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Health+Wellness

Queering The Enneagram: Self-awareness is the Original Queer Super Power

Posted on May 13, 2019

I was raised as a little girl in the Midwest, but I never quite fit the mold. I found myself adventuring through the woods and spending hours in the Walmart toy aisles, fawning over the hot wheels, Star Wars, and Legos, all the while knowing I was “behind enemy lines.” I prepared back stories about shopping for a brother or a classmate’s birthday, knowing full well the truth would be unacceptable. Self-awareness came early for me, as it does for…

Let’s Set The Record Straight—Abuse Doesn’t Make You Gay

Posted on April 23, 2019

To this day, one of the most common misconceptions I hear in both my classes and from my well-educated non-queer colleagues (one that I actually addressed in my 2015 doctoral dissertation) is that being LGBTQ is not always a normal, naturally occurring identity. Instead, it is the result of abuse. I am both terrified and frustrated to no end that this myth—that abuse can “make you gay”—is still very much alive and well. I am in awe of how many…

Shifting the Medical Paradigm: Intersex Activist Pidgeon Pagonis Headlines LGBTQI+ Health Week at UTMB

Posted on March 18, 2019

A photo of intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis.

“There are alternatives to what society tells you that you have to be,” muses Chicago-based intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis as we discuss their upcoming speaking engagements at LGBTQI+ Health Week at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. The mantra was passed onto them by their aunt—a rebellious woman who defied gender norms long before Pagonis discovered and embraced their own identity. Pagonis’ father, unapologetic in his own right, also taught them that you don’t always have…

Ending the HIV Epidemic by 2030: The Federal Government Has It All Wrong

Posted on February 8, 2019

A photo of red carnations representing the HIV epidemic.

After the nation’s longest government shutdown in history, the president of the United States was finally able to give his State of the Union address. The purpose of this address, as prescribed by the US Constitution, is to give the United States Congress information on the state of our nation and to “recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary.” Essentially, this is the president’s chance to state where we are currently as a country, as well as…

Working Out with Erica Nix: Making Fitness Queer Again

Posted on January 22, 2019

I’m an artist, and Workout! With Erica Nix started out as performance art. I used to dance for a punk rock band and, instead of go-go dancing or dancing in this cute, sexy way, I would do aerobics and act crazy on stage. I’d weigh myself afterwards, get pissed off, and throw a huge fit and hump food, spray Cheez Whiz on people, and throw donuts. It was a lot of fun! A lot of people would come for the…

Five Essential Self-Care Habits for Queers

Posted on January 14, 2019

Self-care is not just Instagram fodder, Lush bath bombs, aromatherapy, and crystals. It’s not selfies, expensive beverages, salads, yoga poses, or even spa services. Self-care is actually work. And it often can be free. It’s akin to the psychological concept of re-parenting, or self-stewardship. It is adulting 2.0. It’s an essential skill that combats the effects of living in the relentless consumerist culture we’re steeped in. But don’t let that discourage you, because here are my top 5 self-care tips…

Revolutionizing Gender Care from the Inside Out, with Dr. Colt Keo-Meier at UTMB in Galveston

Posted on December 28, 2018

Only in the last few years or so has access to hormone therapy for the transgender and gender non-conforming population become more readily available in the South. Yet, recipients are often barred from hormone therapy by “medical gatekeeping,” which requires each patient to produce a letter of diagnosis and recommendation from a licensed mental health professional and attend up to six months of psychotherapy. Thanks to WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and people like Dr. Colt Keo-Meier, however,…

Supporting Queer Sex Workers: How and Why

Posted on December 17, 2018

A photo of the sex workers red umbrella.

Sex work is term and concept that is, at best, misunderstood and vilified at worst. While almost everyone has benefited from sex workers’ labor at some point in their lives, few acknowledge this fact or think about the lack of support or rights that these artists and healers have in western modern society.…

The Queer Doula: Adventures in Providing Support and Education Around Birth, Abortion, and Pregnancy

Posted on November 1, 2018

I have always loved birth. As a teen and young adult, I would spend hours glued to TLC’s A Birth Story and other ER shows that depicted live births with a twist of trauma and terror. I found every unique birth story endlessly fascinating. What was this family’s journey? How would this birth be different? What would the baby look like? As I observed birth after birth, I came away with one clear conclusion by the age of 14: I…

Be Kind: The Kind Clinic Provides PrEP, Gender Care to Austin’s LGBTQ Community

Posted on October 10, 2018

The Kind Clinic is a new force in Austin, Texas. I was informed of their existence and services when my general provider, a private practice MD who has some experience in gender care, mentioned them during our conversation on PrEP. I asked her how much the prescription would cost out-of-pocket, she pulled the information up on her laptop, and we both leaned over her desk in dismay.…

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