Official Baltimore stats for this winter show that we have had less than a quarter of an inch of snowfall so far this year. Of course, the stats are compiled at BWI Airport (where no one lives)… so your results may have differed! Maybe the question should have been, “did we ever really have winter?!” The real estate market has remained active and inventory tight during these traditionally cold, slower months. In most neighborhoods, properties that are priced well and in good condition have gotten a lot of buyer activity. In most cases I’ve been involved with, they have had […]
Should You Expect an Inheritance?
Here’s the smart way to find out In the next three decades, trillions of dollars is expected to pass from Baby Boomers to their children in what’s being called the Great Wealth Transfer. For those of us whose parents are still living, it’s natural to wonder whether a share of this wealth will wind up in our bank accounts.Broaching the subject can be tricky. Many of us feel an innate sense of discomfort when discussing money. Still, it’s a conversation worth having, and taking diplomatic approach is the first step. The average inheritance in this country amounts to less than […]
Confronting Bias – Shoulders of Giants
It’s been a minute! It’s thrilling to be back with the rest of the squad at Baltimore OUTloud. Which brings me to the whole point of today’s column. We don’t do anything in a vacuum. We literally stand on the shoulders of giants. We can be proud of that and remember this fact when the winds of change rock us around. We can be proud instead of scared. I get it, the crazy stuff that is being proposed these days in the name of “protection” is not just putting lipstick on a pig (how do you like that metaphor?) – […]
LGBTQ Health Equity at Chase Brexton Health Care
This March we celebrated the 21st Annual National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week. This campaign hosted by the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health, encouraged us to speak openly about our LGBTQ identities and how healthcare systems interact with our community. Throughout this week, people around the country shared their stories, had conversations about barriers to healthcare, minority stress, intersectionality, inequity… as well as experiences of euphoria, affirmation, and care. Having a dedicated time to reflect on LGBTQ health incites a range of emotions for us at the Center for LGBTQ Health Equity at Chase Brexton. Every day we witness the profound […]
My Path Has Changed
Welcome back to Trans Lives. It’s been a while since I have written to you all and I miss you. COVID really put a damper on life for us all. In December 2021, after having all my shots including my booster, I still tested positive with COVID. My time with COVID was very mild and I tested negative after a week. The question I ask myself lately is whose path will I follow, mine or God’s? Well, that question has been answered, and I know whose path I will follow. I feel life’s journey and sometimes is never the way […]
How Life Insurance Can Make Life Easier
Hints for neatening up one of life’s loose ends Life insurance. The very mention of the term conjures up images of smooth-talking salesmen and glossy brochures. The truth is that life insurance is about security. It provides a financial cushion to those closest to you so they can carry on seamlessly after you are gone. Life insurance can also make administering your estate easier, saving your loved ones time, money, and a lot of stress. The simplest policies pay a lump sum upon your death. This money can be enormously useful in settling your affairs. For example, proceeds from the […]
How Will the New SECURE Act 2.0 Impact Your Retirement?
New laws, new opportunities The 2019 Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act altered the nation’s retirement-saving landscape. A follow-up package, SECURE Act 2.0, takes the changes even further, plus has many new additions. In this article, I’ll discuss how you can utilize these new opportunities to strengthen your own financial preparation for retirement. You’ll have more control over taxes with RMD changes – The SECURE 2.0 Act changed a wide variety of retirement regulations, with many changes impacting Required Minimum Distributions (commonly referred to as “RMDs”). If you’re unfamiliar with this term, RMDs are amounts you must […]
The Language of Catering Explained – Part 1
One of the most daunting tasks about planning a wedding is hiring a caterer. There’s a lot of money involved, and caterers have their own language, which can be difficult to understand. Here, then, is a glossary of the wedding industry language used by caterers, and how to use it to get the wedding you want. Off-premise – The caterer travels to your location – home, wedding venue, wherever – with all that they need to set up, prepare, and execute your event. They generally bring staff, kitchen equipment, food, and beverages. In Maryland, they need a special license if […]
Resilience or Perseverance?
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 […]