Tag: sexuality

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Blog Out in Healthcare

Out in Healthcare: Oliver Hoad, OTS

Name: Oliver Hoad

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Identity: Queer Trans Man

Background: I’m 23 and grew up in a coastal town on the east coast of Australia called Coffs Harbour. I am currently in the second year of my Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. I came out as bisexual when I was in high school, but as I grew into my identity I realised that queer was a better fit. I came out as trans in 2018 which was a huge change for everyone in my life but luckily it has been a mostly positive one! Where I live is fairly regional, and there is not a lot of acceptance towards the queer community so unfortunately there are not many opportunities for interaction with other queer people, especially those my age. When I’m not studying I am a member of a group for LGBTQIA+ young people, a peer educator for a sexual health organisation and enjoy gaming, baking and going to the beach.

Profession: I am an Occupational Therapy student and I teach primary school (elementary school) kids how to create video games afterschool on the side!

Area(s) of Practice or Interest: Interested in sexual health and paediatrics/adolescents.

What does being ‘Out in Healthcare’ mean to you?: Australia is not very progressive when it comes to the healthcare of transgender people. After I came out and had to go to the emergency department of the hospital I told them I was trans and that my name was Oliver yet the doctor continued to address me by my deadname* and female pronouns. Being out in healthcare would allow me to reduce the chances of this happening to other trans people, particularly youth, and would increase attendance and inclusivity within spaces that cause so much anxiety for young people.

What is one thing everyone should know about your identity?: People should know that we are not all the same and we do not have to all be the same. Not all trans people look like the stereotypical trans man or trans woman that may be portrayed in the media, and a lot of us have values and beliefs that are different from each other. That is ok and it doesn’t make someone any less trans.

How do you feel when your identity is included?: I feel hopeful for the future. The inclusion of trans people in different conversations is so important. It shouldn’t be a question whether or not to include us in conversation whether it be political, health related, in sports, or religion, and when this occurs it feels like progress is being made.

What does “taking up space” mean to you?: As queer people, we are often told that we are taking up too much space. We are told that we are too visible within the media, we should be so “gay” in public, that our stories are being told too often and we are asked why we need a whole month to celebrate our community and their history when it “isn’t necessary”. These opinions of individuals are all such negative things that are brought up way too often! However, they bring about important conversations between two communities that may not occur if our presence wasn’t questioned so often. The space that we take up is so important even if other people don’t think that it is.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to healthcare workers who aren’t sure how to honour the identities of their patients?: Ask as many questions as possible. Ask what your patient they are comfortable with, what their pronouns are, and if they would like you to know anything about their identity. In saying that, also be respectful when asking the questions. Oh and don’t always assume that somebody fits into a binary gender simply because that is how they present!

Has your identity influenced healthcare that you’ve received?: It has definitely influenced my healthcare experience, probably being trans more than anything else. Finding a doctor who is LGBTQIA+ friendly and educated in transgender medicine is difficult in a regional area so you have to go in blind and hope for the best. There are also limited services available in these areas for transgender healthcare. In the past, I was often misgendered and called my deadname* even after telling doctors my preferred name and pronouns which is unfortunately a common problem for trans youth and people who are transitioning, especially in regional and rural areas like the one I live in. Luckily now I have found a good network of supportive doctors and allied health professionals that are educated in the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Where can people find you?: You can find me on Instagram @onespicyegg or via email at olivermaxwellhoad@outlook.com

*Deadname: A deadname is the birth name of someone who has changed it. The term is especially used in the LGBTQ+ community by people who are transgender and elect to go by their chosen name instead of their given name. (Resource)

Deadnaming: Deadnaming occurs when someone, intentionally or not, refers to a person who’s transgender by the name they used before they transitioned. You may also hear it described as referring to someone by their “birth name” or their “given name.” (Resource)

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Blog Out in Healthcare

Out in Healthcare: Wade Robinson, OTD

Name: Wade Robinson

Pronouns: He/his

Identity: Gay man 

Background: While completing my undergraduate degree, I became passionate about the field of sexual wellness while working with various non-profit organizations that provided HIV-related services and raised scholarships for LGBTQ students. Those experiences emphasized the importance of education around sexuality, and after beginning graduate school I was delighted to discover that sexual activity is included in the domain of occupational therapy. I was able to bring OT and sexuality education together and collaborate with @sexintimacyOT for my doctoral capstone project to create a continuing education course on LGBTQ0-inclusive practice.

Profession: Occupational Therapy

Area(s) of Practice or Interest: Sexual activity and education, pediatrics, hand/orthopedics

What does being ‘Out in Healthcare’ mean to you?: I believe that generally people have many misconceptions about what it means to be LGBTQ until they know that they know LGBTQ people. In my day-to-day life, I live by the mantra of “advocacy through visibility”, and I try to do the same in a professional setting by being authentic about my own sexual identity. I think this normalizes conversations about sexuality, models to colleagues how to respond, and indicates a safe-space to clients.

What is one thing everyone should know about your identity?: Overall I think that LGBTQ visibility is a good thing, but I’ve noticed that a lot of the mainstream media highlighting LGBTQ people are pretty narrow in their scope. I just want people to check themselves for implicit biases that are easy to subscribe to and know that being gay does not mean being into interior design, subscribing to a particular style of drag, or being into drag at all for that matter. Part of allyship is celebrating LGBTQ people for their identities, so just recognize that there are countless ways for identities to differ and each is as valid as the next.

How do you feel when your identity is included?: We [LGBTQ people] have gone so long without seeing proper representation or inclusion that I definitely notice when we are included in policies and media, even with little things.

What does “taking up space” mean to you?: To me this goes back to the idea of advocacy through visibility. It’s not like I always talk about being gay, queer culture, or anything like that, but I do think it is important to share my sexual identity with the people around me. I think its personal relationships that create allies. It’s so obvious to LGBTQ people how cisnormative/heteronormative everything is by default, and that creates a lot of marginalization that the majority never considers. I think that we can use that lens for the better to recognize how other minority groups could be excluded and erased, then aim for more inclusive, mindful practice.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to healthcare workers who aren’t sure how to honor the identities of their patients?: I know for OT in particular, there are not very many resources, which is why I created the LGBTQ-inclusive course for my capstone project. For healthcare professionals in general, I think the National LGBT Health Education Center is the best resource for practice guidelines. Time in the clinic is precious and the experience is often stressful for clients; it would be very unusual that that time would be best spent with the client educating the clinician about their sexuality. Being educated about sexuality before interacting with clients is best practice. If somebody finds themselves in a situation where they still are unsure, I think the most import thing they could do is approach the situation with humility. 

Has your identity influenced healthcare that you’ve received?: There are two instances that come to mind in which providers made assumptions about me after I disclosed that I am gay, and both instances were regarding sexual health interestingly enough. The first time I was just completing a routine check-up and getting some vaccinations to start graduate school, and the physician suggested that I complete a battery of STD tests. Even after I explained that I have worked in sexual health, am very aware of my relative risks, and was current on all my tests, the physician suggested that I at least get an HIV test. The second time, the nurse told me that they were going to ask me some questions about my sexual health, but once I said that I was gay, they moved on to ask me about other areas of health. Afterwards, without knowing any of my risk factors or sexual habits, they proceeded to try to administer a test that was completely inappropriate and did not apply to me at all. At this point, I said I would not be doing that test, explained that I previously worked in sexual health, and commented that I was surprised that they did not ask more questions to assess which tests were appropriate. The nurse brushed off my response and quickly said that there were more questions on the template but they were optional to ask and this was standard procedure. 

Where can people find you?: Hidden away studying for the NBCOT exam, hiking, or on Instagram at @Wad_the_robin

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Blog Out in Healthcare

Out in Healthcare: Dr. Sakshi Tickoo, BOTh®, Personal Counselor

Name: Dr. Sakshi Tickoo

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Identity: Bisexual

Background: I am 23 year old cisgender female born and raised in Mumbai, India. From being an 8-year-old child interested in gynecology and pursuing Occupational Therapy at the age of 17, a lot has changed unlike my passion for understanding sexuality. When I joined OT all I knew was it enables independence, holistic in approach and has scope for creativity and research. I haven’t been disappointed with that idea ever since I graduated from Asia’s first Occupational Therapy school in 2019. I came out to my family and friends 2 years back. While my parents still believe “bisexuals” don’t exist; my brother, colleagues and friends have been extremely supportive of my choices. However, this relationship with
my own sexuality is ever evolving and I’ve so much to learn about my own body & desires. Currently, I am working as a school-based OT and on the mission of educating and equipping therapists with tools and resources to create and build upon safer, inclusive, and judgement-free spaces for sexual expression.

Profession: Occupational Therapist

Area(s) of Practice: Sexuality and Mental Health, Wellness and
Rehabilitation

What does being ‘Out in Healthcare’ mean to you?: It means to represent and own my authentic self as a person and professional. It allows me to be open, honest with my clients and get a better perspective towards intimacy and relationships. Moreover, it has become a means of creating safer spaces for awareness and sensitizing people on gender and sexuality. This further sets an example of courage for others to be themselves and represent what they believe in.

What is one thing everyone should know about your identity?: Bisexuals are not indecisive, confused, experimenting, or only engaging in polyamory. Sexuality is fluid and sexual expression is a personal choice. Bisexuality for me is having a slightly wider spectrum of choice- an attraction to the person of same or opposite gender. This may also look like attraction to two or more genders for someone else. So, even though it’s one identity, the way we all express it can be vastly different.

How do you feel when your identity is included?: The “B” in LGBTQ is often invisible to most people. Bisexuals aren’t straight enough for the heteronormative society and not gay enough to be included in the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a constant struggle for belongingness but as long as people who matter to me are a part of my life and let me be part of theirs, nothing else matters!

What does “taking up space” mean to you?: Taking up space is an act of resistance. To own and establish your unique brand of self in this beautiful mess of a world. This space has a certain vibe, healthy boundaries, and provides a sense of belongingness. I don’t have to wait to belong anywhere as I belong everywhere. My thought & idea matters. My voice matters. I matter.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to healthcare workers who aren’t sure how to honor the identities of their patients?: Look and create that space of communication about sexuality. It won’t naturally arise because most healthcare workers aren’t addressing this area making patients clueless about the services we could offer. It will be awkward but it’s a skill set we learn and get better at- just like sex! And if it’s too much for you, be open to learn from your patient and let them guide you through this.

Has your identity influenced healthcare that you’ve received?: There is often no acknowledgement or plain ignorance to how I identify. It’s always assumed that I’m a heterosexual because I identify as a cisgender woman. I’ve not been denied any healthcare facilities but most providers fail to understand what I need from them. They lack providing optimal quality care expected from them which makes it harder for me to trust them at times.

Where people can find you:
Website: sexloveandot.in
Instagram/Facebook: @sex.love.andot
Email: sex.love.andot@gmail.com