The Advocate May/June 2022

WHEN I WAS 7, my second-grade teacher gave me a booklet called “All About Me,” which encouraged me to write down what I thought I knew about that kid in the Planet of the Apes tee and construction boots. Answering the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I wrote that I wanted to be a famous actress. A few years later I began imagining a world in which I starred as the Kristy McNichol character in a Broadway musical adaptation of the film Little Darlings. Fast-forward to the late 1990s and early aughts and I was throwing Oscar bashes in my Hartford, Conn., apartment for my queer friends. Those parties, with rules including “no talking over speeches,” earned legendary status in my tiny community. I’ve yet to…

There’s been a swift response to support Ukrainian refugees, yet little response in support of LGBTQ+ and other displaced people who are refugees in Ukraine and now intertwined with the war. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, LGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution in Africa found Ukraine to be a haven. The majority of Ukrainians are in favor of equal rights for LGBTQ+ people. And there are antidiscrimination laws and other protections available that have made it unlikely that LGBTQ+ people could face persecution based on their identity. Since the invasion began in February, the European Union has agreed to open its doors to Ukrainians fleeing persecution due to the recent crisis. But no action has been taken to protect the refugees who are in Ukraine without the proper documentation as they flee to the…

A Chechen warlord and close adviser to Ramzan Kadyrov, the region’s leader, was said to be killed in Ukraine as Russia began its invasion of the country. Russian human rights groups have said the adviser had been involved with the persecution of LGBTQ+ people. “Magomed Tushayev, one of Ramzan Kadyrov’s top warlords, has been killed in action in [the] Hostomel [airport]. Ukraine’s elite Alpha Group is reportedly fighting Chechens in the airfield,” Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko tweeted in late February. A Twitter account affiliated with the Ukrainian Armed Forces also reported Tushayev’s death. The account wrote, “Magomed Tushayev, leader of the 141 motorized regiment of the Chechen National Guard, was killed!” While outlets like The Jerusalem Post reported on Tushayev’s killing, his death is still disputed by some, according to the BBC. For years now,…

There’s been great progress in recent yea rs for LGBTQ+ youth, but discrimination, harassment, and political attacks continue, and many of these young people seek mental health services. One health care provider is offering a new option to meet this need. Charlie Health, founded in 2020, offers treatment through a video platform so clients can access services from their homes. Its intensive outpatient program is designed for teens and young adults who need more than a once-a-week therapy session — it’s usually nine to 11 hours weekly for six to 10 weeks and includes individual, family, and group therapy. And there are services specifically tailored for LGBTQ+ clients. “From harassment in schools to legal challenges to their right to authentically move through the world and access basic health care, LGBTQIA + youth…

Some LGBTQ+ people, having lived out and proud for years, find themselves back in the closet when they enter senior housing — something veteran activist LuAnn Boylan calls “a travesty.” Now, as director of marketing and leasing at Living Out Palm Springs, Boylan aims to offer an option that won’t require closeting. Living Out, under construction in that California desert city, will be an apartment community for active LGBTQ+ people aged 55 and older. Designed in a contemporary interpretation of mid-century modern architecture, it will have 122 units (several different floor plans are available) and amenities including pools, a restaurant and bar (under the direction of celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken), a fitness center, a putting green, a dog park, housekeeping and concierge services, and more. Living Out will…

When it comes to homelessness, violence, addiction, and behavioral disorders like obsessive-compulsive behavior, LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately affected. UCLA Extension, a continuing and professional education program that’s part of the University of California system, recently announced a $1.5 million grant from the federal government that allows the creation of a training certificate so health professionals can better address these disparities. The Behavioral Health Support Specialist Training Certificate will provide training to “upskill” health care support workers in greater Los Angeles. Obtaining the certificate will not require tuition — participants will receive a $5,000 stipend — and the study will consist of nine courses, including Working with Diverse Populations in Behavioral Health, Navigating High-Stakes Conversations and Motivating Patients, and Fundamentals of Human Sexuality. UCLA Extension officials applied for the federal grant from the…