Public Health Post PHPod

Same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S. in 2015 through the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Most American queer youth and young adults have grown up in a world where they have more rights and opportunities than those who came before them. But sexuality and gender are still strong determinants of health, and many sexual and gender minorities still suffer from systemic bias that affects their health. With all the progress that’s been made, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) young people still struggle to overcome barriers to health, leading to worse outcomes. These youth should be set up for healthy lives, and early intervention may be the key.

In this episode of PHPod, host Abby Varker speaks with experts about the current health landscape that queer youth and young adults are facing in the U.S., touching on gender-affirming care, minor consent laws, substance use, and harm reduction techniques. They also discuss the possible strategies to enable LGBTQ+ people to live healthier lives in the future.

Kat O’Hare, a part-time therapist at Mass Bay Counseling and a tattoo artist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, spoke with PHPod about tattooing as a practice of body reclamation, the importance of trauma-informed care in this work, and how she brings patience and empathy to her work to create empowering experiences for her clients.

PHPod sits down with new fellows, Lia Musumeci, Heather Sherr, Jude Sleiman, Abby Varker, and Dani Weissert, to discuss health communications and their public health interests going into their year-long fellowships with Public Health Post.

PHPod sits down with Leah Watson, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Racial Justice Program, to discuss book bans happening across the country and censorship in the classroom. Watson is a former high school teacher in Atlanta, Georgia, and her current focus with the ACLU is on classroom censorship efforts, otherwise known as educational gag orders.

PHPod sits down with Christina Dobbs, an assistant professor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development and the director of the college’s English Education for Equity and Justice program, to discuss the current onslaught of book challenges and bans in classrooms across the country and the actions being taken to support teachers and students during this time.

PHPod host Kara Schmidt sits down with Ryann Monteiro, a Boston University School of Public Health alum and an Indigenous public health practitioner and educator, to discuss food sovereignty and indigenous food practices related to cultural preservation and revitalization.