Femininity Left Across the Atlantic

There is a special kind of irony that lies among the intentional misgendering, masculinization, clocking, and ultimately TERF-like thinking out of the mouths and minds of cisgendered Black women towards their trans Black sisters. So after finding out that Alice Walker, the Alice Walker author of the very Black and very Queer “the Color Purple” and foundational thinker and writer on Black feminisms and Black literary works was a TERF, having publicly defended author JK Rowling for her transphobic comments and beliefs, it left a lingering bitterness in my mouth, due to the irony that lies within the history of Black gender formation and misogynoir. Femininity Left Across the Atlantic The complicated relationship between Black folks and understandings of gender lie within the origins of slavery and white supremacy. When… Read more »

Doulas Holding it Down in H-Town

Doulas are non-clinical support people offering physical, emotional, and informational assistance to birthing people and their families. We have been foundational to birthing, reproductive justice movements, and society as a whole since the beginning of time. The public has become more familiar with doula care in recent years, a large part due to the exponential growth as a byproduct of coronavirus lockdowns and the way that affected the birthing landscape. More people than ever sought out doulas, midwives, and other birth work professionals to help support them when hospitals were inaccessible, unsafe, or incredibly restrictive. Houston is home to a rich and budding doula community. Texas’ worsening maternal mortality rates, especially in Harris County, is indicative of a great need for further support. However, we often hear about how much… Read more »

Head In The Clouds About
Insurance??

It’s not you. Insurance was hard for me too. It can be so unclear and confusing, especially when you need life-saving care. After my first surgery, I realized how important it was for folx within marginalized communities to have access to medical literacy to advocate and protect themselves navigating the healthcare system. This way we can all avoid the frustration and despair of canceled procedures, denial of services, or discrimination due to the absence of education, and ableist policies. Even though it’s been an entire year since my procedure, I can still feel the headache of trying to register for insurance and then keep it active long enough to undergo a surgery I had been waiting for over two years for. Long story short, on top of all the preparation…

Black Maternal and Mental Health

The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) recently released their biennial report on pregnancy-related deaths in the state. Consistent with national trends, the maternal mortality rate for Black women and birthing people in Texas is 2-3 times higher than that of our non-Black counterparts.  Studies for maternal mortality use various measurements, with similar yet differing language to analyze maternal deaths. Below are common terms used to calculate maternal mortality:  The Texas MMMRC has its own method of measuring maternal mortality utilizing an “enhanced four-step case identification method to identify cases of pregnancy-associated death.” This practice aggregates the number of maternal deaths indicated with death certificates matched with birth and/or fetal deaths and records that have been reviewed for any indication of pregnancy or miscarriage for unmatched records. This… Read more »

Are You Queer & In Need of Medical Care?

Considering the historical injustices of this country’s medical system it’s no surprise that our most crucial needs remain unmet. Given the obscure nature of medical policies, practices and terminology, medical literacy and access to services is especially limited to that of the most marginalized and vulnerable demographics, including but not limited to Black and Brown Queer communities experiencing homelessness, addiction, disability, immigration, and mental health crisis. If you’re a queer person of experience struggling to navigate health care services, this is the article for you. We’re hoping to provide some relief as we cover and define patient rights, queer health care guidelines, and the most commonly used medical terminology. As a patient receiving care you have a right:❖ To safe, considerate and respectful care, provided in a manner consistent with… Read more »

Historical Roots of Eugenics and impact on Afro-Indigenous Communities (Part 2)

So what exactly is Eugenics again?  “Eugenics is a scientifically erroneous and immoral theory of racial improvement and planned breeding”– National Human Genome Research Institute  For the past 150 years, this theory has been branded as a cause for “corrective” procedures on those deemed “hereditarily ill.” In a monstrous attempt to breed for ‘desired characteristics’ in order to “improve” the future generations of human beings. Which later ensued genocides and medical sterilization in the name of ethnic ‘cleansing’- better known as eugenicide.  To better clarify my use of the term genocide, it is the deliberate and systematic destruction of a group of people because of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, or race. It became a crime, punishable by international law under the United Nations in 1946 and to provide reparations to… Read more »

Biology is Not Binary: A History

Trigger Warning:  Illustrations of human reproductive system and referential use of outdated binary biological terminology  “While Biology is not and will never be binary. It is inarguably refreshing, diverse and unbelievably more beautifully designed than we have ever been taught to imagine.” – Ë11VËN Human Biology, has never been binary. Although, unfortunately each time it is discussed it becomes lost in the vague dichotomy of Western terminology (i.e men, women, boy, girl, penis, vagina, motherhood, fatherhood etc.) otherwise obstructing our ability as a society to explore and understand ourselves beyond the violent narratives surrounding the study of human biology. Ultimately removing us entirely from the Indigenous history of human life before colonialism. While complex, the basic fundamentals of biology actually begin quite simple. Biology in short  is ambiguously unique among… Read more »

Covid-19 is Here for the Long Haul; Here’s How to Make Sure You Are Too

Covid-19 has changed the world forever, and we need to act accordingly now. It can be helpful to think of Covid precautions like sexual health precautions. Covid is here for the long haul, so even though it’s becoming more impossible to have zero risk and exposure, there are likely several methods you could employ to make a situation safer. And while it’s more than understandable if you’d rather stay home to avoid infection, there are many steps in between never leaving your house and acting like the pandemic never happened (and isn’t ongoing). It’s here to stay, so act accordingly.  The problem of aerosols  It’s commonly accepted that Covid spreads through direct human contact and liquid droplets in the air and we can see the material effects of that impact…. Read more »