Mission


The Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative is dedicated to improving the health and well being of lesbians and other members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community through education, advocacy, support and access to care.

Our programs offer a wide array of services and resources:

  • The Health Fund, established in 2007, provides access to free health screenings and affordable healthcare for uninsured LGBT individuals by partnering with low cost clinics. Hundreds of individuals have accessed the Health Fund since its inception.
  • Training of healthcare providers and systems to be sensitive to and prepared for the needs of all their LGBT patients and clients improves the health of all of us. The Health Initiative is currently working with larger metro area providers, such as Piedmont and Emory’s Healthcare Systems, a growing number of low cost clinics, and individual providers.
  • The Health Initiative’s online Health Assessment, Lifestyle Link, is the first of its kind for the LGBT community, and provides users with a customized health report, including suggestions for developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With their report, users can access our Health Resource Center for information and referrals for resources in the areas where they work and live.
  • Support Groups have been at the Health Initiative’s core since our founding. Groups are offered to provide support in a variety of areas, based on need and interest.
  • The Stud Health Project, a partnership with AGenda Benda Justice, the Center for Black Women’s Wellness and Sigma Omega Phi (the national lesbian fraternity for studs), providing masculine-identified lesbians with access and resources to access informed and friendly gynecological service providers.
  • The Health Initiative’s Domestic Violence Intervention Program works to address Domestic Violence in our community in two ways. First, we provide a safe place for survivors to work toward recovery from their situations. Once safety has been established, the Health Initiative’s survivors group can provide support and information.

    The Health Initiative also works with batterers. Our state-certified batterer intervention program assists lesbian batterers to make changes in the way they relate to their partners, and work toward breaking the cycle of violence.

  • Healthy Eating/ Health Living is vital for all of us. The Health Initiative’s award winning Weight Watchers program, will soon be joined by LGBT-specific smoking cessation support programming.
  • Fourth Tuesday, the Health Initiative’s social network, provides lesbians an opportunity to increase their community of support through monthly dinners, happy hours and other good times.

The Health Initiative’s commitment to our community extends beyond its own mission. To that end, the Health Initiative has partnered with Georgia Equality and other local LGBT organizations to develop and manage the Phillip Rush Center, supporting all of Atlanta’s LGBT community, and to create SAGE Atlanta, our community’s first program providing support for LGBT elders.

To help us continue our mission to improve the health and well-being of our community, please consider a pledge of support. There are many ways to show your support for work of the Health Initiative- we know you’ll find one that works for you.

Attend! You are cordially invited to the Health Initiative’s 16th Annual Fall Garden Party Fundraiser on September 18th, 2011 at Einstein’s in Midtown Atlanta!

Host! Join the Host Committee and help make the Fall Garden Party an outstanding success!

Sponsor! The Health Initiative provides companies with the opportunity to put their product or service in front of a very loyal targeted market, in a frequent manner.

Donate! All contributions are greatly appreciated. Please consider your cash donation as an investment in the future health of our community! And please remember- we accept donations of other kinds as well. If you have items that may be of use in The Rush Center, or if you’d like to contribute an item or service to the Silent Auction, please contact us at info@thehealthinitiative.org or give us a call at 404-688-2524.

Volunteer! We can’t do it without you! Please consider donating some of your time to The Health Initiative – it is only with the help of our volunteers that we can continue serving our community.

THANK YOU!