We couldn’t be prouder of our members for voicing their support for Girly Teengirl in last week’s poll! Special shoutout to our iconic and self-described “chronically online” advisor, Cat, for her submission <3
Last Week?
Well was that a great GMM finale or what?! Seriously though, we do apologize for having to cancel the GMM last week, developments out of our control aligned and we had no alternatives. We’d still like to have our traditional end-of-semester Game Night, but to continue giving you the best and safest environment for a fun pre-finals brain break, it will have to wait until next week. It will tentatively be scheduled for next Thursday, April 27, but we will let you know specifics in the next Newsletter (and through IG/Slack)!
Coming Up
oSTEM
- Queer Highlight: Ellie’s Highlight
As teased in our previous Newsletter, this and next week’s Highlight section will be queer gems brought to you by our other E-Board members! It’s Ellie’s turn to further the queer agenda and next week it will be Nhuja’s turn. - Website
Browse through our CCC website to take advantage of our compiled Resources & Opportunities (scholarships, conferences, etc.), read more about our iconic E-Board, and find other general oSTEM links. The website is regularly updated, if you spot any issues or know of an R&O we haven’t included, our Feedback Form is always open!
University
- University Health Services: Primary Care, Sexual Health, and HPO The University Health Services office and Counseling Center are resources available to all UR students with office visits entirely covered by the “Mandatory Health” fee (~$756/academic year). UHS offers a range of services like STI testing, gender affirming care, health visits, birth control, and more (services list). UCC offers free counseling services (keep in mind it differs from UHS’s psychiatry care which enables medication management) to help you navigate mental health, available in person or by telehealth.
The UHS Health Promotions Office has also compiled this very useful Queer Health Guide (accessible Word doc) which breaks down mental & sexual health, primary care, and spiritual care with LGBTQ+ experiences in mind. While the guide is not a definitive list, it’s not just limited to University resources, they include several outside organizations in the community.
Curious about other University resources available to you? Visit our CCC website to see the University offices, organizations, and departments we’ve previously highlighted (ie: The Kearns Center, The Fellowships Office, and Sasha)!
Note from Kevin: Affording healthcare should not deter you from fair access to it, but because of America’s “structuring” of it, equitable & fair access has been politicized. If you have further questions about coverage, Kristi Brock, the UHS Business Operations Manager, is an amazing person more than willing to help you navigate insurance and healthcare.
Aetna is the standard UR health insurance and while it’s arguably the best from available insurers, it can be pricey on top of tuition & loans. NY Medicaid enrollment is eligible to waive the Aetna insurance requirement and is affordable. Feel free to reach out if you’d like guidance exploring this option or need help applying. We may not have the answer for every resource inquiry (but I’m on Medicaid & EBT so I’m familiar with a lot of these topics lol), but we can help connect you with the right people!
Living a Double Rainbow: Queerness & Neurodiversity
“Well, I heard a person say once, “Imagine, being gay and being also autistic, that’s the worst thing that could happen to anyone! Being in one minority is more than enough.” I just laughed,”
- Xiomara, Voices From Across the Spectrum
Hey y’all! It’s Ellie, and for my first queer Highlight, I wanted to highlight an intersection of two communities that are important to me (and that I am a member of both of). I identify as a cisgender queer/lesbian woman, and I have been diagnosed with ADHD, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD. My partner, she/they, identifies as a bisexual, trans-femme, non-binary person who is diagnosed with bipolar II disorder and autism. These are things she and I are both open about and shape who we are, our relationships with each other, and others. I also want to take this time to remind everyone that I am an open book when it comes to my experiences, and if you ever feel as though you need support, or need a listening ear or someone to give advice, my dms are always open :)
Rather than just speak to one reader, this Queer Highlight is going to center around 3 different pieces. Firstly, the book Gender Identity, Sexuality, & Autism: Voices From Across the Spectrum by Eva Mendes and Meredith Maroney, which highlights 15 different stories of neurodivergent people from all different walks of life, and their personal experiences with gender & sexuality, along with 4 additional narratives from the perspectives of some of these people’s partners. Secondly, I will be referencing Neurodivergent Insights, and some articles they have posted, due to the accessibility of statistics and information on their web pages.
Upwards of 70% of the neurodivergent community identifies as non-heterosexual. This means that compared to neurotypical peers, a neurodivergent person is 3-9x more likely to identify as asexual, polyamorous, gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, etc… In addition to sexuality, there is a significant overlap between neurodivergence and gender non-conformity. Transgendered peoples are about 5x more likely to be diagnosed as autistic, even despite the fact that autism in queer individuals goes undiagnosed at higher rates than any other group, even cis-women.
Now, what does this mean? Why is this intersection important? Well, like other marginalized communities, both queer and neurodivergent people share unique experiences living in a world designed for cisgender, straight, able-bodied people. In addition, many neurodivergent people share struggles with feeling accepted in traditionally queer spaces. It is important when building a community of inclusivity to take into account the needs of neurodivergent peoples, and be active in supporting them. For many neurodivergent people, there is also an added layer of struggles when discovering one's own sexuality and gender. Neurodivergent people often do not see gender and sexuality through the same lenses as others, meaning that not only must they embark on the journey of self-discovery, but also seek to understand how their expression is perceived by others. Labels and their rigidity are also often daunting to many queer and neurodivergent people, as they feel an expectation to fit perfectly into that label before coming-out. An increased number of neurodivergent people put off accepting their own queerness, or choose to remain unlabeled, for those and other reasons. Listening to the lived experiences of people at the intersection of the queer and neurodivergent communities is crucial in continuing to foster a space that is inclusive and understanding of all who enter it.
we miss u! <3
FORM
oSTEM General Feedback Form
This is oSTEM's main form for you to submit any comments, questions, suggestions, opportunity submissions, and/or feedback. You can choose to submit anonymously (CCC may ask you to log in, but that's just to ensure it's from a UR student, not a random internet person) or share your name/email.
If you run into any issues with the form, please email us at uofr.ostem@gmail.com so we can fix it right away.
