation projects designed to help HIV-positive people of color access health care and conducted research into the needs of pregnant and parenting African-American lesbians.  Fenway recently held a Health System Navigation Training Academy for a cross-agency cadre of staff providing health system navigation.