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Project HEALINGS Article #5: Proud and Healthy How LGTBQIA+ Communities are Supported with COVID Care

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Developed by Asian Media Access, Chinese American Chamber of Commerce – MN, and Spitfire

COVID has changed the lives of many communities. But the LGBTQIA+ community has been left out of many conversations about public health and COVID. Most states, including Minnesota, do not report on COVID statistics for the LGBTQIA+ community.[1] This makes it hard for public health experts to understand the community’s needs and for advocates to get resources. The data gap makes it even more important for public health and advocates to listen directly to the LGBTQIA+ community.  June was Pride Month, a season where the LGTBQIA+ community is celebrated with parades and brand-name ad campaigns. But the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be seen and supported year-round, especially when it comes to health care and COVID.

Seeing and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community

It is clear that LGBTQIA+ youth have struggled during COVID. LGBTQIA+ people have had higher rates of poverty, houselessness, unemployment, and mental health issues since COVID started.[2] In the LGBTQIA+ community, 74% say that worry and stress about COVID have been bad for their mental health, compared to 49% of people who do not identify as LGBTQIA+.

Tezzaree El-Amin Champion, the executive director of Encouraging Leaders, says COVID made feelings of isolation worse: “The pandemic came on top of the stresses that we deal with on a daily basis like family not being accepting of your sexuality.”

Health care offices should be a safe place where everyone is welcome. But some insurance companies and doctors do not respect LGTBQIA+ people or offer them care. Many LGTBQIA+ youth have had bad health care visits that stop them from continuing to seek health services.

On top of that, difficulties created by COVID – like losing income or housing – also make it harder to get health insurance and trusted, current information about COVID and vaccines.

Finding care in community

Everyone deserves access to quality medical care that respects their gender and sexual identity. And vaccines are an important part of health care. As public health programs work to fight COVID, it is also important to build systems that improve long-term access to health care.

Minnesota organizations like Encouraging Leaders are working toward this goal. They are creating networks of healthcare professionals who provide care for LGTBQIA+ individuals.

Champion explains, “A lot of people are just afraid to go to the hospital or go to a doctor. So, we try our best to create a safe place and connect people to doctors that we consider LGBTQIA+ friendly. We try to customize and personalize the type of services and resources for these individuals.”

Tezzaree, or “Tezzy” as he is known by the youths he mentors, knows that going to a healthcare center can be scary. That is why he is bringing conversations about health to young people. Tezzy and his staff meet young people where they are – in their homes or his office in Minneapolis where they hold information sessions and clinics.

Encouraging Leaders’ work goes beyond vaccines and medical care. They also offer help with mental health, financial literacy, and employment because these also improve wellness. And community is at the center of all of their work. COVID was isolating. To overcome the pandemic, communities need safety measures like masks and vaccines, but individuals also need to reconnect with support networks.  Tezzy and his staff have worked hard to create a “chosen family” by building relationships with young people and trusted doctors. Creating a safe space and consistent medical and social support helps young people make decisions about vaccines when they are ready. Organizations like Encouraging Leaders and Project HEALINGS are here to continue the conversation with the LGBTQIA+ community, during COVID and beyond.

CHANGING TO FIGHT THE VIRUS

All communities deserve clear and trustworthy information about COVID and how to stay safe.

The COVID vaccines are saving lives. They are especially good at preventing severe sickness for people with conditions like diabetes, HIV, asthma, and heart disease. These conditions make it harder to fight off COVID. Vaccines give the body the strength to fight the virus. Vaccines can also help people stay out of the hospital and prevent death.

Understanding safety facts like this can be hard. New information is released every week. It is even harder for unhoused populations and people with limited English to get new information. By the time updates are translated and shared, the information has already changed.

But new information is important. It shows that public health experts are being honest and their advice is effective. Champion shares, “I’m constantly talking with my friends about COVID and what kind of safety measures we are taking. Although guidelines change often, I try to stay up to date because that is the best way to protect myself.”

There have been many “variants” or forms of COVID (like Delta and Omicron) because viruses change over time. So far, each new form of COVID spreads more easily but may cause less serious sickness. This is why information about infections changes.

To keep up with COVID, people have to change too. You would not want to find your way around a new neighborhood with a 50-year-old map. The streets may stay the same, but the details have changed. There are new shops and restaurants to find.

Old information can still inform our decisions, but the newest information will help us find the fastest and safest way out of COVID. The good news is that you do not have to learn this information alone.

[1] Kramer, J. (2021, May 7). In Covid Vaccine Data, L.G.B.T.Q. People Fear Invisibility. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/health/coronavirus-lgbtq.html

[2] COVID-19 and the LGBTQ Community: Vaccinations and the Economic Toll of the Pandemic. (2021). Human Rights Campaign Foundation, PSB Insights. https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/files/documents/COVID-Vaccines-Brief-030821.pdf

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Project HEALINGS Article #4: Vaccination empowers learning about overall health and wellness

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COVID-19 infection rates have increased and decreased over the past two years as Minnesota faced wave after wave of the virus, but one thing remains the same: Black communities have been hit hard by COVID. Since the pandemic began, Black Minnesotans have died from COVID at more than twice the rate of white Minnesotans.[1] But despite inequities barring the way, community members say there are still ways to rise.

Overlapping challenges

Black communities are facing multiple crises in addition to the pandemic. COVID has exacerbated preexisting issues by worsening working conditions, increasing unemployment, destabilizing finances, and limiting access to high-quality education.

Donnell Bratton, the Senior Pastor of Overcomer’s Victory Church, shares that for Black Minnesotans, 2020 was not just defined by COVID shutdowns.

“We were also impacted by social unrest in the city of Minneapolis, especially around the death of George Floyd…. Everybody was active in this community, doing some work.”

COVID-19 is a serious threat to community wellbeing because it exacerbates existing inequities that communities are working so hard to address. Supporting health literacy and improving access to health care are important parts of the larger work to support Black lives.

Finding the power in healing

While the COVID virus does not discriminate, there is no hiding the fact that the healthcare system reinforces and perpetuates inequities. The US healthcare system has deep roots in racialized practices like the Tuskegee experiment and forced sterilization that weigh heavily on folks like Bratton’s mother.

“My mother grew up in the South in the era of Tuskegee. She didn’t have access to health care until emergencies like polio, when all of a sudden the government came around asking everyone to take vaccines. But most of the time, no one was there to support their health, so many from her generation turned to the church, to God, as a source of comfort and healing. Those beliefs hold strong today.”

Bratton is aware that his mother’s experiences live on in him. Intergenerational trauma has left many in the Black community wary of medical interventions. To cope with this disturbing and violent history, Pastor Bratton has a motto: “I’m not responsible for the trauma, but I have power over my healing.” He notes that while no one can reverse the past, every individual can choose how they prioritize their health and protect against threats to their health and well-being, like COVID, in the present.

Promoting equity and long-term safety

Vaccines are a tool that can help individuals take control of their health. Minnesota’s health department has acknowledged that trustworthy health care has not historically been available to Black communities. So it has worked to make vaccines free and accessible, integrate racial equity as a pillar of its public health policy and collaborate with communities to address concerns.[2]

Time after time, data shows that people who have been vaccinated against COVID are less likely to get seriously ill or die from the virus.[3] Because of this positive outcome, 69% of Black Minnesotans have chosen to get vaccinated as of May 18, 2022.[4]

Taking a day off of work to visit a vaccine clinic and deal with normal side effects can be a hassle, but the vaccine side effects wear off in a couple of days. The alternative — getting COVID — is an extreme health and financial burden that can have serious long-term effects.

Contracting COVID prevents you and those around you from going to work and school for at least five days. Some of the virus’s effects on your health — like shortness of breath and difficulty concentrating — can last months or longer. Everyone has the right to weigh the risks and benefits of preventive measures and choose the path that is right for them.

Overcoming the historical medical trauma experienced by Black communities will take more than scientific facts. Community leaders like Pastor Bratton can be a bridge, but communication has to go both ways. Public health institutions must share important vaccine information, but they must also listen to and learn from Black communities about their experiences and needs. Building a larger conversation about health literacy and healthcare access will make communities stronger and more resilient to future public health crises.

Tools of power and choice

Decisions regarding health and vaccination are personal, but it can be helpful to discuss with trusted friends and family members around the dinner table. Pastor Bratton often raises discussions about health in church because it is a center for community and healing.

“Pastors and spiritual leaders play a role in educating and guiding communities. Whatever your denomination or faith, we share the value of caring for our neighbors. But I also want you to know that caring for yourself and your health is equally important for the spirit. We believe in God even though we’ve never seen him. We can’t see COVID, but that doesn’t mean it’s not real. It has caused a lot of suffering in our community that could have been prevented with masks, social distancing, and other preventive measures.”

The pastor emphasizes that everyone was born with the gift of choice, and he encourages folks to use that power to make good decisions about their health. It is everyone’s right to question and learn about COVID and ways to avoid serious illness. Taking control of individual health can help folks get back to church, work, school, and advocacy in person. Community organizations like Project HEALINGS are here to continue the conversation with communities and are working to make sure that healthcare equity improves for COVID-19 and beyond.

[1] 0.35% compared to 0.16% respectively as of May 11th, 2022. Minnesota Department of Health. (2022). Data by Race/Ethnicity. COVID-19 Updates and Information – State of Minnesota. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://mn.gov/covid19/data/data-by-race-ethnicity/index.jsp

[2] Peters, J. (2021, May 21). Minnesota’s vaccine equity director, Dr. Nathan Chomilo, has a lot of inequity to fix. Sahan Journal. http://sahanjournal.com/health/minnesota-vaccine-race-equity-chomilo/

[3] Study shows COVID-19 vaccines offer lasting protections. (2022, January 12). UNC News. https://uncnews.unc.edu/2022/01/12/study-shows-covid-19-vaccines-offer-lasting-protection/

Katella, K. (n.d.). Comparing the COVID-19 Vaccines: How Are They Different? Yale Medicine. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/covid-19-vaccine-comparison

[4] Minnesota Department of Health. (2022). COVID-19 Vaccine Data. COVID-19 Updates and Information – State of Minnesota. Retrieved May 18, 2022, from https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/data/index.jsp

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Cultural Medicine

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When it comes to cultural medicine, we have to mention chinese medicine and western medicine. This article will analyze these two culture that the differences. The following points are some of my personal views.

Traditional Chinese medicine has been practiced in China for thousands of years. traditional Chinese medicine, is a label that covers a broad range of traditional medicine practices spread throughout Asia, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, and dietary therapy. In the past decade, there have been intensive debates in China about the nature of this ancient practice and its future development. Some critics argue that Traditional Chinese medicine theories are inaccurate descriptions of the human body that verge on imagination, and so have no place in modern healthcare systems. Other, however, say that Traditional Chinese medicine has a lot to offer to Western science and medicine and that emerging analytical tools hold great potentials in bridging the gap between the two worlds with contrasting philosophy and approaches.

Western medicine is the term used to describe the treatment of medical conditions with medications, by doctors, nurses and other conventional healthcare providers who employ methods developed according to Western medical and scientific traditions. Other names for Western medicine include traditional medicine or allopathic medicine. It differs from Eastern, or alternative, medicine, in its approach to treatment, which relies heavily upon industrially produced medications and a strict adherence to the formal scientific process.

A Chinese medicine doctor treats illness by the way of generalization, emphasis entirety and dialectical treatment, so some people view it as holistic medicine. A western medicine doctor treats illness by the symptoms. For instance, if you have a sore throat, the western medicine doctor consider it as a throat problem, while a Chinese medicine doctor may link it to your stomach trouble.An objective comparison of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine is necessary to further evaluate the validity of Oriental medical techniques such as acupuncture. The development of medicine in Western nations follows the way of hypothetical deduction and the Eastern approach uses the inductive method. The Western approach clearly divides the health from the disease, yet the Eastern approach considers health as a balanced state versus disease as an unbalanced state. The Western approach tends to change the environment and the Eastern way is to prefer to adapt to the environment. There are numerous difficulties in comparing these two approaches. The same terminology may apply to entirely different facts, the teaching and learning methods are quite different, and the evaluation of the treatment is almost not comparable.

Cultural Stories

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To Borrow Arrows with Thatche ‘d Boats

This is an episode from the Three Kingdoms. Zhou Yu ordered Zhuge Liang to manufacture 100,000 arrows within ten days. Zhuge said,“Give me three days.” He also signed a pledge placing himself liable for punishment should he fail to complete the order. Zhou Yu ridiculed that Zhuge Liang was looking for self-destruction.On the one hand, Zhou Yu ordered his troops not to provide Zhuge Liang with materials to make the arrows.He also sent Lu Su to spy on him to find out what was going on. In fact, Zhuge Liang had already realized that this was a plots room, Zhuge said to Lu Su,“Save me please.” He asked Lu Su to lend him 20 boats, each lined with straw-made scarecrows and manned by 30 soldiers. He requested that Lu Su not tell Zhou Yu what was happening.

When Lu Su came again to see Zhuge Liang he did not find anything unusual. Nothing happened on the second day either. In the small hours of the third day that Zhuge Liang invited Lu Su for a boat ride. The 20 boats were tied together with strong ropes. Zhuge’s fleet sailed toward the camp of Cao Cao. A thick mist had spread over the surface of the river. People could hardly see each other on the river. When Zhuge’s fleet got close to the Cao Cao camp before dawn, Zhuge Liang ordered his soldiers to shout and beat drums to fake an attack. Zhuge and Lu Su simply sat inside one of the boats and drank wine to enjoy themselves. As soon as the Cao Cao camp heard the shouting and drum beating, they mistook it for a surprise attack by the Zhou Yu camp. Since they could see nobody on the river, they gathered 3,000 bow men and ordered them to shoot arrows towards where the shouting and drum beating came. The front of the scarecrows was quickly shot full of arrows. After a while, Zhuge Liang had his fleet turned around to expose the other side of the scarecrows. When this side was also shot full of arrows when the day broke. Zhuge Liang ordered his soldiers to retire. Zhuge Liang got the 100,000 arrows and solved the shortage of military supplies.

Feelings on Coming to the United States

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The first day I came to the United States, my biggest feeling is that Americans are very enthusiastic and friendly. At the airport, everyone took the initiative to help us, seeing that we were holding the fast track sign and letting us move forward. It was very late when I arrived in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul airport. The host family took the sign to pick me up. They asked me if I was tired and hungry, and I felt very enthusiastic. When we arrived at the host family’s house, they introduced me to the layout of the home, which was great. The next day, the host family took me to their church and introduced me to many of their friends. Those who I was not introduced to would greet me on their own initiative.

   Although I have only been here for a few days, I can also feel some differences between the United States and China.

   First, in terms of religious beliefs. Most Americans believe in religion and believe in God. According to Christian beliefs, every person is the son of God. Christianity pays attention to fraternity, and this value is also reflected in the relationship between people. Christianity emphasizes that human happiness stems from the grace of God. However, only a minority in China believes in Christianity.

    Second, in terms of friendship. The education of Chinese people is usually to avoid direct conflicts, open criticism, and controversial topics.They want to maintain harmony among people around them and leave ”faces” for others; on the contrary, Americans are usually willing to face problems directly, criticize, discuss controversial issues, and insist on what they consider to be ”facts”.

  Third, in the terms of living habits.  Lifestyle choices between the United States and China are also different. For example, Americans like to use forks and knives when eating, Chinese people generally use chopsticks; Americans like to eat burgers, Chinese people like to eat dumplings, Americans usually like to bathe in the morning, Chinese people prefer to take a shower at night, etc.

    Although there are many cultural differences between the United States and China, there are still many things that I need to learn. There are many places that China needs to learn from. We learn from each other and believe that we will do better in the future.

Feelings on Bicultural Healthy Living

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Nowadays, Bicultural Healthy Living is more and more popular all over the world. As a Chinese volunteer, I feel honored to experience the two cultures of the United States and China, which are quite different from each other.

As far as diet is concerned, most Chinese food is fried and boiled, while after spending time with native people in the United States, I found the food is mostly roasted. American people eat fresh vegetable salad to add vitamins but Chinese people prefer scrambled eggs with tomatoes or fried cabbage.They like butter or cheese but Chinese people like salt or sauce to make food delicious. I think we should use a small amount of salt or cheese to supplement the protein needed for one day. In addition, Chinese people usually drink hot water not cold water to promote metabolism in the body. People go to the restaurant to eat, where warm water is generally available.

When it comes to living habit, different people hold different attitudes. From my point of view, in China, people use slippers at home and don’t like to walk barefoot on the marble floor at home otherwise they will feel the cold into the body and think it is uncomfortable. But in the United States, people like to walk barefoot on the wooden floor at home. In order to keep biculturally healthy, I would recommend that keep your feet warm in winter and comfortable in summer.

In America, I think most people regard cars as main transportation.They just drive their cars to go sightseeing or order food at McDonald’s. However, in China, especially in Beijing, because of the large population, some vehicles are restricted to travel to control traffic jam, which depends on number plates. A lot of people walk to and take the subway or go to a bus stop. Sometimes buses and subways are more convenient. In my opinion, bicycles are also great ways to get around and keep fit. If the destination is far away, we can choose to drive, if the road is closer, riding a bicycle is better.

 

Bicultural Healthy Living

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Bicultural healthy living is increasingly recognized by all. Many students in China choose to study abroad or volunteer, which more and more people begin to accept cultural diversity.

Communication is an important mean of expressing yourself because it exists different ways of expression and so different kind of communication depending on the culture you belong to.

Bicultural and diversified is essential if we want to know more about culture. That is why cross-cultural communication is an essential exercise to do. A person who come from a certain country does not a certain country does not necessarily get the same ideas about dietary habit, time, identity.

I have an opportunity to volunteer in the United States so that I cherish this opportunity of cultural exchange very much. There is no doubt that this experience will be unforgettable.

My host family is in Saint Paul. I live with two Chinese friends called Grace and Leslie. The hostess of host family is Gayle. She is a French teacher at the university of Minnesota. Objects of Chinese and American food from eating the contents, Chinese people eat vegetables every day, much more than Americans, although Americans eat a lot of protein everyday.

However, there are two sides to everything. To illustrate, I’m not used to the food here, which they like to eat some healthy food such as mushroom and pumpkins. To a great extent, it was a difficult process for me to adapt to this diet. I, however, think is a very good opportunity to experience life in America, so I firmly believe that it’s not a great challenge for me.

I know that there are great cultural differences between the American and China, I know that there will be many challenges such as communication in the next four weeks. But, I am greatly convinced that I will be able to adapt to the language environment here.