The four areas I'm most expert in are LGBT health, tobacco, transgender health and HIV. See more info on some of the work I've done in each area below.
 | LGBT Health |
| Tobacco |
| Transgender health |
| HIV |
LGBT Health
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people experience worse health outcomes than the general population in a number of different areas. Problems have been documented in tobacco, HIV, and obesity. Making all this more difficult is the documented challenge in accessing health care. LGBT people sometimes experience health provider discrimination, insensitivity, or lack of cultural competence. Sometimes people choose to avoid healthcare instead of exposing themselves to this stigma. If you want to learn more about LGBT health see the many links on my LGBT health page.
Examples of recent LGBT health work
| founding member of the National Coalition for LGBT Health |
| editorial advisory committee member for the LGBT Companion Document to HP2010 (lead writer on the Access chapter). |
| see many other examples under the tobacco and transgender health subtopics |
Tobacco
News -- Yes, it's true, as of Spring 2006, I am very happily the Director of the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network, a 2 year project funded by CDC. This is a halftime position, I am continuing consulting work as well.
You gotta admit, if you're a conspiracy theorist this area is real interesting, cause the tobacco industry spends $14 Billion dollars a year in promotion and marketing to make sure we're all just a little bit fuzzy and drowsy whenever we think about trying to oppose them. Do you know 50-75% of all governmental bodies are compromised by taking tobacco industry money? Hmm, no wonder our legislation is weak.
Anyhow, it pisses me off that the LGBT communities have been so effectively targeted by Big Tobacco companies. Too many of my friends are struggling to quit smoking. And like many of us, I've also watched more than one relative die from tobacco-related illnesses.
So yah, I like to fight back, however I can.
| Did you know that according to the latest research, LGBT men are 50% more likely to smoke than other men -- and LGBT women are almost 200% more likely to smoke than other women? |
| Did you know tobacco is a pediatric epidemic, most people get hooked in adolescence? |
| Did you know the LGBT adolescents are taking up smoking at record levels? (compared to others) |
You probably do know, our tools to help someone quit are not terribly effective. Most smokers want to quit. Most all have already tried. It takes the average smoker 7-8 tries before they can stay quit.
Wanna know more? See some factsheets I put together for the National Coalition on LGBT Health
| LGBT People and Smoking | ||||
| LGBT Smoking Cessation Fact Sheet -- including a section on how to support others! | ||||
| LGBT People and Clean Indoor Air | ||||
| And I didn't do these but see they're good too
|
Examples of recent tobacco work
| Drafted LGBT portion of text for Praxis Project Special Populations Amicus Brief to be submitted in the current Dept of Justice tobacco lawsuit. See the DOJ page for more info on what is happening with that now. |
| Project manager/Evaluator for Priority Populations grant from American Legacy Foundation, "The LGBT Incubation Project". This research grant explored innovative smoking cessation strategies/social support for LGBT people. |
| Facilitator and consultant to the LGBT Communities Tobacco Action Plan development process. |
| Closing plenary speaker for the 2005 National Conf on Tobacco or Health |
| Participant in the CDC expert panel on Adult Tobacco Survey data collection strategies for LGBT people |
Transgender Health
Oh shees, most of my transgender health work is rolled up in that 250 page book I wrote on this, the dissertation. Click there to learn more than you probably wanna about this topic. And did I say I am transgender? Yah, that helps me stay interested in this.
Examples of past transgender health work
| that dang dissertation |
| facilitated first statewide meeting of NY transgender advocates, 2002 |
| consultant for the House Ball Project, NYC, 2002 |
| lots of presentations/trainings on transgender health issues |
HIV
I've been working in the HIV arena for over 25 years. In my years as a health consultant, most of my work has been related to HIV. In the mid to late 1990s I ran an HIV consulting firm in Washington D.C. We specialized in Title I grantwriting (EMAs to feds), technical assistance, needs assessments, comprehensive plans, and planning council facilitation work. I've also been the project director and evaluator on a SPNS project and a CDC outreach project, written RFPs for EMAs, written Title III proposals, written the Washington D.C. data collection procedures manual, and worked on various evaluation projects for Title I and II groups. See new page on Internet HIV Prevention here.