Culturally Competent Health Care for LGBTQ

In medical workplaces, different types of people will seek different health assistance; and while the assistance provided shouldn’t be much different in terms of care, it very much is for certain individuals. We may live in a more progressive era, but people who identify as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or queer (LGBTQ) still face discrimination or discomfort when seeking healthcare services. Unfortunately, homophobia continues to exist in workplaces that are supposed to welcome everyone.

Instead of fostering culturally competent health care policies and services for LGBTQ people and their families, it seems that health care professionals are less willing to hide their predispositions on sexual and gender identities that differ from the social norm.

Courtesy of Google Images

Gay and bisexual people share the same health needs as their heterosexual counterparts, yet they are treated more poorly and far more unethically by medical practitioners. Such discriminatory behavior is inappropriate and illegal in America, but in our heteronormative-based culture, cases of such discrimination are often dismissed by authorities or go heavily unnoticed. This behavior only serves to reinforce the stigma that homosexuality is wrong, which further alienates the gay community.

Research has shown that fear of discrimination causes many LGBTQ individuals to delay or decline medical care and may also cause some folks to withhold personal—integral—information during clinical consultations. These behaviors can put individuals in dire situations, which can lead to both mental and physical danger. Fears and societal pressures may make it extremely difficult for patients to disclose same-sex behavior, but it is very important to do so in any health care setting where personal information is necessary for treatment. 

Medical practitioners can help ease tension and apprehension during consultations by creating a warm, judgment-free environment for all individuals. Nurses can also assist by not assuming heterosexuality or homosexuality; integrating questions about gender and sexual identity into health interviews and questionnaires can help to ensure that all individuals receive appropriate and inclusive treatment.

The following examples are found on the Human Rights Campaign’s website for both inclusive and non-inclusive styled questionnaires for determining appropriate gender and sexual identity.

         Option 1 (most restrictive):

Female
Male

Option 2: (less restrictive): 

Cissexual woman
Genderqueer/Androgynous
Intersex
Cissexual man
Transgender
Transsexual
Cross-dresser
FTM (female-to-male)
MTF (male-to-female)
Other (please specify)

Note: Make sure the question is clearly optional (particularly for online forms) or allow people to self-identify by asking an open-ended question.

Individuals who have or are in the process of coming to terms with sexuality and gender should never feel the need to conceal sexual behaviors or gender identities from their health practitioners or consultants. With that being said, everyone deserves the right to nondiscriminatory medical advice and services, regardless of identity and who one chooses to engage in sexual behaviors with. 

Happy Relaxation Week!

Dear devoted Women's Center blog readers,

Unfortunately, this is out last post for the semester, but don't be too discouraged as we will be ending the semester with a bang by celebrating Relaxation Week! It feels like just yesterday I was starting my junior year, but instead it is actually quickly coming to an end. Fortunately, I have no finals to stress over, but I'm sure you do.

If you find yourself feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and overtired I suggest you stop by the Women's Center for FREE delicious coffee, snacks, and comfy couches to rest your tired soul. Starting today until May 14th we will be celebrating Relaxation Week! And, make sure to thank Cara for her hard work and devotion to this glorious week of happiness.

So, what does Relaxation Week offer you ask? We will be meeting all your cute and cuddly needs with our mini-themed snacks, coffee, and hot chocolate. There will be a baby animal scavenger hunt, open contributions to our chalkboard door, hopefully a fun Wii dance game, and as always, super comfy couches! And, if you're not already running to get here, everything is mini-themed, so be prepared for cuteness overload!

Best of luck and try not to stress!

The Misconception of Homophobia in the Black Community

According to a frustrated reporter Maya Francis, there seems to be a high consensus among many reporters that the black community in particular is highly homophobic. However, this term is only announced when an african american male identifies as gay/homosexual. With the recent coming out process for Jason Collins and even the accusations of DJ Mr. Cee  the community has had various opinions and statements on both situations. 

On Grantland, Charles P. Pierce also discussed Collins’ coming out, and found a nuanced way to bring the Civil Rights Movement into it:

Homophobia in the black community—indeed, even among the leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1960s—was some of the most virulent and stubborn of all, and there are still some who resent the equation of the gay rights movement with their struggle.

"Again, it appears that the notion that blacks are somehow more homophobic (and how exactly does one measure the degree to which one is homophobic?) than other groups appears to go unchecked, even in the historical context. Bayard Rustin, an openly gay man, was the activist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement, and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. But that’s neither here nor there, I suppose, " according to Maya Francis and I totally agree. However, I completely am aware that there is truly homophobia in the black community. 

With the notion of the church within black homes and the inhumane beliefs they have for these human beings once they are acknowledged as gay is not completely true of the entire black community, but it is highly announced within the community. This is not to say that it is difficult for all males within this community, but it doesn't exist in this community as well as every community, in groups of all races, genders and identities. This notion of it being a black community as a whole is ridiculous and blatantly disrespectful for those who are supportive. Some people see stories and believe it represents the entire race. For example, When CNN’s Don Lemon came out in 2011, he said that being gay is “about the worst thing you can be in black culture. You’re taught you have to be a man; you have to be masculine. In the black community they think you can pray the gay away.” Francis states, "I'm sure it was true for him that it may have been a horrible experience and his family may have taken it hard. However, we do not know how closely he’s affiliated with a faith community. But his comments seemingly ignore the presence of the sexist and homophobic white evangelical set and reveal the frequent conflation of the black church with the larger black community." Francis states a lot of important things that should be taken into consideration before labeling. 

According to Jason, "No one wants to live in fear. I've always been scared of saying the wrong thing. I don't sleep well. I never have. But each time I tell another person, I feel stronger and sleep a little more soundly. It takes an enormous amount of energy to guard such a big secret. I've endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie. I was certain that my world would fall apart if anyone knew. And yet when I acknowledged my sexuality I felt whole for the first time. I still had the same sense of humor, I still had the same mannerisms and my friends still had my back." What an amazing experience he had thus far and was able to have positive reinforcement by his peers and family however, I am also aware that it was most likely different for him because he is famous and well known and had proper prepping to announce his sexuality. All males, females, blacks, hispanics, etc., may not have those preparation stages or access to such empowering people.

However, when you read stories like those in the Mr. Cee case he has been facing difficulties for years with being involved with prostitutes and other lewd activities. In the recent story where he was busted by an undercover female cop, then another print out stated it was a male transexual who caught DJ's eyes the community lashed out on him. The way they responded to this was absurd and extremely pressuring and homophobic. Everyone tried to tell him he was gay and made extremely disrespectful comments about him all throughout the disc jockey and radio entertainment industry. Forcing someone to come out is not the answer nor is disrespecting their wishes. Other entertainers like host on the 105.1 radio show stated that he should've just came out and took all the fame and glory he would get as a gay male, like Jason Collins got. He stated, if I was gay and I wanted to stay silent that is my choice, if I wanted to tell people that is my choice but whatever I decide it should't matter to others. But the community as far as his family at the radio felt they should have known first. It is such a different story for Jason Collins who has been the comparison story for Mr. Cee's alleged coming out. I had such a conflict with this topic and wanted to bring it to light. Hope you enjoyed the read. 

Surviving Finals Week

It’s May, which means a lot of you readers out there are stressing out over finals. And for a good reason! You have a 50 chapters to read, no idea what materials to look at, and three projects due on the same date of the test. How are you going to get through it all? Simple: by reading our de-stress survival guide. Don’t worry, it’s not another 300-page book to read like the one in your class. It’s just a few points to keep in mind as you get through the week. Follow these guidelines and I can guarantee a finals week without stress.

Breathe!

You’re not going to retain any information if your brain has no oxygen to work with. Stop hyperventilating about how much work you have to do and just take a deep breath. All it takes is a few seconds of tranquility to keep you mind focus. This is a must when you’ve been studying for 8 hours straight and have gotten to the point where you don’t retain anything. Give yourself a break and breathe!

Find a secluded place

If you study best in your room, then study in your room. But I doubt that you do. You’ll probably study for 5 minutes until you decide to check facebook or turn on the TV just for a short break to “breathe”. Then that short break will turn into a five hour break because HBO is showing both parts of Harry Potter 7. So get out of there and find a place that’s quite on campus. There are a lot of them.

The Library

The most well-known place is the library. It’s very quiet there and if you’re looking for absolute silence go to the bottom floor. Down there it’s sin just to clear your throat.

Lounges

Once the library closes go to a common lounge in your dorm or find an empty room in one of the academic buildings. My favorite place is the H wing auditorium. I actually stay in my floor lounge until I start nodding my head off. Then I go to the H wing around 1am. Once I've got a second wind from the walk, I stay up studying for a few more hours till I’m satisfied and walk back to my room.

Sleep

Obviously you’re going to have a few all-nighters, you’re a college student after all. But you have to sleep eventually, especially the night before your final. When you sleep for more than 20 minutes your mind enters state known as REM (not the band). During this state your body shuts off and must of your mind too. However a little bit of your mind is still awake, recalculating and dialoging all the information you’ve obtained throughout the day. You can actually see glimpses of this process in dreams (but that is an entirely different subject). When you wake up, all that information you studied will now be freshly store in your mind ready for retrieval when you need it. If you don’t sleep, your mind will never store that information and so you’ll just forget everything by the time you take your test.

Don't believe me? Check this interesting thing out

Get Disconnected

Unplug your TV, computer, clock, and anything else that can be even slightly distracting. Our generation is too use to being connected to everyone at every hour. These distractions have caused incredibly short intention spans. This issue needs be resolved in the future for your own benefit. But for now, an easy way to fix this is by eliminating every means of distraction.

Don’t Plan, Act

A common mistake many students do is plan their studying time to much. This is a good concept but usually ends out badly. For one, students sometimes spend more time planning to study than actually studying. Then when they do study they realize they have to study 5 hours and the idea of that just gets them uninterested in studying. My suggestions is don’t plan. Just study. Don’t think about how you have to get 5 chapters today than 3 tomorrow. Don’t think just do. If your main concern is work, then you’ll get the work done.

That’s all you need to do! Just 5 simple steps that will to get you through finals week without stressing. I hope this helps you all out.

Summer, Food and Why New Jersey is Pretty Awesome!

Foodies Rejoice!

Summer is almost here; and what does that mean?

Well, for the Garden State, that means a plethora of locally grown, fresh and amazingly delicious fruits and vegetables! Here’s a fun fact: New Jersey is the world leader in blueberry and cranberry cultivation. So, clearly New Jersey is the place to be in terms of fresh, healthy food: and as summer rapidly approaches why not take advantage of the wide array of farm goods that our state has to offer?

Fresh Produce: Courtesy of Your Local Farmer

Don’t know where to start?  Fear not!

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture publishes a list of farmers markets and locally owned small grocers and farm stands, organized by county and municipality. By supporting these smaller farms the benefits are abound; Consider,

By buying local produce,

• You are supporting your neighbors
• You are reducing the amount of effort (and not too mention, fuel and transportation) required to get food from the vine to your table.
• It’s healthy- locally grown food doesn’t have to travel far, meaning that it can be enjoyed at its peak  of freshness.
• It could be fun: Many farms allow you to pick your own produce, think about how fun a trip to one of these farms could be on a nice summer day!

So, what I’m really saying here is; New Jersey is a treasure trove of locally grown and wonderfully delicious fruits and vegetables and summer is the prime time to enjoy them! So get out there, support your Garden State, eat some healthy food, and enjoy the “fruits” of the labors of our local farmers!

Here’s the link to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Index of Farms, Farmers Markets, and Farm Stands, enjoy!

http://www.jerseyfresh.nj.gov/agriculture/jerseyfresh/find/

~Namaste~

...and the Countdown Begins!

Hey, everyone!  So I don’t know about you all, but I am counting down the days until final exams are over (13 days until 5/14) and summer officially begins!  In the meantime, we have papers to finish up / begin, exams to continue preparing for / start thinking about, and CEC’s to hand in / write up at 1:00a.m., the night before.  How are we going to get through all of this stress?  Fear not, for I have been searching the web for answers!

How to De-Stress before Finals:

Spend Some Time Outside

Stress can be triggered when our bodies don’t know what time it is, according to Julie Holland, an assistant clinical professor at NYU School of Medicine.  "Exposing your retina to sunlight resets your circadian rhythm so your brain is on a schedule,” she says.  So, take a walk and catch some rays a few times a week to de-stress!

(Really) Forgive Someone

This is easier said than done, but totally worth it.  "When our minds keep rehearsing troubling interactions, the body's calming system becomes impaired," says Charlotte VanOyen Witvliet, a psychologist at Hope College in Michigan. You have to really mean it, though!  Let go of something you don’t even need to be carrying around, and let your new found freedom motivate you towards success!

Buy Yourself Flowers

Studies were done at Harvard University that showed that stress is somehow relieved in the presence of nature.  In one of the studies, the University delivered flowers to one group of women and gave candles to a second group. In just a week, the first group felt less anxious and depressed.

Do a Light Workout

When working out it can increase your mood, as long as you don’t overextend yourself.  It will relieve tension and allow you to focus on something else for a little while.

Play Some Favorite Tunes

Play some songs that bring back good memories, like something that reminds you of a first date or the first concert you ever went to – anything that triggers a positive image!

Turn the World Upside Down

I thought this one was interesting.  An article on parenting.com had a post by a woman who lies on several stairs upside down to de-stress.  She says, "I'm not sure how it started -- I think I probably just collapsed one evening after chasing a preschooler and a toddler all day. It must have something to do with all that blood rushing to my head, but since then, whenever I'm going insane, a few minutes upside down on the stairs totally changes my outlook and mood."

Laugh It Off

Laughter lowers your levels of cortisol, a hormone that is released when you feel stressed.  Who doesn’t like to laugh?

Ten-Finger Gratitude Exercise

Once each day, come up with ten things that you are grateful for and count them on your fingers.  This exercise is supposed to bring to mind the small, usually unnoticed things that also impact your day.

Reclaim your Life!

Think back to a time when your life was less frantic.  What did you enjoy doing then?  This could be anything from reading your favorite magazines to riding your bike.  Do it today or this weekend and put yourself back in touch with a part of you that you may have forgotten or lost track of!

Go to the Movies

Ask a friend or a sibling to go to the movies at a certain time and see what’s playing when you arrive.  Don’t do any research on show times or movie titles and just pick one that looks good at that moment.  Sometimes what makes us happiest is the unexpected!

 

 

What The Women's Center Taught My Mom

Seeing as this will be my last blog post for the school year, I knew that I wanted to use it to reflect upon what knowledge I have gained working at my school’s Women’s Center for the past few months. When I mentioned this idea to my lovely mother, she responded with a brilliant twist to my original plan: She offered to submit a piece of her own, outlining all that she has learned through me as a result of my working here. She exclaimed eagerly that this would be “a ton of fun!” for her, and furthermore, that it might help to show readers how the work that the Women’s Center does affects more than just the immediate campus community. And so, after not much persuading, I was convinced.

Thus, I present you with the product our conversation. The fun, lovely short essay that follows is my mother's creation. It not only describes some of what she and I have learned, but also exposes the positive ways in which the Women's Center affects those who come into contact with it. Please, enjoy:

_________________________________________________________________

My daughter has had the privilege of working at the Ramapo College Women’s Center this year as the Coordinator for Sexual Health Education. We have spoken frequently about her tasks and experiences, and I am very grateful that she has shared much of what she learned with me. 

I’ve learned the correct way to put a condom on a dildo (did I spell that right?), and I’ve learned all I ever wanted to know (but was afraid to ask) about dental dams, though I’m still struggling to get the image quite right in my mind. My daughter has reinforced for me what I already knew to be true (I’m a pretty cool Mom): that people are people, and that all people deserve equal respect.  Nobody is more “right” than anyone else when it comes to sexuality.  We have talked about the brutality of rape: how all of us (all ages, male, and female alike) must work together to prevent rape and why we must never, NEVER, blame victims. Making intelligent, informed and self-protective decisions about relationships has been a common theme in our talks. I feel that her work at the Women’s Center has helped to emphasize the importance of making well-informed choices.

What we used to call STDs are now called STIs. At first, I snickered (albeit silently) at this change, but I grew to understand that the implications of the words disease and infection are indeed different and significant. Yes- clarity of language is imperative in helping to prevent the spread of STIs too.

When my daughter started telling me about the importance of sensitivity in using gender-oriented pronouns, it took some thought for me to grasp the concept (Yes, I’m a cool Mom, but still…). Eventually, however, it struck me. I suddenly understood as clear as day why something like a pronoun really does matter. In my younger years, every man was designated with the title of Mr., while every woman was designated as Miss or Mrs., depending on her marital status. That was just how it was, and nobody gave it a second thought! Then came the “revolution,” when the “extremists,” “radical feminists,” and "destroyers of all that is good and moral in America- motherhood, apple pie and all that stuff,” came up with a new title- Ms.

Ms.!!! Who ever heard of such a thing? Making up a new word!

Suddenly, a woman was not required to reveal her marital status to the world whenever she identified herself. How simple and obviously right it seemed. Looking back, the custom of labeling women as “Miss,” and only allowing them to upgrade to the grown-up title of Mrs. once they become legally bound to a men in marriage, seems ludicrous. Today, I only use Ms., and if the option isn’t offered, I won’t use a title. Having to reveal my marital status is a violation of my privacy and my dignity. I won’t allow it.

So yes, it is very true that words, specifically pronouns, do matter. Words, the tools we use to communicate our thoughts, are also the tools that we use to define our society, our norms, our expectations, and ourselves.

My daughter has grown and learned so much through this job. To tell you the truth, I’m envious. I wish I had had such an opportunity when I was in college. I wonder: If the resources that the Women’s Center provides had been available to me on my campus, might I have made more well-informed and well-thought-out decisions about relationships and sexuality during those years? Perhaps I could have saved myself a lot of pain.

So to all of you at the Women’s Center- thanks for all you do. Please keep up the good work, and don’t back down.

Sharon Ross

Cultural Appreciation or Cultural Appropriation--Where is the Line?

     This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. I recently decorated my arm and leg with designs from henna paste, and it turned out great. People seem to really like them, and I didn't think twice about it at the time. Then, on a completely different train of thought, I wanted to visit the local Hindu Temple to learn more about the religious practices there. After I got permission to visit, I realized--there is no way I can go in there with my limbs looking like this. This was way more than a "what will other people think" concern. This was an "am I insulting the culture and traditions of many of the members of this temple" concern. Thus, the internal debate of where to draw the line was born.
     First of all, let's inform our understanding of cultural appropriation. This occurs when a group or individual adopts certain elements of a culture. Usually it is a dominant group appropriating elements of a marginalized group, and usually these elements are taken completely out of context. A common example is that of the Native American war bonnet. When folks who have no ties to Native American culture choose to wear a war bonnet as a costume, it is insulting to the original culture. There is a lot of history to that element that is simply being erased: only men could wear war bonnets, and each feather signified an act of bravery (additionally, there are far more specific nuances to this aspect of culture that differ among the many, many Native American tribes that wore war bonnets). Choosing to wear a war bonnet because it's "cool" or "cute" or "fashionable" without respect or consideration of the history is unacceptable. Unfortunately, this is all too common in everyday America, especially with the rise of the "hipster" identity.

     Let's return to the initial example of henna. This one is a little sticky, for me, and I'll explain why.  The substance is widely used across many cultures as a dye for the hair and skin. Only in certain South Asian cultures does it hold deep meaning and significance. So, is using the substance okay if one is not parading some false or fashionable meaning? Or is even that rude to some? This is a topic the folks of the internet are deeply divided on. Some say it is never, ever okay to utilize any elements of a culture that is not your own, while others don't see the big deal at all. I, personally, lie somewhere in the middle. I think this blog post does a great job of balancing artistic expression and respect for cultural roots.
     That being said, I'm still strongly opposed to cultural appropriation. Universally labeling prints of triangles and dots as "Aztec" or "tribal," wearing kimonos with chopsticks in your hair, doing makeup in the design of a "sexy" sugar skull...these so blatantly disregard the fact that they are misunderstanding or misrepresenting cultures that are currently living in our world! To put a bit of harsh realism on the effect of dominant groups appropriating elements of marginalized cultures, I turn to this quote from an article by Karina Banuelos: "ask any indigenous individual how they feel about seeing their culture being worn on the backs of the people of power. Things like this are deeply rooted in oppression, and for people of color, culture is all that we have left. It's the one thing that hasn't been taken from us. When you're in a position of power, picking and choosing what seems "cute" from our culture to make you feel more cultured is the biggest spit to the face."

Newark, Is It Really THAT Bad?

New Jersey has certainly built itself a reputation that most would considered tainted or find extremely difficult to revive. There have been hundreds of thousands of cases in the garden state relating to crimes such as gun violence, rape, kidnapping, sexual predators, and so on. Some places are better than others as far as crime rates are concerned, but the overall perception of the state isn't so great. Looking closer into the magnifying glass we focus more on specific cities in the state, which have become notorious for on-going violence and offenders; cities such as Camden, Paterson, Jersey City, and Newark- to name a few. It has reached a point that it is expected for these areas to have high crime rates, and low academic excellence. The retention rate of New Jersey students is falling behind the standard, and more school districts are running into problems trying to keep students in school and boost their intellectual capabilities. According to an online news outlet, "New jersey has in past years given some 15% of all diplomas to students who fail their exit exams but do some remedial work they're not tested on." Instead of lowering standards to graduate more students, such schools keep the higher standards and do all they can to bring students up to par.

Newark, which is known to be one of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey, is actually excelling in academics being ranked in the country's best high schools across the nation.

"North Star Academy, Science Park, University and Technology were among 54 New Jersey high schools bestowed with a numerical ranking under the magazine’s methodology. North Star was ranked 19th in the state and 253rd nationally; Science Park 35 and 604, respectively; University 49 and 1,633; and Technology was ranked 52 on the list of New Jersey's best high schools and 2,069 among public high schools across the country. Team Academy Charter and American History and Arts were also counted among the nation's "best" schools under the magazine's methodology but did not get a specific numeric ranking. Nearly one-third of Newark’s 14 public high schools received a ranking." (article)

The board of education in Newark certainly has their thinking caps on straight because they are serving their city well. This isn't the first of Newark's high schools being listed next to the country's best schools and I can infer that it certainly will not be the last. Now, it is just a matter of continuing the commitment to success in the education system, as well as getting adolescents off the streets and back into the books.

 

Look on the Brights

     The last week or two has been nothing short of dreadful.  I am by no means ignoring these recent events or diminishing their importance, but I do think our readers need a bit of hope at this time.  Plenty of news sources are reporting on the hot topics, so I will be covering more neglected stories.  Onward to the happy news!
     I found this lovely list on Pinterest--it lists the 31 most awesome Dads! Obviously more awesome Dads exist out there, but this particular site touches on some super duper people. Naturally, I am partial to the Star Wars things: a walker stroller, a Millenium Falcon playpen, and father-daughter Darth Vader costumes.  Besides these bright flashes of awesome, a number of these Dads support the mission of the Women's Center in some way or another.  Here is the short list:

#8-The Dad who dressed as Little Red when his daughter wanted to be the wolf

#17-The Dad who lets his daughter pamper him with pedicures

#19-The Dad who wears skirts to support his dress-wearing son

#23-The Dad who built his wheelchair-bound son an ice cream seller Halloween costume

#30-The Dad who saved his son some of the stress of coming out by writing him this letter

     Let's hear it for those Dads!  This list really lit up a hopeful part of me.  Seeing parents support and protect their children is a special thing, and it highlights how important it is to be supportive and understanding of each other in all cases.  Finally, just to capitalize on the hopeful, happy nature of this post, I want to share with you a music video that strips away labels, leaving behind whole human beings.

"Define Me" by Ryan Amador, featuring Jo Lampert