Pride Presents - Health and Marriage Equality Panel

In honor of the upcoming US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, UTHSCSA Pride put together a panel of local experts from different fields to discuss their work and their viewpoints on the current political climate surrounding the decision. Specifically, we asked panelists to discuss the impacts that these rulings could have on LGBT Healthcare.

We assembled an exciting panel comprising of Amy L. Stone, PhD in Sociology and Anthropology from Trinity University, Christopher Hajek, PhD in the Department of Communication at UTSA, Justin P. Nichols, Attorney at Law from the Nichols Law Firm, and Phillip Schnarrs, PhD from the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition at UTSA. Due to some unlucky circumstances, Dr. Stone and Dr. Schnarrs were unfortunately unable to make it, but we were still able to have a very interesting conversation with Dr. Hajek and Mr. Nichols.

We better understood the complicated social implications and social pressures involved in same-sex relationships from Dr. Hajek and Mr. Nichols used his legal practice experience to explain some of the practical implications of the ruling, should it be in favor of same-sex marriage. We are so grateful to all of our panelists and we hope to find another excuse to have them back soon!

Transgender Health Panel for the School of Nursing

Continuing a tradition initiated by the previous Pride co-president, Chris Lam, Pride nursing and medical students collaborated to assemble a panel of four individuals to speak on transgender health and experience for the School of Nursing. Pride has been fortunate enough to develop a relationship with the fantastic San Antonio Gender Association (SAGA) and several community members who identify as transgender were generous enough to share their time and their stories.

Close to 70 nursing and medical students attended the event and listened as the panelists shared stories of struggle and triumph relating their personal journey and their experiences within the often undereducated healthcare system. We were humbled by our conversations and they were so gracious to answer all of our questions. We hope to use all of these lessons to provide more competent and compassionate care to our transgender patients. We are so thankful and we can't wait to have them back!