Open Door Health and Pride with Molly Kittler

Written by: Mia Cooper

June is Pride Month and what better way to be involved in this celebration of love than to chat with one of our beloved LGBTQ+ organizations in Providence, Open Door Health! Open Door, as reflected in its name, works to support anyone who walks through their door in healthcare. Their main focus is on  LGBTQ+ individuals and people who identify as part of the queer community. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Molly Kittler, the Marketing and Communications Manager at Rhode Island Public Health Institute. Molly’s role includes providing digestible health information to the public, including information on sexual and reproductive health. The passion and excitement about supporting the LGBTQ+ community and promoting sexual health were evident in my conversation with Molly, as we discussed Open Door Health's mission, services, and the importance of providing competent and informative sexual health information. 

Molly (left) with her co-worker at last years Pride

Open Door Health is the LGBTQ+ section of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute. They offer any kind of care a patient needs with a focus on sex and gender. I learned that Open Door was not started as an initiative, but out of a necessity. LGBTQ+ lifespan patients needed a place to go where they felt understood and taken care of. Molly explained the long list of services provided which includes, but is not limited to, primary and sexual health care, HIV and STI testing and screening, medication, and any other gender, sexual, or care you need. Along with the shame and stigma that exists, individuals who are part of the LGBTQ+ community experience many barriers to healthcare. Patients have reported not feeling heard, respected, or validated in a doctor's office due to their gender and sexual orientation. 

Open Door Health works to combat this by creating a space that is tailored to this community. They offer educated providers who adapt their services to the LGBTQ+ community through a diverse staff that can draw on personal experience. Open Door Health staff provide Spanish appointments and ensure their clients feel supported throughout their experience at the clinic. The entire staff also receives proper comprehensive sex education and is invited to listen to talks given about sexual health information and relevant topics. Her description of the deep consideration taken for every client exemplified the importance of this organization here in Rhode Island.

Molly and I then got chatting a bit about the stigma that exists in sexual health care.  “Sex is for everybody!”  she exclaimed, “Our role in reducing the stigma is switching the narrative. It's not, Oh. We have to talk about sex, but yeah! We get to talk about sex!”. We discussed ways to reduce the shame surrounding conversations about sex and how to create more open and safe spaces for talking about the topic. One method is encouraging physicians to establish a narrative where sex is a healthy and positive conversation. Healthy sex talk starts with physicians and experts cultivating positive conversations with people and erasing the shame that exists about all different kinds of sex. I was inspired by Molly's message and passion for working toward equity in health care, specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. She emphasized the significance of her role as an ally, highlighting that even those outside the community have a responsibility to use their voices to advocate for change. 

Open Door Health's Celebration at last years Pride!

When I asked Molly what she loved most about working for RIPHI and Open Door, she didn't struggle to find an answer. “ People are so mission-driven. I know when I come in to work we all have the same end goal. Everybody cares so much”, Molly shared “I love how I have an opportunity to use my voice and break down information so that people can understand”. We found a commonality in adoration for creating digestible healthcare content and discussed how it can be used to advocate for healthcare change. Open Door Health advocacy work has led to two major health policy changes. Both the Shield Act, which protects patients and providers from legal repercussions for accessing reproductive and gender-affirming care, and the PrEP Bill, which expands access to life-saving HIV medication, were passed with the support of Open Door. These legislative victories exemplify their commitment to advancing LGBTQ+ health across all areas of care.

Finally, Molly informed me about the exciting events coming up for Open Door Health. “Our biggest event is Pride! We have a booth and a float at this year's festival”, she told me.  The booth is filled with fun handouts and sexual health information for anybody who stops by. She also shared a great way to get active and celebrate Pride Month!  Core Studios will be hosting a “Pride Ride”, which is a fundraising spin class where proceeds go to RIPHI/ODH! This will be held on Friday, June 20th at 5:30 pm! To learn more about Open Door Health, and see Molly's work, check out their websites and social media linked below! It was such a joy to chat with Molly about the life-changing work done at Open Door Health and I am excited to continue to follow their journey!