San Francisco Review of Books: Book Review: 'Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health' (Edited by Adrian Shanker)

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Book Review: 'Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health' (Edited by Adrian Shanker)

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

‘LGBT people lack health equity’

Adrian Shanker is the editor of this informative compendium of essays that address the disparity in healthcare availability and quality facing the LGBT community. He is assisted in this publication by Rachel L Levine, MD and Kate Kendall who open and close this important series of observations and experiences as related by prominent queer activists.

One keen aspect of this collection of essays is the focus on informing the body of healthcare professionals as well as those in position of providing medical insurance and those whose position is in creating and maintaining policies about healthcare delivery. Dr. Levine, the secretary of health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at Pennsylvania State College of medicine, sets the tone in her Foreword - ‘As a physician, I’ve seen the health consequences of neglecting a patient’s needs; as a policy maker, I’ve seen the cost of creating policies that are uninformed; and as a transgender woman, I’ve felt the burden of other’s ignorance. Too often LGBT rights are overlooked and set aside as a personal issue for LGBT individuals to tolerate. LGBT rights are irrefutably human rights, and currently there is a significant discrepancy between the treatment of LGBT individuals compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts…LGBT individuals are part of larger communities, families, teams, and social networks. It pains me that these points must be reiterated, however this conversation is clearly pressing and imperative.’

A Diverse, Collaborative Look at LGBTQ Health – Gay City News

This moving statement opens the platform for the voices of twenty-six significant contributors, introduced by editor Adrian Shanker who shares, ‘LGBT people experience unique structural barriers to care that lead to higher behavioral risk factors for numerous sexually transmitted and chronic diseases. When compounded with past negative experiences in health care settings, including outright discrimination, the LGBT community experiences worse health outcomes than the majority population. This isn’t our fault...This book is arranged to follow the lifespan – youth, young adults, middle-age adults, and older adults. Every health care professional can benefit from this book. From emerging activists to nonprofit leaders, from pride organizers to those engaged in direct action, the activism that supports the LGBT community improves our health.’

In each of the four categories Adrian mentions, outstanding contributors offer sensitive, factual, well-researched and documented essays on the imperative need for reform in the field of health care. This is a powerful, well-written, and important book, not only for the LGBT community but for all people who wish to be informed and assist in change. Highly recommended.

Editor's note: This review has been published with the permission of Grady Harp.

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