A reflection by Shira Devorah, Women’s Center Student Staff 

Going to the doctor is never fun; most people dread pesky checkups getting in the way of their day. While medical appointments can feel like a nuisance to some, for many people in the LGBTQ community, just seeing a doctor can be dangerous.

Saying that structural health inequity in the U.S. is a problem is an understatement, as many people face huge barriers when it comes to receiving adequate care. Women, people of color, people with lower socioeconomic statuses, fat people, elderly people — the list goes on and people continue to suffer. While I’m specifically highlighting a few of the issues surrounding queer care, it’s important for people to know that this is just one flawed aspect of a flawed system. To fight for justice, we must demand competent care for all people.

So before we all go kicking down the doors of the nearest hospital, let’s discuss what the issues actually are. Why is it so difficult for queer people to get the medical help that all people deserve?

Here are just a few reasons:

1) There’s a large element of risk that queer people must face when it comes to taking care of our health.

Stigma, discrimination, violence, and even denial of care are all real issues that can dissuade people from seeking help in the first place. According to Lambda Legal’s 2010 survey, over half of LGBTQ respondents felt discriminated against when receiving care. Getting to receive care at all, let alone good care, can be very difficult for queer individuals who have poor access to health care. There are huge health discrepancies in LGBTQ populations, especially for older people and transgender individuals. 

Credit: Maureen McNabb, wordpress

As a queer person who usually isn’t read as queer, I’m very lucky that I haven’t had to fear going to the doctor (besides a healthy fear of getting shots). Here’s why:

• I’m a lazy femme, so I don’t get the strange looks from doctors assessing every inch of me that gender nonconforming individuals might get.
• If the doctor asks about my sexual history, I may blush, but being a bisexual cis woman in a monogamous relationship with a cis man means that the kind of sex I would be discussing wouldn’t be considered outside the bounds of heterosexuality.
• I haven’t had reason to fear outing myself through discussing my experiences.
• If I have a problem with my genitals, I only have to worry about the coldness of the speculum, not that my gender identity is being questioned or invalidated.

These are just some reasons why going to the doctors is so difficult for many people who do not have this privilege.

Credit: Philadelphia Lesbian Virtual Magazine

2) There’s a huge gap in medical knowledge, especially for queer people and women.

No matter how nice or accepting a medical professional is, they may not always  know how to treat a queer person. Medical schools in the U.S. spend so little time on LGBTQ-related content. Often times, medical students are taught that sexual behaviors of LGBTQ people are risky, which perpetrates the narrative that gay people are ‘diseased’. Doctors aren’t free of biases and such misunderstanding can get in the way of someone getting adequate care.

Many doctors have very limited experiences with transgender issues. Insurance companies will refuse to sign off on HRT or surgeries that some trans people really need. On the flip side, the medicalization of transgender identities suggests that all trans people have to have surgery to be considered more “legitimate,” which is not possible nor desired for many trans people.

Credit: “When Healthcare Isn’t Caring” Lambda Legal 2010 Report

3) Gender and sexuality are areas in which medicine can be negligent.

A lack of medical knowledge surrounding certain populations is a problem, and not just for queer people. Did you know that there is a huge gender gap in medical research and clinical trials? Medical research is lacking valuable data on women’s issues.  We don’t even know for sure what a heart attack looks like for a woman because of countless misconceptions. This gap in knowledge, coupled with gender biases, seriously affects medication, care, and diagnoses that women receive.

credit: Transgender Law Center

When gender and sexuality collide (as they often do in most humans), things get complicated. Aspects of personal identity intersect, creating an even bigger gap in medical knowledge. Medicine has historically failed queer people, and a lot of effort is required to improve care for the future.

Okay. Deep breaths all around. This is some heavy stuff.

Luckily, there are also a lot of options where LGBTQ healthcare is pretty amazing. There is a substantial list of resources at the end of this post, so check them out! Good options do exist, even though access to these options may be limited for many.

Students here at UMBC have pretty accommodating facilities. University Health Services has a very dedicated and helpful staff of professionals who are trained to work with all kinds of student populations. Almost the entire medical staff is made up of women, and personally I’ve found the practitioners to be gentle and attentive. UHS is consistently making an effort to improve, and while it is by no means a perfectly accessible center, attempts are being made.

Our medical space on campus may be generally positive, but we also have to be aware doesn’t change the negative experiences that many people can face elsewhere. Some may be too scared of going to UHS because of past trauma or maltreatment. Even though UHS is a great resource, the training and education for all medical practitioners is still lacking, and it’s possible to come into a campus medical center without being fully prepared to treat all kinds of people.

In Peer Health Education, the  inclusiveness of LGBTQ issues is lacking, especially when it comes to discussions of sexual health. A big initiative that the sexual health committee is undertaking now is to revamp the current programs to be more inclusive to people of all sexualities and gender identities. Recently, I created a survey in order to assess how LGBTQ people feel about sexual health education on campus. I’m hoping that this will foster a productive discussion with other queer UMBC community members so that we can work together to make important changes to the  health education curriculum. While this is in no way a quick fix the huge problem of LGBTQ health disparities, it’s always good to think globally and act locally.

HAART poster, discussing how stigma against people with HIV can be incredibly damaging.

Everyone has the right to be treated respectfully and competently when accessing health care. Even though my experiences with doctors have been generally positive, I can’t say the same for many other queer people. What I can do is speak up about the problems that I know exist, and do my best to contribute to change. As a peer, as a queer, and as a person devoted to justice, I want to use my privilege and opportunities to work towards a better system. I just hope that one day the only thing people have to fear when walking into a doctor’s office is as simple as a shot.

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Check out these great resources!

• Chase Brexton Health Care has locations all around Maryland, with a main branch in Baltimore. This clinic has a health center that specializes in the specific medical needs of LGBTQ people.
•  GLMA has a provider directory that can  help guide people to LGBTQ competent doctors and services, including psychologists and counselors who specialize in LGBTQ mental health.
• The National LGBT Health Education Center at Fenway Institute has a continuing education program designed to educate medical professionals on how to address the needs of LGBTQ individuals. The American medical association has this comprehensive
• LGBTQ resource list  full of helpful information- from patient resources to statistics and studies done on disparities in LGBTQ care.
• Do you identify as LGBTQIA? Come to a roundtable discussion about LGBTQIA+ issues in health education on April 20th from 4:30-5:30pm at the Women’s Center, and help Peer Health Educators make more inclusive changes to health education on campus.

Viviana MacManus, an assistant professor of gender and women’s studies, has been awarded a Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. The competitive award is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is designed to provide support to junior faculty to pursue scholarly research and writing essential to attaining tenure.

The prestigious Career Enhancement Fellowship aims to increase the presence of minority junior faculty and faculty who are committed to eradicating racial disparities, breaking down stereotypes, and promoting cross-cultural understanding in the arts and sciences.

MacManus will use the sixth-month fellowship to work on her book manuscript We Are Protagonists of This History: Gender, Political Violence, and Testimonies of Resistance in Latin America’s Dirty Wars. The book is largely based on research she conducted in Argentina through a Summer Faculty Fellowship (SFF), and it centers on Latin America’s history of gender and state violence during the “Dirty Wars” of Argentina and Mexico from the 1960s-80s. MacManus conducted extensive interviews and is compiling them into oral histories to examine the gender politics involved in guerrilla movements and unarmed political organizations in Mexico and Argentina.

“I am thrilled to be a recipient of this fellowship, and I plan to make significant progress on my manuscript during this time,” shares MacManus. “I am pleased that there is investment in supporting academic work on social justice scholarship and feminist theory, as my research focuses on critical human rights and gender violence in Latin America.”

Prof. MacManus also says that the UMBC community has been incredibly supportive throughout her research process: “Furthermore, this experience also demonstrated to me the support network and sense of camaraderie that is truly representative of the UMBC community; Dr. Rachel Brubaker, Dr. Carole McCann and Dr. Michelle Scott (a former recipient of this fellowship), all assisted me during the application process. I look forward to also assisting other junior faculty in the future, especially those of underrepresented backgrounds, as these support systems are crucial in helping junior faculty thrive and succeed in their careers at UMBC.”

Dr. MacManus was a member of the inaugural cohort of UMBC’s Postdoctoral Fellows for Faculty Diversity program and has since served as mentor to other program participants. Her research interests include Latin American cultural and literary studies, transnational feminism, critical human rights, oral history, and visual culture. She is deeply committed to dismantling structures of inequality, including working with the National Immigration Law Center, D.C.’s Black Lives Matter chapter, and the School of the Americas Watch, among other organizations, to foster connections between academic scholarship and civic engagement.

Read more about MacManus’s work and research on the gender and women’s studies department website.

Image: Viviana MacManus. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

The Dresher Center for the Humanities invites you to join the conversation on April 23rd.

What if time travel was possible? This is the question that is asked in the Starz original series, “Outlander.” Based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series of the same title, this show follows World War II nurse Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) as she visits Scotland on a second honeymoon with her husband Frank in 1945. While there, however, she discovers a mysterious circle of magical stones. Intrigued, she touches the largest one and suddenly blacks out.

When she comes to, she realizes that she is in the middle of a battle between British troops and Scottish Highlanders …in the year 1743. Taken in by the Highlanders and unable to return to her own time, she must contend with threats from devious British Captain Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies), the beginnings of a doomed Scottish uprising and her unexpected feelings for handsome Scotsman Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).

The long awaited premiere of season two was this past weekend and it definitely delivered on all fronts. Season one left off with Claire and her now husband Jamie fleeing to France to both stop the ill-fated Scottish uprising and to escape the clutches of Jack Randall. Claire had rescued Jamie from Randall, but not before he was physically and emotionally tortured. While on their voyage, Claire surprised Jamie with the news that she is pregnant.

In a shocking twist, the first episode of season two begins with Claire inexplicably returning to 1945. Although Frank is overjoyed that she has come back, she is devastated at the prospect of never seeing Jamie again. She struggles to adjust to her old life, constantly reading through history books for any mention of Jamie’s fate in the uprising. For fans who want Claire and Jamie to be together, this twist is downright heartbreaking.

Halfway through the episode, though, the timeframe switches back to 1743. It shows Claire and Jamie just arriving in France before Claire’s jump forward in time. Together, they come up with a plan to stop the Scottish uprising from happening by using some of Jamie’s family connections. However, after Claire diagnoses an ill sailor with smallpox, the ship that he was on and its cargo must be burned. Angry at this huge financial lost, the ship’s owner, the Count of St. Germain, vows to make Claire pay for the trouble she’s caused.

Like with the first season, this one delivers on both the caliber of acting and use of setting. The chemistry between Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan is as evident as ever. Specifically in the scene where they are discussing the lingering effects of Jamie’s torture. Heughan’s portrayal of Jamie’s pain is matched by Balfe’s portrayal of Claire’s compassion and sadness. You believe that these two truly love and care about each other, which is the mark of a great pairing.

Shooting the first season in the beautiful Scottish Highlands made every episode very immersive. The same could be said for this second season. Although some of the shots were done in Prague, they took special care to make every detail like it would be on the historic streets of France.

All in all, this episode delivered on all the best parts of season one while adding some new twists to the mix. While many are still reeling from the shock and what it means for the future, fans are excited to see what the series has in store for next week.

The post Promising future for “Outlander” appeared first on The Retriever.

Here in the Office of Institutional Advancement, we are always working hard to support the university and connect our donors with causes they care most about. We would like to introduce our donors — to whom we are so grateful — to the people who help make those things happen. Today, we’ll be hearing from Leanna Powell ’08, English, who has just returned to UMBC as our Assistant Director of Annual Giving. 

Name: Leanna Powell

Job Title: Assistant Director of Annual Giving

Focus Area: Student philanthropy, crowdfunding, direct mail

Years at UMBC: .5 as staff, 4 as a student

Grad Year: 2008

Where are you from originally? I grew up in southern Maryland near D.C., but I consider myself a Baltimore gal now after 10+ years in the city.

What do you love most about UMBC? In a city so packed with higher ed institutions, UMBC feels like a well-kept secret. The campus is serene, the people are sweet and low-key, and yet you see student and alumni achievements popping up all over the state in the arts, research sciences, and public policy. Light City is a great example — I’m excited to get to rep for my college at the Inner Harbor.

What’s your favorite thing about your job? I majored in writing, but immediately got swept up by nonprofit work, so I’m glad to have the chance to put all of my professors’ hard work to good use (shoutouts to Chris Corbett, Jody Shipka and Orianne Smith!). I have also spent a lot of time working with student philanthropy on the nonprofit beneficiary side, so I’m glad to get the chance to apply that experience in helping Retrievers fundraise for their own amazing projects through our campus crowdfunding site.

Who do you admire and why? Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are two of my biggest idols. To me, they represent a generation of women who are comfortable being smart, funny, and supportive of one another — and aren’t afraid to speak up or to take criticism.

Have you ever done anything crazy or out of the ordinary? Now that we’re in short-sleeves weather, some of the first things people notice about me are my tattoos. Most of them have a lot of personal significance, but I did get one on impulse one afternoon with a friend — matching dinosaurs, to remind us not to take ourselves too seriously.

Tell us what you loved most about UMBC on Retriever Stories!

In less than two weeks, beginning Friday, Apr. 22, through Sunday Apr. 24, UMBC will be bustling with life and activity as the campus’ annual Quadmania gets underway. With this event just around the corner, many students wait with eager expectation as to what the festival, specifically the highly anticipated Fetty Wap concert, will have to offer.

For those unfamiliar with the annual spring event, Quadmania begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 22, with an assortment of free Quadmania 2016 swag and food followed by fireworks from The Commons Garage. As if this wasn’t enough, Saturday will be filled with games, a chance to win prizes, more food and music provided by DJ’s, student artists as well as local bands performing on, you guessed it, the Quad. Then at 7 p.m. on Sunday, the doors open at the RAC for the highly anticipated Fetty Wap concert. All in all, it promises to be a great weekend filled with fun and activities.

Freshmen in particular are excited about this weekend of enjoyment as this will be their first opportunity to experience an event of this caliber at UMBC. Adam Ballantyne, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said that he “is extremely excited” about the Fetty Wap concert. “Fetty Wap is one of my favorite rappers,” said Ballantyne. “I think overall that Quadmania is going to be a very exciting event, probably the long-awaited sequel to Welcome Week. The tickets have been flying off the shelves and everyone I know is eagerly anticipating all the fun-filled events to come.”

Ballantyne is not the only freshman excited about this major event. Josh Youn, a freshman mathematics major, expressed his genuine excitement for this highly anticipated weekend. “As a freshman, I haven’t experienced Quadmania, so I have to rely on word of mouth,” said Youn. “I don’t know specifically what to expect, but from what I’ve heard, UMBC is the place to be during that weekend and I made sure to get Fetty Wap tickets and everything so I could have the ultimate freshman Quadmania experience. I just hope that it’s as hype as everyone is making it out to be.”

Freshman may be looking forward to their first Quadmania experience most, but those who have been on campus longer are still excited for the concert. Said senior mechanical engineering major Tony DiGennaro, “Quadmania and the concert have been steadily getting better and better with every year.”

“This year is the first time in a while that it’s sold out,” said DiGennaro, who is a veteran Quadmania attendee, “Which really says something about the hype this event is gonna generate. I can’t wait.”

Those who planned the event are just as excited about the sold out show. Selling all the tickets in advance is unusual for a UMBC concert, and it’s a vote of confidence from the student body.

“This is the first time the Quadmania concert has sold out within the past couple of years,” confirmed Logan Stanley, a body member of the Student Events Board, and a sophomore mechanical engineering major.

“It’s gonna be an awesome night for everyone,” Stanley continued. “Don’t forget to come out to the festival day too for food trucks, rides, games, student orgs and amazing student performances.”

The post Student body is ready for Fetty appeared first on The Retriever.