Liz Margolies, LCSW

FOUNDER

Liz Margolies, LCSW, founder, has served the LGBT community for 25 years as a psychotherapist, political activist and volunteer before becoming the executive director of the National LGBT Cancer Network.

  • Liz is the co-chair of The NYC Lesbian Cancer Support Consortium, a network of oncology social workers and cancer survivors whose mission is to share resources, improve treatment of LBT survivors in institutions and agencies and reach out to underserved and underinsured LBT survivors in NYC. She is also on the Diversity Outreach Committee of The Young Survival Coalition and a member of The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association

  • Before founding the National LGBT Cancer Network, Liz was the original Coordinator of The Lesbian Cancer Initiative, the first program in NYC devoted exclusively to the needs of lesbians, bisexual women and transgender men and women with cancer. She both developed and directed the program, providing individual counseling, support groups, community outreach and training, advocacy, referrals and large public educational forums.

  • In addition to her cancer and training work, Liz has maintained a private practice in psychotherapy in NYC for over 30 years, specializing in cancer, trauma, loss, sexuality and fertility.

  • In 2014,  Liz was chosen as one of the OUT100 for her work in the LGBT community.

  • In 2020, Liz stepped down from her position as Executive Director but maintains a close relationship with the Network.

Publications

  • Lee, Y. J., Kamen, C., Margolies, L., & Boehmer, U. (2019). Online health community experiences of sexual minority women with cancer. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 759-766.
  • Margolies, L., & Brown, C. G. (2019). Increasing cultural competence with LGBTQ patients. Nursing2019, 49(6), 34-40
  • Kamen, C., Alpert, A., Margolies, L., Griggs, J. J., Darbes, L., Smth-Stoner, M., Lytle, M., Poteat, T.,Scout, NFN, & Norton, S.A. (2018). “Treat Us with Dignity: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences and Recommendations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Patients with Cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer. 1-8
  • Fredman, L., Clark, M., Margolies, L., Winter, M., & Boehmer, U. (2018). Health Of Sexual Minority Women Caring For Adults With Cancer Vs Other Diseases: An Internet Survey. Innovation in Aging, 2(Suppl 1), 273.
  • Margolies, L., & Brown, C. G. (2017, December). Current State of Knowledge About Cancer in Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People. In Seminars in oncology nursing. WB Saunders.
    (Co-Editor of Special Issue)
  • Burkhalter, J. E., Margolies, L., Sigurdsson, H. O., Walland, J., Radix, A., Rice, D., … & Cahill, S. (2016). The National LGBT Cancer Action Plan: A White Paper of the 2014 National Summit on Cancer in the LGBT Communities. LGBT Health, 3(1), 19-31.
  • Kamen, C. S., Smith-Stoner, M., Heckler, C. E., Flannery, M., & Margolies, L. (2015, January). Social support, self-rated health, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identity disclosure to cancer care providers. In Oncology nursing forum (Vol. 42, No. 1, p. 44). NIH Public Access.
  • Margolies, L., & Kamen, C. (2015). Needs of LGBT Cancer Survivors. In Cancer and the LGBT Community (pp. 203-226). Springer International Publishing.
  • Radix, A. (2015, November). National Recommendations for LGBT Individuals Across the Cancer Continuum and Public Health Policy. In 143rd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (October 31-November 4, 2015). APHA.
  • Bare, M. G., Margolies, L., & Boehmer, U. (2014). Omission of sexual and gender minority patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 32(20), 2182-2183.
  • Rubin, L. R., Margolies, L., & Kaschak, E. (2014). Women and Cancer. Women & Therapy, 37(3-4), 198-204.
  • Margolies, L. (2014). The psychosocial needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender patients with cancer. Clinical journal of oncology nursing, 18(4). Winner, best new nursing author, 2014
  • Margolies, L., Joo, R., & McDavid, J. (2014) Best Practices in Creating and Delivering LGBTQ Cultural Competence Trainings for Health and Human Service Agencies, http://www.cancer-network.org/downloads/best_practices.pdf
  • Margolies, L., Scout, LGBT Patient Centered Outcomes: Cancer Survivors Teach Us How to Improve Care For All (2013) http://www.cancer-network.org/downloads/lgbt-patient-centered-outcomes.pdf
  • Pitts, C., Margolies, L., & Leeder, L. (2008). Ethics and activism: Application. Feminist therapy theory and practice: A contemporary perspective, 127-134.
  • Saul, J. A. C. K., Breindel, H. A. L. I., Margolies, L., Hamilton, L. I. N. N. E. A., & Jacobs, N. I. S. I. (2004). Stories from the Ground: A community initiated narrative archive in lower Manhattan post 9/11. Proceeds of the International Oral History Association World Congress, Rome.
  • Margolies, L. (1999). The long goodbye: Women, companion animals, and maternal loss. Clinical Social Work Journal, 27(3), 289-304.
  • Margolies, L., & Leeder, E. (1995). Violence at the Door Treatment of Lesbian Batterers. Violence Against Women, 1(2), 139-157.
  • Margolies, L. (1990). Cracks in the frame: Feminism and the boundaries of therapy. Women & Therapy, 9(4), 19-35.
  • Margolies, L., Becker, M., & Jackson-Brewer, K. (1987). Internalized homophobia: Identifying and treating the oppressor within. Lesbian psychologies: Explorations and challenges, 229, 241. Winner; AWP Distinguished Book Award, 1988