MHIP Issue 8: ICWA, conversion therapy, school lunches, and more
A newsletter at the intersection of mental health and politics.
Welcome to the 8th issue of Mental Health is Political. This week, we dig into the Supreme Court’s recent decision, the importance of universal free lunch programs, Greg Abbott’s ongoing crusade against diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Black maternal mortality crisis in the U.S., and more.
I’m currently writing an NIH grant, which naturally means I’ve consumed a lot of media in the past week as a distraction from said grant writing (it fuels creativity, right?!). So before we get into it, here’s what I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to: Past Lives is hands down the best film I’ve seen in a very long time. Jenny Lewis’s new record is a delight. You’re Wrong About’s latest episode, Lesbian Seagulls, is a fascinating listen about queerness in nature. I’m really enjoying The Old Place by Bobby Finger, and found yesterday’s post by Your Local Epidemiologist to be a useful summary of this weekend’s vaccine debate discourse (please, I beg of you, do not support anti-vaxxer RFK Jr. – I’ll dive more into that next time). I’m also far too invested in the stories of Orcas attacking boats and how these whales are orcanizing (for the record: I’m firmly on Team Orcas). And finally, in honor of Juneteenth, I recommend revisiting Ta-Nehisi Coates’ 2014 essay The Case for Reparations.
Let’s dive into the news.
The good. The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was upheld by the Supreme Court, seen as a major victory for Native American rights. For a deep dive into ICWA and the Brakeen v. Haaland case, I highly recommend listening to Rebecca Nagle’s podcast This Land. Justice Gorsuch wrote a compelling concurring opinion that gives us the history lesson we all need. The concurring opinion begins, “The Indian Child Welfare Act did not emerge from a vacuum. It came as a direct response to the mass removal of Indian children from their families during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s by state officials and private parties.“ It is well worth the full read. Native American children are removed from their homes at significantly higher rates than white children, highlighting a need for our child welfare systems to adopt culturally informed practices that are shown to better support these children and families.
Iceland became the latest country (following in the footsteps of Brazil, Germany, and Canada, to name a few) to ban conversion therapy, an extremely harmful practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. All major medical and psychological organizations agree that such practices, which are grounded in the false belief that these identities are disordered and can and should be changed, are unethical and dangerous. Twenty-one states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have put into place bans on conversion therapies here in the U.S., but many states still allow it. While President Biden signed an executive order last year directly acknowledging the harms of conversion therapy, we actively need to push for the implementation of a nationwide ban.
The not so good. Republicans released a federal budget proposal that includes cutting funding for school lunch programs. Food insecurity is a serious public health issue in the United States, with data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture finding approximately 15% of families with children experienced food insecurity in 2020. Some states have already adopted laws that protect free lunch programs in schools (most recently, Vermont is on track to adopt such a policy despite the Governor’s objections). While Republicans primarily cite concerns about fraudulent spending as a reason to slash funding that ensures kids don’t go hungry during school, research shows these programs provide clear educational and health benefits for students as well as benefits for the community more broadly.
A 9-year-old girl was accused by an adult man of being trans at a track meet in Kelowna, British Columbia. Yes, you read that correctly: an adult interrupted a school track meet to question a child’s gender. The growing rate of transphobic legislation paired with media outlets consistently platforming harmful, inaccurate anti-trans views is fueling an unwarranted and dangerous panic about gender diversity. The man who harassed this 9-year-old was emboldened by increasing hostility towards and targeting of trans and gender diverse people. Important reminder: you cannot know someone’s gender simply by looking at them. Gender and gender expression are fluid – and mental health and wellbeing improves when people are able to identify as they choose.
The this is bad, y’all. On the Friday before the Juneteenth holiday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that would ban offices and programs devoted to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at state-funded universities and colleges. He then had the audacity to tweet about the importance of acknowledging Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the day that enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free. Slashing universities’ initiatives related to DEI has serious implications for mental health on college campuses, as these programs often include a focus on mental health and inclusive, accessible educational environments promote positive mental health.
Tori Bowie, a U.S. Track and Field star and Olympic gold (and silver and bronze) medal winner, died at the age of 32 due to complications from pregnancy. This is an all too familiar story for Black women (see stories from Serena Williams, Allyson Felix, and Beyonce). The maternal mortality rate for Black women in the U.S. is 2.6 times higher than that of white women. Medical racism, as well as experiences of racism and discrimination outside of the medical system, contribute to these health disparities. Systemic changes are desperately needed to adequately address this crisis.
Take Action.
Support the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, a Black woman-led organization working to reduce inequity in maternal health.
We’re over halfway through Pride Month, so be sure to show up and support your local Pride events and organizations working to protect LGBTQ+ rights in your city/state. I’m donating to Inclusion Tennessee and the Oasis Center this month.
Read more about what you can do to help end conversion therapy in the U.S. here, and contact your representatives about banning this unethical practice in your state.
As always, thank you for reading, sharing, and subscribing to Mental Health is Political. See you next week.
Great issue! We spotlight similar topics and it would be great to collaborate when you have time. Good luck with your grant application!