In It Together: Brit Cervantes, UCI Gender Diversity
As part of our exclusive In It Together feature, we highlight neighboring businesses and organizations and the wonderful work they’re doing. This week we have Brit Cervantes who works at UCI Health’s Gender Diversity Program.
Name: Brit Cervantes
Position/Title: Program Coordinator, Community Education Specialist
Name of your business/organization: UCI Gender Diversity
Location of your business/organization: Irvine, and Orange
Website: https://sites.uci.edu/genderdiversity
Social Media (if any):
IG @UCIPeds, FB: https://www.facebook.com/UCIPeds/
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Tell us about business/organization (what type of business/organization is it and why is it unique?)
The UC Irvine Health Pediatric Gender Diversity Program offers Orange County’s only interdisciplinary program dedicated to caring to transgender and gender-expansive children, teens, and young adults up to the age of 26. Our team of specialists provides affirming, supportive care with a full range of gender care services, which include:
· Patient and family counseling
· Puberty suppression
· Gender-affirming hormone therapy
· Community connections and support
· Sexual Health Education and HIV Prevention
How did you start your business/organization and tell us how you got to where you are today?
The Gender Diversity Program is a product of Dr. Lynn Hunt’s commitment to advancing LGBTQ, and in this case specifically transgender health, here in Orange County. We officially began seeing patients in September of 2016 but it took years to plan what our program would offer to the transgender community. As the needs of the community that we serve change and evolve, so do we. Our goal is to meet transgender and nonbinary people where they are, and provide the tools they need to align with their inner sense of self.
What do you love about your community?
I am a queer and transgender identified person myself so my love for the transgender community is deeply personal. In the beginning of my own transition things were difficult to navigate, but I got through things with the help of other queer and transgender people. The way that our community comes together and supports one another is a truly wonderful thing to see. We are strong, beautiful, and resilient humans. Transgender and nonbinary people are magic!
Has your business/organization been impacted by COVID? If so, how?
The LGBTQ community has been left in a really vulnerable position throughout COVID-19. Our community faces high rates of discrimination in social settings, and unfortunately even within healthcare. However, Gender Diversity has remained committed to providing the care and resources that our patients need throughout this pandemic. UCI Health was able to quickly shift gears to allow us to see patients via telehealth and this has allowed us to continue to see patients remotely. We have been prescribing hormone replacement therapy, and offering sexual health resources to patients from the safety of their homes.
What neighboring businesses/organizations do you like/support?
We love collaborating with other businesses and organizations that provide transgender affirming services. Local LGBTQ Centers like Orange County and Long Beach have been fantastic partners. We also can’t forget to mention Gather & Grow OC, Project Q, Salon Benders, and our OC GAP members!
How can we be “in it together”?
We can be in it together by making ourselves accessible to the transgender and LGBQ community. We have to be creative and find new ways to meet the needs of LGBTQ people during this time, as well as after this pandemic is over. When organizations collaborate together to serve everyone in our communities, everyone thrives!
In It Together: The Voice Stylist
We’re kicking off our “In it Together” series featuring local businesses we support. First off, we have Tina from the Voice Stylist!
Name: Tina Babajanians
Position/Title: Speech Language Pathologist + Voice Coach
Name of your business/organization: The Voice Stylist
Location of your business/organization: Orange County, California
Website: www.thevoicestylist.com
Social Media (if any): @thevoicestylist on Instagram and Twitter
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Tell us about business/organization (what type of business/organization is it and why is it unique?): My small business is a female owned and operated private practice centered around voice modification services for the T/GNC community. I also advocate for more voice specialists and speech language pathologists to begin exploring this niche area in our field because we need more competent clinicians serving the T/GNC community.
How did you start your business/organization and tell us how you got to where you are today? I first began exploring gender affirming voice and communication modification several years ago as a young therapist. I would see the occasional client here or there, but always felt like I was missing an important piece of training or life experience to be able to truly walk alongside someone who was in need of gender affirming voice work. So in my spare time I would study, take courses, and began to develop my own set of materials to guide my clinical work. I also began to attend therapy and learned a lot about counseling and human psychology. That was really when I felt prepared to fully launch my practice and step out boldly as an ally and trust myself to journey with my clients to their most optimal vocal expression.
What do you love about your community? The community of speech therapists and voice coaches who practice gender affirming voice are very progressive, compassionate and embrace folks of all walks of life and backgrounds. I love that as a community we always stand for our LGBTQIA+ siblings.
Has your business/organization been impacted by COVID? If so, how? Yes, I am a private pay practice so I certainly saw that as folks were losing their income that it was more challenging for folks to pay for specialized services, like gender affirming voice. However, I looked at the situation as an opportunity to touch more lives through my complimentary 30 minute vocal discovery sessions. So I was able to meet a lot of wonderful people and give them a little hope during a dark time.
What neighboring businesses/organizations do you like/support? I love collaborating with Gather + Grow in Fullerton, CA. They are a mental health practice, very inclusive and affirming folks. I also have collaborated with and support Salon Benders, which is an LGBTQIA+ owned and operated hair salon in Long Beach, CA. In general I am proud to be a part of the Orange County Gender Affirming Providers Network, a group of vetted and active allies who provide all sorts of services to the T/GNC community.
How can we be “in it together”? To be in it together is to pay attention to your neighbor and understand why they express themselves the way they do. Showing compassion allows room for folks to be vulnerable and invites them in for the hard conversations. That is where the work is truly done. Who can we reach out to in our immediate, everyday life? Who is in need of some space, and can we hold it for them. I feel that like of expression of embrace and love is transformative. And through that we can be in it together.
Anything else you’d like to share? I look forward to continuing this work and expanding in ways that are unknown to be at this moment. Thank you for the opportunity to serve this community.