Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is promoting the city's plan for addressing the health needs of the gay community, Chicago Phoenix reported.

“Chicago's strength is in the diversity of its communities,” Emanuel said. “And I am committed to ensuring all Chicagoans have access to the care and information they need to live healthy lives and contribute fully to the vibrancy of our city.”

The plan, developed by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), is part of the city's Healthy Chicago initiative.

The LGBT Community Action Plan unveiled Friday targets 22 areas of health disparities.

“Chicagoans in communities across the city face similar health concerns, but there are clear disparities in health status among the city's diverse LGBT community that require specific strategies to target and address these concerns,” said Dr. Bechara Choucair, commissioner of the CDPH.

The plan identifies three major priorities: promote the collection of sexual orientation data in electronic medical records, improve the tracking of hate crimes against transgender persons, and increase tobacco cessation efforts in the LGBT community to address the high prevalence of smoking.

The city also wants to promote the inclusion of gay couples in programs aimed at healthy pregnancies and conduct outreach on strategies to avoid violence.