Tag: Choices Memphis Center for Reproductive Health

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Friends of George’s Hosts The Gay Ole Opry

The Gay Ole Opry features Allysun Wunderland. (Photo: Courtesy Friends of George’s)

Halloween 1969, Memphis had its first drag show at what is now the Evergreen Theatre. At the time, dressing in clothing of the opposite sex was illegal, but on Halloween, you could get away with dressing however you wanted. So on that night, no one was attacked or arrested for participating in or attending the drag show — a fact that emboldened the Memphis LGBTQ+ community to continue putting on drag shows even with the threat of raids. That same year, George Wilson purchased his bar, where drag shows began happening regularly and continued until it closed in 1990.

Often referred to as Queen Mother of Memphis Gay Bars and the Showplace of the South, George’s was a staple in the LGBTQ+ community, so in 2010 to honor the 20th anniversary of its closure, a group of former patrons and performers put together a reunion show in true George’s style and tradition. More than 1,800 guests attended, and the group, known as Friends of George’s, became energized, says board member Ty Phillips. “We had no real immediate plans to continue, but we all felt the strong sense that we should continue producing events, and so we continued doing that and ultimately branded ourselves into more of a theater company.”

Now, after a pandemic-related hiatus, the group is bringing back its annual Dragnificent Variety Show, this time with a twang. “In the past we’ve done themes like decades,” says Phillips. “This year we’ve gone country with The Gay Ole Opry. … It’s a combination of drag performances, production numbers, and original skits that we’ve written and produced. We’ve got a game show, some running gags. A lot of it is rooted in Hee Haw humor if you remember that show from back in the day.”

The show, taking place at the LGBTQ+ landmark Evergreen Theatre, will run July 29th-31st and August 4th-6th. Ticket sales for The Gay Ole Opry will benefit CHOICES – Memphis Center for Reproductive Health. Tickets can be purchased at friendsofgeorges.org/gay-ole-opry.

The Dragnificent Variety Show: The Gay Ole Opry, The Evergreen Theatre, July 29-31 and August 4-6, $27.

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Black Midwives: A Q&A with Dr. Nikia Grayson, CHOICES’ Director of Clinical Services

CHOICES is launching a fellowship to train Black midwives in Memphis. (Photo: Courtesy of CHOICES)

Dr. Nikia Grayson, CHOICES’ director of clinical services, said there are currently only four Black midwives in Memphis. Grayson discusses why increasing that number will mean more inclusive, culturally competent reproductive healthcare for Black women in Memphis. — Maya Smith

Memphis Flyer: What are the goals for the fellowship?

Nikia Grayson: We want to address the maternal and infant health crisis that we are seeing in the Black community. This fellowship will help to train Black midwives in a comprehensive, reproductive and social justice way that addresses the health inequities and systemic racism many are facing in the healthcare system. There aren’t that many midwives in the country and definitely not that many Black midwives. We would love to see more Black midwives in the South caring for their communities in a culturally congruent way.

Why does culturally congruent healthcare matter?

When patients see providers who look like them and understand their cultural beliefs and values, the way they communicate, and the things they may be experiencing, it leads to better patient outcomes. There’s a level of understanding and empathy. Studies have shown that patients with providers who are like them or come from their community have better health outcomes.

Why are there higher rates of pregnancy-related deaths among Black women than among white women?

One, there are providers who aren’t listening to their patients and who aren’t recognizing the importance of seeing patients as human and honoring their humanity. Because we have this disconnect between patients and providers, many people are seeking out care late. By the time they come in for prenatal care, many of their issues are exacerbated. Also, we know that patients who are underinsured or uninsured have very few providers they can go to. They also have to learn how to navigate the system. Just the stress of trying to navigate the healthcare system, as well as the stress of being a Black woman, really does take a toll on people’s bodies.

What does inclusive healthcare look like?

Inclusive healthcare looks like caring for the whole person. We have patients who might be experiencing housing, food, or job insecurity. So it’s being able to connect them to both the social and medical resources they need. There’s a fragmentation of care in our communities. We want to have an inclusive model where we build a care team so patients don’t experience that fragmentation.

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Condomonium at Playhouse on the Square

When artists Erin King and Mary Allison Cates got their box of 400 condoms from Choices to use in designing a dress for Condomonium, they envisioned peacock feathers.

And so for three weeks, they set about flattening, spray-painting, hand-glittering, and bejeweling the prophylactics to create hundreds of “feathers” for an evening gown to be modeled at the third annual Condomonium event on Saturday at Playhouse on the Square. Theirs is one of 16 gowns and dresses created with condoms by local designers for the event.

The third annual Condomonium

The event is a fund-raiser for Choices Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, and proceeds will support the center’s reproductive health education program and patient assistance fund.

At the event, models display the condom dresses. Attendees are given five wrapped condoms when they arrive, and each condom counts as one vote. Each model has a bucket, and the attendees place condoms in the buckets for their favorite dresses.

Besides the main event fashion show, there will also be a burlesque show and a flashdance to Salt-N-Pepa’s “Let’s Talk About Sex.” Artists will be selling condom jewelry and accessories — earrings, bracelets, bowties. And there’s a “naughty bits bake sale” (think vagina cupcakes and boobie truffles).

“In Shelby County, the rates for STIs [sexually transmitted infections] and teen pregnancy are both very high. Condom use is one of the most-effective, most well-researched, and proven ways to address that,”
said Katy McLeod Leopard, director of community partnerships for Choices. “Not only is this a fund-raiser for Choices, it’s also a great way to get people touching condoms and laughing at them. We want to normalize condoms and condom use.”

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Amendment to Tennessee Constitution Threatens Abortion Access

If an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution is approved by voters in November, state legislators will have the ability to pass all manner of restrictions on abortion.

“They’ll be able to pass a whole slew of regulations here, the same kind of regulations that are closing clinics all over the country,” said Rebecca Terrell, executive director of Choices Memphis Center for Reproductive Health.

Those include 72-hour waiting periods between the initial doctor consultation and the procedure, mandated counseling that opponents of the amendment fear may include misleading information about abortion risks, and requiring that all second trimester abortions be performed in a hospital, among others.

“It’s not a change in law. It’s an amendment to our constitution. The language is flawed and dangerous and gives carte blanche to the legislature to ban abortion, even when a woman’s health is in danger or if she is a victim of rape or incest,” said Ashley Coffield, executive director of Planned Parenthood Greater Memphis Region, which launched a “Vote No on 1” campaign last week.

In 2000, the Tennessee Supreme Court found that a woman’s right to a safe and legal abortion is part of a “fundamental right to privacy,” making privacy rights in the state broader than those provided in Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that ruled that 14th Amendment privacy protections extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion.

Because those privacy protections were found to be broader in Tennessee, that 2000 court decision meant several restrictions passed by the General Assembly in 1998, such as the aforementioned waiting periods and counseling, were unconstitutional. Now, if Amendment 1 passes in November, the legislature will have the ability to bring back those restrictions overturned by the court in 2000.

In the states surrounding Tennessee, similar regulations have closed many abortion clinics and patients from other states must travel to Tennessee for the procedure.

The proponents of changing the constitution to allow for abortion restrictions have launched an aggressive “Vote Yes on 1” campaign, and they’re claiming Tennessee is the third most popular “destination for out-of-state abortions.”

“Mississippi has one clinic, and they’re trying to close that. Half the clinics in Louisiana are closing. Texas went from 64 clinics to six. Where are people supposed to go? The fact that we’re still up and running and seeing patients in Tennessee drives them crazy,” Terrell said.

Coffield says that even pro-lifers should be against changing the state constitution to limit privacy rights.

“Not all of us agree about abortion, but I think we can agree that we can’t stand in another woman’s shoes and make a difficult decision for her when she may be faced with a cancer diagnosis or a rape or an incest,” Coffield said.

To fight the passage of Amendment 1, Planned Parenthood has hired a full-time community organizer in AFSCME Director Gail Tyree. She is organizing 13 community action teams to canvas and phone-bank for the “Vote No on 1” campaign prior to the November election.