The Paid Leave Podcast

Working to Empower Connecticut's LGBTQ+ Families with Inclusive Healthcare

• The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority • Season 3 • Episode 34

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LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week is in March and was started in 2003. It raises public awareness regarding the unique health needs and disparities in the LGBTQ+ community.  It also highlights many aspects of the LGBTQ+ community.

My guest Bill Ollayos, is the administrator of the Connecticut LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network and is a Law Fellow with Children, Women, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity (CWCSEO). He says the network's mission is to advance equity through policy advocacy, community outreach, and grant funding that can be used for some unique events for the LGBTQ+ community. He emphasizes the importance of mental health, noting that 70% of LGBTQ+ individuals accessed mental health services in the past three years, but 15% were refused care due to their identity.  Bill also talked about how CT Paid Leave talks about chosen family and the importance of the program covering mental health as well. Bill also discusses the network's efforts to improve healthcare access and the significance of Connecticut's non-discrimination laws and supportive legislature.

To get in touch with CT's LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network go to: ctlgbtqnetwork.org

For information or to apply for benefits please go to : ctpaidleave.org


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Nancy Barrow:

Hello Connecticut, and welcome to The Paid Leave Podcast. The title basically says it all. I'm Nancy Barrow, and I will be delving into this new state program and how it can help you and your family. This podcast will give you information you should know about Connecticut Paid Leave and maybe just a little bit more. Connecticut Paid Leave brings peace of mind to your home, family and workplace. Welcome to The Paid Leave Podcast. LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week is in March, and it was started in 2003. It raises public awareness regarding unique health needs and disparities in the LGBTQ plus community, and this week is intended to bring attention to the discrimination and health disparities that affect the LGBTQ plus community, and it also highlights many aspects of the LGBTQ plus community. And here to discuss this is William, and I will call him Bill Ollayos. Bill serves as the administrator of Connecticut's LGBTQ+ justice and Opportunity Network, an organization founded by state statute in 2017 and it focuses on empowering and uplifting LGBTQ + communities through grant funding and policy initiatives. And Bill is a third year JD candidate at Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he specializes in areas such as administrative law, gender studies and policy analysis, and he balances all this in his legal studies with a really great career in higher education, serving as an area coordinator with the Office of Residential Life at Wesleyan University since 2017 he's passionate about advocating for LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion, and he uses his unique blend of policy expertise, legal knowledge and community engagement. And welcome to the paid leave podcast. Bill. So glad to have you here.

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutely. Thank you so much for inviting me.

Nancy Barrow:

Well let's get right to it. Why don't you tell me a little bit about what the Network does and what you do as an administrator?

Bill Ollayos:

Sure So as you mentioned, the Connecticut LGBTQ+ Justice and Opportunity Network. We all call it the network.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, the network.

Bill Ollayos:

Yes. We were founded in 2017 by a statue, and we're really focused on advancing equity for LGBTQ+ folks throughout the state. And so that might look like policy advocacy, community outreach, and particularly grant funding, because we do run a grant application process every fiscal year where we're able to give out about $250,000 worth of funds.

Nancy Barrow:

And where do the funds go?

Bill Ollayos:

Oh, to, you know, all the different folks who apply for us. So a lot of folks out of New Haven, a lot of folks out of the Hartford area, we can give out 15, up to $15,000 per grant. And so if you do the math on that, I think we've given out about 20 in this last fiscal year, or whatever that works out to be, yeah. So we're funding different initiatives that might focus on helping, you know, trans sex workers in Stanford. We also work with q plus to fund some queer youth nights in Southington, which is just a space for younger folks to come and hang out and hang out and to feel really secure with their identities while they're being in community like that. So we're really we're eager to give the money out. So please check out our website, CT LGBTQ network.org, and we have our grant application. All the information there. Divinely you, which is an initiative run by Nadine Ruff, is a comprehensive resource center tailored to transgender and gender and gender diverse individuals that we were able to fund with one of the recent grants in the last fiscal year, they provide services like assistance for transitioning, housing support, addiction resources and even workforce training. And then Q+ runs the Southington activity nights, which provides a youth led affirming space for queer youth to build community and develop leadership skills. But that's just a few. I mean, we've had applications to fund queer rollerblading night down in Norwalk, and then one of the one that was most popular in Hartford, we funded an initiative to give dentures to queer seniors. So we really try to cover as many bases as possible, I know, but that's why it's so great to be as community driven as we are, because we need to hear from the folks about what the needs are.

Nancy Barrow:

Exactly what are the needs of the community? Why is this so important to you? Like, why have you done this your whole career, and you did this even in your education.

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutely, I think that's a great question. Well, so the work is really personal to me, just because LGBTQ rights are human rights, and historically, they're incredibly overlooked, dismissed and attacked. Growing up queer myself, I saw firsthand how these systemic barriers in healthcare, employment, education, they really impact queer folks in different ways than some of the other folks in our community. I believe that policy and advocacy are really powerful tools for change, and through my work at the network, I really want to make Connecticut a safer and more inclusive space for the next generation. Equity doesn't just happen by accident. It takes organizing, advocacy and persistence.

Nancy Barrow:

Tell me about the safer aspect. So as someone in the LGBTQ plus community, do you not feel safe?

Bill Ollayos:

It really depends on the context, I think, for myself, and really something we're working at the network is keeping intersectionality in mind. So for myself, from both my whiteness my identity as a cisgender man, I'm not often. A space where I'm feeling unsafe, but we talk a lot about how that is certainly not the same for our black and brown counterparts. For trans individuals, the credit administration, in the first couple weeks of their work, have issued a number of executive orders that are really stirring up the racism that might have been latent beforehand, a little bit. Not entirely, obviously. But you know, black and brown, queer folks of color, trans folks, they're really going to feel unsafe in a variety of spaces, and they also might face different barriers to accessing the support that I myself would easily be able to use. Yeah, I actually just had, we were starting really amazing conversations with the FBI chapter out of New Haven, who wants to really focus on the reporting of hate crimes and connecting with the network to boost that as much as possible. I think that's a perfect example where folks who are not white are probably not going to feel comfortable working with the police or any sort of law enforcement force in that capacity, right? And so we're trying to use that connection with the network to try and make them more approachable.

Nancy Barrow:

What a great idea to go talk to the FBI and talk about hate crimes.

Bill Ollayos:

Yeah, they reach out to us too. It was amazing. I know so really cool people that we're working with.

Nancy Barrow:

That is absolutely wonderful. How important is it, because it is LGBTQ health awareness in March? How important is it for the community in Connecticut to get health equity and someone who talks the pronouns? Because that's really important.

Bill Ollayos:

Yeah, I think a big concern for folks in the network and for the communities that we serve is that that affirming healthcare, access to that affirming healthcare, is really inconsistent. And so it depends on who you're working with, who your medical providers are, but especially for transgender and non binary individuals, who are already facing discrimination on the day to day, working with uninformed providers can really exacerbate some of that trauma and make them less likely to access the care that they're entitled to. So the LGBTQ plus network actually conducted a needs assessment back in 2021 we collaborated with Yale at the we collaborated with the Yale consultation Center, which was a really fantastic initiative. That was one of the first big things that the network did when I had come on. And so that was a statewide historic landmark survey where we tried to reach out to as many queer adults as possible to just get a sense of their experience living in Connecticut. And those survey results showed that many LGBTQ plus people delay or avoid healthcare due to past negative experiences. There's a serious need for mental health support, substance abuse resources and reproductive care that is inclusive for LGBTQ plus patients.

Nancy Barrow:

And how do you there are some providers that know about the pronouns that that are empathetic and can make someone feel comfortable. Do you when you find those? Do you spread the news around like this would be a really great healthcare person for you to go talk to. They're, you know, they know about the pronouns and how to address people. Because I think that it's all a respect thing.

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutley, and we certainly try. So I would highlight the work of the health collective, because we're recording here in Hartford. So the health Collective is incredibly local to the Hartford area, and they have a number of queer providers themselves who you're going to go there, and you're going to already feel like you're affirmed in that space. But then if you look at their website as well, they keep resources related to who would be good to work with. And that's true of a number of the other especially the pride organizations like the New Haven Pride Center, might have good resources or Q+ also. And then I would also just highlight that programs like Connecticut paid leave are actually really crucial in allowing LGBTQ plus individuals to take medical leave without fear of financial ruin. But there's still work to be done in ensuring healthcare providers are fully trained in the LGBTQ plus cultural competency.

Nancy Barrow:

in going back and talking about healthcare. What are your thoughts about the importance of mental health? You mentioned that, right. So, what are your thoughts about mental health and the LGBTQ plus community, because Connecticut Paid Leave does cover mental health, and you also mentioned addiction treatment, we do cover those, too. A lot of people don't know that we cover those. They are serious health conditions, so we do cover them. But how important is mental health to the LGBTQ+ community?

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutely. Well so again, I want to highlight the needs assessment that we conducted in 2021 it was a bit tricky to do so at the time because COVID was kind of still raging. It would have been a lot better if we could have done more of the survey work in person, but we still had a lot of virtual work, a lot of social media pushes to try and get a good sense of where the community stands. And so mental health challenges really came up a lot in the survey results. 70% of respondents accessed mental health services in the past three years, but 15% were refused care due to their LGBTQ+ identity barriers. Included affordability. For 20% of respondents, a lack of LGBTQ plus competence among providers and then ultimately, unfriendly environments.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, so that's really tough trying to find. I feel like it's it's tricky, right? When you go and you're trying to find a therapist.

Bill Ollayos:

it's so personal. It's so personal and so sensitive. And also, do you want it's complicated too. Do you want a therapist? Do you want a social worker? Do you want a psychiatrist to maybe prescribe something and it can be hard to feel safe in those more sterilized environments? Yeah,

Nancy Barrow:

I think that that's a challenge for anybody really, to find someone that you click with, but someone who can speak the language that you understand. I think that's really important.

Bill Ollayos:

Completely agree.

Nancy Barrow:

What would you like people to know about the LGBTQ plus community in Connecticut? Is it? Is it a big community? Are you tight knit? What? What should we know?

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutely. I would certainly say that we are large we are but that is definitely my bias in context, because you know, almost all the folks that I know are queer. So while we might be a smaller percentage out of the ultimate population of Connecticut, we are here. We are strong, vibrant and resilient. We have incredible grassroot organizers, advocates and leaders who work every day to make sure the state is more inclusive, but progress is not equal for everyone, so queer youth, trans individuals and LGBTQ+ people of color, still face higher rates of homelessness, healthcare disparities and workplace discrimination. While Connecticut is often seen as a leader in LGBTQ+ rights, we can't become complacent. There's still work to do to ensure safety, economic security and full equality for all LGBTQ+ residents. I will say that I don't think I would ever want to live in a state other than Connecticut, because I'm really confident in the state legislature to continue supporting LGBTQ+ issues here, and that makes me feel really hopeful, especially when a lot of what we're hearing from the current federal administration is incredibly anti trans and incredibly anti LGBTQ.

Nancy Barrow:

Well, it's good that you feel safe here in Connecticut.

Bill Ollayos:

Connecticut actually just launched. It was about a year ago now, but they launched a tourism initiative focusing on Connecticut as a safe haven for queer folks, which is awesome and really reflects the priorities of the state. And also that is a good reason for us to continue pushing Connecticut to be as progressive as possible on these fronts.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah. So people do feel safe, and you know, they can come to Connecticut if they are in a state that's not so friendly, absolutely. So that's a plus here for Connecticut,

Bill Ollayos:

We're actually working on a couple legislative priorities actually related to that topic. So we have the access to healthcare fund that we would like to develop, which will highlight the really long wait lists for transgender healthcare and the urgent need for doctors training and support services. And then we're also working on visibility grants, which would emphasize funding for local LGBTQ plus community centers and pride organizations to better support families fleeing other hostile states and having funding for initiatives like that, especially the visibility component, representation is just so important. And so if we're talking about Connecticut as a tourist destination for queer folks, where you should come here, you should move here, you're going to be safe here, it's important to really see yourself reflected across the state.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah and since we're talking about health equity, Connecticut Paid Leave also, if someone is transgender and well, they're going through the surgeries that is a serious health condition, and we do cover that as well. Yeah. So that is another key component, I think, of how inclusive Connecticut Paid Leave is.

Bill Ollayos:

So in Connecticut, we have really strong non discrimination laws and a supportive LGBTQ plus caucus up at the Connecticut General Assembly, but nationwide, we're seeing a rise in anti LGBTQ plus rhetoric and legislation, especially targeting trans youth. So while these social attitudes might have improved and younger generations tend to be more accepting, there's still a real divide in access to safety and resources, and while acceptance is increasing, so is the organized opposition, which is making our continued advocacy really crucial.

Nancy Barrow:

Are there any really big bills that you're working on in the current legislation in Connecticut?

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutely, no specific bills right now, but we do have a legislative subcommittee that is on it and has been collaborating really closely with the LGBTQ plus caucus, which is a number of state representatives in the Connecticut legislature who are really advocating and serving as strong allies for us.

Nancy Barrow:

And that's why Connecticut is so inclusive.

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutely, we're so lucky to be here.

Nancy Barrow:

We are lucky to be here. What's the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity? For people who don't know the difference.

Bill Ollayos:

Oh great, that's an excellent question. So sexuality and gender are completely separate. All of them exist on spectrums, but they are different concepts, and it's really an important distinction. So sexual orientation can run on any sort of spectrum from I am gay, I am queer, I am a lesbian. That's about who you're attracted to. It doesn't have a lot to do with your physicality, your biology, your expression, necessarily, of your gender. Sexual orientation is about that attraction gender and gender expression is more closely tied to how you want to be perceived and how you exist in your body and how you feel in your sense of self. So that might have to do with your biology, but not necessarily. It might have to do with the clothes, clothing that you choose to wear. It might have to do with the pronouns that people use for you. And again, all of this is highly personal and can vary. So for myself, my experience is that my sexuality and my gender are very separate, and that is generally the stance, I would say, especially legally, when folks are approaching this issue. But some folks might see them a bit more intertwined.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, it's I just wanted for people who didn't know the difference to kind of get the grasp that there is a difference.

Bill Ollayos:

That's an excellent question.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, and is it important for continuing education and educating ourselves about the LGBTQ+ community?

Bill Ollayos:

So if you are a cis person, or if you don't have any trans friends or trans loved ones in your life, it might be easy to tune out for. That conversation and feel like it doesn't apply to you, but it's important to note, historically, these sort of really difficult regimes that take over different countries target the weakest of us and the most marginalized of us first, and then they start to come after the stronger from there. So issues that affect trans folks, even if you don't feel like they're personal to you, it's important to prioritize the safety of trans youth, especially because you might be on the chopping block next.

Nancy Barrow:

And if you don't know the pronouns, the correct pronouns, is it fair to ask? I mean, sure, is that the best way to handle it?

Bill Ollayos:

Sure, it's incredibly personal also. So I you mentioned that I work in higher education at Wesleyan University, and so Wesleyan is an incredible, incredibly liberal, incredibly progressive and inclusive space. And so we're sharing pronouns, left, right and center, like you say, share your name and your pronouns right off the bat, right? It's incredibly standard for professors to start their classes and say, What's your name, what's your pronoun, what's your major. It's right up there. It's incredibly chill, is the best vibe, I would say.

Nancy Barrow:

And it's wonderful for higher education to be like that.

Bill Ollayos:

Absolutely. It's really important for education in general to take that stance, because all children are entitled to an inclusive education space where they can feel safe and when, especially in the education context, if they're not feeling safe and perhaps are existing in a state of fight or flight for their entire educational experience, they're not going to be their best selves and they're not going to take what they need from that classroom. What I would say is outside of the education context, if you're just a straight cis person out in the world, connecting with queer folks, it can be really personal about what that queer person might like. I think it's always great to ask. I think it can't hurt to ask. Just know that they perhaps might not want to answer the question necessarily, but I would say good rule of thumb, ask before you assume.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, that's what I think that that's the safe that's the safe route, absolutely, When did you realize you were LGBTQ+ , and how did you deal with others, and how did you come out?

Bill Ollayos:

Yeah thank you so much for that question. It was definitely a journey of self discovery throughout my youth, throughout middle school, throughout high school, I really benefited from the community that was around me, and so having resources in my high school, having resources in my local community, where I could see queer folks reflected back at me was really game changing and really affirming to my existence, and helped me become this confident queer adult that I am now. I had a really positive coming out experience, and so I think that's an incredible privilege that probably intersects with some of the other identities that I've mentioned here, and that's not necessarily the case for all folks, I think especially these days when we're looking at the growing population of trans youth, and also the growing numbers of anti trans bills talking about trans girls in sports, trans boys in sports, all of that is really creating a really hostile environment for folks to feel like they can come out in that capacity. And so the work that I see, it's really my responsibility to do as someone who carries this privilege, is to shed light on that and try to counteract it.

Nancy Barrow:

And have people come to you and asked for advice of coming out, or how did you do this and and where is there a safe space, and how to talk to people about it?

Bill Ollayos:

Certainly, certainly, it kind of depends on the context that I'm in. So for the network, with my administrative role, I'm mostly focused on organizing things for the executive board and for all the queer folks who we already work with. But so the work that I do as the administrator helps these other queer adults and queer professionals to then provide that care for youth across the state.

Nancy Barrow:

How do you see Connecticut paid leave helping the LGBTQ+ community?

Bill Ollayos:

Oh that's an excellent question. I mean, CT paid leave is a real lifeline for a lot of LGBTQ+ individuals. One of the most impactful aspects of your work is that it recognizes chosen families, which I think is really unique and really powerful. So a lot of LGBTQ+ people can take leave to care for those who aren't legally related, but are just as important to their personal lives. This is huge, because many LGBTQ+ individuals, especially those who are estranged from their biological families, rely on friends, partners and community for support, and also ensures that trans people recovering from gender affirming care, as you mentioned, can take medical leave without fear of losing their Income.

Nancy Barrow:

Yeah, so our caregiver leave, we have IT related by affinity. So for example, if my my best friend in California, she had a hip replacement, if her sister wasn't there taking care of her, I could fly to California and take care of her and take Connecticut Paid Leave.

Bill Ollayos:

That's awesome. But then, who would host the podcast?

Nancy Barrow:

That's right, I could do it from there. What would you like people to take away from the podcast today? What? What do you think we should leave people with?

Bill Ollayos:

Oh great, great question. You know, when I think about the work and I think about my career so far, equity isn't just about policy. It isn't just about safe spaces. It's really ultimately about action. And so LGBTQ+ people in Connecticut still face barriers, but we are working every day to close those gaps through policy advocacy and community support, whether it's paid leave, healthcare, education or housing protections, we need to keep pushing for full equality, and everyone has a role to play, whether you're LGBTQ+ or an ally.

Nancy Barrow:

And do you think that your community knows about Connecticut paid leave? I

Bill Ollayos:

I think so. We had folks from your org actually come to present at the network and to talk about, yeah, they did awesome work. They had a full PowerPoint to really talk about all the benefits. And so yeah, I know a number of, even my close friends who are also queer, who have taken advantage of the benefits.

Nancy Barrow:

Which is really wonderful. So that makes that makes us really happy. Any final thoughts that you'd like to leave?

Bill Ollayos:

Best thing people can do is stay informed, get involved and support policies that create a more inclusive Connecticut. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions. We are a great resource referral agent. So I would also start at our website, CT LGBTQ network.org, which is full of resources and information. And if you reach out to me, even if I don't have the answer, which I might not, I will redirect you right away to someone who does,

Nancy Barrow:

Oh, that's great. I want to thank my guest, Bill Olayos, for his expertise, and thank you so much for sharing your experiences on the paid leave podcast. I think that's what really resonates with people you know, your experience, your personal story. So thank you so much for coming in and talking about it.

Bill Ollayos:

Of course, thank you so much for having me. This was fun.

Nancy Barrow:

For more information or to apply for benefits, please go to ctpaidleave.org This has been another edition of The Paid Leave Podcast. Please like and subscribe, so you'll be notified about new podcasts that become available. Connecticut. Paid Leave is a public act with a personal purpose. I'm Nancy Barrow, and thanks for listening.

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