Pride In Our Health

March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility! In our second TDOV episode, we interview Matt Palmer, Fenway Health's Special Events Coordinator. Matt is a proud trans man who loves coffee, the outdoors, books, movies, and animals. He started his career at Fenway as the Community Educator and Recruiter for The Fenway Institute and now he works as the Development Special Events Coordinator. Matt shares his story as a trans man and talks about the important role of trans representation.

March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), which commemorates the achievements and resilience of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people around the world, including our own staff, patients, and supporters. For Fenway Health and our Trans Health Program, it is also a time to reaffirm our commitment to providing comprehensive, compassionate healthcare and services to all members of the TGD community. In honor of TDOV, we will be posting two new episodes. In the first one, we interview Steph DeNormand (They/Them), the Manager of the Trans Health Program at Fenway Health and a chapter author for Transgender and Gender Diverse Health Care: The Fenway Guide. Steph’s focus throughout their education and academic work has been on queer and trans theory and intersections with feminist pedagogy and medical ethics. They have been working with trans and gender diverse communities their entire professional career, and continue their community and academic work through writing, conferences, and community-driven events. In their position at Fenway Health, Steph has had the privilege of working directly with hundreds of trans and gender-diverse community members in navigating healthcare systems, while simultaneously engaging in the creation and management of educational and support structures for care teams working in the field. The overarching goal of this work is improving the health and wellbeing of all trans and gender diverse people. Tune in for our second Transgender Day of Visibility episode on Sunday, March 31.

The Pride in our Health Podcast is BACK! February 7, is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day–a day dedicated to raising awareness of the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black Americans and the importance of increasing access to HIV education, testing, treatment, and prevention services. Today’s guest is Kelvin Powell, Laboratory Research Assistant at the Fenway Institute. Kelvin Powell is excited to be back at the Fenway Institute, where he is currently working with the Biomedical Research team aiding with Laboratory and Recruitment support on several NIH study grants and COVID-19 Vaccine Trials. Kelvin has experience with educating the community on research by informing the community of latest practices within prevention and biomedical research by breaking down myths about research within the communities of color. Intro and Outro music: https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-good-vibe-resonance-165302/ Fenway Health Board of Director Application: https://tr.ee/ulQQJ2qJK_ The Pryde Housing Lottery Application: https://www.pennrose.com/apartments/massachusetts/pryde-the/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=application-announcement

We have a special treat for you this week. Fenway Health Obstetrician and Gynecologist Supraja Rajagopalan is one half of Gyn & Tonic, a podcast featuring intimate convos with your Gynecologist besties. Every Thursday, Supraja and her best friend Sara address the questions you wish you could ask your OB/GYN over drinks. Have a question you’d like them to address? DM @gynandtonicpodcast or email gynandtonicpodcast@gmail.com (no personal medical advice but lots of bestie advice). Co-hosted by Sara and Supraja Music: Floating Abstract by ComaStudio. Find them anywhere you listen to your podcasts https://gynandtonicpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

On June 10, 2023, Boston will celebrate Pride Month with a citywide parade for the first time since 2019. It’s been four years after the COVID-19 pandemic first shuttered Pride celebrations and two years since Boston Pride leadership chose to dissolve the organization amid community criticism over a lack of BIPOC and transgender inclusion. Now, Pride is back with a new name – Boston Pride For The People – and a new mission: To make a Pride celebration that is truly for the entire community. Let’s find out more about what’s in store for this June. Today’s guest is Adrianna Boulin, Director of Community Impact & Engagement at Fenway Health and the newly appointed president of Boston Pride For The People.

From the long search for an HIV cure to the recent breakthroughs in COVID-19 vaccines, clinical trials have always been a critical part of the response to any public health crisis. People who volunteer for groundbreaking vaccine trials are helping make the future healthier for all of us. But what happens when the communities who need these vaccines the most are left out of their development? How we do address the racial and socioeconomic barriers that create inequities in medical research trials? Let’s find out. Today’s guest is Dr. Kathryn Stephenson, Director of the Clinical Trials Unit at Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

In recent years, the use of antibodies in vaccines has expanded beyond medical journals and scientific papers to become a topic of mainstream news. The COVID-19 pandemic created intense public interest in the power of antibodies. But long before COVID became a household name, researchers began exploring the potential for highly potent proteins known as broadly neutralizing antibodies to help end a much older epidemic: HIV. Today’s guest is Dr. Boris Juelg, Principal Investigator at the BIDMC Center for Virology and Vaccine Research, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Physician at the MGH Division of Infectious Diseases, and Associate Member of the Ragon Institute.

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise public awareness about the impact of breast cancer, show support for those affected by the disease, and encourage regular preventative screenings, such as mammograms. Breast cancer can affect anyone, regardless of sex assigned at birth or gender identity. Studies have shown that LGBTQIA+ people have disproportionately high rates of breast cancer. Many people in the queer and trans community avoid regular medical care, including cancer screenings, due to fears and experiences of discrimination or misgendering in health care settings. This can lead to missed diagnoses and poorer health outcomes. In today’s episode, we’ll look at ways providers and LGBTQIA+ patients can work together to fight breast cancer. Today’s guest is Nandini Choudhury, Reproductive Health Equity Specialist at Fenway Health.

In recent weeks, media reports on monkeypox - a rare pox virus typically carried by rodents in Central and Western Africa - have skyrocketed as unusual outbreaks have occurred in Europe, North America, Israel, and Australia. With monkeypox now declared to be a global health emergency, public concern is high. This is particularly true in the LGBTQ community, due to the majority of cases being reported around gay and bisexual men. While raising public awareness around monkeypox is important, there has also been a lot of misinformation being put out around how this disease is spread and who is at risk. On today’s episode, we’ll be sharing with you the facts about monkeypox. Today’s guest is Dr. Sean Cahill, Director of Health Policy Research at The Fenway Institute.

Since the early 1990s, Fenway Health’s annual fundraising galas have been cornerstones of the greater Boston LGBTQIA+ community’s social calendar. The Dinner Party, created in 1992, was a formal and fun evening to raise vital funding for Fenway, to shine a spotlight on women’s health, and to throw a fabulous celebration of LBTQIA+ women and honor their many contributions to health care for all. Two years later, Fenway Men’s Event was launched. This celebration of philanthropy and community soon became one of the hottest nights out for Boston’s LGBTQIA+ community and its allies. Tens of thousands have danced, dined, laughed, and enjoyed our signature events over the years, and we couldn’t be more thankful to you all. After two years of virtual events due to COVID-19, the Men’s Event and Dinner Party have been reborn as one spectacular evening of celebration and community. The inaugural Fenway Health Gala will be held May 24 at historic Fenway Park. The Dinner Party and the Men’s Event are cherished parts of Fenway Health history, and we are excited to see their legacies live on through the Gala. Today’s guests are Taylor Brown and Mary Beth McInerney. Taylor and Mary Beth are Co-Chairs of this year’s Fenway Health Gala. Taylor is also a former Men’s Event Co-Chair, and Mary Beth is a former Dinner Party Co-Chair.

In 2015, nearly 28,000 people took the US Trans Survey, the largest survey of trans folks ever in the US. It was a major milestone in the collection of data on the lived experiences of a community that has been historically been both under and misrepresented in this country. Much has happened since then. There have been some incredible victories in the fight for transgender and gender diverse rights. Unfortunately, there have also been many attacks on this community, from physical violence against individuals to legislative discrimination targeting the daily lives of trans folks, particularly youth. Now more than ever, it's important to ensure that the voices of transgender and gender diverse people are heard and counted. The 2022 US Trans Survey aims to do just that. Let’s learn more. Today’s guest is Alex del Rosario, Outreach Manager for the US Trans Survey at the National Center for Transgender Equality. To take the US Trans Survey, please visit ustranssurvey.org.

Right now, the United States is seeing an unprecedented number of anti-transgender legislation being introduced and signed into law. These hateful bills use disinformation and scare tactics to paint a wildly inaccurate picture of trans and gender diverse people, and directly attack the life-saving care that these populations need. Part of the reason why they’re being successful is that much of America – and far too much of the medical community – is still woefully uninformed when it comes to gender-affirming care. In response to the growing need for more comprehensive and compassionate care models, The Fenway Institute has published the first case-based textbook to address the comprehensive health care needs of transgender and gender diverse adults. Today’s guests are Dr. Jennifer Potter and Dr. Alex Keuroghlian.

Over the past two years, America has in many ways been forced to look itself in the mirror. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare widespread health care inequities and the devastating impact they have on low-income and BIPOC communities. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, and so many other Black folks at the hands of police sparked not just nationwide protests, but a long overdue reckoning with the racism embedded in our society and in our systems of power. In June of 2021, Fenway Health made a bold announcement: As part of its new Strategic Plan, the 50-year-old community health center is making a commitment to being an anti-racist organization. This resolution included the publication of a Racial Action Equity Plan, designed by a team of employees from across Fenway to ensure that racial equity is being addressed in all facets of the organization. But what does it mean to not just denounce racism, but to really commit to the work of anti-racism every day? Today, we’ll be speaking with two members of the team that drafted Fenway’s Racial Equity Action Plan to learn more. Today’s guests are Adrianna Boulin, Manager of Community Engagement, and Tfawa Haynes, Coordinator of Group Psychotherapy Services.

December 1 marks World AIDS Day, a time to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and honor those we have lost to the epidemic. In the early days of the AIDS crisis, many of our friends, family, co-workers, and other loved ones were suffering and dying from this horrible disease. Fear and discrimination were prevalent—even in health care—and those with HIV/AIDS had limited options. Today, thanks to incredible advancements in medical treatment, HIV is largely considered to be a manageable chronic illness. But even now, 40 years after the first diagnosis, marginalized people continue to be most at risk for both contracting and dying from AIDS. People who use injection drugs and people who are unstably housed are among the most vulnerable – and the least likely to access medical care. The team at Fenway Health’s AIDS Action Green Street location in Cambridge, MA is working to change this, one person at a time. Today’s guest is Dr. Julia Fleming, Physician and Clinical Researcher at Fenway Health.

November is Transgender Awareness Month, a time to honor our transgender and gender diverse community and recommit to making the world a safer and more equitable place for all – including in health care. Last episode, we learned about the founding and early years of our Trans Health Program and the incredible people who made it happen. Now, let’s take a look at where the Trans Health Program is today, how it’s continued to grow, and how its staff and patients rose to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today's guest is Steph DeNormand, Trans Health Program Manager. Steph joined Fenway in 2018. Since then, they have lead the Trans Health Program through years of growth and challenges, including those posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

November is almost here, and with it comes the annual Transgender Awareness Month. This month honors our vibrant transgender and gender diverse community, celebrates the progress made for transgender rights, and shines a light on the discrimination and violence still faced by transgender people. Across the country, health care services for the trans community have improved greatly in recent years, but there is still much to be done. Here Fenway Health, we’re proud to provide comprehensive and affirming care for people of all gender identities and expressions. Each year, we see over 5,100 transgender and gender diverse patients. But even here, there was a time when providers were unequipped – or even unwilling - to care for this community. Over 15 years ago, a small group of dedicated people changed that. Let’s learn how. Today’s guest is Dr. Ruben Hopwood. Dr. Hopwood has worked in mental health and social services across several states since 1978. He has worked with trans and gender diverse people in the Boston area since 2005 and was manager of the Fenway Health Trans Health Program from 2006-2019.

This year marks 50 years since Fenway Health was founded by activists and nursing students who shared a common belief: that health care is a right, not a privilege. Fenway’s history isn’t just about the building of a health center, however – it’s about the building of a community. We are forever in debt to the folks who have done – and continue to do - the hard work of community building over these five decades. Today, let’s hear one of their stories. Today’s guest is Paul Glass. Paul has a long history of working to improve health care for marginalized people and creating community spaces. His work with Fenway includes championing a groundbreaking study on HIV and men of color for The Fenway Institute, and collaborating with the LGBTQIA+ Aging Project to address the needs of queer and trans elders of color. Learn more about the LGBT Elders of Color group at www.lgbteldersofcolor.com.

It has been said that great things come from small beginnings. Here at Fenway Health, our small beginning was in a humble basement clinic, dreamed up by neighborhood activists and staffed by volunteer nursing students. The folks who founded Fenway Health in 1971 had a belief: that health care is a right, not a privilege. As we celebrate 50 years of Fenway Health this year, this is the perfect time to take a look back at some Fenway Health history. Today's guest is Dale Orlando, Executive Director of Fenway Health from 1986 to 1990.

If the past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that community – finding it, building it, and celebrating it – is essential for all of us. It is in that spirit that Fenway Health’s Women’s Health Team will host the 23rd Annual Audre Lorde Cancer Awareness Brunch virtually on October 16, 2021. The brunch is a vibrant celebration of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Queer, Transgender, People of Color, non-binary and gender fluid, and LGBTQIA+ community members and their supporters whose lives have been affected by cancer. Let’s learn more about this incredible event. Today’s guest is Nandini Choudhury, Women's Health Program Coordinator at Fenway Health. REGISTER FOR THE BRUNCH: https://fenwayhealth.org/audre-lorde-brunch

Transgender and gender diverse youth have been making a lot of headlines lately. In many cases, the news is good: trans youth are finding community, seeing more visibility in media, and getting more chances to tell their stories. All too often, however, trans youth are being used as pawns in the latest culture wars. Conservative politicians around the country have unleashed a wave of harmful legislation targeting trans youth in sports, in schools, and in health care. Now more than ever, trans young people need our support – and that support begins with understanding their daily lives. A groundbreaking study shines a light on how social transition and school environments affect the mental health outcomes of trans people. Today's guest is Dr. Jack Turban, Chief Fellow in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the Stanford University School of Medicine and lead author of this study.