Pride in paramedicine: being an LGBTQ+ paramedic

I am a gay paramedic working in the emergency medical services in Ecuador. So what is it like being a healthcare provider and a member of the LGBTQ+ community in Ecuador? Well, I can tell you about my experience.

I realised I was attracted to men from a very young age. When I left high school, I knew I wanted to become a healthcare provider but I hadn’t decided whether I wanted to become an in- or out-of-hospital medic. At first, I went to medical school where my life became complicated as I faced disrespectful and intolerant medics as professors. I wondered, ‘how could all those years of studying in university not stretch their minds beyond their old-fashioned views about sexual diversity?

Defeated, I dropped out of medical school. Instead, I decided to try my luck in paramedicine school. People here were extremely different— open-minded and kind. I was on my way to becoming a paramedic and I even started dating someone. We used to study together before exams.