LGBTQIA+ Folx: Why you (and everyone you know) should have an Advance Health Care Directive

Originally published by the Riverside County Law Library.

In honor of Pride Month, Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS), a nonprofit legal services organization serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, is offering free legal programming for the LGBTQIA+ community, including an Advance Health Care Clinic on June 8, 2023, connecting eligible people with an attorney to receive info and help with preparing an Advanced Health Care Directive (AHCD) — a legal document recording your wishes about medical treatment in case you become ill or unable to make decisions yourself.

Without an Advance Health Care Directive, there is a risk that medical decisions will be made by people who do not respect your name, gender identity, who you want in your hospital room, and other medical desires, which can be particularly damaging to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In addition to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community (as we all should), Pride Month is a good time to reflect on legal topics that could help us promote wellness and authentic living. Working on your own Advance Health Care Directive is a good step; for more information, please take a few seconds to submit an inquiry form: Https://Bit.ly/AHCDClinic.

Also, ICLS continues to offer a Name & Gender Marker Change Clinic, providing free legal guidance regarding the process to update your name and/or gender marker to reflect your gender identity, and free assistance with the court forms and filing. If you’re interested, please complete the inquiry form: https://www.inlandlegal.org/name-and-gender-marker-correction-clinic-interest-form/.

For more information about ICLS’s services, please visit ICLS’s website: https://www.inlandlegal.org. If you have any questions, please also feel free to reach out to Matt Kugizaki at (951) 320-7516 or mkugizaki@icls.org.

Disclaimer: This material is a legal advertisement and has been prepared for informational purposes only. Simply registering for, or attending, a clinic or informational webinar does not automatically create an attorney-client relationship with the ICLS or any participating attorneys.

ICLS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and receives federal, state, and local county funding. Funders include the Legal Services Corporation, State Bar of California Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), State Bar of California Equal Access Funds, San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services and Riverside County Office on Aging. A full list of current funders is available upon request. See https://www.inlandlegal.org.

Written by: Matt Kugizaki, Inland Counties Legal Services