CHECK #3 Bayern

Community
She made really strange and unscientific
claims, like that we have to disinfect
the stool because HIV could pass on
through it. How crazy!"
But P.’s is not a unique case. And even practicing
dentists are not immune from discrimination.
Lorenzo Ianello, for example, worked as
an assistant doctor in a dental clinic in eastern
Berlin. “I am gay and queer and of course I
wanted to inform my friends that they could
be treated with us.” A friend of his, who is trans
and also HIV-positive, came for treatment and
truthfully filled out the admission form. The
staff there were shocked: “They were downright
afraid of having to treat someone with HIV.”
But even after Lorenzo told the team that the
person had been taking medication regularly
for ten years and was therefore not contagious,
his colleagues were not convinced. “I was told
that we could only treat people with HIV at the
end of the day because the equipment needed
special cleaning. I was suspicious, but then I
thought that this is how things were done here."
When another HIV patient was accidentally
booked for a regular appointment, the boss
approached Lorenzo: "She was very aggressive
and told me that it was her clinic and I couldn't
just do what I wanted. She said she was sure
this was the right way to treat people with HIV.
Then I also noticed a kind of homophobia and a
lack of empathy. She made really strange and
unscientific claims such as that we need to
disinfect the chair because HIV could spread
via the surface. How crazy!"
Lorenzo tried to clarify and presented evidence
that people who take their medication regularly
are not contagious. But the dentist did not even
go into hard facts. “She then said that she could
never forgive herself if a child sat on this chair
and then got HIV. Basically she was telling me
that gay and HIV positive people are a threat to
children. I handed in my notice and left."
STRUCTURAL DISCRIMINATION
Unfortunately, LGBTI* and discrimination are
always inextricably linked. Those affected
can’t always advocate for themselves immediately,
partly for fear of further difficulties,
partly because they unfortunately consider
it normal to be treated differently. Discrimination
is not something that just “happens”
to you; it is often structural. Taking action
against it is one of the tasks of a community
that has had to fight for its rights and acceptance
for a long time and still has to do so.
P. is now considering officially reporting the
incident or at least informing his former
doctor's practice about what he has experienced.
Lorenzo will soon open his own dental
practice in Berlin-Schöneberg, in which such
discrimination will have no place. (ts,mb)
www.praxis-florenz.de
In many German cities there are contact points for people who have suffered discrimination
in the health sector. The Federal Government‘s Anti-Discrimination Agency
(www.antidiskriminierungsstelle.de), for example, offers online forms for reporting such
incidents. Community organisations such as the Berlin Network Against Discrimination
(www.lsbti-berlin.de) can also help.
CHECK BAYERN #3
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