NOTICE
Per a court order, HHS is required to restore this website as of 11:59 PM, February 14 2025. Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate, and disconnected from the immutable biological reality that there are two sexes, male and female. The Trump Administration rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms it causes to children, by promoting their chemical and surgical mutilation, and to women, by depriving them of their dignity, safety, well-being, and opportunities. This page does not reflect biological reality and therefore the Administration and this Department rejects it.
Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ Workgroup
In 2010, the Indian Health Service (IHS) and its tribal, community, and federal partners united to create the Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ workgroup in order to advance the equality, health status, and well-being of all Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ American Indian/Alaska Native individuals (AI/AN), their families, and their communities.
The mission of IHS is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of all AI/ANs to the highest level, and our goal is to ensure that comprehensive, culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible. The Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ population has unique healthcare needs, is at greater risk for multiple health threats, and often experiences low quality care due to a variety of factors, including discrimination. All people should receive health services that are formulated to address their particular circumstances and meet their individual needs.
Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ individuals are part of our AI/AN communities and families. According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 87 percent of Americans know someone who is gay or lesbian. The Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ Workgroup offers advice to IHS leadership in order to ensure that Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ AI/AN people, their families, and the communities where they live receive equal access to health services by providing enhanced resources for Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ health issues. The workgroup makes recommendations to IHS leadership on the development of information regarding Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ health needs, and works to close the Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ health disparities gap that currently exists.
For more information or to join the Two-Spirit/LGBTQI+ Workgroup, contact Rick Haverkate.
