Celebrating the Legacy of 5 LGBT Medical Professionals
June is the most important time for the LGBTQ+ community, as it marks Pride Month.
This is a time where we not only celebrate the diverse and rich history of the LGTBQ+ community, but also honor the trailblazers who have fought for recognition . In the medical field, there have been some inspiring individuals who have made significant contributions in advancing healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community and the world over. Here are five historical LGBT medical professionals everyone should know for Pride Month:
Dr. Sara Josephine Baker:
Also known as “The Doctor who saved 90,000 children,” Sara Josephine Baker was an American physician who made substantial contributions to public health. She is considered a pioneer in the field of public healthcare, and helped establish child hygiene in the United States. She is the first woman to receive a doctorate in Public Health. Baker advocated for the licensing of midwives, established education classes for mothers, and created techniques to prevent blindness due to the spread of gonorrhea to infants. She is also known for tracking down “Typhoid Mary,” not once, but twice! Baker did have a long-term relationship with a woman, however, she kept her personal life very private. Nevertheless, her accomplishments in medicine are still celebrated today.
Dr. Alan L. Hart:
Alan L. Hart, M.D. was a tuberculosis researcher, radiologist, physician, and novelist who was the first trans man to undergo a hysterectomy in the United States. His work identifying tuberculosis using x-rays was monumental to the discovery of ways of preventing spread and treatment. An experienced writer, he wrote frequently about the processes of using x-rays to identify TB in the early stages. He promoted and directed clinics that were called “chest clinics,” as tuberculosis was heavily stigmatized. He lived most of his life as a man despite his medical degree using the incorrect name and was outed several times in his life by previous colleagues.
Dr. Margaret Chung:
Dr. Margaret Chung was born in what once was the small coastal town of Santa Barbara on October 2, 1889. She became one of the first Asian-American women to enroll at the USC College of Surgeons and Physicians. She became a prestigious figure in plastic surgery, and well known among the Hollywood elite. Dr. Chung was known to throw extravagant parties for the queer elite in San Francisco. She was known for wearing men’s clothing, as well as being called “Mom Chung,” by servicemen during WWII. While her personal life was often shrouded in mystery, her remarkable achievements in the field of medicine still inspire many today.
Dr. Louise Pierce:
Dr. Louise Pearce was an American pathologist who contributed significantly to the development of arsenical chemotherapy, revolutionizing the treatments of trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness) and syphilis. Pierce shared a home with another female physician, Sarah Josephine Baker. Although their relationship was never publicly declared, it is evident that their shared passions for medicine and social justice drove them both to make impactful scientific contributions.
Magnus Hirschfeld:
Magnus Hirschfeld was a gay, Jewish, world-renowned sexologist who is widely regarded as one of the first advocates for gay and transgender rights. He founded the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft, the Institute for Sexual Research, which served as the world’s first trans health clinic. Hirschfeld aimed to repeal Paragraph 175, the German law that criminalized homosexuality. To prevent his patients from being arrested for being gender nonconforming in public, he provided them with ‘transvestite’ identity cards. However, the Nazis arrested and sent many trans and gay people to concentration camps. Despite being exiled from Germany in 1933, and having his life’s work destroyed by Nazi book burnings, his efforts laid the foundation for the LGBTQ+ rights movement that continues today.
As we celebrate Pride Month, it is important to recognize the significant contributions that LGBT medical professionals have made to society. From Baker to Hart to Hirschfeld, these trailblazing individuals have not only pushed boundaries in healthcare, but have also fought for acceptance and recognition. We should all be incredibly proud of their achievements and use their legacies to inspire and empower future generations.