Pride Month feels like the perfect opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the communities we serve and to recognise the positive progress that has been made. However, it also serves as a reminder of the work still left to do to ensure we provide equitable care for everyone, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. The reality is that maternity and perinatal services can still present LGBTQIA+ families with challenges that negatively impact their experiences during the perinatal period.

My interest in LGBTQIA+ perinatal experiences began during my undergraduate studies, when I wrote my dissertation exploring same-sex parents’ experiences of maternity services. Reading about the experiences of LGBTQIA+ parents highlighted how frequently maternity care systems still operate with heteronormative assumptions. Although many healthcare professionals strive to provide compassionate and individualised care, systems, language and environments can unintentionally exclude those whose identities or family structures sit outside what is often considered the ‘traditional’ norm.

Since then, this interest has continued throughout my career and has become an important part of both my professional and personal identity. I have been fortunate enough to present work relating to LGBTQIA+ maternity experiences at a regional conference, as well as undertaking Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) roles within the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, where I currently work. Alongside this, during my previous role as a Practice Education Facilitator, I was involved in developing LGBTQIA+ study days aimed at increasing awareness, knowledge and confidence amongst students caring for LGBTQIA+ individuals and families.

As the Sexual Orientation (LGBTQ+) and Gender Reassignment EDI Champion at York, I have also had opportunities to contribute to wider conversations around inclusion, visibility and belonging within healthcare education and practice. These experiences have reinforced to me that inclusive care cannot rely solely on good intentions. Education, visibility and meaningful conversations are essential, if we want to create lasting change.

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, my passion for this work also comes from understanding and recognition of the invisible barriers that LGBTQIA+ people can face when accessing wider healthcare services. For many individuals, accessing maternity care may involve navigating fears around judgement, discrimination or exclusion. Something as ‘simple’ as language used during appointments, assumptions about family structure, or forms that fail to reflect diverse identities, can contribute to people feeling unsafe and unseen.

For some LGBTQIA+ people, every healthcare interaction involves making a rapid assessment to determine whether it feels safe to disclose their sexuality or gender identity. These decisions are often made within seconds, based on the environment, or perceived attitudes of healthcare professionals. Although these moments may appear small, they can have a significant cumulative impact on a person’s experience of care during pregnancy, birth, postnatal and beyond.

Importantly, these experiences are often shaped long before someone enters maternity services. LGBTQIA+ people may have previously encountered discrimination or negative experiences within healthcare settings, which can understandably influence trust in professionals and services. This highlights why creating inclusive environments is so important. Inclusion should not begin only when a concern is raised or a mistake is identified- it should be embedded within everyday practice from the outset.

Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve LGBTQIA+ maternity and perinatal experiences. Undergraduate healthcare education provides a vital opportunity to encourage discussion, challenge assumptions and create safe spaces for students to ask questions and reflect openly. It is essential that future healthcare professionals feel confident discussing LGBTQIA+ health needs and understand how inclusive care can be embedded into everyday practice. However, education should not stop once qualification is achieved. Continuing professional development, study days, reflective practice and open conversations within clinical environments are all important, in maintaining awareness and ensuring that we continue learning throughout our careers. Inclusive care is not about having all the answers immediately, but it is about being willing to listen, learn and adapt care to meet individual needs.

Ultimately, improving LGBTQIA+ maternity care benefits everyone. Individualised, compassionate and respectful care should be at the centre of all maternity services, regardless of sexuality, gender identity or family structure. Pride Month offers an important opportunity not only to celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities, but also to reflect on how healthcare systems, educators and professionals can continue striving towards genuinely inclusive care.