Health Community for African-American Lesbians

WASHINGTON () -- The Mautner Project, the National Lesbian Health Organization announced the launch of SHEcircle.org Monday. The new website is dedicated to Black lesbians and features an online "village" that will encourage and support them on their personal journey to healthy living and disease prevention. 

Based on the principle of Ujima - "collective work and responsibility to build and maintain our community together," www.SHEcircle.org is a "virtual" community for Black lesbians and bi-sexual women that aims to energize and engage them.

"We get hit on all sides. For Black lesbians, the confluence of race, gender, and sexual orientation can create powerful barriers to accessing quality healthcare and attaining a healthy lifestyle," said Amari Sokoya Pearson-Fields, MPH, Deputy Director of the Mautner Project and Director of S.H.E. Circle. "This website is a place is for us - that was created by us. By coming together we will be able to share information, resources and hopefully create the kind of mutual support necessary to break down these barriers that so negatively impact our health."

The shecircle.org site provides a forum for Black lesbians and bi-sexual women to meet in "Talk Circles." The "Talk Circles" will provide a safe space for lesbians of color to share, learn, and ask questions about health issues on every topic from cancer, depression, smoking, to nutrition and fitness. More culturally specific topics such as coming out and living a spiritually grounded and healthy life are also included on the website. 

The online community is part of a larger program aimed at improving the health status of African American lesbians across the country. A Program Kit of information on starting a S.H.E. Circle will be available on the website next year. 

S.H.E. Circle and SHEcircle.org are based on data collected from the Black Women 2 Women Spirit Health Study. The program is the first ever national health education program focused on African American women who partner with women.