Pride Month 2024 at NECO
A group of LGBTQ+ optometrists from around the country have banned together to create a group called PRIDE ODs (People Respecting Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity of LGBTQ+). PRIDE OD’s mission is to create a supportive and inclusive space within the optometry community for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual (LGBTQIA) individuals. We aim to foster an environment of acceptance, respect, and empowerment for LGBTQ+ optometrists, students, and allies.
Through education, advocacy, and open dialogue, we strive to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues in the field of optometry. Our community is committed to promoting diversity and equality, ensuring that every individual, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, feels welcomed and represented in our profession.
Join us for the second annual Queer Symposium to educate current and future ODs about the importance of comprehensive LGBTQIA+ eyecare!
MONDAY, JUNE 10
A Case-Based Approach to LGBTQIA+ Optometric Care
(~15 minutes for each case, with discussion)
Micaela Gobeille, OD, MS, FAAO
Paula McDowell, OD, FAAO
Michael Ciszek, OD
TUESDAY, JUNE 11
Beyond the Binary: Advancing the Quality of Eye Care in Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Individuals
Speakers: Monica Nguyen, OD and Alyssa Lancaster, OD
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26
Intersectionality and the Queer Experience
Speaker: Katherine Williams, PhD (she/they)
3.00 CE credits: COPE pending. All lectures begin at 8:00PM and are remote via Zoom. A link will be sent to registrants prior to the lecture. Register here.
Optometrists, optometry school faculty/staff, and students are welcome to attend regardless of gender or sexual identity; in fact, we encourage our non-queer allies to attend!
Boston Pride for the People: Festival & Parade on June 8
The purpose of the Boston Pride For The People Parade is to commemorate the brave LGBTQ+ people who risked their safety to advocate for the lives and humanity of LGBTQ+ people, to celebrate the richness and complexity of LGBTQ+ community, and to continue to advocate for equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people, especially those who face intersecting forms of oppression. The BP4TP Parade is a sacred space for LGBTQ+ people, their families, and allies. The BP4TP Parade is a community-centered, non-commercial space.
NECO will be marching in the Pride Parade this year! The parade starts at 11AM at Copley Square on Saturday, June 8. We’ll meet at 8:30AM at 424 Beacon Street to walk over together to the staging area near Copley Square. Space is limited: please register here.
PRISM is a student group at NECO dedicated to educating club members as well as the NECO community-at-large regarding issues surrounding sexual orientation, gender identity, and their implications in optometry at the clinical, administrative, and educational level. PRISM also advocates for students who identify with “non-traditional” sexual orientations or gender identities, including but not limited to: transgender, intersex, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, polyamorous, asexual, queer, questioning, and all other identifiers along the sexual and gender spectrum that are not aligned as heterosexual or cis-gender. PRISM fosters an inclusive environment and community at NECO which represents the diverse makeup of its students, staff, and faculty through social events and increasing visibility. Want to learn more? Email us at [email protected].