Today, we are giving you Part II of Dr. B‘s Q&A segment for Mental Health Awareness Month. Below the break, you will find Dr. B’s insightful answers to your questions about relationships, depression, and social anxiety, among others.
Thank you so much to those who sent in questions and a very, very special thank you to Dr. B for her thoughtfulness and care in answering them.
As promised, our Mental Health Awareness month collaboration with Dr. Brittany Blackmon, a.k.a. Dr. B, is here! Dr. B is an LGBTQ affirming Clinical Psychologist and the owner of the empowerment-based organization, Dr. B Cares. She has graciously used her expertise to answer some of your toughest mental-health related questions.
In this first installment, Dr. B addresses topics such as coping with a breakup, how to know if you should seek therapy, and raising children with ADHD. Read on for more!
Ya Gay Aunties is a podcast hosted by Hanifah and Red, two friends who have taken it upon themselves to guide baby queer POCs in the right direction one episode at a time. They discuss topics such as relationships, pop culture, and politics and they also have special guest interviews. Their episodes are always thoughtful and sometimes controversial but at the end of the day, what’s important to them is reaching people by providing a different voice. This contribution to the community is priceless because many of us don’t have access to getting advice from those like us who have been in our shoes before.
Check out the interview below to learn about how Hanifah and Red began Ya Gay Aunties and how they deal with daily life as well as manage and curate such an important podcast.
Shannon and Shanika, our next “Femme Voices” spotlight, are a femme couple living and loving in their native island, Jamaica. Shannon, a nursing student, and Shanika, a musician, are best friends and consider themselves to be twin flames after being reconnected via one fateful Instagram DM. They talk to us about their dreams and aspirations as individuals and as a couple. Their view on relationships and their energy-focused self-care methods allow them to have the capacity to love one another effortlessly, in the midst of an environment that isn’t exactly receptive to who they are. Shannon and Shanika share the things they are passionate about and their inspiring love story below!
V of BlackQueeMagic is this week’s “Femme Voices” feature interview. V’s story resonated with me on so many levels, from personal to professional. This self-made jewelry designer explains how she went from a job that was wearing her down to discovering her creative talents and turning them into a fulfilling career where she is able to help others. V also speaks about the period of reconciliation that she had to go through in order to embrace her Jamaican heritage yet still hold on strong to her self-worth and identity. These challenges are very relatable to those of us who struggle to find a balance between purpose and passion while navigating through the conventions of our culture. But despite these difficulties, V managed to overcome and flourish in her Black Queer Magic.
Learn more about V’s journey below the break!
Sunny is this week’s “Femme Voices” feature! Founder of “Yoniverse Talks”, Sunny is a birth worker who started her business after realizing how poorly women of color are treated when they seek medical treatment and the skyrocketing mortality rate of Black women during childbirth. Sunny offers many services, teachings, and products to help women through their fertility issues, childbirth journies, and even their trauma. Yoniverse Talks is centered around the idea that women of color must rally together to work towards healing and gaining access to safer and better quality healthcare.
Read on for more about Sunny and Yoniverse Talks!
Our next Femme Voices interview is with Cameil Ross of SealedClutch. Cameil is a fitness instructor who is dedicated to making sure that her clients not only get fit but that they have fun during the process. She does a great job of making those who work with her feel at ease and comfortable as she guides them through the steps it takes to live a more active lifestyle. As a fashion lover, Cameil uses her personal style and passion for fitness to create a brand that speaks to many different people and, most importantly, best represents herself.
Read on to learn more about Cameil and SealedClutch!
The Glam Femme’s next “Femme Voices” feature is Majic Dyke, a performance artist whose dancing helped them find their voice. Also known as the “King of Beards and Titties,” Majic uses dancing in the drag king space to bring joy to the LGBTQ+ community and awareness to the masses. They confront the idea of gender by expressing the fluidity that they have embraced within themselves and sharing this experience with others. To Majic, performing is not on only an art form, it gives life to a path towards self-love and freedom.
Read on to find out more about Majic!
Credit: *D,Irvin Photography
Stephanie Raymond is a designer and founder of LezBReaL Fashionz and the subject of our next “Femme Voices” feature interview. She is a proud Haitian lesbian woman who puts all of her perspectives into her art. Stephanie is a true hustler, constructing custom designs for her clients while finding time to publically amplify her brand by exhibiting her work in fashion shows and representing her designs at events for various causes. She is extremely goal-oriented and gives some amazing advice on how to have faith in yourself and find your creative passions, even when the dream seems far away.
Read Stephanie’s full interview below!
I moved to the Big Apple in August 2014, in a long-term relationship and knowing everything about everything. I had graduated from my university just four months prior and I was ready for new experiences far away from the only place I had ever lived, Florida. For much of my life, I had no issues with Florida. I had beaches at my disposal and warm weather 98.5% of the year. Hell, I’m from the place that rappers and singers mention in songs and where every professional athlete vacations: Miami. What’s not to love?
