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Our Purpose
A program of Sherbourne Health, Rainbow Health Ontario creates opportunities for the healthcare system to better serve 2SLGBTQ communities. RHO offers training for healthcare providers across the province to feel...
Our History
Rainbow Health Ontario (RHO), a program of Sherbourne Health, was formed in April 2008. Securing the support for a Ministry-funded program to address 2SLGBTQ health disparities in Ontario was made...
What We Do
A program of Sherbourne Health, Rainbow Health Ontario (RHO) creates opportunities for the healthcare system to better serve 2SLGBTQ communities. For example, we: promote better 2SLGBTQ health outcomes by improving...
How to Use This Website
This website is intended to provide current and evidence-based information on 2SLGBTQ health resources, research, education and training as part of supporting better health outcomes for 2SLGBTQ communities in Ontario....
Donate Now
Rainbow Health Ontario creates opportunities for the health care system to better serve 2SLGBTQ communities. RHO’s work is primarily funded by Ontario Health but also relies on generous support of...
Trans primary care guide first online, interactive tool for Canadian healthcare providers
Toronto, Nov. 17, 2016 Easy-to-use interactive map will assist healthcare providers in offering advanced care to trans and gender-diverse patients. On Nov. 24, 2016, Rainbow Health Ontario (RHO), a program...
Sherbourne Health welcomes news of C-16 passing third reading
Sherbourne Health welcomes news of C-16 passing third reading June 15, 2017 Sherbourne Health, including Rainbow Health Ontario, is ecstatic that Bill C-16, An Act to amend the Canadian Human...
Tell us what you need from Rainbow Health Ontario’s next website
Help us design for you! Rainbow Health Ontario (RHO) is undertaking website user research to help us better understand what brings people to our website and how our site should...
Do I need to take hormones to transition surgically?
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) outlines different criteria for different transition-related surgeries (TRS). For more information on which surgeries require hormone treatment therapy, see the WPATH Standards…
Transition Related Surgeries (TRS)As a newcomer or refugee, what health care do I have access to?
…up to 12 months. More information about what IFHP covers and the specific duration of the coverage is available at Canada.ca. You may want to specifically take note of the…
Population-Specific Access to Health CareMy provider wants a specialist or another, more experienced provider to start me on hormones.
…care has been handed back. See also our My provider wants to offer me care, but needs support, guidance and/or information question for more information about resources available to your…
General access to health careHow do I find an affirming provider if I don’t have one or if my current provider won’t provide trans health care?
There are many options for gender affirming providers throughout Ontario. Please consult the RHO Service Directory to find a provider near you….
General access to health careI’m a sex worker. Will coming out as trans affect my work?
It’s your choice as a sex worker to present however you feel most comfortable. This does not change your trans status or gender identity. For example, a trans woman may…
Transitioning at Workcoming out
A process of revealing more openly to self or others one’s LGBT2SQ identity....
equality
The practice of ensuring equal treatment to all people, without consideration of individual and group diversities.
gender
Gender is based on the expectations and stereotypes about behaviours, actions, and roles linked to being a “man” or “woman” within a particular culture or society. The social norms related...
genderqueer/gender non-conforming/gender variant
...express themselves as “feminine men” or “masculine women” or as androgynous, outside of the categories “boy/man” and “girl/woman.” People who are gender non-conforming may or may not identify as trans....
gender expression
How a person publicly expresses or presents their gender. This can include behaviour and outward appearance such as dress, hair, make-up, body language and voice. A person’s chosen name and...
inclusion
An approach that aims to reach out to and include all people, honouring the diversity and uniqueness, talents, beliefs, backgrounds, capabilities and ways of living of individuals and groups.
intersex
...chromosomes or a man with ovaries instead of testes. Intersex characteristics occur in one out of every 1,500 births. Typically intersex people are assigned one sex, male or female, at...
marginalization
To relegate individuals or groups to an unimportant or powerless position within a society or group by excluding them from meaningful participation and/or confining them to the outer edges of...
prejudice
A negative prejudgment or preconceived feelings or notions about another person or group of persons based on perceived characteristics, rather than empirical evidence.
queer
...used to identify LGBT people. Some members of the LGBT community have embraced and reinvented this term as a positive and proud political identifier when speaking among and about themselves....
questioning
...from others, and inner landscape. The person may not be certain if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans and may be trying to figure out how to identify themselves....