MDQueer: Recent Episodes
MDQueer
A series of podcasts focused on educating ourselves and others on LGBTQIA+ topics. This podcast is aimed primarily at Medical Students to supplement their learning on queer health but is open for all.
Our third installment dives into the often-overlooked role of voice, vocal training and speech pathology in transgender and gender diverse people.
We meet with Dr David Azul (nee Scheidt), a discipline lead speech pathology, senior lecturer, researcher and certified practising speech pathologist based at La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University (Bendigo).
Dr Azul shares their expertise and research into communication in gender diverse and transgender populations. We unpack the basics of speech production, the complexities of the ‘gendering’ of voice, and the potential pros and cons of trans-masculinising/trans-feminising vocal training,
Tune in and explore the many socio-cultural factors that underpin the voice, gender and identity, in an episode that is not-to-miss!
This episode will navigate the important role gender-affirming hormone therapy plays for some transgender and gender diverse folk.
Tune in to meet Dr Ada Cheung (she/her) - one of the leading specialist endocrinologists in Australia who was responsible for the first-ever set of guidelines to guide doctors in the care of transgender and gender diverse Australians.
She is committed to improving the health and well-being of the trans, gender diverse, and non-binary community. From her extensive research, contributions to policy, and with her extensive clinical experience - we were in the hands of a veritable expert! Join us in learning about the benefits, risks and long-term considerations of gender affirming hormone therapy.
P.S. This podcast was recorded remotely during Victoria’s Stage 4 lockdown, with some little ones stuck inside - we apologise for the background noise!
MDQueer and Teach the Teacher are proud to present our first collaborative podcast series - Transgender & Gender Diverse Health. Many transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people face erasure, discrimination, and violence in the community, legislation, and healthcare. As medical students, we have felt a significant lack of education in this space for future doctors and many others in healthcare.
To begin our series, we have the pleasure of chatting with Jake (he/him), an Australian trans man. Jake guides us through understanding the unique challenges he has faced as a trans man through his real, lived experience. We learn about terminology, legislative challenges and some health care horror stories (which for many trans and gender diverse folk are all too common).
Jake helps us to understand how we can better understand and respond to the needs relevant to transgender patients, with his unforgettable dry humour in an episode that is not to miss.
Content warning: Discussion of transphobia, mistreatment within healthcare settings, brief mentions of suicide and mental health struggles, as well as gender dysphoria and the consequences of it not being alleviated.
Amendment: Forced sterilisation of Transgender individuals is no legal since 2017, when the European Court of Human Rights found that the sterilisation requirement in legal gender recognition violates human rights.
This episode is a conversation with Professor Gregory Phillips and MDQueer, focused on Queer First Nation health, as well as Professors Phillips' career and own experiences.
Some further resources for our listeners
Books
Decolonizing Solidarity: Dilemmas and Directions for Supporters of Indigenous Struggles (By Clare Land)
White Fragility (By Robin Diangelo)
Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? (By Bruce Pascoe)
Networks
Two spirits
Koori Pride Network
Articles
Juanita Sherwood & Tahnia Edwards (2006) Decolonisation: A critical step for improving Aboriginal health, Contemporary Nurse, 22:2, 178-190, DOI: 10.5172/conu.2006.22.2.178
Alfred T. Cultural strength: Restoring the place of Indigenous knowledge in practice and policy. Australian Aboriginal Studies. 2015(1):3.
MDQueer and Medfem are proud to present our first collaborative venture – a podcast discussing queer women’s health. In this podcast, we explore experiences of accessing healthcare as a queer woman, and we speak about medical school and its teaching of queer health, and will also discuss experiences of queer medical students. It was our honour to speak with Associate Professor Ruth McNair, a highly accomplished doctor and a leader in the field of lesbian and bisexual women’s health. We hope you enjoy.
A brief introduction to our future podcast series.
If you have any questions you can contact us on our Facebook page at MdQueer (UniMelb), or email us at mdqueer@gmail.com.