As I look forward to resuming this column and thought about the last five years, I wanted to ask: Think back to 2018, or even early, 2019 – what was your life like? What kind of changes do you see, now, in how you handle relationships, work, or mundane everyday routines? This does not mean we dismiss changes over time, in whatever context they may appear. Getting older, accumulating different experiences, making new connections, losing others, are all what passage of time brings. But we all lived through an unexpected period of illness, quarantine, working “remotely,” isolating, masking, or vaccines, […]
Chubby Love
I recently received a note on my “Ask the Doc” blog from a gay man who wrote: “I became fascinated with fat people at a very young age, and after I discovered masturbation at 13 years old, I realized those feelings were sexual.” He was angry because his friends think his sexual attraction is crazy. Society has a prejudice against fat people. The idealized male body is one with 10% body fat, V-shaped, and muscular. Our culture sees fat people as lazy, unmotivated, and undisciplined. Because we are all exposed to that culture, everyone incorporates these stereotypes. Because society adopts […]
Strategies for Tax Season
Upcoming community session dives into the details By Aaron Cahall Chase Brexton Health Care Tax preparation can be a challenging, confusing, and even dreaded obstacle for many, but help is available! Individuals seeking some simple strategies for tax season, or looking for resources to get help, can find the answers they need at the next LGBTQ Community Connection session. The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, March 9th from 1 to 2:30 pm and will be hosted by the CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Campaign of Maryland. Learn more about the session and how to join at Chasebrexton.org/LGBTQCommunityMar2023. We asked […]
Time’s Up for Tik Tok Diet Trends
By Dr. Terri Griffith Picture this: You’re scrolling Tik Tok when you find a “What I eat in a day” video. A 20-something-year-old influencer, clad in fluffy white Skims and perfectly coiffed hair to match the never-lived-in aesthetic of her home, shows you everything she eats in a day to maintain her “healthy” lifestyle. She also shares a workout routine that she swears by to maintain her physique. She is thin, gorgeous, and seems to have it all – and she promises that if you follow her diet and fitness routine, you too will be thin, gorgeous, and have it […]
The Benefits of Sex After 50
LGBT elders shouldn’t let Valentine’s Day pass them by—there are plenty of exciting ways to spice up their love life and keep the passion in their relationships. Everything LGBT elders need to know will be uncovered at an upcoming LGBTQ Community Connection online seminar on Thursday, Feb. 10 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The session will be presented by Jacq Jones, owner of Sugar on The Avenue in Hampden. For more information on how to join, visit www.chasebrexton.org/LGBTQCommunityFeb22. We asked Jacq for a few teases of the intimate advice she’ll share with attendees. What are a few health benefits […]
Beating the Wintertime Blues
The wintertime blues can be a very real and very difficult experience for many, draining our energy and cutting us off from sources of support just when we need them the most. But there ways to cope and find brightness and joy even in the colder months. Kate Bishop, Education Coordinator for The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity, and Randall Leonard LCSW-C, a staff therapist with the Center, recently discussed how to beat the wintertime blues: Kate Bishop: Randall, I know you’ve seen a number of clients recently who’ve been struggling with mood and motivation. What is it about this […]
Love Me? Agree With Me!
In these polarized times, it is impossible not to be affected by the conflicts we see/hear/observe around us. As a result, relationships reflect the turmoil and bring up values and beliefs we may not have been aware of. Even when you have known another person for years, there is always some little corner, some quirk that never emerged. This is true for all of us because our life experiences mold us in concert with our unique genes. If you have never had to swim, how would you know what it would feel like? Situations bring up fears and anxiety, and […]
Happy National Coming Out Day!
This coming Monday, October 11 is National Coming Out Day. This holiday has been meaningful and even transformative in my life. I remember the first celebration I attended as clearly as if it were yesterday, and the speakers and stories I heard that day. I found a place I didn’t know I was looking for, and people embraced me and welcomed me. Fast-forward a few decades, and such events are rare. There has been a cultural shift that has led some to question if this holiday even matters anymore. It’s true that someone coming out as LGBTQ today is more […]
Anger In A Relationship
Anger is a state of arousal in response to an expectation of frustration, or of an obstacle to where you want to go or what you want to do. The dictionary defines it as: a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. It is a natural emotion. But it is not perceived as positive. Many people grow up in families where the expression of anger is clearly discouraged and labeled as bad. What is important is b being able to differentiate between the experience of anger and the form it takes in expression. When one shows anger by physical violence, […]
LGBTQ-Affirming Healthcare Requires More Than a One-Hour Training
Gay men in Baltimore needed STI treatment in 1978, but continually found ineptitude and humiliation from providers who had no knowledge about their patients’ risks or their realities. Chase Brexton Health Care started out in a basement apartment near North Avenue to address that critical need. Though LGBTQ legal rights and cultural legitimacy are a world away from the stigma of the past, too many of us are still facing clueless or cruel medical experiences in 2021. A recent study published in the Journal of Homosexuality, echoing the dismal findings of those from a decade or two ago, found […]