Early Roots and Incorporation (1997–1999)
The National LGBT Cancer Project traces its origins back to the late 1990s. In 1997, oncology social worker Darryl Mitteldorf began facilitating a support group in New York City for gay men with prostate cancer[1]. This pioneering group – one of the first worldwide to address LGBTQ+ cancer survivorship – quickly grew into a wider network of support groups for gay, bisexual, and transgender women.
By 1998, this effort had coalesced into Malecare Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted to men’s cancer support and advocacy. Malecare was formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 1999, establishing an official platform to expand these support programs nationwide. Importantly, Malecare’s early mission included serving underserved populations; its programs were the first to explicitly focus on LGBTQ+ cancer survivors.
Launch of the First National LGBT Cancer Project (2005)
Building on Malecare’s foundation, Mitteldorf and colleagues envisioned a program to support all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer cancer patients – not just men. In 2005, Malecare launched The National LGBT Cancer Project, originally branded “Out With Cancer,” the world’s first national LGBTQ+ cancer survivor support and advocacy organization . Our initiative created a unified, nationwide platform at a time when LGBTQ+ cancer support was previously limited to scattered local or disease-specific groups.
The National LGBT Cancer Project introduced multiple programs to serve the community. It established an informational website and the Out With Cancer online network, which is noted as the world’s first online support group for LGBTQ cancer survivors. The project organized in-person support groups, an online cancer survivor social network, and advocacy efforts to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ cancer issues. Bringing the entire LGBTQ community together under one umbrella of support and advocacy enabled greater impact than the many small individual support groups that had sprung up across the country. In essence, 2005 saw the birth of the world’s first truly inclusive cancer organization serving all LGBTQ+ patients and survivors.
Timeline of Key Events:
– 1997: Darryl Mitteldorf forms a gay men’s prostate cancer support group in NYC, planting the seeds for an LGBTQ-focused cancer initiative.
– 1998: Malecare Inc. is founded as a nonprofit men’s cancer support and advocacy organization. In 2005, Malecare launched the National LGBT Cancer Project, originally known as Out With Cancer, as the first national advocacy and support program for all LGBTQ+ cancer survivors The OutWithCancer.org website goes live, providing the first online LGBTQ cancer survivor support community. Incorporated as a New York State nonprofit corporation in 2007.
The National LGBT Cancer Project – A Clarity Statement
The National LGBT Cancer Project was born from grassroots support group work and focuses on direct patient support and advocacy. It provides peer-support services for survivors and caregivers, runs support groups (in-person and online), and engages in advocacy and research initiatives tailored to LGBTQ+ people with cancer. For example, the Project’s Out With Cancer program connects LGBTQ+ survivors through an online community and local meet-ups, helping them find peer support and share resources. The Project also partners with mainstream cancer organizations to facilitate LGBTQ-sensitive support programming. Its mission is to “raise awareness and diminish the threat of cancer in the LGBT community, worldwide, through research, education, survivor support and advocacy”. The National LGBT Cancer Project works on the front lines with patients and survivors, fostering community and addressing the psychosocial needs of LGBTQ people facing cancer.
Note: The National LGBT Cancer Network is a separate group formed as a Delaware corporation in 2008, well after the National LGBT Cancer Project (Out With Cancer). It was started by a social worker who, years prior, had been rejected for a job with the National LGBT Cancer Project (Out With Cancer).
LGBTQ+ individuals with cancer faced unique challenges and gaps in support. The National LGBT Cancer Project disrupts problems of “stove-piping” in our community, where support is fragmented by gender or orientation, by advocating for more unified and inclusive services.
Asserting Historical Precedence with Clarity
From a historical perspective, it is clear that the National LGBT Cancer Project (Out With Cancer) holds the distinction of being the first national LGBTQ+ cancer organization to serve the full spectrum of patients and survivors. The project was founded and active by 2005, providing nationwide support and advocacy before any other comparably broad LGBTQ cancer nonprofit existed. Public records and contemporaneous reports substantiate this timeline. These facts underscore that the National LGBT Cancer Project/Out With Cancer was the trailblazer, was established well before others, and paved the way for LGBTQ+ cancer support on a national scale. Statements that other organizations predated our founding are false and/or misleading.
It is important to emphasize that this clarification of dates is not meant to pit organizations against each other, but to record an accurate history of LGBTQ+ cancer advocacy. Puffery, smoke and mirrors, and self-aggrandizement are toxic and harm the community we serve. The National LGBT Cancer Project pioneered direct support networks and highlighted psychosocial oncology needs for LGBTQ survivors (even coining a new field of “gay psycho-oncology” in academic research).
For cancer support professionals and media audiences, our organization’s story is a testament to the power of advocacy and community. It began with one support group in 1997 and grew into a national movement by the mid-2000s. By understanding this timeline, we not only honor the legacy of those who laid the groundwork but also celebrate how far the LGBTQ+ cancer community has come – from isolated support circles to a nationwide network of hope and empowerment.