Spotlight with Vic Motherwell
By Zizi Phillips
CCHE has the great opportunity of working with a great individual who is a frontrunner of the LGBT community; doing great things and breaking so many chains of oppressions. Vic Motherwell’s (he/him/his) story of advocating started with the Economic Human Rights Kensington Welfare Rights, this organization worked specifically with the economic rights of people who are experiencing poverty. Vic also worked with Howard Brown’s youth program called BYC (Broadway Youth Center), specifically working on the Trans Health team in 2006. The Trans Health team helped transgender youth with gender confirming paperwork, such as name change documentation, as well as medical navigation for HRT (hormone replacement therapy). The Trans Health team also offered a gender-neutral bathroom, creating a space that was inclusive for transgender youth. Vic’s work on the Trans Health team also included launching services such as needle exchanges for trans-specific needs surrounding hormonal replacement. In 2015, Howard Brown created an after-hours program, The Spin Team, that was based on feedback from clients themselves. The Spin Team offered wellness check-ins for transgender individuals to help better service an often marginalized group within the clinic setting. Vic supported the building and formatting of the curriculum of this program to better serve the transgender folks being seen in clinic in the best possible ways! The Spin team had increased the number of trans folks in Howard Brown by 495%! The actual number was 3,000 transgender patients. This is amazing!
I asked Vic about what their future aspirations would be, their response was that they wish to mostly be centered around their beautiful son. Also as a manager of The Care Plan, they aim to work with other organizations to help increase the numbers of Black enrollment of participants. Building community health is also a future endeavor Vic is working towards! Vic plans to build with The Care Plan extensively because The Care Plan is the most ethical organization they have worked with thus far! The Care Plan use trauma informed care with employees as well as with the participants they serve. The Care Plan also aspires to work with other organizations who have these same ideals of trauma informed care. The Care Plan also works closely with Elders in helping with medical access, with transgender folks navigating accessible gender confirmatory surgeries, and generally with the LGBTQ community in accessing healthcare in general.
I asked Vic if they could change anything about the community; what would those things be? Vic’s response was changing the systems that effect the LGBT community negatively; The economic blockage of Transgender people’s access to employment, healthcare, housing, education (and I know that’s right)! I asked Vic who inspires them the most; they responded: Jackie Boyd. Jackie is the Founder of The Care Plan! Vic’s Son also centers a great amount of inspiration in their life! Vic wants his son to be the best version of themselves! Vic is inspired by community advocates, and also the youth of the LGBTQ community, for simply existing! Being with all these aspects of loved ones brings Vic to a place of serenity, and peace.
and it’s okay to go through stuff as long as you work to make things better; that’s all that matters, not what you are going through but how you get through it.”