All National Updates

ACS CAN Celebrates Pride

June 17, 2022

ACS CAN Volunteer at Pride Event This summer, ACS CAN will participate in dozens of events across the country to celebrate Pride and raise awareness of damaging health care disparities that negatively impact cancer outcomes for those in the LGBTQ+ community. ACS CAN volunteers have already participated in events across the country from Washington to New Jersey.

ACS CAN is committed to reducing the burden that health care disparities and other obstacles place on certain populations, including members of the LGTBQ+ community. These populations have disproportionately high cancer rates, lack adequate representation in cancer research, and face additional barriers to accessing health care.

ACS CAN volunteers are shining a light on the unique challenges the LGTBQ+ community faces on quitting smoking and cancer care and are promoting actions people can take to reduce these challenges.

ACS CAN supports a recent FDA proposal to eliminate menthol flavoring from cigarettes and all flavors from cigars. For decades, tobacco companies have used menthol products to specifically target LGTBQ+, Black, and young people. Research has shown that individuals who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual use tobacco at higher rates than those who are straight and those who are transgender use tobacco at higher rates than cisgender individuals. Smoking is the single largest contributing risk factor to cancer in the United States.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community face barriers to cancer care at nearly all stages of care, including a lack of representation in clinical trials, consistently low rates of health insurance among LGTBQ+ patients, and cultural incompetence or outright bias in health care systems. As a result, LGBTQ+ patients are more likely to forego important cancer screenings and are more likely to be diagnosed with later stages of cancer.

Reducing cancer disparities and advancing health equity is at the heart of ACS CAN. Through our partnership with Pride events across the country, we are striving to ensure that everyone is equipped with the right tools, resources, and support to have equitable cancer outcomes.

Get Involved

You’re invited to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Pride Afterparty! Join us for this virtual experience to wrap up Pride Month and learn more about getting involved with ACS CAN! We will have special guests, share volunteer stories, and answer all your questions about joining the fight! Come party with us at 7:30 ET on June 30^th, 2022.

Learn about ACS CAN’s LGBTQ+ & Allies Engagement Group

Sign the petition: FDA: Eliminate Menthol Cigarettes and Help Save More Lives From Cancer