Come One, Come All

In the late ‘80s, during the height of the AIDS crisis, a small group of friends met in the basement of the King of Peace Metropolitan Community Church in St. Petersburg, Florida to organize biannual formal cocktail parties in hopes of raising money for programs to assist those living with HIV and/or AIDS. These programs initially included counseling sessions and case management services for AIDS patients, food assistance, and SDIA—Pinellas County’s first AIDS support group.

In 1992, the group registered Metropolitan Charities, Inc. as an official 501(c)(3) non-pro t organization and eventually outgrew King of Peace’s church building, necessitating a move across the street into their own designated building and LGBTQ+ community center. This space became known as Metro Wellness and Community Centers, which later rebranded to Metro Inclusive Health.

The AIDS epidemic may have peaked in the early ‘90s but it certainly didn’t go away. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US saw 34,800 new cases of HIV infections in 2019. Florida alone claimed 4,400 of those cases, averaging 23.7 diagnosed HIV cases per 100,000 people. According to the Florida Department of Health, almost 60% of those diagnosed identified as gay men.

As Metropolitan Charities continued to work with HIV clients, they quickly realized that HIV wasn’t the only issue negatively impacting the LGBTQ+ community.

According to a report released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, LGBTQ+ people are more likely to report that their health is “fair” or “poor” versus non-LGBTQ+ people, who are more likely to report that their health is “good” or “excellent.”

Unfortunately, according to the same report, LGBTQ+ people were also more likely to be in a lower income demographic and more likely to be employed part-time, leading to decreased likelihood of health insurance coverage and therefore less access to healthcare.

The report stated that those LGBTQ+ people who were able to access medical care often reported negative experiences with healthcare providers, including cases in which the patient felt the healthcare provider completely dismissed their concerns and/or personally blamed the patient for a health problem. Some patients even reported that the healthcare provider didn’t believe they were telling the truth about their reported health issue.

The transgender community faces its own specific health and healthcare provider-related issues. The Center for American Progress states in a report released in August 2021 that, “In addition to poorer health outcomes, transgender people also encounter unique challenges and inequalities in their ability to access health insurance and adequate care.”

As the need for compassionate, inclusive healthcare became apparent, Metropolitan Charities/Metro Inclusive Health expanded its HIV-specific case management and support services to include over 100 health and wellness services for the greater Tampa Bay LGBTQ+ community. Through the organization’s “Copay It Forward’’ program, previous annual cocktail party fundraisers, and sliding scale self-pay options based on patient income, no one is turned away due to inability to pay. Offices are in St. Petersburg, Tampa, New Port Richey, and Clearwater.

metro inclusive health services

Metro offers primary medical care, comprehensive onsite lab and STI testing, pharmacy services, HIV prevention and treatment (including PrEP [pre-exposure prophylaxis] and nPEP [non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis] prescriptions), trans health services (including counseling, legal aid, and HRT [hormone replacement therapy]), community programs and support groups, educational programs, substance misuse prevention programs, and diversity training.

Additionally, Metro patients can use their smartphone or computer to access TeleHealth and TeleTherapy appointments for primary care as well as mental health and psychiatric services. Prescriptions can then be delivered or mailed out. After the virtual appointment, patients can use the Metro Patient Portal and Healow app to message their healthcare provider, access their lab results, and even request prescription refills, all from the comfort of home.

TeleHealth services can be life-saving for patients with limited mobility due to illness and other health issues, as well as those with limited access to transportation.

The virtual services can also help to slow the spread of infectious disease.

“TeleHealth services were already in place at Metro before Covid hit,” says Topher Larkin, Metro’s LGBTQ+ and Marketing Services Manager. “But our patients definitely started using it more during the pandemic.”

The Metro Mobile Health Unit is another way to get much needed medical services, including lab tests and prescriptions, to patients who may not otherwise have access to care. The fully-equipped van sets up shop in various locations around Pinellas County, including churches, college campuses, recreation centers, and community neighborhoods hit hardest by HIV. An appointment takes about an hour and may include a rapid HIV test, a TeleHealth appointment from inside the van with one of Metro’s healthcare providers, and even a prescription for PrEP—a daily pill that is 99% effective in preventing HIV.

While Metro’s inclusive and compassionate medical care may attract the attention of Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community, its support groups, programs, and events are what make it feel like family. Weekly, bi-monthly, and monthly support groups for LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 17, young adults 18+, elders ages 50+ (SAGE), and those who identify as trans and non-binary are offered virtually through Zoom and Discord apps.

Metro also offers community aid services, referrals, and programs for pregnant people (through their TOPWA program) and those needing assistance with obtaining food and/or emergency financial assistance to help with rent and housing expenses.

the metro lgbtq welcome center

Located in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District, the Metro LGBTQ Welcome Center serves as a safe community space for locals and visitors to enjoy a cup of coffee, purchase Pride merchandise, learn about things to do in the area, and nd places to stay throughout the Tampa Bay area.

while metro’s inclusive and compassionate medical care may attract the attention of tampa bay’s lgbtq+ community, its support groups, programs, and events are what make it feel like family.

Pre-Covid, the center also hosted Metro’s various support groups and educational programs, though many of those activities have now gone virtual.

The center’s website, lgbtqwelcomecenter.org, serves as a comprehensive online travel resource, listing local LGBTQ-friendly restaurants, bars, retail stores, local attractions, and more.

Local businesses and organizations can become supporting Welcome Center Members for an annual fee and receive perks such as a website business listing, access to “Members Only” social events at the center, and even a free coffee. Single, family, and corporate memberships are also available.

introducing inclusivitea.

Also in the Grand Central District is Metro’s newest darling, inclusivitea., a WIFI café serving coffee, tea, and mocktails, and a sex-positive retail shop selling higher-end sex toys and personal care products, as well as Pride merchandise and gifts.

“[Inclusivitea.] is more than just a sex shop,” Topher Larkin explains. “It’s an extension of the services Metro already provides to the community. It’s about destigmatizing the message of sexual health and having a more positive attitude towards it all.”

Two medical exam rooms, a waiting area, and healthcare personnel on site make it quick and easy to get tested for HIV and other STIs, obtain a prescription for PrEP, and receive information about prevention and treatment.

donations and volunteers needed

With the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly halting Metro’s main fundraisers, donations and volunteers are more important than ever.

In November of 2019, Metro Inclusive Health hosted its Annual Cocktail Party with lead performance by international recording artist Deborah Cox. Attendees were treated to an open bar, delicious hors d’oeuvres, and a dazzling dance floor under the stars. According to an announcement posted on Metro’s official Facebook page, the fundraiser brought in nearly $110,000 for Metro Inclusive Health’s “life-changing and affirming LGBTQ+ programming.”

Then came Covid-19, and the 2020 Annual Cocktail Party was cancelled along with all future fundraising events, until further notice.

Metro Inclusive Health depends on its fundraisers to o set the costs of its sliding-scale fees for medical services, its educational programs and community support groups, and its community aid services.

Until fundraising events are once again given the go-ahead, Metro Inclusive Health will be relying solely on donations, volunteers, and the Co-Pay It Forward program.

You can help.

Your gift can be as simple as visiting the Metro LGBTQ Welcome Center and/or Inclusivitea. and purchasing a coffee or gift; or it can be as complex as volunteering to welcome patients as they walk into any of Metro’s health centers, or write marketing content for Metro’s social media outreach pages. Volunteer options are many and more information can be found at metrotampabay.org/ community/metro-volunteer-opportunities/.

You can also make a one-time or recurring donation. Contact James Keane at JamesK@MetroTampaBay. org or check out Metro’s “Giving” page at their website here: metrotampabay.org/give.

Last but hardly least, you can give back to Metro by becoming a patient and using your health insurance’s normal copay to “CoPay It Forward”—an innovative program allowing Metro Inclusive Health to utilize copay funds to provide deeply discounted and even free healthcare services to un- and under-insured patients, as well as counseling, support programs, and aid to people in need.

With your help, Metro Inclusive Health will continue to provide support and services for the wellbeing of Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community members and their families.