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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Trans is the TARGET
Every year for LGBTQ Pride month, those of us who have chosen LGBTQ advocacy as our work are inundated with requests for presentations, panels, keynotes, workshops – you name it. My team at the Center for LGBTQ Health Equity is no different. We will be many places in June and then again in October, when many additional LGBTQ-centered awareness days occur. It is strange though: no one has asked us to talk about the public policy assault our community is experiencing. And I want to talk about it. I think no one has asked us to talk about this issue […]
Celebrating ElderPride – Our Roots Keep Us Strong
The LGBTQ movement grew, as all do, because it was necessary. Our Elders and 20th century ancestors were degraded, pathologized, systematically brainwashed to deny their own truth. Those who couldn’t or wouldn’t be “discreet” were outcast, murdered, and institutionalized. The only safe option for so many was hiding, and we now know from a pile of research that living a shadow life of deception and shame slowly kills you. Pride dawned from the dignity of our people. Pride was the flower of our convictions—the way I love is valid, my gender is worthy, the desires I have are honorable—and our […]
Walk, Run, and Bike to Support the AIDS Walk & Music Festival 2021
The disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have made the fight against HIV and AIDS even more important, and heightened the need for awareness of the importance of HIV testing and treatment. As the nation prepares to mark 40 years of HIV in America this summer, Chase Brexton Health Care will host its AIDS Walk & Music Festival to support local HIV and AIDS programs. This year, to help participants remain safe, the event will take on a virtual form. We asked Clare Elliott, Assistant Director of Development for Chase Brexton Health Care, to share some details about this year’s event, […]
COVID-19 Pandemic Creates Growing Need for Behavioral Health Services
The physical toll of the COVID-19 pandemic is measured in new cases and medical outcomes, but hidden costs of the pandemic are often borne by those who may never contract the virus. The stresses of the pandemic and the restricted lives most Americans face have caused a surge in the demand for behavioral health services. This need comes not just from those already in care who find themselves cut off from their traditional appointments and groups, but also from individuals who might never before have needed behavioral health assistance. Dr. Stephanie Saunders, PsyD, Director of Behavioral Health for Chase Brexton […]
Announcing the All-New Center for LGBTQ Health Equity
The first day of February marked a big moment for The LGBT Health Resource Center team as we began a new era of mission focus with a new name and brand identity, becoming The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity, a Chase Brexton Center of Excellence. We have conducted extensive market research and done some organizational soul searching with support from our marketing and communications team and a very talented local branding firm, Devaney & Associates. With our new name and brand comes a clear mission: to create health equity for LGBTQ patients in our communities and around the world through […]
Preparing for Tax Season at the Next ElderPride Power Hour
Tax season can be a challenge for many elders, and that challenge could be greater than ever this year as the COVID-19 pandemic restricts the availability of professional help in preparing their return. LGBT elders in need of assistance can learn how to get the help they need at The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity’s upcoming virtual ElderPride Power Hour, scheduled for Thursday, February 11 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Courtney Bettle, AFC, Director of Financial Capability for the CASH Campaign of Maryland, will present the online session, and offered a preview of some of the tips she’ll share. […]