An Interview with a Gender Care physician
For LGBTQ+ patients, having to explain your identity or even stay in the closet during an appointment can be extremely draining and even dangerous. Having effective, affirming allies in healthcare is one way to lessen the burden placed on marginalized communities, for both patients and providers alike. But how can one be an ally in the healthcare environment? We asked Dr. Lisa Lowery about what allyship means to her, how she learns from mistakes, and her work at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Gender Care Clinic.
Arly: What does being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community in a healthcare setting look like to you?
Dr. Lowery: For me, being an ally means providing comprehensive gender affirming care while meeting the family and patient where they are.
Arly: What has been valuable to your learning and advocacy as an ally?
Dr. Lowery: I have tried to be more involved in the LGBTQIA+ community and I personally tried to educate myself and have meaningful discussions with like minded individuals.
Arly: How do you avoid performative allyship?
Dr. Lowery: I think you avoid performative allyship by actually doing the work. You work on yourself and work on improving the space you occupy.
Arly: Inevitably, mistakes will happen. How do you move past them?
Dr. Lowery: We all make mistakes; when I make a mistake, I try to readily apologize. I also try to be mindful of the situations when/where I made a mistake in order to make me more mindful of times when I may be more apt to make them.
Arly: Why did you feel it was necessary to start an adolescent gender care clinic?
Dr. Lowery: For several years, we had been coordinating care in the background with endocrine and psychology. We decided that it would be better for the patients and families if we were able to coordinate care in one setting.
Arly: What are issues relating to LGBTQ+ patient care that seem to come up time and time again?
Dr. Lowery: Access to gender affirming care [and] finding providers that are affirming can be challenging for families. Additionally, when parents have decided to not affirm their gender diverse children, this can be a challenging situation in which to ally with the teen to help them navigate. Mental health is always in the forefront of providing affirming care, we are always trying to partner with mental health professionals and this can be challenging especially depending on the family’s resources.
Arly: What is one thing you want other healthcare providers to know about providing health care for this population?
Dr. Lowery: Providing gender affirming care is a part of providing general health care. We know that when patients do not feel affirmed they have higher rates of depression, suicidal ideation, and delay in preventative health care. Do not rely on your patients/families to “teach” you. As a provider, it is important to do some self-education. There are some great resources available.
And she is right: there are a great number of resources available to learn how to be a better ally and to learn about LGBTQ+ identities, specific health issues, and experiences. Visit our Resources page for a variety of links or request a training. Feel free to email us at info.grlgbtqhcc@gmail.com if there is a specific resource you are looking for.
Edited for length and clarity.
Dr. Lisa Lowery, MD, MPH, CPE, FAAP, FSAHM (she/her/hers) is an Adolescent Medicine specialist at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, where she also serves as the Adolescent Medicine Section Chief and Division Chief of HDVCH Pediatrics Specialties. Dr. Lowery is also Assistant Dean for Diversity and Cultural Initiatives at MSU’s College of Human Medicine, is on the Board of Directors for Grand Rapids LGBTQ+ Healthcare Consortium, the Urban League of West Michigan, and Wedgwood Christian Services. She was one of the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential Women in 2022 for her drive, passion, and community impact.