At a glance |
|---|
|
Photo: submitted
Convocation events at UMass Chan Medical School continued on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with UMass Chan’s 14th annual LGBTQ+ Convocation Celebration. Keynote speaker E. Kale Edmiston, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry & behavioral sciences, led a virtual discussion about how hate groups spread misinformation in an attempt to discredit and halt evidence-based care for transgender people, which in turn can impact policy and resources available to transgender patients.
“Our annual LGBTQ+ convocation celebration is an important opportunity for us to celebrate the contributions, achievements and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, while also recognizing the challenges they continue to face,” said Marlina Duncan, EdD, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at UMass Chan, in opening remarks. “Belonging isn't created by one office, one group or one event; we create it together.”
Dr. Edmiston advised physicians to continue to provide evidence-based care, practice sensitivity toward transgender patients experiencing stress and uncertainty and to ask what resources and coping skills are available for LGBTQ+ patients. He suggested that citizens offer vocal support for trans people, pressure leaders to enforce policies that protect patient privacy and evidence-based care and to check in on the transgender people in their lives.
"I'm really afraid that more transgender children will commit suicide because they don't have access to care,” said Edmiston. “It's a very isolating and frightening time to be transgender right now. Learn to identify misinformation and correct it consistently. Support scientists and healthcare providers who are under attack and help transgender people migrate to safety.”
“People who treat transgender people are also being targeted and harassed, whether they're trans or cis, and that's extremely scary,” Edmiston added. “It's really important to find a supportive community. Being a part of UMass Chan has made it easier for me to be a vocal advocate for evidence-based care because I feel supported by the leadership here.”
Chancellor David McManus, MD’02, ScM’12, MBA, noted that the timing of the event is meaningful in that it falls during celebratory Convocation events as well as during Pride Worcester.
“Our mission extends well beyond these walls,” Chancellor McManus said. “As an academic health sciences center, we have a responsibility to improve health, strengthen communities and ensure that all people we serve are treated with dignity and respect.”
