In response to Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton’s declaration that she opposes transgender athletes and then subsequently refusing to attend a listening session with LGBTQ leaders, we decided to take a look at LGBTQ health equity in Ohio. You can read about that disastrous meeting, which included blocking trans leaders from attending, here.
The Data
The Northeast Ohio LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment offers one look into the healthcare needs of LGBTQ Ohioans through their self-reported health dashboard. It is led by Kent State University Public Health Program Outreach Director Dr. Andrew Snyder. According to the website, the dashboard “aggregates data from 2,519 unique LGBTQ+ community survey responses.” The data was collected between 2023 and 2026 in separate reports.
On the dashboard, 95% of respondents reported having health insurance at the time they took the survey. 61% rated their physical health rather as excellent or good. 49% rated their mental health as excellent or good. 31% have experienced food insecurity in the past with approximately 9% currently experiencing food insecurity at the time they took the survey.
In their 2026 health value dashboard, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio found that LGB Ohioans are 2.6 times more likely to say that they have frequent mental distress compared to heterosexual Ohioans, and transgender Ohioans are 3.5 times more likely.
This summer, continuing their cuts to HIV research and funding, which totals in the hundreds of billions of dollars that they’ve cut so far since 2025. The White House announced an additional $46 million in cuts to over 96 organizations across the country providing HIV testing, HIV healthcare, and access to PrEP.
This includes funds to Equitous Health in Ohio.
I reached out to Dr. Joanne G. Patterson at the Ohio State University. She is an assistant rather professor of health behavior and health promotion. The research program that she leads at OSU has a mission to reduce cancer inequities within the LGBTQ community. She told me by email that in Ohio, “We still don’t have the consistent statewide data needed to fully understand our health needs. Data collection is a patchwork.”
Dr. Patterson mentioned that patchwork includes the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems, researchers at universities, as well as LGBTQ centers and nonprofits. She continued, “We have enough data to know that there are serious health inequities, but not enough to fully understand them or hold systems accountable.” Dr. Patterson explained to me that in Ohio, LGBTQ+ residents contend with persistent stress and systemic bias that limit their access to essential healthcare services from routine screenings to ongoing treatment.
Understanding More Through Looking At Cancer Research
Dr. Patterson pursues a dual research agenda. The first centers on community partnership, working alongside local stakeholders to surface and address pressing needs through initiatives such as Greater Columbus Insight. The second applies behavioral science to cancer prevention, crafting and evaluating messaging strategies that encourage healthier choices around modifiable risk factors like tobacco and alcohol consumption.
As I learned from Dr. Patterson, the intersection of communication research and cancer prevention holds particular urgency for LGBTQ+ populations.
Driven by chronic stress tied to systems and personal discrimination, LGBTQ+ adults smoke at elevated rates compared to the general public, yet many are not prepared to abandon nicotine altogether. Alternatives such as vaping and nicotine pouches carry their own risks. So to meet this moment, Dr. Patterson and her lab are creating digital platforms to guide LGBTQ+ users through nuanced decisions about their tobacco use, whether that means stopping, cutting back, or transitioning to reduced harm substitutes.
Of note, in 2025, the American Cancer Society found that one in three LGBTQ Americans aren’t even told about cancer screenings by their healthcare provider.
Dr. Patterson shared with me, “We are already partnering with county and city government and public health and local LGBTQ+ serving organizations and health systems. These partners can use our findings from insight to strengthen their community health assessments and to make sure LGBTQ+ needs are visible in planning documents.”
And beyond the lab, Dr. Patterson’s work goes public through visual guides, community reports, policy recommendations, opinion pieces, and interactive data presentations. These resources help LGBTQ+ residents of Ohio see their own realities reflected in the numbers and push for improved services. The goal is for these materials to equip elected officials, candidates, healthcare providers, and neighborhood organizers with insight into what LGBTQ+ people face across Ohio.
Ohio Department of Health and Dr. Acton’s Roles?
When asked about the Ohio Department of Health’s role in addressing LGBTQ health equity, Dr. Patterson said to me, “There isn’t yet a highly visible statewide LGBTQ+ health equity initiative. There’s real opportunity for ODH to lead more strongly, especially in consistent sexual orientation and gender identity data collection and public reporting.”
Regarding Dr. Acton, Dr. Patterson cited Dr. Acton’s equity-focused approach to COVID-19 and that her broad commitment to marginalized communities could include the LGBTQ community.
However, Dr. Patterson told me, “From the outside, LGBTQ+ health equity did not emerge as a standalone priority during her tenure.”
Bright Spots
When asked about healthcare bright spots in Ohio, Dr. Patterson let me know that there has been meaningful progress through institutions like the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, which generates unbiased data on health disparities, as well as groups such as Equality Ohio that advance local anti-discrimination protections.
Critically, more than 500 LGBTQ-affirming organizations have been cataloged in Central Ohio while academic researchers are generating the research-based evidence that health systems and officials can leverage to close those gaps.
Also, Dr. Andrew Snyder, along with his graduate assistants, Alex Donato, according to reporting from the Buckeye Flame, are wrapping a needs assessment for Cleveland that will come out later this year.
According to the Buckeye Flame, the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley announced a grant earlier this year to fund the Lake to the River LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment, which will cover Ashtabula, Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana Counties.
To connect with Dr. Peterson, you can head to the Center for Public Health’s website, which is cph.osu.edu.
