We are looking at having our ideas of good healthcare turned upside down. This will happen if RFK Jr., whose ideas on healthcare have been widely discredited, is confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

Kennedy thinks vaccines hurt people. He believes a measles epidemic in our country is better than children getting a measles vaccine. Brian Deer writes in the New York Times, during a measles outbreak in Samoa, “Kennedy sent the prime minister of Samoa a four-page letter. In it, he suggested the measles vaccine itself may have caused the outbreak.” He wrote in his role as the chairman of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group. “By the time a door-to-door vaccination campaign brought the calamity to a close, more than 80 children had died.” Imagine him writing that letter as U.S. Secretary of HHS. 

Kennedy supports the discredited theory that childhood vaccines cause autism. In 2023, he even said the polio vaccine, which has basically eradicated polio, “did more harm than good.” The Times wrote, “Mr. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, has also spent years working abroad to undermine policies that have been pillars of global health policy for a half-century, records show.” 

Today most people don’t even know what diphtheria is, outside of the historical context. If they do it’s most likely because they have scrutinized a childhood immunization schedule and know it’s the “D” in the DTaP vaccine. “Vaccine breakthroughs over the past two centuries have cumulatively made the modern world a far more hospitable place to be born. For most of human history, half of all children died before reaching age 15; that number is down to just 4 percent worldwide, and far lower in developed countries, with vaccines one of the major drivers of improved life expectancy.” So, one has to question how someone like RFK Jr., with his warped view of vaccines for children, will impact their lives. How many will become ill, or die, because of him? 

It’s not just children’s vaccines we have to question Kennedy on. What will he do if we have another pandemic, and there surely will be one. Will he agree the government should support research to develop a vaccine, or will he oppose funding? Will he support the World Health Organization, or will we see the United States withdraw from it? What about the continued research at NIH, which supports development of a vaccine to end HIV/AIDS? What does he now believe is the cause of AIDS? Will he end the studies at NIH to aid in the search for a vaccine to end prostate cancer? Or will he determine it is better to let millions die, rather than develop these vaccines. 

We have to ask whether he will stop Medicare and Medicaid from covering the cost of vaccines for those who want them, and can’t otherwise afford them. Will he work to stop mandates to have children vaccinated before they enter school? These are just some of the questions the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee, which typically hold the confirmation hearings for Secretary of Health and Human services nominees, should be asking RFK Jr. They must grill him on where he gets his medical information, and what research he bases his positions on, with regard to all these issues. Add issues like his position on removing fluoride from the water, and allowing raw milk to be sold. Let’s be clear: Our children’s lives are literally at stake here. 

It might be interesting to ask him whether he asked Trump if his children were vaccinated, and if Ivanka and Jared have had their children vaccinated. I have yet to hear any media person ask Trump about this, or ask Ivanka and Jared their thoughts on RFK Jr. The committees must ask whether he believes vaccines should be available for children whose parents want them, and whether he will mandate insurance pay for them? 

Yes, RFK Jr. has some positions I agree with. He wants to get dyes out of our foods as California Gov. Gavin Newsom is doing in his state. RFK Jr. has promoted healthier diets for children, more fruits and vegetables, something Michelle Obama has been doing for years. But we must recognize doing these things will be worthless if we let children get ill, or die, by not vaccinating them. RFK Jr. is an embarrassment to his own family with his unsubstantiated claims on a host of issues, and he will be a danger to the children of the nation, and the world, if confirmed. 

Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist.

Nov. 20 marked Transgender Day of Remembrance — an international day of mourning where the trans community and its allies come together to honor and mourn those lost to violence, hate crimes, and suicide. Much of this violence is fueled by discriminatory policies and deep-seated hatred against transgender people.

Yet, just two days before TDOR, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) introduced HR1579, a transphobic resolution aimed at prohibiting “members, officers, and employees of the House from using single-sex facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.” The resolution’s definition of “single-sex facilities” goes beyond restrooms to include changing rooms and locker rooms within the Capitol or House Office buildings.

This resolution is a blatant attempt to ban Rep.-Elect Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first openly transgender congresswoman, from using women’s bathrooms and locker rooms in Congress. Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) claimed that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) expressed support for the resolution behind closed doors, stating, “He committed to me, there in the conference, that Sarah McBride will not be using our restrooms.” In an interview, Rep. Mike Johnson doubled down: “For anyone who doesn’t know my established record on this issue, let me be unequivocally clear: a man is a man, and a woman is a woman, and a man cannot become a woman.”

Both Greene and Mace repeatedly misgendered McBride on social media and in comments to reporters. On Transgender Day of Remembrance itself, Speaker Johnson declared McBride would be treated as a man under House rules, forcing her to use men’s restrooms or gender-neutral facilities. 

Mace claimed her actions were about “safety,” even suggesting McBride could pose a threat of sexual assault. However, during an appearance on Greg Kelly Reports, Mace went full mask off, calling it “offensive” that McBride could consider herself her equal.

This decision and language is more than offensive — it is outright discriminatory. McBride will have no other choice but to walk to her office every time she needs to use the restroom, unable to access the common bathrooms like her colleagues. Additionally, the resolution jeopardizes the safety of hundreds of transgender staffers, all of whom lack McBride’s visibility or privilege. Trans staffers have long used restrooms matching their gender identity without issue, but this policy opens the door to increased harassment and exclusion, with reports of such incidents already surfacing. 

McBride issued a statement saying that while she “disagrees” with the rules, she will comply. Unsurprisingly, McBride’s compliance was not the end of the conversation. Mace introduced a bill to ban transgender people from using bathrooms matching their gender identity in federally owned spaces, from national parks to major airports. Mace declared on social media, “This fight isn’t over just yet. We want to ban men from women’s spaces in EVERY federal building, school, public bathroom, everywhere.”

Adding to this, Congress’s gendered dress code could also be weaponized to further degrade and bully McBride, targeting her presentation or honorifics. This was never about bathrooms, safety, or fairness—it has always been about control and erasing transgender people from public life. 

Despite these attacks, multiple studies have found no evidence supporting claims that transgender people pose safety threats in bathrooms. Yet transphobic rhetoric dominated the 2024 election, with anti-trans ads like “Kamala is for they/them; President Trump is for you,”, signs targeting McBride at polling places in Delaware, and violent vitriol aimed at dehumanizing transgender Americans.

This tidal wave of hate culminates in the upcoming Supreme Court case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, a case that will determine whether bans on gender-affirming care for youth are unconstitutional. The stakes are high: 27 states already ban gender-affirming care, and 26 have implemented restrictions on trans youth in sports. With Donald Trump’s return to the White House and a Republican-controlled government, the situation doesn’t look great.

In the Delaware State Senate, Sarah McBride championed policies like paid family leave. The idea that she’s a danger to others is laughable. The real danger to others lies in the multiple Republican cabinet nominations with histories of sexual assault and abuse. 

If a respected lawmaker who happens to be transgender is considered a threat, where does that leave the rest of the trans community?

In the wake of Kamala Harris’s election loss, trans people have been used as scapegoats, with moderate Democrats and political pundits alike calling them political liabilities. For the past few weeks, we’ve seen op-eds in the New York Times and Washington Post claiming that trans rights have gone too far and are political bombs. 

How dare they? In the face of violent transphobia in our nation’s Capitol, now is the time to strengthen support for our transgender siblings. The moment the public and political establishment abandon transgender Americans, is the moment we’ve entered the last steps of the waltz into fascism.

The mere presence of a transgender woman in power asking to be treated as an equal has sent the GOP into a media frenzy. Mace has been running to Fox News and Newsmax to attack her future co-worker. She’s been obsessively posting on X (formerly Twitter) about Sarah McBride and “men in women’s spaces.” 

Mike Johnson’s seeming endorsement of a “separate but equal” framework also evokes painful memories of segregationists during the Civil Rights Movement. This behavior is not only unacceptable but shines a light on the long history of white far-right politicians from the South fighting for their “right” to discriminate.

This isn’t a culture war thing; this is a fight for our very right to exist. Transgender Americans are facing a crisis. The incoming administration seeks to define us out of existence: they want us to detransition, to hide, to live in fear. They want us to remain in the closet. 

For many, the closet is deadly. Trans people already die by suicide at higher rates, denying us the right to exist will only skyrocket the mental health crisis in America. Since Nov. 5 alone, the Trevor Project, a crisis organization for LGBTQ youth, reported a heartbreaking 700% increase in calls. People are dying now, and now is the time to protect trans people. 

Defending McBride is the easiest way to signal support for trans people. This is about more than supporting one congresswoman — it’s about standing for the safety, dignity, and respect of every transgender American. We need leaders who will defend us in the face of the fascistic far-right.  

As trans people, we recognize the emergency facing our community and are screaming our lungs out to a party that is considering abandoning us. It’s been said again and again but we need each other now more than ever.

LGBTQ voters pay attention to which representatives support and fight for their right to exist. According to the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey’s Civic Engagement data, 82% of eligible transgender individuals are registered to vote. In the 2020 presidential election, 75% of eligible respondents reported voting, compared to 67% of the general U.S. population. Furthermore, initial exit polls showed that LGBTQIA+ voters overwhelmingly supported Kamala Harris.

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads: Will they fight for equality or allow the GOP’s attacks to stain their legacy and lose a vital and engaged voting bloc? 

The truth is stark: transgender Americans deserve to exist without fear. This fight is about more than politics — it’s about life and death. In the reality we woke up to on Nov. 6, trans people and LGBTQ rights in general are on the chopping block. 

Democrats have the chance to make history by standing on the right side of it. The fight for trans liberation is far from over, but this moment demands strong, progressive leadership. The future of the party — and our country—depends on it.

Vienna Cavazos (they/them) is the Diversity Lead and LGBTQIA+ Public Policy Specialist at Bulletproof Pride.

When my partners and I opened ProMD Health, an aesthetic medicine clinic in City Center, I anticipated my “glow up” would include less wrinkles, more volume, and smoother, healthier skin. What I did not expect was to lose 37 lbs. in just five months. Offering injectables such as botox, sculptra, and filler, along with IV therapy, body contouring, and various spa treatments — I was eager to try all of our treatments except one: Semaglutide. I too was one who believed the things I heard, from upset stomach to hollowness in the face. It wasn’t until I was left without a choice that I embarked on the journey. 

What is semaglutide?

Semaglutide, a GLP-1 known as the brand name Ozempic, has become a global phenomenon that can help individuals lose up to 10 pounds a month with consistent diet and exercise. It works by sending signals to our hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls hunger and sex drive) to be satiated with less food, regulating our cravings and urges. The drug is currently being studied for addiction therapy as patients with existing substance abuse have also noticed a reduction in their inclinations. 

Why I joined the celebrity craze

In January 2023, I had learned from my primary physician that I was pre-diabetic, with a BMI of 30, and had alarming triglyceride, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. At only 33 years old, I felt defeated. On one end, I was a young entrepreneur celebrating the opening of a new business, where on the other, we were discussing medication to help me lower my blood pressure and analyzing my diet (which consisted mostly of nachos, red wine, and chocolate ice cream.) The stress of life was consuming me, where each time I craved something unhealthy — I rationalized that it was deserved for all the many things I was doing.

My mental and physical health was in a bad place, where the more I’d work out — the hungrier I would get, where ice cream was my reward for stepping on the treadmill. Due to my inability to regulate my cravings and intake, I decided to finally start semaglutide, as a change was needed to happen or illness diagnosis would follow. 

The journey

The first week was horrendous. I was puking endlessly. I had completely ignored our provider’s advice, continuing to eat what I normally did which semaglutide rejected. I realized then that me eating in the way I did was not only based on hunger, it was emotional. Food was my boyfriend, my comfort, and gift to myself. The puking was like a self-induced hazing process, because after that — I no longer craved foods that were not compatible with the drug. Essentially — fatty foods, highly processed meals, and foods high in sugar will leave you sick. 

The nausea and sickness went away after a week (probably would have never come had I made the diet change on day one) and I started to have to force myself to eat as the hunger signals I relied on were no longer there. After eating half of what I would normally consume, I would feel satiated and full. 

As my body got used to the drug, we would go up in dose — where I started to have to force myself to eat. The well balanced diet of protein, vegetables, and carbs gave me the nutrients needed to sustain my day of meetings and post-work gym sessions. 

In just one month, my clothes are slipping off and my face had became noticeably slimmer. I started receiving levels of attention I hadn’t since my early 20s, and my confidence and belief in myself skyrocketed. 

Getting to my goal weight month four, we decided to lower the dosage and taper off while incorporating more whole foods in my diet to supplement my workouts. With the weight off, my current focus is muscle growth. 

With social media misinforming viewers on a daily basis — I have put together a list of myths, do’s, and don’ts from my experience.

Myths:

– Ozempic Face: The drug does not make your face cave in. When folks lose a lot of weight in a short period of time (with or without GLP-1), they will experience volume loss. One of the few aesthetic benefits of being overweight is fullness in the face, where our wrinkles and signs of aging are less noticeable. Eating too much sugar and having a high fat intake can also cause acne — so it is a double edged sword. Our providers usually recommend slowly increasing the dosage where treatments such as mid-face filler can address new concerns around visible aging. 

– You will need to be on it forever. 

– Your GI will be ruined. 

Do’s:

– Take a probiotic daily.

– Drink a lot of water to help with your digestion and to flush your system. 

– Take an anti-nausea prescription, nauzene, or fresh ginger in the first two weeks.

– Make sure you are eating a well-balanced diet of protein, carbs, and vegetables. Even if you have to force yourself to eat it — without the nutrients, you will have no energy for the gym and could experience hair loss or malnutrition symptoms.

– Eat fruit: Although the cravings will decrease, if a sweet tooth has its requests — eat fresh fruit. It is somehow way more refreshing and satisfying while on semaglutide and will aid in digestion. 

Don’ts: 

– Get semaglutide from an inexpensive online retailer — the price you pay will match the dosage and quality of product.

– Eat foods high in sugar. You will pay for it. 

– Eat oily foods. 

– Binge drink.

– Be inconsistent.

– Stop abruptly. It takes time but worth the journey!