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Political Pride... Don't Walk Away!
Mo and Mautner say,
"Check Your Breasts!"
Mo and Mautner Say, "Check Your Breasts!"
In an innovative approach to early breast cancer detection, the Washington DC-based Mautner Project for Lesbians with Cancer hasteamed up with Dykes to Watch Out For cartoonist Alison Bechdel. Bechdel has provided the art for a bathroom-friendly reminder to women on the importance and technique for breast self-exam. The cards, reproduced here by permission, are included in a kit the Mautner Project is making available to lesbian-friendly inns and bed-and-breakfasts for their guests.
“Lesbian-friendly B&B’s provide a welcoming and safe place for lesbians to relax and be themselves,” said Kathleen DeBold, Executive Director of the Mautner Project. “That makes them the perfect environment for delivering breast health messages geared toward our community.”
Because B&B’s are such an integral part of the lesbian community, “Beds, Breakfasts and Breasts” (the 3-B project) will also help the Mautner Project reach a wider segment of the lesbian population, especially those who are older or closeted. “Older lesbians are at a higher risk for cancer and closeted women are the hardest to reach with lesbian-oriented health messages,” said DeBold. “Many lesbians wouldn’t dream of visiting an lgbt community center or attending a gay pride event in their own towns, for fear of being outed, but they will visit an out-of-town B&B, so that’s where we’ll reach them.”
In addition to educating lesbians about breast cancer risk reduction and screening, the Beds, Breakfasts and Breasts project highlights the services and support available to lesbians with cancer, their partners and caregivers. These range from phone and email support for women who are homebound or geographically isolated, to referrals to lesbian-friendly providers and agencies in local communities. “The Mautner Project exists so that no lesbian has to face the challenges of cancer alone,” says DeBold. “The more women we can reach through the 3-B program, the closer we’ll be to making that a reality.”
The next Mautner Project effort will address the health effects of smoking and will be called “Beds, Breakfasts, and Butts.”