Cheeky Charity: Q&A on LGBTQ+ Colorectal Cancer Awareness
Written by Julie Woon, MSJ
Based on an interview with David Russo (Executive Director) and Andrew Wortmann (Director of Development) from the YMyHealth podcast.
What is Cheeky Charity?
David Russo: Cheeky Charity is a national nonprofit that started in 2021, focused on awareness and support for LGBTQ+ people going through colorectal and anal cancer. It began when I discovered that colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death, and I noticed there wasn't much awareness targeting the LGBTQ community specifically. I started with just an Instagram profile, posting photos from national parks along with PSAs for colorectal cancer, and it's grown into what we are today.
Why focus specifically on the LGBTQ+ community?
David Russo: There are several reasons. From a healthcare perspective, our community faces challenges like minority stress and difficulty feeling comfortable in healthcare settings, especially in certain demographics and geographical locations. But beyond the challenges, there are also advantages - the LGBTQ community is large, loud, energetic, and interconnected. We love helping each other, we're strong-willed and committed, both nationally and globally.
Andrew Wortmann: When you're in a space with other people who have experienced something similar, certain conversations happen more naturally. Topics like sexual health and sexual function are different for the LGBTQ community. If you've got rectal cancer and things are different "down there," people often freeze up talking about it. But everyone has a butt, everyone's doing stuff with it - so why aren't we talking about it?
What misconceptions exist about colorectal cancer in the LGBTQ+ community?
Andrew Wortmann: One major issue we encounter is educating providers. Being gay or having anal sex is not equivalent to getting rectal or colon cancer. We've heard of people being gaslit by their doctors who say, "You don't have cancer, you're just having rough sex." That's completely wrong, and we're working to course-correct these myths and biases.
David Russo: On the patient side, people aren't always aware of the health effects of receptive anal sex, or whether there's a correlation to colorectal cancer - and everything we've seen shows there isn't one. However, our community should know that anal cancer is caused by HPV, which is an STI that can be prevented with vaccination and screened for, especially in HIV-positive individuals.
What are the current screening guidelines?
David Russo: For colorectal cancer, screening starts at age 45. Since it can take 6-12 months to get a colonoscopy appointment, if you're 44 and a half or just turning 44, start talking to your primary care doctor about getting set up.
There are three main screening options:
FIT test: At-home stool test, done annually
FIT DNA test (like Cologuard): More comprehensive stool test, done every three years
Colonoscopy: The gold standard, done every 10 years if clear (or more frequently if issues are found)
If you have a family history, the general rule is to start screening 10 years before your relative was diagnosed, or talk to your doctor about the specific timing.
How can patients advocate for themselves?
David Russo: Be open and honest with your doctor about symptoms. Don't write things off, hoping they're not serious. However, there's an important distinction between preventative and diagnostic screening. Preventative screening (when you have no symptoms) is typically covered by insurance with no copay. But if you have symptoms, it becomes diagnostic, which often means paying deductibles and copays, potentially around $1,000 out of pocket.
Andrew Wortmann: If your doctor isn't listening to you, find another doctor. There are so many doctors willing to help you get the care you need. Do not take no for an answer - it's just not worth it.
David Russo: If you're struggling financially but feel strongly that something is wrong, trust your body, you know it better than anyone, and reach out to colorectal advocacy organizations. If they don't have financial support directly, they'll help you find it.
One of Cheeky Charity’s many creative and humoristic images on an Instagram post designed to provide health information and awareness.
How do you balance humor with such a serious topic?
Andrew Wortmann: Humor has magic to it - people let their guard down almost immediately. Once you get that safe space where people laugh, you can get them to open up. We use humor as the tip of the iceberg to get people engaged, then there are layers underneath of getting them to act and get involved.
David Russo: People don't want to talk about serious topics, so we create something fun and engaging to get them to listen. It also helps create a story for them to tell others. Instead of a generic cancer booth at a festival, we create an experience that people go home and talk about - and that story includes our message about colorectal and anal cancer.
What we've found through our support groups is that patients going through this want that levity and humor. They want a reprieve from the seriousness. There should be organizations focused on different approaches - some serious, some providing outlets for anger - and we happen to be the one creating levity.
What are your main programs and future goals?
David Russo: We've developed several key programs:
Pride Festivals: We use these not just for one-time interactions, but to build lasting relationships with local LGBT centers, HIV advocacy organizations, and other community groups for ongoing partnerships.
Butts and Badges: Launched in March for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, where we ask patient-facing staff at medical clinics to wear our heart-shaped butt pins next to their badges to spark conversations about screening. We had 700 patient-facing staff request pins, and we're planning to expand this significantly for 2026.
Community Surveys: We're launching two surveys - one for the general LGBTQ community about their understanding of cancer screenings (colorectal, anal, breast, cervical, lung, and HPV knowledge), and another for LGBTQ+ people who have been diagnosed with cancer about their experiences from screening through survivorship.
Andrew Wortmann: The big picture is finding ways to get the community connected to these programs, then take them back into their local communities to implement them there.
How can people get involved?
Andrew Wortmann: Visit our website at cheekycharity.org, which has everything you need to know. You can also find us on Instagram at @cheekycharity - that's our main social media platform. We're on Facebook and other platforms too, but Instagram is where we're most active.
Want to hear more from David and Andrew, check out the YMyHealth podcast!