June 2021 CMGMH Update:
Greetings CMGMH Friends & Colleagues,

June is Pride Month and, in keeping with tradition, this Newsletter will follow the theme of LGBTQIA+ pride and Queer Mental Health. There is more to June to Pride, however, and this newsletter will also highlight those graduating students from our CMGMH Program.

I would also be remiss to ignore that June also holds the Juneteenth Celebration (a.k.a. Freedom Celebration or Jubilee) which marks the day, June 19th, 1865, that slavery ended in all U.S. states. Be on the lookout for a future email from CMGMH on this historical event and how you may be able to celebrate this year.

Below you will find recommendations for books, an essay from a CMGMH student, brief bios on influential queer people of color, recognition for our graduates, and tools for mental health awareness. I encourage you to work through the sections of this newsletter and, though there was much more that could have been added to this newsletter, I hope you learn something about both the LGBTQIA+ community and Queer Mental Health.

All the Best,

Rebekah Drew
CMGMH Program Coordinator
AmeriCorps VISTA Member
LGBTQ+ History & Joy
Recommended Reading:
A Word from a CMGMH Student:
The Impact of Colonialism on the Hijra People of India

Abstract:

"India was once a country deeply rooted in a cultural history based in religion and ancient texts. The hijra people, “generally male-born persons who describe themselves as emasculates or ‘eunuchs from birth’, wear feminine clothing, [and] usually adopt feminine names” (Hinchy, 2014, p. 274), are represented in those texts. This representation, along with being valued by Muslims, afforded them a place in society. However, when the British Raj arrived, they imposed their own ideas of gender upon Indian society and essentially forced the hijras into isolated communities where they became vulnerable to disease, poverty, violence, discrimination, marginalization, substance abuse, mental health problems, and suicide."
Ashley Phillips is a rising second year student in the Clinical Psychology Department, with a Concentration in Global Mental Health
(Just a Few) Queer Names You Should Know:
Kim Coco Iwamoto:
"Kim Coco Iwamoto is a Japanese-American transgender politician, lawyer, and activist. Born and raised in Hawaii, Iwamoto was dedicated to bettering the lives of others. She became the first transgender politician to hold a statewide office when she was elected to the Hawaii Board of Education in 2006. She has dedicated much of her work to the youth, education, housing equity, and LGBTQ rights. In 2013, Iwamoto was recognized as a Champion of Change by Barack Obama, and named as one of fifty need-to-know pioneers for LGBTQ rights by Newsweek."
American Civil Rights Activist and advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin was arrested in California 1953 after being discovered having sex with another man. Rustin was then charged as a sex offender and spent 50 days in jail before returning to the civil rights scene.
According to Britannica, Rustin "later was the chief architect of the March on Washington (August 1963), a massive demonstration to rally support for civil rights legislation that was pending in Congress. In 1964 he directed a one-day student boycott of New York City’s public schools in protest against racial imbalances in that system. Rustin subsequently served as president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a civil rights organization in New York City, from 1966 to 1979. Soon thereafter he became involved in the gay rights movement. In 2013 he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2020 Rustin was pardoned for his 1953 conviction."

Known by many names — the "Mother of the Blues", the "Songbird of the South", the "Gold-Neck Woman of the Blues" — one thing is for sure, Rainey had pipes. After her talent was discovered by Paramount in 1923, she was among the first generation of blues singers to be recorded. Some of Rainey's lyrics contain references to being queer, such as the 1928 song "Prove It on Me":

"They said I do it, ain't nobody caught me /
Sure got to prove it on me /
Went out last night with a crowd of my friends /
They must've been women / 'cause I don't like no men."
LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources:
*Disclaimer: These resources discuss suicide and other topics which may be distressing to some. If you or someone you know is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):

"While belonging to the LGBTQI community can be a source of strength, it also brings unique challenges. For those who identify as LGBTQI, it’s important to recognize how your experience of sexual orientation and gender identity relates to your mental health.

Although the full range of LGBTQI identities are not commonly included in large-scale studies of mental health, there is strong evidence from recent research that members of this community are at a higher risk for experiencing mental health conditions — especially depression and anxiety disorders. LGB adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition. Transgender individuals are nearly four times as likely as cisgender individuals (people whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex) individuals to experience a mental health condition."
LGBTQ people of color, similar to their broader LGBTQ community, experience alarmingly high rates of mental health challenges. It disrupts their daily lives and can be life-threatening, especially for children and youth. Over a majority of LGBTQ adults of color in the United States are facing significant mental health challenges today. LGBTQ highschoolers of color are also more likely to attempt suicide (27%) compared to LGBTQ highschoolers (22%) and non-LGBTQ highschoolers (5%) in the United States.
Graduating CMGMH Students
Global Mental Health:

  • Christina Wilbur - Clinical 
  • Patrick Sviolka - Clinical 
  • Donicka Suprice- Clinical 
  • Nina Campanile – Clinical  
  • Cynthia Sibold – MAOP 
  • Ashley Santoes –Counseling & Behavioral Health 
  • Mary Okyere–Counseling & Behaviorial Health 

Latino Mental Health:
  • Nicole Sampedro Dotson
  • Brenna Shanahan
  • Samantha Diaz
  • Ana Zuñiga
  • Nicole Drost
  • Rachel Kanen
  • Tania Remole
  • Danya Ravid
  • Emily Castellanos
  • Gabrielle McPhee
  • Rose Perez
  • Tania Jimenez
Black Mental Health Graduate Academy:
  • Oluwafunmilayo Aguocha
  • Adetutu Ajibose
  • Jasmine Akinsulire
  • Regina Banks
  • Michelle Codner
  • Samuel Kwame Dance
  • Ava Floyd
  • Carmaudely Galliotte

  • Beverly Ibeh
  • Alexis Leca
  • Simone Matthews
  • Donicka Pamphile
  • Carol Rannie
  • Rosilyn Sanders
  • Darryl Sweeper, Jr.
"As they embark on competitive postdoctoral fellowships or exciting job opportunities, we salute their brilliance, hard work, persistence, grit, and dedication to becoming leaders committed to advancing social justice advocacy and equity in the psychology and mental health counseling fields."
- Dr. Natalie Cort, Director of the Black Mental Health Graduate Academy
Upcoming CMGMH/WJC Events:
Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health
1 Wells Avenue
Newton, MA 02459
617-327-6777