LGVMA Annual Meeting

LGVMA 2014 Annual Meeting and Events

Denver, Co at the AVMA Convention

July 25 -28, 2015

Friday, July 25^th

in Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center Mineral Hall F, Level 3

Board Meeting 3-5 PM

Annual Meeting 5-6 PM

Networking Dinner at the Corner Office Denver restaurant (1401 Curtis St.)

Saturday, July 26^th

LGVMA Info Booth (Saturday- Monday) –sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition**

Night on the Town                                          7PM

Dinner at Hamburger Mary’s (700 E 17^th Ave)7PM*

Night exploring Gay Denver                            9 PM*

Sunday, July 27^th

in Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center, Capitol 1, Level 4

“Current Update of LGBTQ Rights and Strategy”

Jeremy Pittman, Human Rights Campaign Fund

Networking Reception                                    7-9 PM

*RSVP to tstevens@morrisanimalfoundation.org for dinners and Night Out or more info

** RSVP to Kim McKee at kimcheszak@yahoo.com to volunteer to help staff the LGVMA booth and to represent LGVMA on Saturday, Sunday or Monday at the exhibit hall.

Contact us at info@lgvma.org for any questions.

LGVMA Strategic Planning Re-cap

You’ve seen the schedule,so you know what we were up to...in theory.  But what you don’t see in the hour by hour breakdown is that there was so much more than mission statement wordsmithing and action planning taking place in Las Vegas.  Its hard to say where to begin, because every time I think about the trip I get wrapped up in all the moments that made me so happy to be there.

This is one of those moments.

As you may know, I’m one of the current leaders of Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student Association.  If you want to know more about me, there’s an entire interview of myself and Arturo from last year on this blog.  This has been an amazing year, and I’m so glad I finally got involved in the LGBT community.  Before veterinary school, I never felt that I was a part of a queer community.  I strongly believe that all veterinary students, no matter where your diversity stems from, deserve a community that understands you. Life is stressful enough for us already.

Group Photo: the LGVMA Strategic Planners

So what do you do to prepare for a Strategic Planning meeting? You do some research!  I honestly didn’t know much about the history of the LGVMA before the meeting.  Everything I knew was based on the brief history on the LGVMA website and what Ken (Dr. Gorczya) told us about the LGVMA at last year’s Broad Spectrum meeting.  Some of our resources included the LGVMA NAVMEC Report from 2011 regarding LGBT acceptance and safety in the veterinary profession.  We also read the Special Edition of Good News! (the LGVMA newsletter) that focused on the personal stories of veterinarians integral to the creation of the LGVMA.  If you’re interested in reading any of these resources we can send them your way!  Reading all of these resources made me so grateful to be a part of the community and even more grateful for all the hard work that has been done already.

Liam layin' it out.

All attendees and some student/LGVMA leaders filled out a survey asking about our views on the current LGVMA and where we would like to see the organization go.  After the survey closed everyone attending the meeting was able to read all responses (which were anonymous) to each question.  I reviewed these on my 3 plane trips from Ithaca to Las Vegas.

Dr. Apryl Steele and Table 2, hard at work.

I arrived at the Red Rock Casino and Resort (which was about 10 times larger than I had imagined) just in time for our first meeting to start.  As you can imagine, as with most things that involve discussion, we didn’t stick to the schedule exactly, but we started, ended, and took breaks as indicated.  From breakfast until around 5pm we were together, getting to know each other personally and professionally outside of meeting discussions.  

Nikki presenting the fruits of our labor

In summary, we talked a lot and made some awesome charts.  It was difficult at times.  Sitting in the same room for hours only reminds me of vet school, but we were always engaged and participating to make this process successful.

Discussing organizational structure

You also probably saw us all posting on Facebook from inside the meetings, and after the meetings.  Despite being jetlagged and tired from early starts each day, a group of us took a trip to see the Vegas strip.  I’m so glad we did this!  I got to see the famous Bellagio fountains and walk through the Venetian.  You didn’t expect us to spend all of our time working did you?

Cruisin' in a convertible with LGVMA President Dr. Sandy Hazanow

Sin City!

Las Vegas: Where you never know if it's day or night

Amanda with the wizard of all street performers!

After a majority of the hard work was done, some of us also took a trip into the desert on Sunday afternoon (Red Rock Canyon Park) to go on an “easy” hike.  The views were beautiful and totally worth it. It was nice to spend the afternoon outside in the sunshine.  We were lucky to have excellent weather while we were there.  It was chilly for certain people who go to vet school in the southern USA, but it was heavenly compared to Ithaca in February.

Student leaders at Red Rock Canyon Park.  Hiking in business casual and flip flops, NBD. 

Taking a lunch break at Red Rock Canyon Park

The work isn't done.  We are still putting time into developing the new and improved LGVMA website and discussing how to improve the organization's structure.  I am so glad that I went and met more like-minded colleagues and hopefully lifelong friends.  I’ll be seeing some familiar faces at SAVMA Symposium in less than a week, and hopefully I’ll be meeting some new people as well.

All in a weekend's work

Interview with Dr. James Morrisey, DVM, DAVBP

We are very excited to present our interview with Dr. James Morrisey as the third interview in our on-going series.

Dr. Morrisey could you please introduce yourself?

I am currently a Senior Lecturer at Cornell University and the head of the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine Service. I teach about exotic pets and zoological species in the clinics, the class room and in the field. I also teach communication skills here at Cornell. In my free time I sing, dance and act as well as teach aerobics, cycle and eat out.

Dr. Morrisey with a young Howler monkey in Honduras

Hi Dr. Morrisey!  Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed.  Please introduce yourself.  Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school?

I grew up in Maryland outside of DC and Southern California, so consider myself bi-coastal! We moved to southern California when I was 11 so spent my formative teenage years in a nice, laid back beach community. I went to undergrad at the University of Maryland and majored in Zoology and Dance. I went to vet school at Cornell University. 

Tell us about your job.  Did you always know you wanted to be a wild life and zoo veterinarian?  What made you decide to pursue this career?

Yes, I grew up going to zoos and loving wildlife and exotic animals so I always wanted to work with them in some form. I found I liked science and medicine so becoming a zoo vet became my goal. During my internship at Kansas State I found I really enjoyed the client contact and working with exotic pets, so now work mostly with those species and only do zoo/wildlife work when I’m travelling in Central and South America.  

What is your most memorable experience in your career this far?     

I have had a lot of great experiences in my job and feel very lucky to do what I do. I get to travel around the world, teaching and working in a variety of places. I’ve had some great experiences working in Central and South America lately. We take students on trips to Honduras and I’ve worked with a wildlife refuge in Bolivia that’s been very exciting.

What are your thoughts on the state of acceptance of the LGBTQ population within the veterinary field and in zoo/wildlife medicine in particular?  Have you ever had any positive or negative experiences?

I have been fairly blessed in my life and rarely have had negative experiences relating my sexuality. I am a positive person by nature and try to approach any situation with a positive attitude and find that works very well for me. I’ve found the field of veterinary medicine to be very accepting of the LGBTQ population, which isn’t surprising since it tends to attract smart, kind and caring people.

Do you have any advice for negotiating your first job, especially with issues like partner benefits? 

My advice is to remain positive and accept yourself for who you are. If you act like  being gay or asking for partner benefits is an ‘unusual’ request then it may be construed that way, but if you act like that’s the most natural thing in the world, it tends to be less of an issue. It’s no different than asking about benefits for your spouse if you’re a heterosexual couple. 

Do you have any advice or a system for whom to come out to in the work setting?

Again, I think accepting yourself for who you are and realizing that it is simply one, very natural, part of what makes you the unique person you are will go a long way towards making it a non-issue. I think we get so stressed out and worked up in our minds about how to tell people but it’s really no different than telling people you’re ethnicity or the color of your hair. It’s simply a part of the whole package that is you.  

Did you have any memorable LGBTQ mentors?

When I was in vet school, there were a few other students and faculty that were very helpful in getting me to accept my sexuality as another piece of the puzzle that makes me unique. Tom Graves and Larry Carbone were so easy going and accepting and just said “oh hi, you’re gay, cool, now let’s talk about this other cool thing..” it was really great to just be accepted and then treated like a friend. 

What are your thoughts on the current climate for the LGBTQ community (e.g. with upcoming presidential elections, our current struggles for marriage equality, etc.)?

I think we are making progress slowly and steadily, which is the best way to go. Not forcing issues but not dropping them either. The best thing that each of us can do is just be a good person and open about our sexuality. It’s much harder for people to oppose and dislike that which they don’t know, so make friends in all areas of life especially those people that are very different from you. Treat them with the respect and openness with which you would like to be treated.  I think that sends a powerful message.

What is your favorite non-veterinary pastime?

I’m an avid biker. I love to do multiple day, long distance rides for charities, it’s a great feeling to be working with people towards a common goal.  I also love watching cheesy sci-fi and horror movies

Anything else you’d like to say?

Stay positive, stay fit and love what you do!

Thank you so much!

BSVSA Responds

"Support for Discrimination and Marginalization? Not Surprising."

On March 14, dvm360.com posted an article entitled “Minority students report strong support from veterinary schools, but racism and sexism remain, study says.”.  The article provided preliminary results from the Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) climate study conducted by Lisa Greenhill (Associate Executive Director for Institutional Research and Diversity at the AAVMC).  We had written about the preliminary responses here.  Some of the results included that one in five female veterinary students reported hearing sexist language at their school, and LGBT students reported they did not have a faculty or staff member to confide in at higher rates than those students who did not identify as LGBT.  In response to the article, DVM NewsMagazine published a letter from Dr. Larry Fisher of Topeka, Kansas.
 

In his letter, Dr. Fisher states:
Is support available for students surprising?

In the article “Minority students report strong support from veterinary schools, but racism and sexism remain, study says” from dvm360.com on March 14, it was mentioned that “while nearly 83 percent of veterinary students said there was a strong support system within their school, 35 percent said they did not have a faculty of [sic] staff member to confide in.  … The numbers are higher for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students.”

Putting political correctness aside, it is an axiom that a house divided cannot stand.  Different values will always elicit different reactions.  Why are we surprised that those who have different values are looked upon differently?  The group cited has never flourished in a stable society but has always been visible in its decline.  Read history.  Now we wonder why we are declining as a culture?  Folks, fundamentals work.

--Larry Fisher, DVM
Topeka, Kan.

Students involved in Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student Association weighed in:
 

Amanda Fischer- Cornell University Class of 2014:
My initial reaction when I saw this editorial was extreme sadness.  Not because someone was expressing this viewpoint (it would be naive to think that people don’t have and express this view), but because it was published in a veterinary magazine.  I thought that this was highly inappropriate for publication in a professional magazine.  But hopefully some good can come from this in the form of an educated discussion among colleagues in our field. 

The title and the content of the editorial are an interesting contradiction.  Clearly Dr. Fisher is not surprised by a lack of mentorship and guidance for LGBT students in the veterinary community, seeing as he feels there should be none. I do agree with him on one point, that a house divided cannot stand.  Marginalizing colleagues and veterinary students is not going to further the development and future success of our profession.  I feel that his viewpoint implies  LGBT individuals in the profession are decreasing it’s value.  This is a poor attitude to take towards our profession, considering diverse and open work environments foster better collaboration and creativity.  If we are to move forward and continue to provide innovative ideas, then we all need to be more accepting of our colleagues.

I greatly appreciate the response from Dr. Gregory B Combs that was published by DVM NewsMagazine in response to Dr. Fisher’s editorial. As disheartening as that first editorial was, Dr. Combs response made me want to get up and cheer.  I hope that more members of our community agree with Dr. Combs views and welcome all veterinary students with open arms into this great profession.  I hope that students questioning the level of acceptance and inclusion in the veterinary profession can look at the LGVMA, Broad Spectrum, and responses like Dr. Combs and feel as hopeful as I do.

Nikki Wright - University of Pennsylvania Class of 2014
I am incredibly disappointed and saddened by Dr. Fisher’s letter. Although I originally questioned the magazine’s reasoning for publishing it, I have decided that I am thankful that they did, because it forces us as a professional community to confront this issue. If I could get to Kansas I would go and visit Dr. Fisher myself. Not in anger, but in a sincere effort to expose him and educate about the LGBTQ community. My heart goes out to anyone that Dr. Fisher has directly persecuted. There is no room in our society nor in our profession for such hatred. I hope that Dr. Fisher can one day discover the beauty in a life full of loving-kindness, acceptance, and personal growth through diversity.

Arturo Otamendi- Louisiana State University Class of 2014
    I agree with most of my colleagues in that I am not surprised that there are people in society, or even in the veterinary community, that think the way Dr. Fisher does. I have been raised in a part of the country where viewpoints like Dr. Fisher’s are commonplace. Originally, I was very upset that an article with this kind of bigotry would be published in a veterinary magazine that is read by very well educated people. But then I realized that if one person is saying this, then there are a multitude of others who have very similar thoughts. This is a great opportunity for organizations such as LGVMA and Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student Association to speak out and support LGBT rights and to teach the community what we have to offer to make this country a better place to live.
    Breaking down what Dr. Fisher stated, there are a few things I agree and disagree with. I agree with the fact that “a house divided cannot stand” However, this is the exact opposite of what members of the LGBT community are trying to do. We believe in “inclusion” of all people. This includes race, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, gender identity, etc. We see ourselves as an integral part of society and we in no way ask to be treated differently or special in any way. We want the same rights and privileges that everyone else has. It is actually not surprising at all that different values elicit different responses. I know there are people out there who do not agree with the LGBT lifestyle, but a veterinary teaching school is no place for that type of thinking.
    As for the statement that the LGBT community has never flourished in a stable society, but has always been seen in its decline, I ask where can he show any evidence of truth behind that statement. Homosexuality has been present in all cultures and societies since before the Roman times, and nowhere is there any solid evidence that this was a cause for the decline in their culture. The LGBT community has proven to be a very important part of this country and plays a big impact on the economy. In the veterinary community, LGBT individuals see their pets as their children, and they want the best veterinary care they can receive for their family member. How can a veterinarian provide them all that they need, while at the same time feeling like they are not appreciated or even resented for who they are. Dr. Fisher is blind to the fact that society is changing, and if he does not change with it, he will be left behind.
    I am very thankful for people like Dr. Fisher, because it pushes me to be more proactive and vocal about LGBT issues and rights. I feel that if we as LGBT veterinarians and veterinary students reach out and educate the community, we will see a big change in the next couple years and the comfort levels of veterinary students and veterinarians will increase tremendously.

Here are some more helpful articles for debunking gay myths:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-top-five-most-common-antigay-arguments-debunked
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/10-myths
http://www.residential-life.unh.edu/diversity/15questions.pdf
http://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2224&context=vulr

Get to know the new BSVSA Leadership!

Here is a little interview we had with the new student leaders of Broad Spectrum. You already know Nikki, now meet Amanda and Arturo!

Amanda Lynnea Fischer (blue font)

Arturo Otamendi (red font)

•   BSVSA Position

VP? Treasurer! Queen of the Twitterverse

Executive Officer/Facebooker/blogger

•   School

Cornell University!

Louisiana State University

•   Undergrad

Cornell University!!

Louisiana State University

•   Other Degrees

None yet! But fingers crossed I’m taking a year off from vet school to do research full time and possibly get a masters in biomedical science (from Cornell).

B.S. in Animal Sciences, hoping to do a residency/masters program after vet school.

•   Where are you from?

Cornell University? Actually Long Island, but at this point it feels like I’m from Ithaca

Where am I not from? I was originally born in Maracay, Venezuela. Lived there for several years and then moved to San Francisco when I was 6 years old. One year later, we moved to Indianapolis, and another year after that we moved to New Orleans. I now live in Baton Rouge, LA.

•   Non-vet interests

Knitting, crocheting, sewing (all of my pants need to be hemmed and I’ve made a few things from scratch like skirts, bags, etc.) gardening (I have an organic garden plot with some other vet students where I’m growing squash, chard, and herbs), cycling, I’m also a huge fan of roller derby!

I love to play my trombone. I have been playing for 12 years and it is something I do to relieve some stress. I also dabble on the violin and the clarinet. I love watching sports and spend any free time I have on ESPN. Love to play ultimate frizbee in between studying for exams.

•   Vet Interests and Career aspirations

Wildlife a/o zoo pathology somewhere where I can use my research training. Maybe teaching someday. Maybe lab animal medicine...

I am very interested in internal medicine and hope to one day do a residency and become board certified. I also love research, more on the clinical side, and would like to continue some of the projects I have worked on during veterinary school.

•   what interests led you to be involved in your school's LGBT organization or with Broad Spectrum?

Friendship and community.  The Homophiliacs (Cornell vet’s LGBT group) were super friendly at the info fair my first year (who doesn’t find rainbow leis and Starburst inviting?).  I started hanging out with them on Friday evenings and they had fun casual events (picnics, movie nights) that really made vet school fun.  Last year I was really excited to go to my 1st SAVMA symposium and was told by upper classmen what Broad Spectrum was and that they would be having a meeting.  At that point I was an officer of the Homophiliacs and the only one of us attending SAVMA Symposium, so I felt I needed to go.  Once I met everyone I felt like I need to be involved.  I think everyone who wants a group like the Homophiliacs deserves to have that at their school too.

While at SAVMA Symposium in Purdue this past spring, I met some very awesome people (Sonia & Liam) who were so proactive in leading the way for LGBT veterinary students with their leadership in Broad Spectrum. I was in awe of the many projects they had underway and the way they reached out the community. I immediately knew I wanted to become involved in Broad Spectrum and Sonia and Liam helped show me the ropes and what I was to do. I never imagined myself being in a leadership role in an LGBT organization for veterinary students, but I could not think of anything better to devote myself to.

•   what were you most afraid of when applying to/deciding where to go to veterinary school?

I was afraid that by staying at Cornell I wouldn’t change or grow as a person.  I was really concerned that I would not branch out to meet new people and would be sad when all my friends from undergrad left and moved on.

I was more unsure, as opposed to afraid, or whether or not I should be out in vet school. I was out in undergrad, but with the size of the university, I had no worries that people would create any trouble for me. I worried that with the small classes in vet school, and the amount of hours that we would have to spend with each other, that my classmates would judge me and treat me differently because of my sexual orientation.

•   Did these fears prove to be valid? Or were you surprised by how awesome and sparkly your school experience has been so far?

That was definitely not the case.  Friends I still have in the area always wonder where I’ve disappeared to.  I think they assume I’m studying constantly.  But I became really involved in the vet school with volunteering at the wildlife health center, clubs, SCAVMA, and Omega Tau Sigma (and studying!).  I’m busy, but it’s stuff that I really want to be doing (most of the time).

I decided to be true to myself and to my classmates and not go back in the closet. It was very relieving because I never had to worry about keeping any secrets from anyone. I was very surprised at how open and accepting my classmates were. Louisiana is not known for being the most welcoming state to the LGBT community, but everyone at the veterinary school opened their arms and welcomed me for who I am. I have never had anyone use my sexual orientation in a discriminatory way and because of that I am able to live a free and open life.

•   This is the precise moment at which the reality of being a vet student, studying round-the-clock, and having no life outside of school hits our sad interviewees:

I do wish I had more non-vet student friends, partially to escape talking about vet school all the time.  Even when I find non-vet school people, I still talk about vet school.  Maybe I should learn to talk about those other interests I have...  Either way at least one afternoon a week my brain shuts down and I spend a few hours watching the X-Files.

Vet school certainly has been an intense ride so far. I feel constantly overwhelmed, and feel like I do not even have time to sleep. I miss the little things in life, like going to the movies with friends on a weekend. However, when I think about what I am doing, I realize that I am fulfilling every dream I have ever had. I know one day all the hard work, dedication, and sleepless nights will eventually pay off. I must decide to take it one day at a time and look forward to the future. I want to make a difference in the veterinary community, and I know that all of the little things that we do at BSVSA matter, even if it is just to a few people.

•   Four fun Facts about you

1. I’ve been to Honduras and Belize on school trips (in vet school). 2. I’ve ridden my mountain bike 100 miles around Cayuga lake.

3. I really like going to karaoke nights in Ithaca and singing every Maroon 5 song they have. 

4. I’m addicted to True Blood (it’s so bad, but soooo good!)

1. I was born in Venezuela, where most of my family currently lives, and am fluent in Spanish

2. I attended 10 different schools from the ages of 6-9

3. I can play the trombone, violin, clarinet, euphonium, french horn, and cello.

4. I love CATS! I am the president of the feline club at my school and have three cats of my own.