LGBTQ+ Voices Navigating Sickle Cell
Category:Health & Wellness → Mental Health Education – Advocacy
Participants:
- Moderators: Dr. Carolyn Rowley, Executive Director & Founder, Cayenne Wellness Center
Guest Speaker:
- Tristan Lee – Advocate, Artist, and Sickle Cell Warrior
- Tanya Gentry – Community Leader and Sickle Cell Advocate
- Dr. Ashley D
- B. Wilson
Course Description:
This powerful and heartfelt session, presented by Cayenne Wellness Center, explores the intersection of sickle cell disease, advocacy, LGBTQIA+ identity, and mental health. Through deeply personal narratives and thoughtful discussion, speakers Tristan Lee and Tanya Gentry share how advocacy, faith, and community serve as lifelines for resilience. The conversation uplifts the voices of those living at the crossroads of chronic illness and queer identity, illuminating the urgent need for holistic, culturally competent, and inclusive healthcare.
Participants will gain insight into how intersectionality, mentorship, and community support foster healing and empowerment for individuals navigating multiple marginalized identities. This course is a celebration of purpose, self-advocacy, and joy, encouraging learners to reimagine advocacy as both a personal and collective act of transformation.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the concept of intersectionality and how it impacts individuals living with sickle cell disease.
- Identify the mental health challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals with chronic illnesses.
- Recognize the importance of community support and mentorship in navigating healthcare systems.
- Discuss how faith, art, and self-expression can support emotional and spiritual resilience.
- Describe the need for inclusive, trauma-informed, and culturally competent care in the sickle cell community.
Appreciate how advocacy and storytelling can transform stigma into strength.
