A Post curated by Women’s Center’s social work intern, Jane DeHitta

Image Description: Screenshot of the RWS-AL Graduation and End of Year Celebration over virtual call featuring Women’s Center Staff and Scholars and Affiliates.

This week, the Women’s Center celebrated our Returning Women Student/Adult Learner Scholars + Affiliates graduating this semester at our graduation pinning ceremony for what will hopefully be our last and final totally virtual celebration. This event is a special tradition in the Women’s Center with its intentions rooted in creating celebratory space for both our continuing and graduating returning women students/adult learners who are UMBC students 25 years and older seeking their first undergraduate degree.

These students are called “returning” because they often have various circumstances that have kept them from what our popular culture deems as a traditional college path and they are now “returning” to college to pursue their degree. Student scholars in this program not only receive scholarships to help financially supplement their tuition, but also benefit from tailored support and programming from Women’s Center staff through individualized meetings, programs, and events that meet the specific needs of older students on campus. Affiliate Scholars are also an important part of our program (and if you’re interested in joining, reach out to the Women’s Center!).

In pre-pandemic times at this pinning ceremony, graduating seniors receive their Women’s Center Returning Women Student Scholars + Affiliates pin to wear at graduation along with a yellow rose. This year, we gave them a graduation packet including their pin and they pinned themselves!

Upon their pinning, each scholar says a few words. Graduates share about what this accomplishment means to them, what brought them to this moment, the struggles and the triumphs, and what they will continue to carry with them and they are celebrated with a round of virtual applause.

I had the amazing opportunity to work with the RWS program while I served my field placement at the Women’s Center this past academic year. Working with this special group of students has been an honor and a true joy.  This year has not been easy by any means, and yet, each of these students has continued to show up for themselves, for their loved ones, and for this RWS-AL community. At a university that celebrates, grit and greatness, no other student cohort exhibits both with such deep grace and humility. As individuals and as a community, they are brave and unstoppable. You can learn more by checking out this great Class of 2022 graduation story featuring adult learners and transfer students’ experiences.

So, it is with great joy that I invite you to join me in celebrating these fantastic students and their accomplishments. Below are this year’s graduating Returning Women Student/Adult Learner Scholars who in their own words* share what they were involved in at UMBC, what’s next for them after UMBC, and advice they wanted to share with other adult learners.

Jennifer Dennis Major: Biology

Photo of Jennifer Dennis beside True Grit on UMBC’s Main Campus

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

Not only did I come to UMBC as an adult learner, but I also was a transfer student. I was unaware of all that UMBC had to offer and I felt like I was constantly comparing myself to traditional students. I felt like I had something to prove and that I had to show others that I deserved to be at this school. But it didn’t take long for me to find my people and to feel accepted, not only by those who were also like me (coming back to school after being away for so long) but by those who were just starting out on their educational journey. I found a place where I belonged at UMBC and I will forever be grateful for this chapter in my life.

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

I plan on working in the Emergency Medical Services field as I work toward preparing for applying to a Physician’s Assistance program. My family will be moving during the next year and things will need to be temporarily put on hold (again), but I am committed towards my goals and will be back on track as soon as possible.

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and reach out to others. And don’t preclude yourself from something you want. If you want it, go and get it.

What else do you want to share?

I am so grateful for the Women’s Center and the opportunities that they have provided me. Because of the programs they have provided, I have learned more about myself and have increased tremendously in the confidence I have for myself and my abilities. Thank you for all your time and effort you provide to all of us at UMBC. So with all my heart, thank you.

Marybeth Mareski Major: Social Work

Photo of Marybeth at UMBC

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

Having clear goals, and being able to be focused, organized, and integrated into UMBC changed the experience entirely. As a social work student with my field placement at the Women’s Center, I felt like a part of a community with a purpose. I finally found the mentorship I had craved out of college twenty years ago.

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

Straight to accelerated grad school! Soon I’ll be doing (more) therapy for the LGBTQ community in the wake (?) of the pandemic.

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

Make sure to pace yourself and allow yourself rest. And make sure to use your opportunities to connect!

What else do you want to share?

Make sure to make full use of the Women’s Center — spending my time there was one of the best decisions I made in my time back.

Joana Wall Major: Social Work

Self-submitted photo of Joana

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

When I first attended UMBC, I was aware of the age difference between me and the other students, which made me feel really insecure. Thankfully I found the women’s center, and other adult women learners, which made my university experience far less alienating. In the women’s center, I found a place of unconditional acceptance and support, and a place where the unique feelings and the experiences that come with being an adult learner were validated. 

While at UMBC, I worked full time and took classes both full time and part time, which left  little time for extracurricular activities. However, I was recommended for the social work writing fellows program, which was an exceptionally rewarding experience. Not only was I able to collaborate with social work students on their research, being involved with the writing fellows program helped me to improve my own writing. The skills that I learned with the writing fellows program will follow me into grad school and into my professional career.

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

After graduating in May with my bachelors degree, I plan on working for a few months before attending grad school in the spring of 2023. During this time I will be catching up on some much needed self care, including reaching a stack of novels that I have been dying to read.

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

My advice for Returning Women students/adult learners is don’t be afraid to reach out to the university or your fellow classmates for help. There are many women and adult learners who have taken the bold step to return to school so it is important to know that you are not alone in your journey.

What else do you want to share?

Deciding to attend UMBC over other Maryland Universities was the best academic decision I’d made. I was supported the entire way through my academic career at UMBC and it is due to my peers in the social work program, the students and staff at the Women’s Center, and my professors. I am so proud to have earned my degree from UMBC and I am looking forward to being counted as an alumna of such an incredible institution.

Jane DeHitta Major: Social Work

Photo of Jane at UMBC

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

When I was considering coming back to school after fighting a cancer diagnosis that forced me to take a break, I was nervous because I had stopped at the end of my social work program so I lost the cohort that I had grown with and I was scared of coming back alone. But then I discovered the RWS-Adult Learners program and I found the community and belonging that I longed for. I got to participate in networking events and discussion groups and feel really empowered by being a part of this. When I had decided to come back, it was something I wanted to do for myself, to finish and get my degree. What I did not anticipate was that these two years were going to be the most meaningful years of my education, and that is largely the result of being a part of the Women’s Center and the RWS/Adult Learners Program

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

I am going to take a well-earned break from school and work and hopefully do a lot of traveling. I have been wanting to travel more with my sister for years and I’ll finally have the freedom to do it! I hope to return to grad school after at least two years to get my Master’s in Social Work

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

You aren’t behind and you haven’t missed out on what is for you. Your journey and what brought you to this point matters and is worth telling. There is a community for you at UMBC and there are people who want to support you on your journey, you’re not alone.

What else do you want to share?

I am just truly grateful for the ways the RWS Program and the Women’s Center have supported me and become a home on campus for me. Over these last two years of returning to school and finishing my degree, I have felt a part of something bigger than myself, and in that I have felt seen and heard and valued, and I have been able to support others in their journeys which has just been one of the greatest honors of my final year. Thank you to the professional staff who take such amazing care to support, encourage, and connect adult learners. 

Chinyere Sloley Major: Computer Science

Self-submitted photo of Chinyere

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

I felt like I belonged esp. w/ returning women. Also, LSAMP helped me attain research experience.

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

Grad school – MPS in Cybersecurity @ UMBC

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

Reach out to your resources and grow them as you complete your degree.

What else do you want to share?

UMBC was a life changer for me and I’m so appreciative to be a part of the legacy.

Maria Cervasio Major: Biological Sciences

Photo of Maria at UMBC

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

I am so lucky that I found out about this program from another returning women’s scholar during my first semester at UMBC. Thank you Harley Khaang! I was already feeling so lost and overwhelmed. This program gave me the support and community I desperately needed. 

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

Work and grad school

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

Take your time and be patient with yourself. It’s hard not to expect school to be just as easy as it was when you were younger and it’s hard not to compare your performance with other traditional students. Just remember that you lived a whole other life to get here. And you have a whole other life and responsibilities outside of school that doesn’t magically pause while you’re in here. Going back to school is a huge learning curve. Just keep reminding yourself why you are here and what it will mean to you to get that degree!

Emma Earnest Major – Social Work

A self-submitted photo of Emma

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

I was involved in many student organizations and honor societies at USG. At UMBC I was the President of Phi Alpha. My experience as an adult learner has been very supportive one. I was able to attend school with the financial support of UMBC and USG. With the guidance of staff, I was able to realize my potential and find success as a student that I did not know was possible.

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

I will be attending the advanced standing MSW program at UMB as a Substance Use Disorder Workforce Expansion fellow.

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

My advice for future students is to never let money get in the way of your dreams and prioritize your mental health. Where there is a will, there is a way and you can succeed if you first, care for yourself.

Ester Weir Major: Public Health

Photo of Ester and her daughter Evelyn beside True Grit on UMBC’s Main Campus

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

My experience as an adult learner was so welcoming. I did not at all feel out of place or like I was “too old” to be getting an education at UMBC. My professors showed me compassion ad understood my obligations outside of school so I never felt pressured or stressed. I also became great friends with one of the other adult learners and I look forward to keeping my relationship with her after graduation. I am grateful to have had this group to turn to and Jess for being able to come to when I needed help

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

I will be working full time hopefully! I definitely would like to go to grad school eventually, but I think I am going to take a break for now and enjoy my nights and weekends with my family

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

The group is here for you! And also UMBC is a wonderful place for adult learners. It is an education focused university, so as long as you are willing to learn, it is so easy to get along with people.

What else do you want to share?

I feel grateful to have had this experience. When I was first returning to campus I was so nervous because I had never been to a college campus in person prior to UMBC, and I was worried that I would be treated differently. The welcoming meet and greet that was held at the beginning of the semester eased to much of my anxiety, and made me more excited than nervous to go to school in person. Also, everyone that is involved with this group is extremely kind.

Jamila Michael-Sobratti Major: Social Work

A self-submitted photo of Jamila in her graduation outfit

What you were involved in at UMBC and/or what was your experience like as an adult learner?

My experience as an adult learner was great! I felt supported by both students and staff.

What are your plans after graduation (grad school, work, etc.)?

Beach, Sun, Fun and Coconut Rum.

Looking back on your experience, what is your advice for current Returning Women Students/adult learners?

My advice is to go for it! UMBC has a great support system and the women’s center is one of them.

Congratulations Graduates of 2022!

For more information about the Returning Women Student Scholars + Affiliates program, visit the Women’s Center website. Returning Women Students/Adult Learners at UMBC are also encouraged to join the group’s Facebook group.

Social Work Intern: “Hey! How are you doing?” 

A pause, a deeply resonant sigh,

Student: “I’m okay. There’s a lot going on but it’s fine.” 

Part of my role as a social work intern at the Women’s Center is to do check-ins with adult learners and provide support for our student community. Last semester, in conversations with both students and staff  there was an ongoing theme of unspoken grief; this touching on grief but then skirting away from it because it was too heavy to hold in a passing “how are you?”. 

[Image description: a gif of a boy in a blue shirt being asked “how are you?” with the boy responding “I’m fine”,  he laughs, smiles and then his smile turns to a frown and he begins  to cry and cover his face with his hands]

My fellow student staff was sharing with me how, during an event, the facilitator made space for checking in with how everyone was doing, and given the opportunity to share in a safe community space, each person readily named how it was still really hard living in and adjusting to this pandemic. We’ve adjusted but we also haven’t. It’s become our reality but many of us are still struggling to grapple with what that means. On top of that, there has been a huge loss of life in the midst of a tremendous whirlwind of changes, a blanket of isolation, and an anxiety about what is to come and what the world holds for us. 

Over the fall 2021 semester, I put together a proposal of a group intervention for students experiencing grief and loss, open to both death-related and non-death related grief. I asked my co-intern if she would be interested in co-facilitating the group with me and she eagerly agreed. At the beginning of January 2022, we worked together to formulate this three week grief-based discussion group, taking care to create a safe and brave space for intentional listening, for sharing each other’s stories around grief, to hold the heaviness with each other, and to provide validation and support. This group became the Pandemic Grief Processing Group. 

[Image Description: Image contains a faded white rose in the center over a solid black background with the text over it reading, “Women’s Center Presents Pandemic Grief Processing Group”. On the bottom left is the Women’s Center logo of the white tree and on the bottom right corner is a list of the session topics: “Session 1: What are you grieving? Session 2: How are you grieving, Session 3: How can we hold our grief together?”]

We wanted to go beyond “How are you?” so we approached it differently.

At the beginning of each session, we started with naming our Brave Space Guidelines, challenging others to be reflective on the ways they take up space or don’t take up enough space, and encouraging the group to be present with each other.  

For the first session, we met online and asked the question What are you grieving? Marybeth shared a few different types of grief to lend some language for what participants might be experiencing. Then we spent the majority of our time broken into small groups, giving each person time to share the grief that they have been holding. 

During the second session, we met online once again and in small groups asked the question How are you grieving? Participants shared what their grief looked like in light of the pandemic and the struggles that complicated their grief. When we came back together, I shared some mindfulness techniques outlined in this article, including mindful breathing (i.e. 4-count or box breathing), mindful walking, and compassionate self-talk. 

Our final session we met in-person at the Women’s Center on UMBC’s Main Campus and we asked the question: how can we hold our grief together? We took some time for quiet reflection and when we came back, we got to share what we had written. And for our final activity, after these three weeks of hearing each other’s journeys, we wrote affirmations for each other, and each person got to plant one of their affirmations under their own little succulent that they could take home. The affirmation would be the soil for continued growth around their grief. 

Image Description: One of the participant’s succulent surrounded by little pebbles that they planted in a terracotta pot with a blue and purple pipe cleaner wrapped around the rim of the pot.

Part of the Women’s Center’s mission is to support student success and well-being for marginalized identities, foster a sense of belonging, and build community. We know that grief doesn’t just affect our personal lives but can have a real impact on our role as students as well. And this can be further impacted by our different intersecting identities, whether race, gender identity, mental health, or chronic illness. 

Making space for people to name these heavy things they are holding and that are impacting them emotionally, physically, and consequently, academically, is crucially important. And in academic settings and higher education institutions where the pressure to keep going, to push ourselves beyond our capacity to get the grade, is heavily felt, it is even more so important to have spaces like this that help students feel seen and heard and supported. There is something incredibly validating about being able to share what you are going through, and witnessing others in their struggles that affirms it is okay to not be okay.

[Image description: A vibrant sunset background with yellow text over it that says “To wholeheartedly grapple with grief is to come fact to face with the deep meaning of whatever it is that we’ve lost. It is brave work…” – Marybeth Mareski, quoted from PGPG Session 1]

Of those participating in our Pandemic Grief Processing Group, it was about half and half of those who are grieving the loss of loved ones, and those who are dealing with non-death related grief such as the compounding effects of the pandemic on mental health, isolation, relationships, and chronic illness. While these equally valid types of grief (that you can read more about in this article from What’s Your Grief) can at times feel less visible, all losses and grief experiences are real and valid and they demand to be felt. 

Getting to co-facilitate this group and support these students was an especially meaningful experience for me. It was an honor to walk with these people and hold the heaviness with them. And while I hoped it would fulfill a need in our student community, I did not anticipate how much it would be helpful for me to be a part of. These are some of the takeaways that I am going to continue to carry with me as I deal with my own grief.

1. Name and validate your emotions

Your grief is real and valid because it is. It’s what you’re experiencing.  And it’s important to give yourself non judgemental and compassionate space to feel what you are going to feel.

We do not help ourselves by denying what we are feeling. The only way to move through grief is to get closer to it. One exercise that can be helpful is to take a pause, and think about the things that you are feeling at this moment. You can use an emotions wheel (pictured below) to help figure out what some of those feelings are and what they might be related to. By doing this, naming our feelings, we honor our feelings.

[Image description: a color wheel that names emotions and feelings starting from the center with broad emotions (Mad, Sad, Peaceful, Powerful, Joyful, and Scare) and branching out in to increasing levels of specificity {Joyful can be creative which can also be playful)] 

1. Find people you trust to hold your grief with you

Whether it’s meeting for a 1-1 with a professional counselor or having an intentional conversation with a friend, make space for yourself to share what you are feeling and express what you need: be it quiet support, vocal affirmations, or help in other areas. Know that when you choose to share your grief story, that grief is not linear. It is messy and complicated and it’s okay to not have it in a nicely outlined story. Tell your story in the way that feels good for you. And sometimes, there will be people you don’t expect to hold your grief with, let those experiences be what they will be.

[Image description: a side by side comparison of what people expect the stages of grief to look like; a clear bell-curve trajectory through the different emotions associated with grief versus “My Experience”; the same bell curve of emotions associated with grief with scribble lines all over in every direction where you can’t tell the beginning or the end of the line]

1. Take care of yourself

Did I eat today? Have I drunk water? Do I need to shower? Can I go for a short walk? Self-care is often talked about as face masks and a shopping spree, but there are so many ways that you can take care of yourself and different areas that you can focus on; mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. We used this Self-care checklist  to help reflect on areas that we were doing well in and to identify areas that we needed  to put more care and thought into. 

Especially at times when it feels like every single person is going through it, it can be hard to admit how we are struggling and to do what we need to in order to take care of ourselves. Brene Brown talks about this in her podcast on Comparative Suffering. You can acknowledge that others have it hard AND you can acknowledge that what YOU are going through is hard too. You are worth of care and rest. So rather than falling into that comparison, we can choose to be empathetic and self-compassionate instead. Be kind to yourself. Be gentle with yourself. 

[Image description: The back of a person in the foreground of a starry night sky. Their hair is brown and braided into a crown, their head is tilted towards the sky. Their back is a moving image of trees as if walking along a tree line]

1. Honor your grief

Honoring your grief will look different person to person. And how you honor your grief as time goes on will also shift and change. Wherever you are in your grief, let yourself be there. Give yourself grace and compassion. Grief is complicated. It is not linear. You can go through the stages forwards, backwards and sideways and still have more to process. You are not behind or ahead. You are where you need to be. 

[Image description: Image of a slide used during the third session of PGPG,a background of an evening sky with soft clouds and in the foreground a listing of the reflection prompts that participants could choose from during the free-write  portion of the session. Some of the prompts include: “What do you want to honor about your loved ones and what do you want to continue to carry with you?” and “Write a gentle letter to yourself expressing kindness and forgiveness towards your past self.”]

Do you need someone to talk to? The women’s center provides 1-1 support to connect students with resources; additionally the counseling center provides both individual counseling and counseling within a group setting.

Further reading:

We drew a lot of our material for PGPG from this book: Holding Change: The Way of Emergent Strategy Facilitation and Mediation by adrienne maree brown 

Here is a list of other grief-related articles mentioned in this blog post and that we referenced during PGPG:

Grief other than death:

Can I grieve if nobody died?

Grief is about loss, not just death

What’s Your Grief?

Activity: Who am I now?

Refuge In Grief

What if there’s no such thing as closure?

Mindfulness in grief

Content Warning: medical mistreatment

Positionally Statement: This post is written by Ojuswani Phogat, a second-year student at UMBC and a student-staff member at the Women’s Center. In writing this blog, I hope to shed light on one of the many ways in which individuals who experience menstruation are disenfranchised by the medical community, who so often fail to effectively diagnose menstrual irregularities in favor of prescribing the “birth control band aid” because they fail to believe and understand their patients’ issues. The following blog speculates as to how and why birth control is seen as the holy grail of menstruation issues when it, in fact, does not treat the problems at hand. I do not claim to be an expert on the uses or effects of birth control, nor am I situated in any position within the medical field myself, meaning my qualifications for discussing such issues are only through the lens of a patient. I aim not to blame providers but rather to expose the inefficiencies present in obtaining medical care for gynecological issues. This piece in no way aims to negate the necessity of birth control and its role as a contraceptive, as it should be accessible to all I with stand all those who are fighting for access to healthcare and autonomy over their bodies. Note: this piece uses the terms: The Pill, birth control, hormonal birth control, and contraception interchangeably to refer to the hormonal birth control pill. 

ID: Someone looking at a calendar filled in with three weeks of blue squares and one week of yellow squares. The calendar rests against a blue background.

I was 12 years old the first time I experienced irregularities in my menstrual cycle. I had gone through a six-week period of continuous heavy bleeding with no indication of nearing an end. I knew as much about menstruation as a child who had experienced their first period could, and as such I was more embarrassed than concerned by my condition. It wasn’t until the bags under my eyes looked like craters, and the brown of my skin gave way to a ghostly gray that I took steps to get help.

The medical care that ensued consisted of blood work, ultrasounds, and multiple gynecological visits before I was given some “remedy” to my apparently undiagnosable problem. A remedy that promised not only to “regularize” my cycle but also one that allowed the doctors to put the diagnosing efforts on the back burner as they congratulated themselves for a job well done. When these same symptoms resurfaced in my junior year of high school (approximately five years later), I was again given this same magical quick fix: a surface-level solution that hid rather than resolved my issue. That solution being none other than hormonal birth control. 

ID: The image displays the chemistry behind oral contraceptives, particularly the different hormones present in the body and how they are impacted by the use of contraceptives. The top left discusses the natural hormones 

If you aren’t yet aware of the absolute agony that hormonal birth control can be for some, allow me to open your eyes. Here are just some side effects of The Pill: nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, bloating, fluctuations in appetite and weight, depression, blood clots, and strokes. I call on these primarily to situate your understanding of the immense impact that these tiny 15mm pills can have on the body and the mind.       

I know my story is not dissimilar to others in my life—both friends and colleagues—who resonated with an experience where insufficient health solutions facilitated the loss of well-being and health. The unfortunate reality is that a lack of effective medical care is pervasive, particularly when discussing menstrual issues. The long road to diagnosis and helpful treatment is one that I recognize many people are forced to take, the consequences of which have altered their ability to live a life they deem to be acceptable. 

It is important to note that this phenomenon is not new. Persons with menstrual ailments, whether or not they are related to chronic illness, have always been met with resistance when attempting to access proper health care in which their symptoms are clearly addressed. Such poor treatment by medical providers is an everyday struggle in the world of disability and chronic illness, in which people and their pain are ignored. 

The world of menstruation is complex. It is a bodily phenomenon that is all-consuming and one that leaves no area of the body or mind untouched. When one experiences this phenomenon abnormally, as  many do, their needs are habitually diminished and care foregone in place of a single band-aid solution: hormonal birth control. Whether it be polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, menorrhagia, etc. (all very different conditions), or even when lacking a clear diagnosis, the answer always seems to be The Pill. 

The Pill as a Cycle Regulator

I often ask myself: why it is that the medical community could even fathom such an intricate and enigmatic cycle (that differs from person to person) to be regulated by what is essentially a single remedy, especially when the remedy in question can have so many negative side effects?

In researching this further, I find the blame to lie in part with the medical community but more so on marketing and political agencies that have come to control the narratives of The Pill as medication and its uses. I speculate that this standard of care for menstrual issues has to do primarily with cultural stigmas surrounding menstruation and contraception and the way they have been handled in the legal-political sphere. 

The historical rhetoric surrounding both contraceptives and menstruation seems to be resoundingly negative and rooted in pervasive cultural stigmas that deem those seeking sexual health care to be shameful and promiscuous. The irrational fear is that increased access to contraceptives allows individuals to be sexually irresponsible which promotes vice. Even Gregory Pincus (the scientist responsible for the research and development of birth control) concerned himself with it as a scientific quest and not one rooted in sexual freedom for women (which he too strongly opposed). 

The origin of birth control was always marked by the stigmatization of any attempts to control conception, so much so that the form of The Pill on the market at the time was marked as an “obscene and illicit” material by law and therefore prohibited to be used for the purpose of preventing pregnancy. In the United States, the Comstock law of 1873 expressly forbade the distribution, discussion, research, or advertisement of contraceptives which encompassed a stronger version of today’s birth control pills. 

You might be asking, “Well, with all this red tape, how on earth did they come to create and distribute The Pill?” In answer,  birth control was marketed primarily as a mechanism for menstrual cycle control, as opposed to as a contraceptive, and could only be prescribed as such, mainly to married women. A similar phenomenon occurred in Canada with the 1892 Criminal Code which criminalized the sale or distribution of birth control since it was considered “illicit” material. As laws were adapted, birth control became available for use solely as a cycle regulator in 1960 and that practice accelerated its popularity as a prescription drug in the medical world.  

The standard of care that remains in the modern-day continues to “regulate” menstrual cycles by administering birth control.

Since its arrival on the market, The Pill has been used for the process of cycle regulation, when it was developed and intended to be a temporary mechanism for controlling whether one conceived or not. Even today, it remains unlike other modern medicine as it is “prescribed routinely and by default”. 

I can only speak as an individual on the patient end of the health care process who is dissatisfied with the medical care I have received thus far. It is disheartening to experience the sheer lack of options held by persons with menstrual issues when it comes to claiming agency over their health and to be poked and prodded for years only to remain in a state of unknowingness.  

The incorrect notion perpetuated by ineffective gynecological health care remains: menstruating individuals’ health matters less and will be treated as such. Because of this sentiment, the burden of care falls on individuals. It is critical to take note of the patterns and behaviors of your body. In doing so you may know how to better recognize and approach signs that may indicate menstrual disorders.

https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/menses-vital-sign-teenaged-girls

ID: The image is an infographic titled “Key Issues to keep in mind when assessing menses”. The bullets are as follows: remember to use menstrual cycle as a vital sign; even in the first year of menarche most girls have a period every 90 days; irregular periods even those resulting in anemia may be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome; remember to screen for chlamydia in patients with heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding, teenagers with heavy bleeding should be screened for a bleeding disorder with at least a complete blood count (CBC), ferritin and thyroid-stimulating hormone level; the most common bleeding disorders associated with heavy menstrual bleeding include platelet function disorders and Willebrand disease; only draw von Willebrand testing during the first 3 days of a menstrual cycle when estrogen levels are at the nadir) 

If you are facing menstruation-related issues, I urge you to stand your ground in the exam room. While it is likely that your journey to diagnosis and productive help may not be easy, it is critical to actively protect your physical and mental self. You deserve appropriate care that works to treat rather than hide your ailments. Knowing the ways in which you may advocate for yourself in medical practices is key. 

In looking for further resources and information on this matter be sure to check out the links below: 

Menstruation and Menstrual Problems | NICHD – Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 

Medline Plus Estrogen and Progestin (Oral Contraceptives) 

PBS The Side Effects of the Pill 

NIH Half a century of the oral contraceptive pill 

NIH How the Pill Became a Lifestyle Drug: The Pharmaceutical Industry and Birth Control in the United States Since 1960 

Figuring the Population Explosion: Demography in the Mid-Twentieth Century 

Positionality Statement: This post is written by Marybeth Mareski, a Returning Women’s Scholar and social work intern at the Women’s Center in her final year at UMBC. I am a gender nonconforming lesbian in the queer and trans community, and I am in social work school with the professional goal of providing therapy to primarily queer and trans clients. I write this post as a summary of the recent anti-trans legislation, to draw attention to some of the underlying motivations, and to offer suggestions on how to support the queer and trans community.

Almost as if they had no intentions or ideas about how to solve any of America’s actual problems, lawmakers have made this the worst year in American history so far for anti-trans legislation, with more than three anti LGBTQ laws being filed each day in 2022. 

These bills tend to fall into three main categories:

1. The first is school policies, such as Florida’s controversial so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, recently signed into law by Ron DeSantis, which forbids teachers from discussing the topic of LGBTQ people with students before fourth grade, even though 1% of 9-year olds already self-identify as gay or trans. 
2. The second is youth healthcare bans, the most of extreme of which attempted to criminalize helping a child cross state lines to seek care (in Idaho, though passed by their State House mercifully killed by their State Senate). 
3. The third is youth sports bans, like the recent Utah bill banning trans students from playing on women’s school teams, which the governor vetoed but the state legislature overturned to force into law. Reader, there is one transgender girl playing on a women’s K-12 team in all of Utah. All of this legislative effort spent to prevent one girl from playing sports. Perhaps this is about something else, then?

When society is suddenly up in arms about something that presents very little if any actual harm, it is time to wonder if we have a moral panic on our hands.

Moral Panics

Moral panics are a phenomenon where a behavior or group of individuals is targeted for public concern that is far in excess of the actual danger presented. Moral panics are beneficial to the state, because they amplify the powers of the law, and beneficial to the news media, because coverage of these moral panics drive viewership and advertising revenue. For instance, as the the US legislative apparatus spends its time keeping trans kids out of the sports of their choice in late March and early April, Fox news aired 170 segments discussing trans people over those three weeks, including Tucker Carlson’s lie that kids are trans because of adult predators. What is the outcome of programming like this? Increased viewership and ad revenue to Fox News, and increased public attacks against LGBTQ people: a recent example includes a family with two dads who endured a man screaming at them on a train that they were pedophiles who had had stolen their own children.

Republicans hammer on moral panics like trans issues and Critical Race Theory to mobilize their base. This sort of outrage is very effective at bringing voters to the polls, but it leads to uncertain outcomes: 67% of national voters oppose legislation that prohibits trans athletes from playing on their team of choice. Fascinatingly, it is not because most Republicans support trans athletes – it seems to be because voters find the involvement of the law itself in this issue to be distasteful.

At the risk of giving too much credit to the American voter, is it not also clear that spending effort on legislating this issue is a huge waste of time? Nearly one million Americans are dead from Covid. Inflation is the highest it’s been in forty years. Housing costs have gone up more than 25% since March 2020. How is keeping trans kids out of sports improving the lives of Americans?

Transness is Not New

The notion that children who believe themselves to be trans are being ‘groomed’ by LGBTQ adults is an age-old fearmongering tactic. It stems from the right-wing ideology that being LGBTQ is unnatural, and therefore queer kids must have been indoctrinated into being queer, which is absurd on its face: one of the biggest mental health threats that LGBTQ people face is rejection from their own families. It is not seeing representations of the sinful urban lifestyle that converts innocent children into being queer – young people discover their own LGBTQ tendencies, do not feel safe in their own communities, and move to the diverse urban centers where they are free to be fully themselves.

What about concerns that such an increasing number of young people are transitioning that it must be a trend? 

Obstacles to transgender care have been immense. The psychiatric community has controlled access to gender-affirming services, and the terms of that access has been giving the answers that caregivers demanded to hear. Once barriers are lowered and the stigma is decreased, the natural incidence can be allowed to emerge. Take the history of left-handedness, for instance. In the early 20th century, left-handedness was seen as unnatural and punished, and rates of left-handedness were artificially suppressed. Once that stigma faded, rates rose more than ten percent in the population to their natural level, and remained there. Has being trans been vanishingly rare, or has being able to be trans been vanishingly rare?

Being trans is not new. People with a gender expression beyond biological male and female have always existed:

“… cultures worldwide have often recognized genders other than “male” and “female.” India’s hijra, which has existed for millennia, has an essential place in Hinduism and a socio-cultural role as performers. Judaism recognizes no fewer than six distinct sex¹ categories in its classical texts and tradition. In Oaxaca, Mexico, the third gender muxe dates back to the pre-Columbian era. The South Sulawesi Bugis people recognize five genders which have been crucial to their society for at least 600 years. – The Gender Binary Is a Tool of White Supremacy

And just as people throughout millenia have expressed their identity beyond the gender binary, researcher Jules Gill-Peterson found evidence that young people have been socially transitioning throughout the twentieth century, and attempting to transition medically for as long as medical transition as existed:

“I found handwritten letters from trans kids to a famous endocrinologist, Harry Benjamin, who was known for providing trans healthcare. In the 60s and 70s, they would say, “I’m X years old. I’m a transsexual. I read about that in the news” or “I looked up your work at a library, and it describes who I am”. They were from all over the country and they would ask if Dr Benjamin could see them, send them hormones, give them a permit to wear the clothes they wanted, talk to their family or teacher. It was young kids knowing really clearly that they were trans and going toe-to-toe with medical professionals. Suddenly, I had not only proof that kids were trans, but that they contacted doctors and tried to transition the best they could. It speaks to the remarkable ingenuity and resilience that trans young people have had for a really long time. And it’s pretty unimpeachable evidence that this is not a new social phenomenon. It’s not some trendy thing that kids are picking up now.” – ‘Trans kids are not new’: a historian on the long record of youth transitioning in America

What Can You Do?

ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio and writer and activist Raquel Willis used the occasion of the Trans Day of Visibility to devote an entire week to activism against these bills. They created a website called Trans Week of Visibility and Action which outlines many of the bills in question, some of which are still in session, with links to scripts to write to lawmakers, as well as links to local, trans-led grassroots organizations that are helping trans kids in each state. In Maryland, Trans Maryland is a “multi-racial, multi-gender, trans-led community power building organization dedicated to Maryland’s trans community” which works to pass trans-affirming bills in Annapolis and promote trans-inclusive health care in Maryland, as well as offering legal and financial support for name changes for trans people and a weekly digital support group – follow them online for action alerts for Maryland-based trans-related legislation, or donate to help support their cause.

Baltimore Safe Haven is a trans-led organization that provides services to the trans community members in survival mode. They offer a drop-in center, transitional housing, youth housing, meal services, and more. They are seeking volunteers, donations, and wish list purchases.

Trans people have always been on the forefront of LGBTQ+ rights, because society is so hostile to trans people that they so often have to fight to simply survive. We can call this bravery or resilience, and it is, but it is also the result of trans people being forced to constantly advocate for themselves, with little help from other, less marginalized groups. If you are cis, what about helping the trans people in your life, or clearly identifying yourself as an ally to them? 

Modeling trans-inclusive behavior increases the safety, comfort, and well-being of trans people around you. The National Center of Transgender Equality has a list of actions you can take that include challenging anti-transgender remarks, supporting trans people who experience discrimination, ensuring non-gendered bathrooms in your spaces, crafting anti-discrimination policies for trans people in your workplace, writing your representatives about laws related to trans people, and working to make sure that systems you are involved in are trans-inclusive. 

Does none of this sound direct or effective enough? Are you a financially stable person with privilege? The most immediate way to make an impact for young trans people fighting for their survival is to give money to them directly. Here are some twitter accounts that crowdsource black trans people who need help paying their bills:

Black Trans Futures

Trans hoodoo funds

Pay Black Trans Women

Keep an eye out for trans people in your social media network who are crowdsourcing for their survival, and make a point to donate to them. More than signing a petition, you can be sure that you had a part in taking care of a trans member in your community.

Survival in America is difficult enough these days. Making the existence of trans children into a moral panic is a cynical and cowardly move by transphobic lawmakers who are attempting to draw focus away from failures of governance. But at the end of the day, we are all suffering from these failures of governance, and the best way to continue to move forward is to dedicate ourselves to the notion that every life has value by supporting each other.

Resources:

Moral Panic: Who Benefits From Public Fear?

The Gender Binary Is a Tool of White Supremacy

 ‘Trans kids are not new’: a historian on the long record of youth transitioning in America

Trans Week of Visibility and Action

Supporting the Transgender People in Your Life: A Guide to Being a Good Ally