Meet Lindsey Nebeker, a pianist/composer, disability rights advocate, and person on the autism spectrum. In this episode, Lindsey talks about what it’s like to seek and receive health care as a person on the spectrum. She describes when and why she discloses (or decides not to disclose) her autism diagnosis to health care professionals, as well as what healthcare professionals can do to make the clinical environment more welcoming for people on the autism spectrum. Lindsey and I also discuss her experiences as a queer-identified cisgender woman married to a cisgender man, how painful it can be to be labeled incorrectly as heterosexual, and how her father coming out as gay when she was 18 years old brought the two of them even closer together. You can follow Lindsey on Twitter at @LindseyNebeker

"My Disability is Part of My Journey," featuring Lindsey Nebeker

Meet Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the Pulse shooting in Orlando and Vice President of The Dru Project, “an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization on a mission to spread love across the nation and promote gay straight alliances.” In this episode (recorded on May 22nd before the Manchester bombing), Brandon talks about identifying as “intersectional,” Black, White, gay, and male and the ways in which these identities have influenced his thoughts and feelings about healthcare. Brandon describes the “awkward first date” feeling of seeing a new healthcare professional and talks about the impact feeling judged during the encounter can have on one’s willingness to continue seeing that healthcare professional. We talk about Brandon’s experience with mental healthcare professionals after the Pulse shooting as well as about what the world of healthcare might have been like if his friend Drew Leinonen, a master’s-prepared psychologist, hadn’t been killed at Pulse. Brandon shares how his view of the world has changed as a result of the Pulse shooting, and he talks about how his relationship with his father has changed over the years. Finally, Brandon shares his thoughts about what healthcare professionals need to know about gun violence and the impact it has on survivors. You can follow Brandon on Twitter at @bjoewolf

"What It Feels Like to Be Me," featuring Brandon Wolf

Meet Ryder Avalon – model, songwriter, ink enthusiast, and self-described “LA sewer ninja.”  In this episode, Ryder alks about her experiences interacting with health care professionals along her journey as a woman who identifies as “transsexual” and biracial.  She explains why she prefers the word “transsexual” to the word “transgender” to describe herself, and she talks about how concerns about possible mistreatment may make trans-identified patients anxious or hesitant to be forthcoming during interactions with health care professionals.  You can follow Ryder on Twitter at @RyderAvalon.

"The Long Journey," featuring Ryder Avalon

Meet Andrew Gurza, self-described ​“disabled man” and “queer cripple.” Andrew shares his experiences interacting with healthcare professionals around issues related to mobility, autonomy, and sexuality. He talks about what it feels like to be moved without his consent and treated by healthcare professionals in ways that distance him from his body, pleasure, and human connection.  We explore the idea that persons with disabilities aren’t like everyone else and the power that he feels reclaiming words like “queer” and “cripple.”  Finally, we discuss his recent musings on Twitter and Facebook about possibly doing porn and the reactions he’s received from friends who worry about that “fetishizing” his disability. You can follow Andrew on Twitter at @andrewgurza.

"Queer & Cripple," featuring Andrew Gurza

Earlier this season you met Andrew Gurza, self-described “disabled man” and “queer cripple.” In this episode, Andrew returns to the show to talk about his experiences with healthcare providers during his most recent hospitalization. We talk about C. Diff, diapers, nurses, doctors, hospitals, and tangentially, Grey’s Anatomy. You can follow Andrew on Twitter at @andrewgurza.

"Shits & Giggles," featuring Andrew Gurza

Meet Joshua Shea, a journalist, publisher, film festival founder, and local politician from Central Maine. Arrested and convicted for possession of child pornography after a long struggle with alcoholism and porn addiction, Joshua served six months in jail. He’s written a memoir, The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About: How I Let My Pornography Addiction Hurt People and Destroy Relationships, published in January 2018. In this episode, we talk about Joshua’s addiction and his path to recovery.

"The Addiction Nobody Will Talk About," featuring Joshua Shea

Meet Rachel Reimer, a self-described "Medical Intuitive, senior in college, and Millenial."   According to her website, she "provide[s] spiritual insight to health care or mental health professionals on clients that want to know more about their health and/or are 'stuck'....Messages that [she] receive[s] can come in the form of images, sounds, or feelings.."   In this episode, Rachel and I talk about her experiences as a patient as well as about her experiences as a "medical intuitive" who interacts with healthcare professionals.  You can follow Rachel on Twitter at @intuitiverae.

"The Gift of Sight," featuring Rachel Reimer

Meet Cavanaugh Quick, a self-described "queer, fat, AFAB transgender, femme, Afrolatinx, poly, kinky person with chronic pain" who’s also a graduate social work student at the University of Albany. In this episode, Cavanaugh and I talk about sexual health, kink, PrEP, gonorrhea, and the weird tendency for health care professionals to assume that AFAB transgender persons loathe their genitals and want to have phalloplasty so that they can morph into some sort of “beautiful man-butterfly.” You can follow them on Twitter at @heyawkwardology

"Expert Patient, Impatient Expert," featuring Cavanaugh Quick

Meet Sara Quin, a self-described queer woman and activist who also happens to be a musician. (I’m loathe to write that she’s “one half of the duo, Tegan and Sara” because as a twin, Sara’s not 50% of a pair – she’s 100% Sara, and she has a sister who’s 100% Tegan, and they’re in a band together). In this free-flowing episode, Sara and I talk about what it’s like to seek healthcare as someone in the public eye. We both utter the phrase “superfamous vagina,” which in context, will make total and complete sense when you listen to the episode. We talk about how it feels to not have the comforting cloak of anonymity during intensely private moments like sitting at the bedside of a dying loved one or flying on an airplane while grieving a loss. Along the way, Sara and I chat about body image, breasts, Instagram, cats, family, vulnerability, and Sara’s work with The Tegan and Sara Foundation and Queer Health Access. You can follow Sara on Twitter at @teganandsara

"Uncovered," featuring Sara Quin

Last season you met Andrew Gurza, self-described “disabled man” and “queer cripple.” In this episode, Andrew returns to the show to talk about "straw bans," ableism, and turtles. If you're one of the many people who think that banning straws in restaurants is a good idea, pour yourself a drink and listen to Andrew explain why privilege and ableism may be making it hard for you to understand the perspective of persons with disabilities.  Andrew is the host of Disability After Dark,  a podcast that "shines a bright light on sex and disability." You can learn more about Andrew's podcast and disability awareness consulting services on his website, http://www.andrewgurza.com. You can follow Andrew on Twitter at @andrewgurza.

"Turtles," featuring Andrew Gurza

em dash is a podcast hosted by Dr. Kimberly Acquaviva that explores patients' and healthcare professionals' lived experiences in healthcare.

"My Disability is Part of My Journey," featuring Lindsey Nebeker

em dash podcast

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