Advocating for Inclusion
Dr. Anna Larson doesn’t talk about advocacy like it’s a title.
She lives it.
Through personal loss, quiet resilience, and the kind of stories that stay with you, she shows how advocacy starts in the everyday—in how we listen, lead, and show up for each other.
It’s not about having the right words.
It’s about meaning them.
You can watch her full talk and earn free CME/CE credit on the Learn at Pinnacle app.
There, you’ll also find empowering, expert-led education created by and for women in healthcare.
Other topics covered in the full talk include:
How anti-LGBTQ legislation affects patient care access
Navigating rejection, trauma, and safety as a queer provider
Building inclusive systems even in conservative environments
Mentoring others in gender-affirming care
Stories of resilience and healing from the LGBTQ+ community
Understand Why Advocacy Is Urgent—and Personal
Advocacy becomes essential when silence or neutrality contributes to harm. As Dr. Larson notes, the challenges facing LGBTQ+ patients today aren’t theoretical. They’re urgent, life-altering, and unfolding in real time:
“Teens feel safer being homeless in Minnesota than housed in their home states.”
(Referencing the flood of trans youth crossing state lines just to access basic care.)
Know what’s at stake
125+ bills were introduced in 2023 targeting access to gender-affirming care
Over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ laws proposed across the U.S., including ID bans and censorship
Patients are fleeing states like Texas, Florida, and Missouri in search of safer care
Clinicians are leaving, burned out or pushed out of systems hostile to their identities or patients
This crisis impacts everyone in healthcare, because our work is about people. As Dr. Larson puts it:
“Let’s stop talking about culture wars and start talking about basic humanity.”
What You Can Do First
Listen deeply to LGBTQ+ patients and colleagues
Educate yourself on local and national legislation affecting access to care
Normalize asking about pronouns and gender identity
Recognize this isn’t someone else’s issue—it’s about all of us
How to be an Ally in Medicine
Advocacy isn’t always loud.
Sometimes, it’s a quiet signal.
A look. A word. A space that says—you’re safe here.
When asked what one thing clinicians can do today, Dr. Larson answered simply:
“Get a little pin or sticker. Something visible that says: I’m a safe person.”
LGBTQ+ patients are watching for those cues. A progress flag on your ID badge, gender-neutral bathroom signs, or a note in your EHR intake form can be life-changing.
Create visibly inclusive spaces:
Use visual cues like pride flags, stickers, or ally buttons
Include pronouns on your badge and in your email signature
Normalize asking for patients’ names and pronouns during intake
Train your team and front desk on respectful, inclusive language
Even if you feel unsure or imperfect, showing up matters. Patients don’t expect perfection, but they do need to feel seen and safe.
“We made mistakes in our residency, but our patients knew we cared. They told us when we messed up—and they kept coming back.”
Learn the Power of Self-Advocacy
The turning point in Dr. Larson’s story wasn’t a win.
It was a loss.
A close colleague. Gone to suicide. It shook her.
She had been showing up for everyone else—patients, colleagues, the system—but not for herself.
That moment forced a reckoning.
And it changed the way she moved through everything after.
“From that moment on, I never waited to go to the bathroom again. I learned that true advocacy must start with self-advocacy.”
Reframing what advocacy really means
Many women in medicine feel they have to give more, care more, do more to make an impact. But Dr. Larson challenges this idea:
“We think we have to save the world—but not ourselves. That has to change.”
Self-advocacy includes:
Taking breaks without guilt
Saying no to tasks that drain you
Asking for support before crisis hits
Letting go of perfectionism
Seeking therapy or coaching for inner healing
When you protect your well-being, you model something radical: that you matter too. That’s advocacy.
Advocacy is an inside job
After years of burnout and emotional fatigue, Dr. Larson found healing through what she calls “inner work”—a process of therapy, self-reflection, and reconnecting with her most authentic self.
“I did it for my 15-year-old self who wasn’t given a chance,” she shares, recounting a painful memory of being rejected by a partner’s parent as a teen.
The wounds we carry—especially for those of us with marginalized identities—don’t just disappear.
They shape how we lead.
How we care.
How we advocate.
Sometimes, the urge to fix the system comes from a deeper place— trying to heal parts of ourselves that were never seen, never safe.
Ways to start your inner work:
Work with a therapist trained in LGBTQ+ or trauma-informed care
Explore Internal Family Systems (IFS) or parts-based therapy
Use journaling or coaching to process advocacy-related stress
Practice body-based healing: yoga, meditation, breathwork
“When I attend to my parts and my pants, I can do anything,” Dr. Larson jokes—referencing a time she gave a tough talk in sweatpants. But her point is serious: healing lets us keep going.
Embrace Authenticity as Your Greatest Tool
In a moment of surprising calm, surrounded by supportive women physicians at a retreat, Dr. Larson came out as gender fluid. That moment changed her, not because it was dramatic, but because it was real.
“There’s something deeply healing about being your most authentic self. It lights a fire in your soul.”
She now runs Cultivate Pride, a mentorship and consulting platform to help other clinicians create inclusive spaces and learn gender-affirming care.
And her impact? It’s growing. Clinics across the South. Hospitals in red states. Entire systems are transforming—because she showed up as herself.
You can do this, too.
Start by asking:
What part of myself have I been hiding to “fit in” at work?
What advocacy work lights me up—not drains me?
Who do I need to connect with to feel safe showing up more fully?
“When you lead with authenticity, you will transform your world—and your world will transform around you.”
How to Start Your Advocacy Journey
Dr. Anna Larson’s story is more than a talk. It’s a call to action. A reminder that real change starts not with shouting louder, but with standing in your truth and caring for yourself along the way.
Here’s how to start today:
Small Actions to Begin Your Advocacy Journey:
Add pronouns to your badge and intake forms
Put up inclusive signs or stickers in your clinic
Take 10 minutes to reflect on what advocacy means to you
Ask one LGBTQ+ colleague or patient: “What would make this space feel safer?”
You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to care—and be willing to grow.
“At the base, it starts with self-advocacy. And at the top? Authenticity.”
Conclusion: Advocacy Is a Lifelong Practice
If there's one thing you take away from Dr. Anna Larson’s story, it’s this: you don’t have to be anyone but yourself to make a difference. The most powerful advocacy doesn’t come from people who have it all figured out. It comes from those who show up—willing to care, to learn, and to be seen.
Throughout this talk, Dr. Larson reminds us that becoming an advocate isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room or working yourself to the point of collapse. It’s about aligning your inner values with your outward actions. It’s about being a safe person in unsafe systems, and about having the courage to take care of yourself while doing the work.
Let’s revisit the key lessons:
Advocacy begins with awareness.
Understanding the stakes for LGBTQ+ patients—and the emotional toll on inclusive clinicians—is the first step in becoming part of the solution.
You can start small and still make an impact.
A pronoun badge, a welcoming tone, a sign on your door—these signals can save lives and foster trust, especially in communities where inclusion is rare.
Sustainable advocacy requires self-advocacy.
Your ability to make change depends on your ability to protect your own energy, joy, and well-being. You matter just as much as the people you serve.
Your authenticity is your greatest asset.
When you lead from your full, integrated self, you light the way for others to do the same—and together, we create the culture shift our profession so desperately needs.
Next Steps
If your heart is stirred by this message, it’s because there’s something inside you ready to grow. You are already on the path to advocacy simply by being aware, curious, and open. Now, let’s keep moving forward—together.
Here are a few ways to take that next step:
Take Action Today
Choose one visible signal to display in your office or badge
Have a conversation with a colleague about creating inclusive spaces
Reflect on one boundary you need to set to protect your energy
Register for additional training at Learn at Pinnacle to deepen your learning and earn free CME
Start journaling about what authenticity means to you in your medical practice
Remember:
You don’t have to do it all.
You don’t have to do it perfectly.
You just have to start—and keep going, one brave step at a time.
In a time when so many feel afraid, uncertain, or unseen, your voice, your presence, and your advocacy can be a lifeline. Whether you’re holding space for one patient, mentoring a younger clinician, or leading change in your system, you are already shaping the future of medicine.
And if you ever forget your impact, just remember Dr. Larson’s story—of a 15-year-old who needed a safe space, and the doctor she became to create it.
You can do the same. The world needs you. And we’re with you—every step of the way.
