diversity and inclusion
Healing Hands: Crafting Care from Medicine to Lei Making
By: Jamie McDermott “May day is Lei Day in Hawaii nei” is a saying that rings through the air every May 1st in Hawaii. Have you ever seen visitors wearing flowers around their necks? Or noticed hula dancers draped in floral designs at a luau? What is the history? In 1923, the Hawaiʻi Territorial Legislature passed Joint Resolution No. 1, recognizing floral emblems. This resolution aimed to designate the hibiscus (aloalo) as the official flower emblem of the territory. Their argument succeeded by drawing on the widely accepted association between specific colors, lei, and their corresponding islands. As time passed, more people started wearing leis on May 1, giving rise to the tradition of “May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.” Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when large gatherings were limited, the island community found creative ways to honor this uniquely Hawaiian celebration. What is a lei? A lei is...
What Transition Taught Me About Gender, Power, and Medicine
By Jailyn Avila, MD, FP-AEMUS, RDMS One afternoon, when I was a young attending at a large academic center, I was paged to the trauma bay to receive a patient in traumatic shock. Our team of 10-15 multidisciplinary medical professionals assembled in the trauma room as the medics wheeled our patient in, solely focused on saving the patient's life. Immediately after the medics brought the patient into our trauma area, my senior resident asked for the patient's history, after which the medic paused and stated, “You have really pretty hair.” My senior resident then politely asked the medic to continue their report, ignoring the inappropriate and unprofessional comment. After stabilization and disposition, I attempted to locate the man who had been so inappropriate with my resident, but his team had already departed. I circled back with my resident, who acknowledged the experience and how inappropriate it was, but she informed...
Beyond the Banners: The Quiet Cost of Pride
by Anthony Tannous, MD, FACS This is a special edition blog post presented in partnership with the Association of Out Surgeons and Allies in celebration of Pride Month. June bursts forth in a riot of color, a seemingly utopian vision of equality and dignity, often accompanied by a healthy dose of corporate branding. Around the Western world, joyful — and perhaps slightly inebriated — celebrants reclaim public spaces, belting pop anthems and radiating pure, unadulterated queer joy. This year, however, the glitter feels heavier, the music a little more poignant. The comfort and acceptance we’ve come to expect are under strategic, relentless attack. Bigotry has shed its hood and robe for tailored suits and eloquent speeches. It occupies podiums, commands microphones, and infiltrates mainstream podcasts. They begin, as always, with the most vulnerable: our trans siblings. But history, that unsparing teacher, reminds us that the target will inevitably widen to...
