In partnership with the office of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel, the city's Department of Public Health has unveiled a comprehensive LGBT action plan to address the community's varying needs. Details follow. 

On Friday the CDPH and Office of the Mayor released a citywide LGBT Community Action Plan that seeks to tackle discrepancies the city's gay community faces in health care. 

Of the 22 strategies outlined in the "Healthy Chicago" plan, ThinkProgress highlights a few notable mentions:

• Promote the collection of sexual orientation data in electronic medical records and encourage researchers focused on LGBT health to share findings and develop new LGBT health research.
• Improve the tracking of hate crimes against transgender persons, publicize resources for reporting violence, and conduct outreach on strategies to avoid violence.
• Develop cultural competency training to help educate health care providers, employers and educators on the health needs of the LGBT community.
• Increase tobacco cessation efforts in the LGBT community to address the high prevalence of smoking, which is at 30 percent, 12 percentage points higher than the 18 percent of the overall population.
• Promote inclusion of same sex couples in programs aimed at healthy pregnancies, childbirth and early childhood health.

Said Mayor Rahm Emmanuel of the action plan, "Chicago’s strength is in the diversity of its communities and I am committed to ensuring that all Chicagoans have access to the care and information they need to live healthy lives and contribute fully to the vibrancy of our city.”

"We have come a long way," added openly gay 44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney. "We still have a long way to go, but this is a step in the right direction."

Those behind the plan hope it succeeds as a model for implementation around the country.

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