Inspira Advantage recently interviewed Cat Cook B.A., CNP, the Executive Director at Centre LGBT+. Learn how our med school admissions consulting services can help you gain admission to medical school today.
What makes the work at Centre LGBT+ unique in advancing LGBTQ+ health and equity?
What sets our work apart is that LGBT+ individuals are centered in every step of program design. Our initiatives are built with and for the community, ensuring they reflect lived experience. This includes affirming programs for transgender and non-binary people, robust peer-support networks, and extensive outreach to groups often left out of mainstream systems, including queer youth, older adults, and LGBT+ people of color. Because our work is rooted in community partnerships, we can respond quickly to emerging needs and help reduce inequities that traditional institutions often overlook.
What are some of your recent initiatives that have contributed to more inclusive support for the LGBTQ+ community?
Over the past year, we have advanced initiatives that strengthen inclusion, increase access to supportive resources, and address systemic barriers. Key examples include:
• Expanded identity-affirming services:
We increased access to peer-led support groups, resource navigation, and programs for transgender and non-binary community members, helping reduce isolation and increase access to affirming networks.
• Training and education for professionals:
We provide comprehensive LGBT+ cultural-humility trainings for educators, social-service providers, housing organizations, and community partners to correct misconceptions and create more inclusive environments.
• Community navigation and resource support:
We strengthened programs that help individuals access legal-document changes, identity-affirming resources, and other essential services that can be difficult to obtain without support.
What lessons or qualities should future leaders develop if they want to provide more inclusive support to LGBTQ+ communities?
Future leaders must cultivate both knowledge and personal awareness. Essential qualities include:
• Cultural humility:
Understanding that each person’s experience is unique, and approaching every interaction with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to learn.
• Trauma-informed practice:
Recognizing how discrimination and past negative experiences shape trust, engagement, and well-being.
• Knowledge of LGBT+ identities and lived experiences:
Leaders should understand the social context, history, and community-specific challenges that shape LGBT+ life.
• Advocacy and accountability:
True inclusion requires challenging inequities and pushing for policies, practices, and environments that protect and uplift LGBT+ individuals.
• Strong communication skills:
Using correct names and pronouns, asking open-ended questions, and avoiding assumptions helps create a safer and more welcoming space.
• Intersectional awareness:
LGBT+ people experience overlapping forms of marginalization including race, disability, class, and immigration status which must be acknowledged and addressed in leadership and program design.
Inspira Advantage is proud to interview experts like Cat Cook B.A., CNP to help pre-med students understand the importance of culturally responsive care and inclusive support for diverse communities.
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