Today, June 28, is LGBTIAQ+ Pride Day, a day to claim the rights of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, to receive respectful and fair treatment. Scientific research also has a duty to foster an inclusive environment that combats bias and takes diversity into account, both in research teams and decision-making, as well as in the content of the research itself. 

At IDIBELL, we are proud to announce that this month the negotiating table for the first IDIBELL LGBTIAQ+ Plan has been constituted. It is currently in its first phase, the diagnostic phase, in which we will collect the opinions and perceptions of the Institute’s members through a survey. Additionally, IDIBELL is inviting members to join the new Queer group, a meeting space for the LGBTIAQ+ community. This group aims to organize activities and events and actively contribute to advancing the new LGBTIAQ+ Plan. So far, the group has already welcomed 20 members and several meetings have taken place. 

Finally, as we did last year, IDIBELL distributes badges with the Pride flag to all members who wish to wear them, providing an easy and enjoyable way to give visibility and support to this community on a daily basis. 

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a biomedical research center created in 2004. It is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.

IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).