LGBTQI+ volunteering that led to an exciting new kaupapa

Collective for Rainbow-Affirming Visibility and Equity (C.R.A.V.E.) was awarded the MAS Here for Good Scholarship Group Award. Chairperson Josh McCormack details the LGBTQI+ volunteering that led him to co-found this exciting new kaupapa. 

When I tell new friends the story of my journey as an LGBTQI+ advocate, the extent of personal transformation and the timeframe in which in occurred often bewilders.

As a now headstrong proponent for the safety and equity that our LGBTQI+ communities deserve, people frequently assume I have spent years building the voice I have today to represent queerness in decision-making spaces. However, that could not be further from the truth.

Having been raised in provincial small towns, I am confident I speak to the experience of many rural queer people when I admit I did not feel safe expressing identity in school or early life. Whether explicit or nuanced, homophobia was profoundly ingrained in all forms of language, behaviour, mannerism and interaction. It is not possible to grow up in that environment without being affected by that homophobia or heterosexism long-term. 

Since coming out less that three years ago, I have now become heavily involved in volunteering for rainbow support activities and initiatives. Volunteering in these spaces has been integral in helping me find community connection. More importantly, this volunteering has played an irreversible role in my personal growth and reflective practice. The benefit to my life of rainbow volunteering has been unequivocal. I am excited to have this opportunity to share with you my journey, and to celebrate the joyous progress I have made both professionally and personally through volunteering for LGBTQI+ causes. 

AUMSA Rainbow Communities Representative

When starting University, I had hoped to arrive to an urban queer haven. Within a week of starting medical school, however, it had become clear to me there were no active clubs or support initiatives for LGBTQI+ medical students. 

Moving from an environment with an absence of community or visibly queer role models to a more accepting version of the same was an easy transition; it was tempting to remain in the comfort of the closet I knew too well. Unimpressed, the coat-hangers said enough is enough: "If not you, then who?" 

I came out in second year on a student-led Instagram platform that focussed on telling the intimate stories of our medical student community. Just months later, I launched a petition to establish a Rainbow Communities Representative on the Auckland University Medical Students' Association. Shortly after, a modest, but dedicated, team of students stepped in to help; many expressing their joy and relief to finally have the connection they longer for by becoming involved. In July 2020, the proposal succeeded with a 92.2% majority out of 205 votes. 

Pronouns 101

Launched to celebrate the success of the AUMSA Rainbow Campaign, Pronouns 101 set to distribute 101 name badges with pronouns to medical students on clinical placements, accompanied by project-specific education handouts. As the first dedicated LGBTQI+ offering within our programme, the project thrived and the subsequent growth has been staggering. We now have more than 1 in 4 medical students sporting one of our badges around the North Island. We have also expanded to the School of Pharmacy, the School of Business and the University of Otago School of Medicine has followed suit as well. 

Even more importantly, Pronouns 101 did an excellent job of starting conversations in healthcare spaces about gender-diverse health needs and barriers to services. The 2019 Counting Ourselves survey found that 36% of participants had avoided seeing a doctor because they were worried about disrespect or mistreatment as a trans or non-binary person. Initiatives that seek awareness of gender-affirming healthcare are few and far between, and it was wonderful to see hundreds of students willing to help this initiative succeed. 

Pronouns 101 was the first experience I had devising and executing an LGBTQI+ support initiative from scratch. Through this volunteering experience, I learned consultation skills to preserve safety for all communities under the rainbow umbrella. I felt fulfilled knowing I had increased safety for queer people in the same healthcare spaces I often felt unsafe in myself growing up. 

Let's (Not) Get Sickening Charity Drag Show

Having found a new sense of fervour following the success of Pronouns 101, I decided to uphold the trend of writing my own handbook by pulling together a charity drag show.

In August 2021, I produced the Let's (Not) Get Sickening Charity Drag Show. Hosted by Anita Wigl'it, Miss Congeniality of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, our star-studded charity drag show gave medical students a unique opportunity to embrace and celebrate queerness before meeting their first queer patients. As the first dedicated LGBTQI+ event within our School, the event raised over $3,600 for the New Zealand Aids Foundation and Auckland Pride. 

Complete with audience challenges teaching HIV education, as well as drag acts centred around LGBTQI+ health issues, the sold-out show was cherished by all who attended. 

Multiple Mini Interviews

With the education points of the drag show starting healthy and pronounced conversation about the need for improved education within our programme, I tabled a proposal to add LGBTQI+ competency questions to the admissions interviews for all our clinical courses.

I was soon invited to consult the MMI governance committee to help create questions for the question bank. While at first I felt inexperienced and unskilled to lead the work, I had learned that there is no handbook to change precedent for our communities. I have also become aware there is no one from whom permission needs to be sought for action to be taken to increase safety and equity for our communities in healthcare spaces.

With the change implemented in November, the newly admitted 2022 students mark the first cohort who were required to critically engage in complex kōrero about LGBTQI+ health needs before gaining admission to our clinical programmes. I cannot wait to see the real-time cultural shift as the students impacted by this volunteer work begin to phase it into the workforce.