The Mautner Project is a national organization in the United States dedicated to improving the health of

lesbians A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

and other women who partner with women (WPW). It was founded in 1990 and it is based in Washington, D.C. It provides direct services, engages in community outreach and health education campaigns, trains health care professionals to deliver culturally competent care, and raises awareness of lesbian and WPW health issues.

Programs and services

The Mautner Project coordinates resources for lesbians and WPW facing illness. They can assist women with finding culturally competent health care, accessing care, and identifying support resources. Mautner Project also offers direct services for women, such as transportation to doctor appointments and support groups for WPW facing illness, the death of a loved one, or caregiving. The Removing the Barriers Program created by the Mautner Project is a training program designed to educate and bring awareness to healthcare providers about the healthcare needs of WPW. The Mautner Project also started the S.H.E. Circle, which is the first national health education program focused on African American WPW. Local S.H.E. Circles are information networks where African American lesbian and bisexual women can learn about health issues, ask questions, share information, connect with resources, and provide support to each other. The Mautner Project is able to provide health information to women and raises awareness of lesbian and WPW health issues via its website, information requests, and participation in community events.

History

The Mautner Project was founded in 1990 following the death of Mary-Helen Mautner in 1989 of breast cancer. Shortly before her death, Mautner asked her partner, Susan Hester, to start an organization that could help other lesbians facing the overwhelming challenges of life-threatening illnesses. The Mautner Project has engaged in the following collaborations: * National Lesbian-Feminist Health Coalition projects (founded and facilitated) *

National Breast Cancer Coalition The National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) is a grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations us ...

(co-founded, serves onboard) * Training for the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georg ...

(CDC) and other agencies of the

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...

on culturally competent care for lesbians, bisexual and transgender women * HEALING WORKS!: The National Conference on Lesbians and Cancer (founded and organized) * Coming Out Of Cancer: Voices From The Lesbian Cancer Epidemic (Partnered with more than one hundred health organizations across the country to raise awareness of LGBT concerns related to cancer) * National Policy Roundtable * Lesbian Kisses (partnered with Mazzoni Center and The Safeguards Project) * LGBTQ-NS Campaign (leading collaboration within the DC Tobacco-Free Families Campaign): smoking cessation campaign designed to engage LGBTQ community members. In September 2009, the Mautner Project was asked by the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

to send a client to sit with First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

during President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

's September 9 address to a joint session of Congress regarding health care reform.

Community partnerships

Mautner Project has formed multiple community partnerships to fulfill its mission. These partnerships include: * DC Vote * Capital Pride *

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more tha ...

References

External links

Records of the Mautner Project, 1989-2010: A Finding Aid.
http://www.radcliffe.edu/schles Schlesinger Library] , Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
Video collection of the Mautner Project, 1990-2006: A Finding Aid.
http://www.radcliffe.edu/schles Schlesinger Library] {{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509153246/http://www.radcliffe.edu/schles , date=2012-05-09 , Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. Lesbian organizations in the United States Lesbian culture in Washington, D.C.