HELP BSVSA GET ORGANIZED!! It takes less than 5min

The AAVMC "J Team" and Lisa Greenhill are helping us - We are delighted to launch "It Gets Organized!" 

Through a series of videos, we are going to take Broad Spectrum through a series of exercises that will 


help crystalize the group’s mission, create a clear vision and develop a structurally sound constitution.

After watching Episode One http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6U9oEnXrew&feature=youtu.be (http://youtu.be/-6U9oEnXrew)

please visit the Google Docs link (http://tinyurl.com/ItGetsOrganizedEpisode1) to complete the short 


assignment. It’s EASY!

Climate Change Survey

As many of you have probably already read, the AAVMC, The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, has recently published the results of a Climate Change Survey, which was performed in 2011. A total of 5,268 students from all 28 U.S. veterinary colleges participated in the 50-question campus climate survey. Below is a link to the survey and some of the interesting findings.

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/may12/120501a.asp


We thought it appropriate here at Broad Spectrum VSA to ask some of our student leaders what they thought about the survey. Here is what some of us had to say:

Thoughts/reaction to Climate Survey findings? 

Sonia Fang, Western University of Health Sciences class of 2013

I am excited that this was done, and I’m glad we got such high response rates.  I think it’s important, for any organization, to reflect on the demographics within their organization and whether or not that reflects the population they intend to serve.  I am glad to see people interested in this topic, if not for the sake of knowledge and understanding that there is need for diversity, than at least to know that as a business, the veterinary field needs to be adaptable to change. 

Nikki Wright, University of Pennsylvania class of 2014

At the time of the survey release, even before there was any data available, this study forced us to reflect on our personal feelings about diversity and community’s cultural climate.  This alone was a powerful experience for people who are privileged enough not to have to face the existence of these issues in their daily lives.  Many students and veterinarians have expressed that they are surprised that this data did not already exist. Does this reflect an incorrect assumption by our peers that diversity is a non-issue, or perhaps that it is such an important issue that there must already be extensive time and effort being put toward this end. The most profound result of this data is that this is the first time that we’ve been able to point to empirical evidence to support the existence of these groups and thereby highlight their needs.  The data demonstrate that there ARE veterinary students who identify as racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ, and disabled.  Moreover, I have met a few students that still do not feel safe being out at their veterinary school. This is unacceptable.  I hope that the schools will use this data to understand the composition of their student body and actively make changes to better serve their needs.  I would love to see this evolve into the type of thing that prospective students know that they can ask for when trying to choose a school.

Arturo Otamendi, Louisiana State University class of 2014

I am very grateful for the AAVMC and this wonderful survey that brings light to many issues and topics that many people are not comfortable discussing. I believe the more we talk about topics such as sexual orientation and sexual identity, the more people will feel comfortable about it. Fear only comes from ignorance, and the more people know about the LGBTQ community, the less they will have a tendency to fear this unknown. I am very thankful to live in a time when I can be open about my sexuality and not feel concerned for my safety, but there is always work to be done.

Did any particular finding concern you, raise questions, or spark your interest? 

Sonia

I was excited to see that there were a relatively large number of LGBTQQIA students, though saddened to see that there was ambivalence towards us, though that is to be expected.  I did think it was very interesting that people of color and LGBTQQIA students (not mutually exclusive categories) were more likely to hear homophobic or racist comments.  I think this will need to be evaluated carefully.  In my opinion, and from my lived experience, this is likely due to the fact that those most impacted by marginalization will be better able to spot instances of discrimination when it happens, while those who are not marginalized in those ways are apt to either miss it or ignore it.  For example, when I hear “that’s so gay,” that triggers something in me that might not be triggered in someone straight.  A straight person might not know what it’s like for me to hear someone use “gay” as a term meaning “stupid,” or what it means for me to hear it on a daily basis.  Someone who is not marginalized in these ways might not know how subtle bigotry or subtle racism manifests, or what a microaggression even is, and what that can do to a person, especially a person who is dealing with intersecting identities of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability.  Another example:  when people make jokes at the expense of gender identity, or when they intentionally misgender others as part of a joke, that might trigger very different experiences in someone who is aware of misogyny, transphobia, transmisogyny, or sexism and someone who is not. 

There is an article I like to reference when I encounter situations like this:  http://www.racialicious.com/2008/04/16/racism-fatigue/.  It’s a piece on a fabulous blog about addressing the subtle to-not-so subtle instances of racism.  In this instance, the article references a Vogue cover with LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen that generated a lot of controversy.  I love this part:

“And it can be especially important to talk about the subtle things, because that’s where privilege reveals itself most clearly. Any white person who’s neither an idiot nor an asshole can see and deplore the racism in, say, this image. But we can’t all see it in the Vogue cover. So when we start talking about the Vogue cover as part of a long tradition of racist imagery that casts African-American men as aggressive apes, we get a much more useful conversation going. Instead of just a bunch of white liberals saying, “That’s horrible!” and a bunch of white supremacists saying, “No, it’s right on!” we get to see all the grey areas of privilege brought out in the open: those of us who try to be anti-racist and educate ourselves accordingly but still missed the racism there until it was pointed out to us; those of us who sorta see it once it’s pointed out but still think people are making a mountain out of a molehill; and most importantly, those of us who missed it in the first place and, on the basis of that, continue to insist it is not there.”

In a similar vein, I also thought it was interesting that there were people who felt the schools were being “too sensitive.”  I generally think being sensitive to issues where people feel marginalized or misunderstood—I never think that’s a bad thing.  I think it’s a bad thing when people don’t analyze what they’re saying carefully.  I don’t think that an institution could be too sensitive, especially since the default is often being oblivious, especially to matters pertaining to diversity.

Nikki

LGBTQ population:

The fact that 6.5% of students identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or questioning, and 0.5% identified as transgendered substantiates the existence of this population in the schools.  Many people expressed their feeling that this number may be under-representative of the actual population, and this is furthered by the observation that 81% of students reported knowledge of out faculty, staff, or students. Another issue that showed up in the data was the existence of lingering ambivalence about LGBTQ issues and religion. I am not sure what to make of it, but I think it is clear that the school administrations and students need to be addressing this by providing resources for students, faculty and staff, and encouraging constructive dialogue around these issues.

Disabilities:

12% identified as having an impairment or disability (this included vision, learning, and hearing).   Do students who identify as having a disability feel that they have access to the resources that they need?

Harassment:

Although there were not many students that reported being harassed themselves, there were an alarming proportion of students (14%) that reported seeing others being harassed and 76% of students reported knowing of harassment that occurs on their campus. What’s more, it is mainly students doing the harassing. Also troublesome was the observation that 20-30% of racial/ethnic minorities and LGBTQ students reported hearing homophobic or racist comments. This was a lot higher than the percentage of students in general that reported hearing these remarks.  It is not clear what we should take from this, but as Ms. Greenhill announced during her presentation, we are excited about looking into this further in the form of a qualitative study.

Support/resources:

Although the number is low, it is extremely disappointing and worrisome that 2.4% of students reported having no supportive group of friends or acquaintances on campus.

Arturo

One topic that caught my attention from this survey was that there was still some ambivalence towards LGBTQ topics. I believe many people now a days want to seem like they are very open and understanding of all races, religions, and sexual orientations, but I have noticed that though they show their approval on the surface, their true feelings and thoughts contradict that. People now a days don’t want anyone to think they have ambivalence toward their LGBT classmates, but deep down there are some feelings that will take a long time to erase from peoples minds.

Would you say they’re representative of your experiences at your school?

Sonia

I would say that is pretty representative.  I see the misuse of the words “retarded” or “gay” on a daily basis at school and at work, which is disappointing.  I haven’t ever been exposed to blatantly racist comments, but I have seen students tokenized and asked to speak as representatives to their race.  In running different organizations that relate to the LGBT community, I have personally seen ambivalence to my organization, sometimes subtle, sometimes institutional, and sometimes blatant.  And I would say that while our student body and faculty are generally pretty careful to not make bigoted or sexist remarks, there is sometimes an underlying sense of subtle bigotry and chauvinism.  And there are instances where I know a professor won’t say anything to me, but might mention to other professors that they don’t understand or don’t feel comfortable with other professors’ level of involvement/support with our LGBT groups.

Nikki

 yes - I would say that the reported proportions loosely reflect the population at Penn Vet. In general I think that we are very fortunate at Penn because we have a variety of resources and support for minority students and LGBTQ students through the university and because we are located in such a metropolitan environment with access to further support. We have an active chapter of Veterinary Students as One in Culture and Ethnicity as well as a relatively large LGBTQ&A group, and there are definitely out faculty members, staff, and students.

Arturo

I would say that these findings are accurate of my school. Many people are very open minded and positive about me and our other gay and lesbian classmates. I still know of gay and lesbian students who are too scared to be out because of how it could affect their education and/or ability to attain a job after graduation. However, even though students seem to be very comfortable with their classmates about what they do, they don’t necessarily want to hear about it or discuss topics that concern LGBTQ in the community. I think we need to work harder and be more proactive about starting a dialogue in which people are comfortable discussing issues and problems that concern the LGBTQ community.  

Talk about how the LGBT vet student community is becoming organized? 

Sonia

I think in the last 3-4 years, there has been a lot of organizing, and I’ve been very privileged to be part of it, through Lambda and Friends at WesternU and through my extensive involvement with Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student Association.  I think we’re just beginning to find our voice and figure out how to best position our organizations, and to figure out how to make our organizations sustainable.  I think there is also a push towards short-term goals, such documenting what schools are doing every other month, as well as long-term goals such as influencing non-discrimination policies, having more resources for students, both in terms of ethnic and LGBT diversity, as well as documenting the oral histories of LGBT veterinarians. 

Nikki

It started independently with small LGBTQ&A chapters, sometimes called LGVMA student chapters, springing up at a few schools (Cornell, Penn, Davis, Wisconsin, etc).  Additionally, some schools have a strong VOICE chapter that serves the LGBTQ community as well and fosters the growing ally involvement in LGBTQ issues. The recent organization into a national organization, Broad Spectrum, has been heavily dependent on leadership and outreach efforts by the LGVMA and concurrent involvement with VOICE.

Arturo

Once I learned about Broad Spectrum, which is the national organization for veterinary students in the LGBTQ community and allies, I immediately was interested in becoming more involved. As a pre-veterinary student, I contemplated hiding my sexuality because I was unsure if this would affect my chances of getting into vet school or perhaps getting a job after vet school. I didn’t have anyone to talk to or someone who had gone through the same things that I would be going through. This made being OUT at my school a lot more challenging. Broad Spectrum is here now for any veterinary and even pre veterinary students to be able to communicate with other students in the LGBTQ community and be able to relate to each other. I believe that unity is going to be a big aspect of getting LGBTQ students comfortable in being open at their school and to get rid of the fear of not being able to get a job, internship, or a residency after veterinary school.

What is the goal of these [diversity AND LGBTQ] efforts?

Sonia

I think the obvious goal is to make these institutions and this profession more inclusive.  I talked to someone recently who expressed interest in why LGBT organizations even existed, because it seemed to be getting better.  To that, I say we still need these organizations.  It’s getting better, yes, to some extent, because society is changing and because LGBT and allies alike are pushing towards change.  But until there isn’t rampant discrimination of people of color, LGBT people, those with disabilities, etc. (recognizing these are not mutually exclusive groups), it is still important for us to be aware of our demographics, and it is still important for there to be groups like Lambda and like Broad Spectrum to provide community and support, especially those who would otherwise not have those resources.  I would hope that these efforts also make people aware of the privileges they carry and how they might intentionally or unintentionally marginalize other people.  This extends to marginalized communities in themselves.  For example, it is clear to many that LGBT groups are marginalized in straight communities, but often LGB people do not evaluate how their actions might marginalize those on the transgender spectrum.  Or it might not be clear to white LGBT people that sometimes how they talk or act can feel really marginalizing to people of color, especially LGBT people of color.  Overall, I just hope these efforts get people to think critically, and to re-evaluate how they act and treat other people. 

Here are some helpful resources:

General resources on how privilege operates (this can come in many forms including homophobia, heterosexism, cissexism, racism, sexism, etc):

• Derailing for Dummies:  derailingfordummies.com A satirical site that is VERY spot on in privilege and how we derail conversations when we become uncomfortable with our privilege.
• Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (relates to White Privilege): http://nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf
• Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack II (relates to Straight Privilege): http://www.cs.earlham.edu/~hyrax/personal/files/student_res/straightprivilege.htm
• 30+ Examples of Cisgender Privilege: http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2011/11/list-of-cisgender-privileges/
• Adult Privilege Checklist: http://shutupsitdown.co.uk/2009/11/16/the-adult-privilege-checklist/, at the bottom of this there are more links to other lists re: privilege

Nikki

First and foremost, the veterinary population should reflect national population demographics.

The main reasons that I feel that diversity should be a priority: The veterinary community must be an inclusive one. This is true in terms of maximizing our relationships with our peers, our clients, and the global community.  It is also true within the veterinary schools.  We must foster the creation of a comfortable and welcoming environment for all, and in particular those students that identify as minorities.  Vet school is already hard enough!

With that being said I understand that diversification of the profession is not the top priority for most.  As a SAVMA delegate I represent the Penn Vet community in the SAVMA House of Delegates and serve as the chair of the Integrative Communication and Diversity Committee.  It is clear that the main concern of late is economics.  The veterinary student population is in trouble for a number of reasons including but not limited to mitigating the massive amounts of debt that they are acquiring, and finding available jobs after graduating in the context of market with diminishing employment opportunities and stagnant salaries.  I want to emphasize that the AVMA and AAVMC are doing a great job of trying to understand how they can best serve the students in this capacity.  Therefore, I think that it is important to highlight the value of diversity in terms that are relevant to the economics of the profession as Dr. Malcolm Kram discussed in his presentation about inclusiveness. This is especially important when considering things like cultivating the economic value of the profession.

Diversity will contribute to the valuation of the profession.  There is a consensus among many that we must take charge of broadening society’s view of the profession.  In particular, we need to champion the goals of the One Health Initiative, and in doing so help to publicize the non-traditional roles that veterinarians serve, demonstrating that we are an asset and should be consulted on issues ranging from human global public health, urban planning, development, and global food production.  Also implicit in the One Health movement is the idea of accessibility.  We need to make veterinary medicine and public health education accessible to everyone, and emphasize the importance of preventative animal health in all aspects of human health.

Arturo

Our goal is to have a central location where LGBTQ students can contact for advice and help on anything they might need. We aim to be an information center for students who are interested in starting an LGBTQ club at their school, pre-veterinary students who have questions about the application process and how their sexuality might be viewed in veterinary school, and also a link to information from practicing veterinarians who are LGBTQ and have gone through the whole process already. We aim to unify the student community in order to have a more open and friendly environment. My hope is that one day, anyone who is LGBTQ will be comfortable to be completely open and feel safe and secure and loved in their veterinary college.

Interview with Dr. Patrick Mahaney, VMD, CVA

We are very excited to present our interview with Dr. Patrick Mahaney as the second interview in our on-going series.

Dr. Patrick Mahaney and his dog Cardiff.
Photo courtesy of P. Mahaney

Patrick Mahaney is an integrative veterinarian from Los Angeles, CA.  Patrick combines western and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine in his practice, which offers a holistic overhaul to a pet's current state of wellness or illness.  Patrick started his own business, California Pet Acupuncture & Wellness (CPAW, Inc.), in 2008 to provide house call based veterinary services.  To create a "home base" for himself, Patrick implemented his business into the Veterinary Cancer Group (VCG) in 2011. 

Besides his veterinary work, Patrick is obsessed with writing and enjoys seeing the evolution of his multi-media based career as a logical offshoot of his clinical practice.  To satisfy creative urges, he writes a pet health column (Patrick's Blog) and connects with animal aficionados worldwide through petMD’s The Daily Vet, Perez Hilton's TeddyHilton.com, Fido Friendly, i Love Dogs, Veterinary Practice News, Animal Wellness, and My Buddy Butch Radio.  Recently, he's lent his holistic veterinary perspective to MSNBC Sunday with Alex Witt and is currently filming Season 3 of Jackson Galaxy’s My Cat From Hell on Animal Planet.  The public’s obsession with "celebreality" motivated him to create Celebrity Pet News, which puts a veterinary spin on celebrities and their pets. 

Dr. Mahaney is also writing his first book, The Uncomfortable Vet, which will be available in 2012 through Havenhurst Books.

In the spirit of Dr. Mahaney's multi-media approach, we have recorded our interview in written, audio, and video formats, and they are all accessible here!  Click play below to listen to the interview on our SoundCloud.  The audio is divided into an introductory segment (0:00-3:28), a segment focusing on holistic medicine (starting 3:29), a segment focusing on LGBTQ issues (starting 18:45), and a segment focusing on the use of media, celebrities, and other fun miscellaneous questions (starting 28:58).


For those who prefer a more visual experience, here is the interview in six parts.  Scroll down below for the transcript!

Part 1: Introductions

Part 2: Holistic Medicine (Part 1)

Part 3: Holistic Medicine (Part 2)

Part 4: The LGBT Community and Veterinary Medicine

Part 5: The Use of Multimedia in the Veterinary Profession

Part 6: The Fun Questions!

Interview Transcript:


SONIA FANG: Hi, my name is Sonia Fang, and I’m here on behalf of Broad Spectrum Veterinary Student association to interview Dr. Patrick Mahaney.  For those who don’t know, Broad Spectrum is a veterinary student group founded in 2011 to provide support and community to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, questioning, and allied pre-veterinary and veterinary students across North America.  My co-interviewer is Ian DeStefano, a veterinary student from the class of 2014 and the current president of Lambda and Friends, Western University’s LGBT organization responsible for bringing Dr. Mahaney to campus today.  Lambda hosted the first Spectrum LGBT Health Conference at Western and brought in both veterinary and human medical professionals to speak on topics influencing the LGBTQ community.  Dr. Mahaney gave a wonderful talk today, and we are very glad to have him.  Thank you so much for being here.

[Laughter]

PATRICK MAHANEY: Thank you for having me.

2012 SAVMA Symposium RECAP!

Last week, the inaugural board members of Broad Spectrum--William Gilles (Outreach Co-Chair), Sonia Fang (Outreach Co-Chair), and Nikki Wright (LGVMA Liaison)-- finally convened at Purdue University for the 2012 SAVMA Symposium.  Though we had been working hard and had been in near-constant communication (the wonders of email, Skype, GChat, and Facebook), it was the first time we were physically in the same space at the same time...IN A  YEAR.  Excitement levels were at all-time highs! 

Friday
Friday morning and early afternoon were spent tending to the LGVMA and Broad Spectrum VSA booth.

Professional Business Occurring.  Photo: W Gilles.

We were very excited for the turn-out.  We informed people about our organization, happy hour at the Egyptian Cafe Bar, and LGVMA’s Student Scholarship.  Free skittles probably didn’t hurt either!

Spiffy Flyer!

After clocking in a day of hard work, we were able to switch into more casual attire and head to the Egyptian Cafe Bar for some LGVMA-sponsored fun!  We had an amazing time talking to students from all over the US.  

Dr. Ken Gorczyka and Nikki.  Photo: N Wright.

Amazing people.  Photo N. Wright

We stuffed ourselves on hummus and pita, fried mushrooms, and nachos.  We were even able to enjoy some hookah.   

Hoorah!  Photo: C. Parsley

Liam, looking very pensive.  Photo: C. Parsley

Making new friends!  Photo: C. Parsley

Liam and Sonia celebrating a good year.  Photo: C. Parsley

Sonia and Nikki, in awe of everyone's awesomeness.  Photo: C. Parsley

Smizing.  Smiling with the eyes.  An extraordinary talent.   Photo: C. Parsley

BFF!  Photo: C. Parsley

Broad Spectrum Leadership 2011-2012!  Sonia is in pain.  Photo: C. Parsley

What a great event!  Photo: C. Parsley

Saturday
LGVMA Leadership Breakfast
On Saturday we attended the Leadership Breakfast bright and early at 8 AM.  Dr. Ken Gorczyka, the Executive Secretary of the LGVMA, gave a very powerful and moving welcome, explaining the origin of the LGVMA and how far we’ve come.  So many people showed up.

Ken discussing the origins of the LGVMA.  Photo: N. Wright

Great Turn Out!  Photo: N. Wright

Giving Ken our Thank You Card!  Photo: N. Wright

Broad Spectrum Meeting
Then at 9 AM, the time had come...for Broad Spectrum’s first national meeting since its founding!

 Our First Birthday...http://www.our-everyday-art.com/2011/01/brainstorm-1st-birthday-party-themes.html

We reviewed our organization’s history, the impetus for our formation, and everything we’ve done this year.

HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS
In the last year, we really developed our infrastructure, web presence, and social media:

• Liam built our fantastic website: broadspectrumvsa.org
• I (SF) worked on this blog you are currently reading: broadspectrumvsa.blogspot.com
• We started a facebook:  facebook.com/BroadSpectrumVSA
• We even started a twitter @BroadSpectrumVS

We established many resources, many of which had never been attempted prior to Broad Spectrum:

• Different club organizations at each school
•  Analysis of the different non-discrimination policies of each school
• Launching an interview series with veterinarians and students
• Covering events going on at different schools, including World AIDS Day, and National Coming Out Day
• Writing a manual on how to start a club

At the meeting, we established that students would love to have access to a list of speakers and a way to share event ideas across schools.  We established a need to work with Lisa Greenhill, the Associate Executive Director for Institutional Research and Diversity at the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, to better formulate our organization’s mission and long-term strategy.

Congratulations to our new leadership!

Broad Spectrum VSA 2012-2013

Arturo Otamendi (LSU)

Amanda Lynnea Fischer (Cornell)

Charlie Alex (VMRCVM)

Stephen Cole (Penn)
Caitlin Parsley (Auburn)

The 2011-2012 Leadership would like to thank

The LGVMA for being a tireless advocate of our organization, allowing Broad Spectrum to be visible, showcasing our writing in Good News, sponsoring so many of our events and sharing space at the booth, amongst an ever-growing list of things!

Dr. Ken Gorczyka for being such a great contact, consistently informing us of new events, potential interviewees, and leadership/scholarship opportunities.

Dr. Sandra Amass (Professor, Veterinary Clinical Sciences &
Associate Dean for Engagement Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine) for making Broad Spectrum visible at Purdue University, for being so supportive of our organization and our students. 

Tony Wynn (Operations Manager of AAVMC/VMCAS) for being so supportive and offering to help with our website.

Maggie Placer '14 for helping coordinate our events at Symposium

Purdue University for hosting an amazing and unforgettable Symposium
Lisa Greenhill for offering her expertise to make us a sustainable organization.

This has been such an amazing experience.  Thank you. 

Sonia Fang (Broad Spectrum Outreach Co-Chair 2011-2012)

William Gilles (Broad Spectrum Outreach Co-Chair 2011-2012)

Nikki Wright (Broad Spectrum LGVMA Liaison 2011-2012)

SAVMA SYMPOSIUM!

Despite our interweb silence, Broad Spectrum has been up to many things!  If you're traveling to the Student American Veterinary Medical Association Symposium (SAVMA Symposium) at Purdue this year, you should definitely come find us.  Here are the events we'll be co-hosting and/or checking out!

http://savmasymposium2012.com/

Friday March 16, 2012

LGVMA and Broad Spectrum Happy Hour

5:30pm-7:30pm - Egyptian Cafe Hookah bar (may switch 5-7)

http://www.theegyptianindy.com/

Join the LGVMA (Lesbian and Gay Veterinary Medical Association) and Broad Spectrum (the LGBTQ Veterinary Student Network) for drinks and appetizers before you head out for the Bar Crawl. Everyone and anyone is welcome!

Saturday March 17, 2012

Room 214A in the Stewart Center of the Purdue

8:00am-9:00am Broad Spectrum Leadership Breakfast sponsored by LGVMA

Join us for a chance to meet LGVMA (Lesbian and Gay Veterinary Medical Association) members and the veterinary students of Broad Spectrum (LGBTQ student network) and enjoy coffee and breakfast thanks to the generosity of the LGVMA. Please RSVP to nikki.wright121@gmail.com so we have an idea of our numbers!

9am-10am Broad Spectrum Annual Meeting

Does your school have an LGBTQ group? Are you interested in starting one? Just curious about what Broad Spectrum is about and up to? Join us for our meeting and help us celebrate our first year anniversary as an organization!

10am-11am "Poverty of Knowledge" Lecture by Dr. Malcolm Kram, DVM sponsored by Pfizer

A lecture on the value of LGBT clients to a veterinary practice, how to create an inclusive environment, why it is important and ways to identify a friendly and inclusive LGBT practice. 

11am-12pm Initial Findings from the AAVMC/AVMA Student Climate and Curriculum Survey

A Lecture and Discussion by Lisa Greenhill and Dr. Paige Charmichel, DVM

In 2011, the AAVMC and AVMA conducted a landmark study of campus climate at each of the 28 US schools and colleges of veterinary medicine. The AAVMC-AVMA DiVersity Matters Climate Survey provided individual institutions with fundamental data on veterinary student comfort and tolerance levels with respect to difference and student perceptions on institutional support and bullying behavior. This session will provide a national overview of key findings from the survey and insights on lessons learned and new programmatic directions based on the data.

12pm - 2pm Diversity Forum (Location TBA)

3pm - 4:30pm VOICE National Open Meeting and Elections with Lunch

Does your school have a VOICE chapter? Curious about possible event ideas? Are you interested in starting a chapter at your school? Join the Veterinary Students as One in Culture and Ethnicity for our annual meeting and elections over lunch and learn more about how to get involved!"

What else we've been up to:

• Steadily interviewing more amazing veterinarians.  We'll be posting more interviews soon!  If you are interested in being interviewed, let us know!
• Brainstorming for an article on the changing meaning of "queer."  Do you identify as queer?  Do you have strong feelings about the word?  Email us, we'd love to hear your perspective!  

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day, an event conceived of in 1987 by Thomas Netter and James Bunn, officers working at the World Health Organization on the Global AIDS Program.  Since 1988, it has been held every year on December 1 to raise global awareness about HIV and AIDS (which affects 33.3 million people world-wide), show support for those living with HIV, and commemorate those who have passed away.  The event provides an opportunity to address topics such as global inequities in access to health care and anti-viral drugs, the stigma and discrimination targeting those with HIV, and the need for continued research funding and education. 

via http://www.aidsandhiv.org/news/why-is-december-1-world-aids-day.html

For veterinarians and veterinary students, being pro-active in learning about HIV and AIDS  is of utmost importance, especially in an era of One Health, One Medicine.  In his excellent must-read article, "HIV/AIDS Education: Still an Important Issue for Veterinarians," Dr. Radford G. Davis, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, summarizes it best:

Veterinarians need to better understand HIV/AIDS for many reasons: to dispel unfounded beliefs; to address discrimination and liability issues; to educate and protect the health of clients and employees; to help those with HIV/AIDS keep their pets; and to meet legal and professional requirements. To do this, veterinarians must become proactive in learning about HIV/AIDS and in reaching out to pet owners living with HIV/AIDS, as well as the physicians of those individuals.

At Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine, the Student LGVMA chapter, the first LGBT group to ever be established at Tuskegee, was able to host a very successful World AIDS Day Event for the second year in a row.   The LGVMA recently awarded their group with the 2011 LGVMA Leadership Award for outstanding leadership and community activism within the veterinary profession.

TUSVM-LGVMA World AIDS Day Poster, Courtesy of Audrey Weaver

I was able to briefly interview Audrey Weaver, a third-year student and Secretary of Broad Spectrum, about their event today.

Sonia Fang: So this was your second year hosting a World AIDS Day event, correct?

Audrey Weaver: Yes ma'am

SF: How did it go?  Did you bring in speakers this year?

AW: It was great. We had an awesome turn out with our HIV testing. We did have a speaker from the Alabama State Department of Public Health. There was food. There were cupcakes!! We raised some money that will be given to AIDS Alabama in Birmingham.

SF: Cool! Who was the speaker and what was their topic of discussion?

AW: The speaker was Lani Thompson and she talked about HIV statistics and practicing healthy sexual relationships.  She's the HIV coordinator for the Department of Public Health.

SF: Awesome! So do you have any tips for other school groups trying to pull off a World AIDS Day event?

AW: Well...hmm...persistence is key. This year was a little frustrating because there were some road blocks, but I think even if there is only one person dedicated to the project, the rest of the school will follow. Incentives seem to work well (food,raffles,etc).  I have to admit that it was frustrating when there wasn't a lot of people at the lunch and learn that we had. But I'm glad that even the small crowd that came received the message and enjoyed the speaker.  I still see it as a success. We had more people this year get tested which is awesome to me.

SF: That's great! WesternU was able to secure free HIV testing two years back, but we've run into problems in recent years. Do you have any tips on approaching people to donate time/resources to HIV testing or did your club fund it?

AW: We contacted Unity Wellness Center which is a part of East Alabama Medical Center in Auburn, AL. They do a lot of HIV awareness programs and work closely with HIV/AIDS patients. They are a nonprofit organization that works closely with the community. This is our second year working with them and it's always at no charge. There are lots of organizations that have trained professionals that will come to a location and administer free testing.  Usually local health departments will help. I don't think that can do large numbers but it probably depends on the area.

SF: Great! Do you have anything else you want to say?

AW: I love cupcakes!! 

SF: Hahah, well congratulations on another successful event! Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed on such short notice

AW: Yay!! Thanks Dr. Fang*!

SF: Thank you for all you do, Dr. Weaver!

Raising awareness at Tuskegee.

Did your school commemorate World AIDS Day?  Send us your stories and photos!

Here are some from WesternU from last year:  Lambda and Friends encouraged everyone to wear red,  distributed free red ribbons, provided pizza, and took a fancy photo at lunch. 

Free pizza.  Always an incentive.

Lambda and Friends, World AIDS Day 2010

More Articles on Veterinarians, HIV/AIDS or World AIDS Day
Leading HIV researcher, veterinarian delivers keynote at CVC Baltimore, DVM 360
World AIDS Day: Look to the Future, Educate Yourself and Watch a Documentary, Autostraddle
'Gay disease' or not, HIV is our responsibility, qnotes
Some Dentists Refuse to Serve People With HIV, The Advocate
Pause Today to Remember Lost Loved Ones..., The Root


*Note: We are not actually doctors.  Yet. 

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an internationally observed event (and the culmination of Transgender Awareness Week) which commemorates the victims of transphobic and anti-transgender violence and hate crimes.  The day was founded in 1998 by San Franciscan trans activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith following the murder of Rita Hester, a trans woman of color.  Trangender Day memorials often encompass reading of the names of those lost in the previous year.

Even in 2011, trans* people are routinely attacked, bullied, harassed, and ridiculed, and discriminated against in schools and at work. According a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, transgender women accounted for nearly half of all anti-LGBT murders last year. Trans women of color, in particular those who are attracted to men, are especially at risk.  --Annika from her article on Autostraddle: OPEN THREAD: Transgender Day of Remembrance

Transgender Pride Flag via Kiquemoran on Photobucket

The Human Rights Campaign's video on TDoR


For more information:
http://www.transgenderdor.org/
http://www.noh8campaign.com/article/transgender-day-of-remembrance
http://www.amsa.org/AMSA/Homepage/About/Committees/GenderandSexuality/TransgenderHealthCare.aspx

Interview with Dr. Larry Carbone, D.V.M., Ph.D., Dipl. ACLAM

We are very excited to present to you our interview with Dr. Larry Carbone!  Hopefully this will be the first of many interviews!

Dr. Carbone, left, with his partner David in Morocco

Dr. Carbone is a laboratory animal veterinarian and self-styled veterinary ethicist in San Francisco.

Hi Dr Carbone!  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 Boston, and fell in love with Cornell on a visit there --- at Cornell, I got my BA in evolutionary biology, then worked as a lab animal technician (while my BF at the time was starting vet school), then became a vet student, then stayed on as a staff lab animal vet, and moonlighted as a grad student (History & Philosophy of Science & Technology - the closest I could get to grad work in veterinary ethics).  4 Cornell degrees and 20 years in Ithaca, I finally relocated to California.


Tell us about your job.  Did you always know you wanted to be a laboratory animal veterinarian, or what made you decide to pursue this career?
I was a teenage zookeeper in Boston, but worried that pursuing zoo work would mean having to move wherever the jobs were, a compromise that never felt good to me, especially in more homophobic times.  In retrospect, decisions made from fear never seem like the decisions we should make.

I fell into lab animal care simply because it was available in Ithaca when my BF was starting vet school, and it got under my skin.  It's intellectually challenging, gives a chance for species-diversity (especially in my Cornell days, with vampire bats, and goats, and reptiles and all sorts of things complementing the dog-mouse-monkey repertoire of common lab animal practice).  Beyond that, I have this missionary streak - I felt, in the late 80s, that lab animals needed committed welfare-focused vets, like my first mentor Fred Quimby, and I hope, me.  It's a great job for someone who needs to feel he's doing good in the world.


How do you identify in terms of the LGBTQ/Ally community?  How (if any) do you feel that your identity has affected your school, job, and living location choices/opportunities?
Gay as can be, but got a rocky start in high school/college accepting that.  That may be part of why I've made life decisions more on whom I want to be with, and where we want to be, and then found work that fit, than on going where the job of my dreams might lead me.  I'd rather be doing the job I do now (which I love; a solid A-minus) in San Francisco, than the job of my dreams, which would be at some vet campus somewhere.

I've been as out as possible since my technician days --- I got that job because my BF had previously worked for my boss and introduced us, and it was pretty obvious to everyone that we weren't just roommates.  When I stayed on as a staff vet, with so few out faculty (none, at the time, which was 1987), I definitely knew I had an obligation to be out, for students and for co-workers.