Caring and Campaigning: Why Ob-Gyns Must Advocate for LGBTQ+ Health Equity

Ryan Findlay, DO

As an ob-gyn, maternal–fetal medicine fellow, and member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve come to understand that providing excellent clinical care is only part of our responsibility—we must also be advocates. In today’s climate, where the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals are increasingly under threat, the role of the ob-gyn extends beyond the clinic or operating room and into the realm of political advocacy.

We have a front-row seat to the impact that policy has on people’s lives. I have cared for patients navigating pregnancy while being denied gender-affirming care and couples facing discriminatory barriers to fertility treatment. These experiences are not topics for abstract policy debates—they are lived experiences that shape health outcomes. As physicians, we have both the credibility and the moral obligation to speak up, whether that’s through legislative testimony, institutional policy change, or everyday conversations that challenge stigma.

Advocating for reproductive justice and inclusive health care isn’t extracurricular—it’s integral to our mission. If we want to truly care for all patients, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, we must defend their right to access evidence-based, affirming care without fear or restriction. Medicine and advocacy are not separate paths; they are parallel tracks that must move forward together. 

Ryan Findlay, DO, is a fifth-year postgraduate maternal–fetal medicine fellow at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. 

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Disclaimer: Published submissions reflect the experiences of individual ACOG members and may not represent official organizational opinions of ACOG.