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A lot of artists are familiar with your work, but can you give us a quick recap of what you do and how you got started in the industry?
Sure thing! I’ve been working as a concept artist and art director in the entertainment industry for the past 11+ years. Most of my work revolves around videos games and feature films. I’ve also been involved heavily in education; from teaching at Art Center to Gnomon and finally starting my own design school in Singapore,
How I got started in this industry is directly linked to Art Center. I wore an Art Center T-Shirt to GDC (Game Developer’s Conference) and was spotted by a producer from EA. He asked me “do you go to this school?” I answered “yes.” And he gave me his card and told me to send him a portfolio. Well, a few weeks later I was sitting in an office at EA with a lake view and a beautiful blonde 3D artist office-mate! (whom later became a good friend of mine at went on to ILM) From EA, I moved around to different gaming studios and eventually ended up in Hollywood.
What have you been up to in the past few years?
Back in 2006, I was a bit burnt out and wanted to do something different. I actually started to fly airplanes and got heavily addicted to it (used to fly around LA at least 3 times a week). But I still craved something else. So, after speaking to a friend of mine, who started a successful mobile-games company in China, I decided to take a risk and start my own game studio in Beijing. It was not an easy decision; since I had put in A LOT of my own financial investment plus moving to China. But I also knew that taking risks is part of getting the reward. Thus, in July of 2006, my wife and I moved full-time to Beijing. China is a booming market in just about everything. There are a lot of investments going on especially on the media front. After moving to China, it took about 6 months to secure a 7-figure private investment.
After spending about 2 years in Beijing (which was wonderful in the most part), we finally completed the game and sold it off to a US publisher. This freed me from my daily position and allowed the company to run itself. In late 2008, I started to plan my next move. I do sometimes miss the fast-moving design world in LA, but I also have my personal goals in life to achieve.
I had a few things on the table. 1 – A very generous offer to start a media studio in Los Angeles; backed by a heavy investor. The aim of this studio was to design entertainment products which can bridge the gap between virtual items (such as films and games) to consumer products. 2 – Start another game studio 3 – Well, 3 is more complex so let me back up. During my time in Beijing, I often flew down to Singapore for business meetings. After going there so many times, I really fell in love with the country (especially Singapore Airlines!). So after Beijing, I was toying with the idea of starting another game studio in Singapore. However, after visiting all the schools and various studios there, I noticed a huge lack of qualified employees. There’s no use putting up a multi-million dollar invested gaming studio if there are no talents available for hire. This got me thinking about starting a school.
I love to teach and the idea of starting a design school came very naturally. We also held a lot of discussions with the Singapore government, who are very supportive of us. They offered us grants and other subsidies to base my design school in their country. Long story short, I moved to Singapore in the spring of 2009 and officially launched the FZD School of Design in July. We are now moving towards our second term intake and things are going very well.
You seem to have adapted to the business side of art almost seamlessly, which is a challenge for many artists. Are you as passionate about the business side, as much as the art itself?
Definitely! I have a mild case of OCD (I think most designers do), and thus I’m obsessed with just about everything – especially numbers. This works in most part to my advantage. For example, when I’m designing, if I think “I should do 5 variations of this design” then I’ll do 5, no matter what. Same goes for money. If I want to save up 50,000USD for something, then I’ll work my ass off till I have the amount. So in order to accomplish these things, I had to learn about business – the balance between time, effort, money, marketing, etc. I’m still not too good at it, but starting a few companies did help me learn. The investment side of things – Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley for example – greatly interests me. I think for designers, anything that is a mystery is interesting.
It’s good to have a sense of business in our industry. As designers, you are essentially “drawing money.” The creations we make are not art, but products which will eventually go to market. Films, games, toys, comics, etc are all products. It’s good to understand what goes on behind the scenes on an investment level; especially input versus output. This will help you leverage deals and take advantage of situations. At the end of the day, I believe most people work hard to achieve financial freedom. But to get there, you have to work smart. Getting results in 1 hour versus getting no results in 8 hours are very different in the business world.
Industrial design, concept art, concept design, Illustration. What defines the difference? what would you consider to be the most valuable traits for production art.
I always use a simple example to explain this difference to my students – follow the money. So what does this mean? Well, the difference between “art or illustration” and “design” lies within the final product and its monetary value. Lets start with art. When a painter finishes a beautiful painting, that painting is the final product. If you burn up a master painting, all its value is forever gone. If you sell the painting, the painting holds the value for its owner. For a design sketch, it is completely the opposite. Once a good design goes to market, the original drawing is actually worthless (to the general public). Take the iPod for example. The product itself is making huge revenue and it’s in direct contact with the consumer. The original sketch is probably sitting inside a designer’s desk; never to see the light of day. Even if that sketch somehow ended up on the street, nobody will care.
Thus, the most valuable trait for a designer is the ability to create designs which can go to market. When clients hire a designer, they are essentially taking an investment risk. They are balancing an input amount versus an output. It is now the designer’s job to provide a design which holds more value than the initial investment (his day rate). Designers which can consistently deliver “usable” designs will do very well in this industry. But what makes something “usable” or “marketable?” This is something which separates out good designers – they have a “feel” for shapes and balances. To teach this ability is very difficult (just ask most design teachers). How do you explain “make it cooler” to somebody? This type of skill is developed through a designer’s upbringing and how their lives were affected at an early age – how many movies did they watch? Did they play video games or go to museums? Were they interested in visual books? All these things help develop the young designer’s mind and build their mental library. Once they become designers, their creations tend to respond well on market.
At what point in your career do you feel you grew the most as an artist? What do you do currently to ensure your work stays competitive and fresh.
I’m never satisfied with my work. There’s just so much to learn and to improve upon.
Growth wise, working in a real studio is better than any school. Art Center taught me the technical side of drawing and design, but the work environment teaches you on how to apply those skills in a timely manner. I still remember my first job at Origin. I had to design spaceships with a polygon limit of 300. That’s something I’ve never heard of in school.
Currently I’m involved with developing a new IP and product line for a major entertainment company. I’ve created a business partnership with them, so this is no longer a client/service type of relationship. Thus, I have to work pretty hard to make sure whatever I’m doing is competitive. It’s definitely not easy. There are so many talented and wonderful designers out there; creating new stuff everyday.
Where do you find inspiration Idea generation? How do you avoid influence? How do you find reference material?
I look to nature for almost all my designs. I also love architecture and old technology (such as soviet airplanes). By combining all the above by balancing shapes and proportions, new designs can be obtained.
I don’t think I try to avoid influence. In fact, I want my mind to be inspired all the time. I of course hate copying and it’s something I’ll never do. However, inspiration is not copying,
These days, I’ve been playing a ton of video games (part of it is research, the other part is inspiration). I currently have about 20 of the best PC games (from the last 2 years) installed on my laptop and is slowing going through them all – just finished Mass Effect and about to finish Fallout 3.
What drives the decision making process when designing for the general public vs IP or personal taste?
Simple answer – money. As I’ve mentioned earlier, your clients want a much bigger return for their investment. So if you can deliver a design which only costs them a dollar (relatively speaking), but can make them 100$, then you’ll win.
Thus, for the general audience, I tend to make the designs “safer.” This is usually dictated by the clients anyways. Most established clients (companies) tend to take less risk. They have share prices to uphold and revenue projections to meet. If safe works, that’s the way they’ll go. Safe also means mass market. Their products can penetrate a bigger consumer pool and age group.
Personal taste of course comes into play – clients hired you for your design styles after all. But you must be able to balance personal taste with “mass market.” If your personal tastes do not meet with your client’s needs, then don’t push it in. One of the best ways to find out is by delivering at least 3 design variations: 1 – what the client wants; the safest and most generic 2 – a mix of your taste and mass audience 3 – completely your own design; no matter how weird. This way, you never piss off your clients and give them something to think about.
How do you handle critiques (understanding what is good advice and what is irrelevant) in a pipeline? How do you disperse critiques to other artist’s work?
If it’s coming from the client, then you listen – since they are paying for it, they have every right say whatever they want.
For general stuff, I usually look at the person’s background making the critique – basically, are they qualified? If a person has never brought designs to market, I value their opinions less.
I like to give constructive critiques to my students and other artists. A comment such as “this sucks” or “this is not cool” doesn’t help anyone. Instead, explain how the design can be better. You’ll also gain a lot more respect for doing things this way. I guess a lot of this comes from my teaching background.
What was it like building a studio from the ground up for your own IP? Were you responsible for putting the team together? if so what were the first steps you took.
These days, it’s nearly impossible to sell an original IP based only on a script or a design doc (unless you are famous or related to someone famous). So, in order to sell the idea, you’ll need to make a demo – proof of concept. The better the demo, the less risk your potential investors will see.
My studio was started with an initial seed investment to build up a team of about 10 people. We kept the monthly burn rate (how much you are spending per month) low until a playable demo of our game was completed. Once that objective was met, we started the “fund raising” round – basically, putting the product in front of potential investors.
We secured an investment about 6 months in, and used that money to ramp up the team to about 50+ people. Now instead of making a demo, we worked on the real thing.
In the early days, I was responsible for interviews, hiring people, actual developments, etc. As time went on, we hired producers and managers to offload this work. But I was always involved on the design side because I love it.
You recently sold the IP you had been working on. Was it something you will consider doing again? What did you enjoy the most and what did you learn from it?
I’ll definitely do it again! In fact, I am currently working on a new IP which should hit the market next year. I love designing and creating new things…and that’ll never stop.
The most enjoyable part was actually building up the company from scratch. It’s an addiction in a way. I love walking through a studio and seeing all the desks, PCs, people’s toys, etc. and knowing that I helped start all of it. It is a very rewarding feeling. Plus I’ve made so many new friends in a whole different industry.
I’ve learned so much about starting studios I think I can write a book! Haha. But all seriousness aside, starting a game studio was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When you are the only one in charge, there’s nobody else to help you or give you advice. Eventually, every decision, no matter how small, will fall upon your shoulders. I had to learn how to manage these situations and make the right calls. Sometimes my decisions were not the right ones, and bad consequences resulted. But one of the best ways to improve is by learning from your mistakes (or even realizing and admitting your mistakes).
When I started my design school, it felt so much easier. I knew exactly which steps to take and who to hire in the initial phases. To put it into perspective, I wrote up the rough business plan in late December of 2008 and put in into practice by February of 2009. Construction for the new school started in April and we opened our doors in July. I could not have moved this fast if not for all the things I learned from my game studio.
What drove you to open your design school in Singapore and why Singapore?
First off, I love this country, I can’t work in a place I don’t like Secondly, it’s centrally located in Asia. We are basically within 6 hours away by plane to all major countries around us (Japan, Korea, China, Australia, India, etc.). Third, the primary language here is English. This allows our school to cater to a much broader student base. Fourth, we have very strong support from the Singapore government. The WDA and MDA government divisions are very cool people to work with and they understand what we are trying to achieve. We are also partnered with a local school here called 3dsense. I’m good friends with their founders and it’s great to be doing business together. All in all, everything just felt right about Singapore. Oh, and its location allows for great vacations! In fact, I’m typing up these interviews answers while sitting in a remote island resort in Maldives just 4 hours away from Singapore.
What sets your design school apart from other schools?
Almost all “art” based schools in Asia (especially here in Singapore) are focused strictly in art and fine art. None of them caters to actual design. Those which do teach design are more about installation, interior, and landscape design. There are no schools here which teach students about how to become concept designers in the entertainment industry. The weird thing is, Asians love the entertainment world; especially video games. So many of our students wanted to design for games, but didn’t have a choice when it came to education. Thus most ended up doing 3D or architecture. My school’s goal is to bridge this gap and offer a place for them to learn.
I also run our school in a studio environment as opposed to a classroom setting. Teachers are basically art directors, and students are treated like jr. designers. Everything is project based; even fundamental courses. This way, students learn to think and behave like professionals from day one.
A big part of curriculum comes from professional and current instructors; do you find there is a lot of talent to fill these positions or are you importing talent?
In Asia, this is still very hard to fill. We do have some very talented instructors with us; all of which have extensive work and international experience (two of whom worked in Tokyo game studios for a number of years). I do spend about 2 months training all my instructors prior to them going “live” with the students. This is to ensure that the teaching style I’ve built up is clearly passed down to the students.
We are still looking for additional teaching staff. So if anyone reading this is interested, drop us an email!
What do you feel are some of the fundamental skills to succeed as a lead concept artist?
This comes in two parts:
1 – The basic fundamentals all artists and designers should have no matter what industry you are in. This includes perspective, lighting, composition, color theory, etc.
2 – An understanding of the world. You can’t design something new until you first understand what already exists. Study everything around you. How does an insect fly? How does a car engine work? How were the pyramids built? Find out as much as you can and build up your mental library.
I guess lastly, don’t have an ego. Be friendly and confident, but never act like an asshole or center the world around you. The world is big and there’s always someone better than you. Accept that fact and be humble.
With all of the business building you’ve doing how much production art are you working on these days?
I don’t do much production art these days. But for the IP project, I’m doing it all – concept designs, production paintings, graphic design, etc. I love this project since it’s our own IP. There’s a different energy when the project belongs to you. Also my partner on this project is so cool and easy to work with; not to mention extremely talented and successful.
I do sometimes take on client work if it’s interesting. I recently did a project with Disney and another one for Ubisoft.
When working on films like Transformers were you able to work remotely or did you have to work in Michael Bay’s Studio?
Transformers was based at Bay’s studio which is only about a 10 min drive from my own studio. So I drove down there about twice a week for meetings. All the actual production work was done at my studio. I usually do everything at my own studio (all my equipment is there). But some clients require you to work in house – mostly due to security. For example, EA Los Angeles had a desk for me in their Marina Del Ray location. Even though I’m a “contract artist,” I still went into the studio about 2 to 3 times a week.
How do you get your foot in the door? How is it different from when you were first starting out as a artist?
Once you’ve established yourself in the industry, all the jobs will come to you. There’s no need to send out portfolios or look for work. But hire a good producer to help manage all your clients (my beautiful wife, who happens to be a business major, helps me with this).
Starting out however, it’s tricky. A lot of times it’s a catch 22. Studios want people with experience, but how do you get experience if they never hire you? Once you land your first job, the rest becomes easier.
In our industry, the key is a good portfolio. Build up a kick-ass book and send that to everyone out there (even if they are not hiring). Smart art directors will want to hire you even if they are not looking for people. Good talent is something studios won’t want to pass up.
Also try to get on “golden” projects. For example, Star Wars, Matrix, Lord of the Rings on the film side; or Mass Effect, World of Warcraft, Halo, etc. on the game side. These projects are high profile and will open a lot of doors for you.
Where is the volume of your design work spent characters, environment, or vehicles?
In Asia, this is still very hard to fill. We do have some very talented I do mostly “man-made” stuff – environments, vehicles, props, etc. I do love character designs, but most of my characters are either robots or military related. I have a huge passion for sci-fi; thus I choose my projects based on these goals.
At the end of the day, I base all my projects on the level of fun I’ll have while working on them. Even if the subject matter might be difficult, it is still rewarding to go through it.
Thanks for this interview and hopefully it’ll inspire some of the younger readers out there. Work hard and dream big!
Feng Zhu will be teaching a Gnomon Master Class, for more information click here.
For more information on Feng Zhu check out:


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Daily Mirror agony aunt Coleen Nolan counsels a husband who feels insecure about his wife’s new friendship and wonders if there’s anything else going on between them
Image: Getty Images)
I have been married to my wife for 11 years and like most couples we have had our ups and downs but have been happy for the most part.
We have many common interests and have always had a special passion for ornithology – we are loyal members of our community watching birds community for a long time.
The thing is that a few weeks ago a new member joined our group and both myself and my wife did our best to make him feel welcome.
He seems like a nice man – friendly, easygoing and really knowledgeable about our feathered friends.
My wife in particular seems to have clicked with him, so I’m now wondering if there’s anything going on between them.
She spends more time in his company than mine when we’re all together during meetings, and I’ve also noticed that he would call her his “little sparrow” when he overheard their conversations.
Do you think I should talk to my wife about my concerns, or am I just being paranoid? I would like to have your opinion on this.
What advice would you give this reader? Share your opinion in the comment section
Well, the term “little sparrow” seems a little too familiar for a guy she just met.
You obviously feel insecure and concerned that your relationship is being threatened, so of course you should discuss it with your wife.
Trouble is, now that you have that idea in your head that something might be happening, you’ll be constantly looking for other signs and your insecurity (or paranoia) will grow.
They might have clicked, but there might be nothing else to it. He obviously knows it’s her married and you are at these gatherings with her.
You don’t have to confront your wife or accuse her of anything. Just point out that she spends more time with him than you, which you don’t like and makes you a little insecure.
She may not even realize she’s doing it, or she needs to be honest with herself and admit she’s getting too close to him.
It’s always better to deal with these things right away than to get distrust in your head, because that in itself is very damaging to a relationship.
Trust is fundamental and it sounds like you need some validation.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/sex-relationships/relationships/a-new-man-who-just-26593605 "A new man who just joined our birding group is watching my wife" - Coleen Nolan

domain: psychology


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Buffalo Fried Oysters with Suicide Bridge Restaurant
We’re putting a unique spin on oysters!
We’re making buffalo fried oysters in the DelmarvaLife kitchen with Chef Thomas O’Neill from Suicide Bridge Restaurant.
Buffalo Fried Oysters
- 1 pint select oysters
- 1 pint hot sauce (whatever brand you prefer)
- ~1lb House Autry seafood breader
- Oil for frying
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
- 1/4 milk
- A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
Dredge the oysters in the breader then drop them in the hot sauce then dredge them back in the breader. Deep fry at 350 degrees. Mix the ingredients for the dipping sauce.

domain: food


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Skip to content
Home » Eating high-handled food sources could prompt a quicker pace of mental degradation
Another investigation discovers that eating high-handled food varieties could be associated with a quicker pace of mental degradation.
High-handled food varieties like pre-made dinners, frozen microwave feasts and moment noodles may be fast and simple to make,
yet in view of the consequences of the new review, investing the additional energy in the kitchen could be more advantageous.
The aftereffects of the review were introduced at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in San Diego
on Monday and analyzed the eating regimens and discernment of more than 10,000 moderately aged and more established grown-ups in Brazil.
The review analyzed the members for as long as 10 years and included all kinds of people.
The investigation discovered that the grown-ups who devoured the most high-handled food had a 25% quicker decrease in their chief capability
which is their capacity to design and execute and activity than the people who ate less high handled food.
Another investigation discovers that eating high handled food sources could be connected to a quicker pace of mental deterioration.
In one more late review distributed by American Academy of Neurology on Science News found that individuals who devour
high measures of super handled food varieties have a higher gamble of creating dementia.
High-handled food varieties are food varieties that contain not many entire fixings and frequently contain flavors,
colors or different added substances. This incorporates white bread, treats, wafers, frozen yogurt, candy, franks, sweet beverages, broiled snacks and other handled meats.
A few instances of high-handled food sources incorporate chips, sweet beverages, treats and broiled snacks.
Free of how much calories, autonomous of how much quality food that you attempt to eat, the super
handled food isn’t great for your insight, Claudia Suemoto, a creator of the review said.
Ashlyn Messier is an essayist for Fox News Digital.


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domain: entertainment


text:
We’re due to fill out our census forms in less than four weeks’ time, but the roadmap for lifting Covid-19 restrictions should trigger a delay.
On 21 March those of us living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will do something incredibly important – we’ll fill in the 2021 Census. Covid-19 means that this edition is likely to paint a distorted picture of life across the nations. While this may be interesting for historical curiosity, it will likely skew a number of important administrative decisions. That’s why, now that a roadmap out of Covid-19 restrictions has been set, the Government should delay the Census.
The last 12 months have seen an incredible change in the way that people live their lives. Almost half of us have worked from home, travel has been very much restricted and evidence suggests population has fallen as immigrants have gone back home.
We should expect this to be a short-term pattern. Those working from home will start commuting again, students will return back to their campuses and it would be surprising if at least some of the immigrants who went back home don’t return again once job opportunities re-emerge. The problem the Census will have, which is run once every 10 years, is that it will have no way of distinguishing this.
This matters for two main reasons. The first is that data from the Census will be used to inform funding decisions for many years to come. For example, local authority funding is largely calculated using population figures, which are informed by the Census. Manchester City Council estimated that an undercount in the 2001 Census (done in ‘normal’ times) of 30,000 people would have reduced funding by £100 million over the decade if it hadn’t been corrected. If students aren’t at their term addresses, city workers have moved to the countryside temporarily or migrant workers have made a short term move home, all this will skew the figures. It will also give a very distorted picture of commuting and demand for schools, for example, which will affect decisions on investment.
The second reason is that this may be the last Census. There has been much discussion about scrapping it in favour of using administrative data such as GP records and driving licenses. The better use of administrative data, which may be able to give more timely data than the census, is very much welcome. But it will need a solid benchmark to work off. The 21 March snapshot may not provide this.
Scotland has already delayed its Census until 2022, a call made last July. This call to delay the Census in the other nations comes very late in the day. But the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of restrictions gives a much clearer idea of when life without restrictions may return, so giving clearer options as to when to delay the census to.
There are three main options that the Government could take:
Covid-19 has meant that we all have had to make rapid and radical adjustments in the last 12 months. We have no doubt that ONS is doing its utmost to make Census 2021 as useful as possible, but there are a number of things that even the very best census design can’t address. And so the Census should make similar adjustments if we are to get full value from running what is a very valuable exercise.
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domain: sociology


text:
PGA Riviera Maya, Tulum Country Club
KM 250 Chetumal-Cancun Akumal, ROO 77737
This fund is to purchase 10 Two to Four Bedroom units in the Downtown subdivision of the Tulum Country Club in Tulum, Mexico for the expansion of the ResClubs Membership Program. Revenue will be generated through short term rentals via a large international property management company as well as various revenue streams tangential to the Membership Program. Investors who hit certain thresholds of contribution will also benefit from a usage component which will allow them to stay in one of the units at no cost of lodging.
- Leadership - The owner manager of ResClubs, Craig Williamson, has 20 years of experience in both Vacation Rental and Vacation Clubs and wrote the industry best-selling book on the subject, Life as a Vacation. ResClubs is the first vacation club to provide guaranteed income to its members along with usage, the first to have process patent pending and the first Vacation Club to have its memberships SEC Regulated as a Registered Security. In early 2021 ResClubs acquired its capital partner in Alfie Best (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfie_Best) who currently owns 19% of the company and brings his powerful sales-oriented organization and business expertise to the company.
- Proven Short Term Rental Vacation Real Estate Property - The selection process for all properties chosen for the ResClubs program is data driven and in collaboration with various strategic partners. This particular location is in the prime vacation region for Mexico. The Tulum Country Club features an array of amenities that attract a wide range of travelers such as the PGA Riviera Maya golf course, Kay Beach Club, a spa and access to many high-end restaurants.
- Usage - Investors who hit certain thresholds of contribution will also benefit from a usage component which will allow them to stay in one of the units at no cost of lodging. All usage is subject to availability and is offered at the following thresholds:
- $10,000 investment will include 2 nights in Downtown – Tulum Country Club.
- $20,000 investment will include 4 nights in Downtown – Tulum Country Club.
- $50,000 investment will include 6 nights in Downtown – Tulum Country Club.
Note: The usage benefit will be for the first 5 people who invest at each level. The nights can only be used all for one stay, and must be used within one year of the acquisition date of the properties.
ResClubs - CEO of ResClubs, the first ever Vacation product that provides members with a guaranteed annual fixed income along with their Vacation time. Internationally recognized Vacation Property expert and innovator, and author of industry best seller, "Life as a Vacation, The Ultimate Buyers Guide to Vacation Rental Property".
Residence Clubs International (www.resclubs.com) operates iconic brands in the Residence Club space. Utilizing its Income Producing Residence Club model, it purchases and operates select vacation properties under such internationally known brands a "Jack Nicklaus" and "Crystal Lagoons". Expanding globally, ResClubs creates royalty revenue for it's brands, and gives customers another reason to love the brand.
Mr. Williamson has been involved in the Vacation Home Industry since 2003 and has over 20 years of experience in the field of Branded Investment Luxury Property. In his successful career, he has worked with Four Seasons, Hard Rock, Fairfield, AECOM, Nicklaus, and most recently Encore Capital Management.
Mr. Williamson brings over 30 years of successful experience in International Real Estate Development, Acquisition and Sales/ Marketing. He has developed over 6000 condominiums and apartments, several hotels, built teams and trained and managed thousands of sales and Marketing members, and has executed transactions spanning the US and 10 other countries. A former Executive in the Real Estate division of the Four Seasons, he has acted as the International Real Estate Investment Adviser for many Institutional Real Estate Investment firms, foreign and domestic governmental agencies, major corporations and high net worth private investors from all over the world.
Mr. Williamson is a US Army Veteran and served as an Intelligence and Operations specialist. A military trained strategist, he served in Western Europe. Assigned to the 1st Armored Division Intelligence and Security unit in Germany. His team was tasked with the 213.
The units, rent and member ready, average $400,000. The marketing launch costs and administration, are expected to be $200,000. Reserve for contingency is $400,000.
|Marketing & Administration||$200,000|
|Reserve for Contingency||$400,000|
KM 250 Chetumal-Cancun
Akumal, ROO 77737
Tulum is part of the Quintana Roo state which also contains Cancun and the Riviera Maya making it the tourism capitol of Mexico. Tourism accounts for close to 90% of Quintana Roo’s GDP and the area is bouncing back very quickly from the effects of the Pandemic. Tourism was down only 25% from the previous year for the holiday season spanning the end
Our strategy lies in the creation of the first ever Vacation Residence Club that pays its members, instead the members paying in every month. A true game changer in the Vacation investment arena. https://resclubs.com/membership-program-presentation/
We achieve this program through our patented process of deploying both a Vacation club and VRP on the same home
This innovative approach is so well accepted and vetted, the ResClubs memberships are now the first and only SEC regulated "Vacation Security" sold to accredited investors by Licensed Securities Professionals. ResClubs as also acquired the largest residential real estate owner in the UK, Alfie Besthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfie_Best, as their capital partner. Mr. Best so strongly endorses the product that he has purchased 19% of the company.
ResClubs takes a data driven analytical approach to purchasing all properties. Each location is reviewed internally as well as with one of our third-party international property management partners to ensure viability of each property as a cash flowing asset.
Each property is purchased with never more than 70% debt. There is never more than 30% raised by member investors. Debt pay down begins immediately the first month after purchase.
Each membership provides a guaranteed, prepaid quarterly cash return direct to the Investor/Member’s bank account for up to 30 years, from only a one-time investment. The company maintains a 2 years reserve based on annual owed member payments at all times.
In addition to this guaranteed quarterly payment to investor/Members, they receive free usage of the Vacation homes for their family to enjoy, every year for up to 30 years. This Vacation time is also sellable by the Member/Investor and can be exchanged for hundreds of other amazing locations.
The impact is that there is no shortage of Investor/Members for the ResClubs product.
The ResClubs brand is experiencing continual growth in other verticals as well which will allow for potential synergies and additional revenue streams. Currently, ResClubs has moved into the international resort development with the PGA of America Resort Costa Rica due to the international development experience of its ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
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domain: finance


text:
The war has killed an estimated 140,000 inthe country, which has 11 million people. ” (N. Y. Times June 14, 1996 pA4col 2)This is a story of a people in crisis, and one woman’s struggle to use truth,asa means of setting her people free.
The majority of the population are Indians, and much of the struggles ariseoutof the ashes of the past. Spain conquered Guatemala in 1524, which was thestart of the oppression of the native people of Guatemala. Since this timethenative people have been ruled by the Spanish speaking minority, the Ladinos,many of which are descended from the Spanish colonists. Beginning in 1954, when Guatemala’s elected government was overthrown by thearmy, the military began a brutal war against the Indian people. This type oftorture and oppression continued, and during the 1970’s the repression wasespecially harsh; during this time more and more Indians began to resist.
Itwas during this time that Rigoberta Menchu’s family became involved in theresistance. The situation in Guatemala is similar to South Africa, where the blackmajorityare ruled with absolute power by the white minority. Like South Africa, theIndians in Guatemala are lacking in even the most basic of human rights. “Indeed the so-called forest Indians are being systematicallyexterminated inthe name of progress. But unlike the Indian rebels of the past, who wanted togo back to pre-Columbian times, Rigoberta Menchu is not fighting in the nameofan idealized or mythical past.
” (Menchu xiii) Rigoberta is workingtowarddrawing attention to the plight of native people around the globe. Once an illiterate farm worker, she has taught herself to read and writeSpanish,the language of her oppressor, as a means of relating her story to the world. She tells the story of her life with honesty and integrity in hopes ofimpressing upon the world the indignation of the oppressed. In addition totheSpanish language, Rigoberta borrows such things as the bible and trade unionorganization in order to use them against their original owners.
There isnothing like the bible in her culture. She says, “The Bible is written,andthat gives us one more weapon. ” ( Menchu xviii ) Her people need to basetheiractions on the laws that come down from the past, on prophecy. Her own history and the history of her family is told with great detail inthebook I, Rigoberta Menchu.
Not only does one learn about the culture of herpeople and about the community in which she lives, but an understanding isgained as to impetus to react against ones oppressor. Born the sixth child toan already impoverished but well respected family, Rigoberta remembersgrowingup in the mountains on land that no one else wanted, spending months at atimegoing with her family to work on the fincas (plantations). A lorry owned by the finca would come to their village, and the workers,alongwith their children and animals, would ride together, in filthy andovercrowdedconditions. Each lorry would hold approximately forty people, and the trip tothe finca took two nights and one day, with no stops allowed for thebathroom,it is easy to imagine the unsanitary condition that resulted. Each workerwouldtake with them a cup and a plate and a bottle for water when they worked inthefields.
The youngest of the children that were not yet able to work had noneedfor their own cup and plate since, if they did not work, they would not befedby the finca. These children’s mothers would share with them their own rationof tortilla and beans, though many of the children were severelymalnourished,and two of Rigoberta’s own brothers died while on the finca. At the tender age of eight Rigoberta was earning money to help her family,andas proof of her own personal fortitude, by age ten she was picking the quotasofan adult and was paid as such. Her first experience in the city was at twelveyears old in the capital of Guatemala where she worked as a maid.

domain: library


text:
Pensions: Money Box caller talks impact of age differences
The number of women from groups already struggling with the rising cost of living who have given up on a workplace pension has risen from 2.5 million in 2020 to 2.8 million this year. Some 300,000 female staff have missed out on pension payments this year – with lockdowns, school closures, caring responsibilities and redundancies thought to be the most damaging factors.
Employees are only enrolled in a workplace pension if they earn more than £10,000 per annum in a single role – but axing this threshold would get 2.8 million more people saving, NOW: Pensions found.
Samantha Gould, head of campaigns at the workplace pension provider, said: “It was very clear at the start of the pandemic that the under-pensioned groups we identified in our 2020 report would be the most financially affected by the economic downturn.
“We need to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to save and so we are calling on the Government to make the policy changes that we recommended as soon as possible.
Some 300,000 female staff have missed out on pension payments
“We hope that this report will help raise the profile of these savings gaps and motivate the industry and policy makers to create a fairer pension system.”
Women are 50 percent more likely than their male peers to reach retirement with no private pension savings.
A disproportionately high number of furloughed women meant the gender pay gap widened in the year to April 2021.


text:
Panel Discussion “The Istanbul Convention is ours”
Due to Turkey’s official withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on July 1st, we invited three activists to discuss the consequences of the recent developments in Turkey and beyond. During the discussion Özlem Kaya from UnitedforIstanbulConvention gave a run down of the recent events in Turkey. Kalina Drenska from E.A.S.T. Network and FemBunt, talked about the situation of LGBTQI+ communities in Bulgaria. Furthermore, Natassa Diamanti from the 8th of March Assembly Athens talked about the situation in Greece as well as the current discussion regarding femicides. Elif Artan from DaMigra reflected upon the positioning of Germany and other EU-States after Turkeys withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.
READ MORE Panel Discussion “The Istanbul Convention is ours”

domain: news


The library’s board of trustees voted on March 21 not to have the fireworks this year, because of changes in the available parking.
Telford Borough Police Chief Doug Bickel said that work on the expansion of the Lutheran Community at Telford is scheduled to begin in early June. That will cut the amount of parking roughly in half.
“For the carnival itself that will be adequate,” the chief said, ” but it’s not enough for the extra traffic that the fireworks creates.”
This year’s carnival is scheduled for June 24-29, said Glenn Garis, president of the board of trustees.
Now in its 13th year, the carnival raises money for the library’s capitol improvement fund. Last year, the carnival raised approximately $18,000.
Whether or not there will be fireworks at later carnivals will not be decided until after this year’s event, Garis said. The trustees want to see exactly how much money the library loses without the fireworks.
Walton Yoder, chairman of the committee that operates the carnival, said he believes that 30 to 40 percent of the money that the library makes on the carnival is made on fireworks night.
On the other hand, Garis said that a lot of people come to see the fireworks but never get out of their cars.
Kyle Koffel, vice president of the Harleysville Jaycees, described the fireworks display at the annual Jaycees Country Carnival in Harleysville as “a big draw,” but he couldn’t say how much it added to the carnival financially. The event is held in may each year.
“It’s expensive but it really adds to the community flavor of the carnival,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to do without it.”
This may be the library carnival’s last year in Telford. Over the last few years, the Telford Borough Council has expressed concerns about the damage the carnival causes to borough athletic fields and lack of communication between council and the library’s board of trustees.
Last fall, council voted to allow the library to hold the carnival in Telford one more year. However, in the future, permission will be given on a year-by-year basis.
The trustees want to weigh the amount of money that the fireworks make for the library against the importance of keeping the carnival in Telford, next to the library, Garis said.
Yoder said, “If it’s going to be a library carnival, it should be held here. If we move it somewhere else, it’ll just be a carnival.”
Trustee Richard Thompson said that moving the carnival out of Telford might help to promote the idea that the library is a regional library.
“I think we have an opportunity here to make a bigger and better carnival,” he added.
The Indian Valley Public Library serves Souderton and Telford boroughs; the Souderton Area School District; Salford, Lower Salford , Upper Salford and Franconia townships.
Setting up a shuttle bus that would bring people from other parking lots to the fireworks display in Telford is financially feasible, Yoder said. Even with the new construction, there’s still enough space to launch the fireworks safely. However, board members acknowledged, it takes time for people to get used to using a shuttle.
Trustee Stephen Imms said that it took three or four years for people attending the Philadelphia Folk Festival in Upper Salford to really start using the shuttle buses provided there.
“We probably shouldn’t bother with the bus if we’re moving,” he said.
The carnival committee will continue to look for possible new locations, Garis said.


text:
Clinical Director of Spine Neurosurgery at JHBMC
Director of Spinal Biomechanics & Surgical Outcomes Laboratory
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Department of Neurosurgery
Meyer Bldg, Room 5-109
600 N. Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21287
Dr. Ali Bydon specializes in degenerative disorders of the spine (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar osteophytes or disk herniation; cervical, thoracic and lumbar synovial cyst herniation; cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal stenosis; cervical, thoracic and lumbar spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, spondylolysis, and degenerative scoliosis), neoplastic disorders of the spine (intradural spinal tumors, intramedullary spinal tumors, extradural metastatic spinal tumors, spinal meningiomas, spinal schwannaomas), traumatic spinal cord and vertebra column injuries; complex reconstruction and restoration of the spine; and minimally invasive spine surgery.
Dr. Bydon earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor. He completed residency training in Neurological Surgery at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit where he graduated with distinction. He also completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Henry Ford, as well as a fellowship at Louisiana State University on the Surgical Treatment of Peripheral Nerves. He is the recipient of the prestigious “Richard Otenasak Faculty Teaching Award” for 2009/2010. A reviewer for several spine publications, Dr. Bydon has co-authored over 75 peer-reviewed articles related to spinal pathologies, spinal biomechanics, spinal disparities and outcomes.
Dr. Bydon sees patients at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center on Wednesdays, and at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center on Mondays.

domain: medical


text:
(Editor’s Note: A shortened version of this interview appeared in the July/August 2018 issue of the magazine.)
One of the first things I want to talk about is the Trans Equality Now award [received in May].
It was incredibly moving for me to accept that award. Obviously, the award’s named after Andy Cray, a Wisconsin native and my late spouse. To be able to get that award and to have it be given to me by Andy’s mom and step father was a really special experience. I think more than anything else, I felt truly unworthy of that award because as hard as I’m working, I still marvel at the accomplishments and the advancements that Andy made and had his fingerprints all over. I ask myself every day, “What would Andy do?” whenever I’m confronted with a question or a dilemma. Hopefully I make him proud more days than I don’t. I certainly am asking myself that question at every turn. To be able to get that award was just… Honestly, words can’t express how it felt to me, and I’m usually not at a loss for words.
I was really excited when I saw that you were getting the award. I had just finished reading your book [Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality], and I had only briefly heard of Andy before it came out. I got to see all the great things that he had done, and I was really excited for you.
Thank you. Mara called me to tell me that I would be this year’s honoree, and she said, “We were trying to think of someone to give this award to, and one of our fellows was like, ‘What about Sarah?’” Mara said, “We’ve already given Sarah the award.” Then she thought briefly, and she’s like, “Wait, have we?” They realized that they hadn’t, and Mara’s like, “Oh, well duh, that makes sense.” It was really special. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a chance to meet Mara Keisling [founder and executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality], but she is a dear friend of mine. She was the first out trans person I ever had an extended conversation with. I met up with her for lunch less than a week after I came out to my parents. A mutual friend put us in contact, and she has been a constant source of guidance and mentorship for me since I came out. She was there in the beginning, she was in Andy’s hospital room when he passed away. She’s really been there at every major part of my life. NCTE holds a special place in my heart, and Mara in particular.
That’s very sweet. Can you explain briefly what the award is for and what NCTE is for?
The award was named after Andy the year after he passed away. It recognized advocacy around expanding access to complex and inclusive healthcare to transgender people, which was obviously Andy’s life work. It’s awarded by the National Center for Transgender Equality, which is a major policy advocacy organization in Washington, DC, working on behalf of transgender people across the country
The other big topic that people want me to cover is the upcoming conference, Transforming Faith [August 18 at First United Methodist Church in Madison].
I’m incredibly excited to come out in Madison for the conference, for a number of reasons. One, my own faith community had been incredibly important in my own family’s journey since I came out as transgender. In fact, the first people that my parents called after I came out were our family pastors. Fortunately, we’ve been members of a progressive, inclusive Presbyterian church, and both of the pastors at our church affirmed and provided excellent friendship and pastoral care to my family as I came out, and demonstrated what I think is at the center of so many different faiths, which is this notion of the fact that we are all God’s children, that we should treat one another the way we want to be treated, and that’s exactly how those pastors responded to my family.
I’m excited for the second reason because Wisconsin is near and dear to my heart, given the fact that it’s the birthplace and home state of my late spouse, Andy. Third, because voices of faith and communities of faith are incredibly important in moving equality forward, both on the ground level and legally. LGBTQ people are people of faith, people of faith are LGBTQ allies, and we need to demonstrate that being a person of faith and supporting LGBTQ equality are certainly not mutually exclusive, and frankly go hand in hand.
That’s very uplifting to hear. What is your role going to be in the conference?
I am giving a keynote address at the event, and I’m gonna share a little bit about my own story, about the challenges that LGBTQ people oftentimes face in their faith communities, but also the positive affirming role that so many faith communities and people’s faith are playing in this movement. I think the vision is to move forward in a way that includes diverse voices, including voices of faith, so that we can build inclusive bases for LGBTQ people on every corner of this country, including in welcoming and affirming faith communities.
That’s a wonderful goal. Have you had an opportunity to speak with [organizer] Joanne Lee?
I know Joanne personally. She is a member of the Human Rights Campaign, Parents for Transgender Equality Council, which we launched in November of 2016 with some of the leading parent advocates across the country to help amplify those incredibly important voices in the fight for trans equality. She is a fierce fighter for justice, she is a loving and caring person. Of course her story and her journey toward advocacy is incredibly heartbreaking, and I think, underscores the urgency and the stakes of this fight.
Absolutely. Yeah, it was very touching that all of this happened in Madison, and the award that Skylar [Joanne’s child, who committed suicide in 2015] had been given was done through GSAFE, one of the organizations here in Madison. I attend their dinners and so it was all very touching to hear about how all of those come together.
I’ve heard Joanne speak a few times about her family and Skylar, and about her journey. I tell you, you can see in people’s eyes when a speaker is opening their eyes and changing their minds. Every single time I see Joanne speak and tell her story, I can see just how impactful she is and how much her remarks are expanding people’s understanding and empathy when it comes to transgender equality.
That’s incredibly important because a lot of discrimination is fear-based, and once you know someone who is trans, it gets so much easier to support transgender rights.
Absolutely. One of the things we know is that in the fight for trans equality, knowing someone who is transgender in your own life changes the way you think about transgender identities and about the challenges and issues facing transgender people. Over the last several years, the percentage of Americans who say they know someone in their own lives who’s transgender has gone from single digits to 30-40%. There’s really no better correlation between support for transgender equality than personal relationships with transgender people. When you know someone who’s transgender, you understand that, behind this conversation on transgender rights, are real people who love and laugh, hope and dream, fear and cry, just like everyone else. When you understand that, the caricatures that anti-equality politicians try to sow fears around begins to dissipate, and you understand that this is just simply about treating people with kindness, fairness, and decency.
It’s been very heartwarming to see the attitude in the nation change over time. I don’t remember if I read it in your book, but I remember hearing that more Americans believed in ghosts than they did in transgender people at one point.
Yes! More Americans had said they had seen a ghost than had known someone who was transgender, is the stat that I did include in my book. It’s true, and I think the fact that so many more Americans now say they know someone in their life who’s transgender is a reflection of two things: One is a reflection of a growing alliance that we are building by living authentically. I think it’s also a reflection of the fact that we have made progress because it’s demonstrating that more and more transgender people are coming out and they’re feeling comfortable living openly in more and more spaces within their communities. That’s a reflection of a changing landscape for transgender people.
Now, obviously, far too many transgender people still do not feel safe coming out. Far too many transgender people face violence and discrimination if they do, but it is a reflection of a not insignificant amount of progress that we have made towards building a world where every person can live openly and authentically. If we’ve made that progress, then I know we can continue to make progress and continue to drive up that percentage of Americans who say they know someone who’s transgender and increase the number of inclusive laws and expand the spaces where transgender people are safe from violence and discrimination.
I really appreciate all of the work that you’re doing on this front. I initially became aware of you because of your speech to the Democratic National Convention . Reading your book helped me realize how much you have done to help. That as a trans person, I deeply appreciate all of the work that you’re doing. I think you definitely deserve the award.
Well, thank you. As I talk about in my book, and as I try to always say, coming out and my journey as a transgender person was the hardest thing that I had ever done up until that point, but it was still relatively easy compared to the experience of so many people. I feel that those of us with the kind of privilege that I have, have a responsibility and a duty to make sure that the privileges we have been granted are no longer a privilege, but rather a right guaranteed to everyone.
I feel grateful to have had the experiences I’ve had, and I feel hopeful that more and more people will have the kind of journey that I’ve been able to have, which is a journey that I think has affirmed generally the goodness of most people. I hope that we can continue to tap into what I believe is the most powerful human emotion, which is empathy, and make that kind of experience a reality for everyone. I appreciate your saying, but truly no thanks are necessary because for me, it’s just a basic responsibility given all that I’ve been given and all that I have.
The first chapter of your book is your coming out story. It was very touching. I cried through almost all of it, and I also feel blessed in that a lot of my experience has been very positive. I’ve been very fortunate in that way. Hearing your story is, I think, helpful for other transgender people to see different ways that this can happen, in addition to the wider community and giving them more trans experiences.
I appreciate you saying that. Like we were talking about, I think that while one trans person’s story is just one trans person’s story, I do believe that it can be through personal stories that people can enter into this conversation in a way that changes the way they think about it. I’m glad that that spoke to you and my hope is that there’s some things that every trans person can find in the book that speaks to them. Recognizing my own privilege, recognizing the differences in experiences, recognizing a whole host of things that make all of our journeys so unique. My hope is that everyone, whether they’re trans or cisgender, can find something in that book that speaks to, stays with, or resonates with them.
The other part of your coming out story that I really appreciated hearing was the struggles you went through of trying not to be transgender. That is something that I struggled with quite a bit. I always knew that my gender and my outward presentation didn’t match up, but I didn’t ever feel like I was trans enough. Hearing you go through similar struggles was really touching.
I’m really glad to hear that. One of the things I always try to tell young people when I meet them, and they say, “What advice do you have for someone that’s coming out?” I say, “Well, first off, there are two pieces of advice I have for you, and they’re gonna seem really vague. First is that you are the best expert on who you are and what you need. The second is that there’s no wrong way to be yourself. There’s no one way to be trans.”
I would have so benefited from someone really clearly saying that to me because early on I went through–as I think most folks do–this significant period of my life where I tried to deny being trans and hide my identity and suppress my identity. Then once I came out, I was worried that I wasn’t expressing myself in the right way or describing my journey in the right way, or expressing the right feelings.
It was something that I was quite nervous about, and I think for me, and I’m sure with other people, there’s this feeling that you have to conform to a pre-existing narrative and a pre-existing way of feeling and wanting to go about things and needing to go about things. It keeps all of us from having the kind of transition and care and journey that we truly need. It’s so important, I think, for me as someone who went through that to express to other folks that are coming out that you might feel this pressure, but that there isn’t one way. There’s no wrong way. Everyone’s transition, everyone’s journey looks different.
That’s a great message to share. I, in particular, appreciated your comments about how you felt like you were being forced into a feminine role, like there’s one right way to be feminine. I struggled with that as well.
Right. I think as trans folk, particularly as trans women, we’re caught in between this rock and a hard place where, as I talk about in the book, if we’re not feminine enough, we’re told that we’re not real women. If we’re too feminine, we’re told that we’re caricatures. There’s no winning. I consider myself to generally be a feminine person in my gender expression, but not universally. There’s policing of everyone’s gender expression in a way that we are constantly having to juggle almost mutually exclusive demands in terms of safety, in terms of being seen as who we are, in terms of the politics of it, and what trans exclusive radical feminists will say, and what anti-equality conservatives will say. All of these demand that are just so unfair, and like I said, you can come out of the closet only to find yourself stuck in a kitchen. It’s true. It’s a broader reflection of why the fight for trans equality is so inextricably linked to the fight for gender equality.
I appreciate you sharing that message ’cause I think it’s a valuable one. The other part of your book that really touched me was about you telling the story of what life was like going through Andy’s illness. I have a serious liver disease that we found out about last summer and I’ve been in the hospital for it. While nowhere near as serious as what you went through, it was still very much appreciated hearing your story. I was very thankful that you were brave enough to tell it.
I think for me, in writing the book, it was a journey back to hope. As weird as it sounds, in many ways, I wrote the book from January 2017 through June of 2017, right after the election. I was feeling particularly helpless and dispirited. It was actually through writing about my journey, writing about the pains that I had seen, but also writing about the challenges and the hardship and Andy’s illness in particular, that I really came to remember an important point that my brother told me in the last months of Andy’s life, which is that this is gonna be incredibly difficult, but look around you and take stock in the acts of amazing grace that you will see.
Yes, I read that line in your book and I immediately started crying.
Yeah. That line was stuck with my since then, but really the last year and a half because it taught me that all of us, even in the darkest moments and the most troubling times, can bear witness to acts of amazing grace. It reminded me that hope only makes sense in the face of hardship. As difficult as this moment can seem in the work that I’m doing and in our country, those experiences taught me to find the light in the darkness and to remember that even when there are challenges, if you take a moment to look around you, you’ll see those acts of amazing grace.
I think we’ve seen that over the last year and a half. I think I see that every day in my job. I know that it’s through those acts of amazing grace that we’ll be able to advance in ways that presently seem unimaginable. For me, it was actually a cathartic healing experience to write about that incredibly difficult time in my life and in many ways, helps me re-find my hope.
That’s wonderful to hear. I know that transgender people’s experiences in hospitals can be fraught and frustrating and scary. I remember the various times I would have to go into surgery and was told to undress and wear a gown. I was terrified half of the time of what was going to happen.
Right. I remember, as I talk about in the book, I remember when Andy was first starting to go through his cancer treatment. With every new doctor and every new nurse, we were worried about what does this person think of people like us? Will their personal opinions impact their professional care? I think people who aren’t transgender probably tend to think, “Oh, well doctors abide by the Hippocratic oath and even a doctor who doesn’t have affirming or inclusive opinions or positions on transgender people, they’ll still treat a transgender person competently and respectfully in their care.” That’s just not how things work.
Everything we do is impacted by our personal beliefs and our personal opinions. If you hold deeply problematic and deeply hateful opinions about a kind of person, that is going to impact the way you treat them, sadly. Seventy percent of transgender people in one survey reported experiencing some kind of discrimination or mistreatment in a healthcare setting, and that includes healthcare professionals refusing to touch them, even. We know that transgender people face discrimination, mistreatment, and in some cases, subpar care at the hands of healthcare professionals simply because they’re transgender.
I think of a transgender man named Jay Caleo, who I knew and who actually Andy knew, who died from cancer. A cancer that went undiagnosed for several weeks because the healthcare professional who did the initial test saw that the results showed a transgender man had cancer, he didn’t call him. Once they eventually reached him, the doctor said, “When I got the results, I thought about referring you to a psychiatrist, not an oncologist.” These types of stories are far too common. Jay’s since passed away. Who knows what role that delay in care potentially had in the progression of his cancer.
As surprising as it seems, and certainly while most healthcare professionals, or the vast majority of healthcare professionals, are providing generally competent, respectful, inclusive treatment to transgender people, there are too many who don’t. That is unacceptable and can have, in some cases, deadly consequences. As Andy always felt throughout his life, even before he was a diagnosed with cancer, there are few places more important for trans people to be protected and for trans inclusive policies to be adopted than in healthcare settings.
Healthcare settings are particularly risky because often times, you need to disclose that you are transgender in order for the physicians to provide appropriate care. There’s no secrecy to protect you if you need it.
Right. In many cases, it’s relevant in terms of past medical history, in terms of medication one might be taking. That are often times relevant and at least for the doctor to know, if it’s not directly relevant to the specific care. You’re right, it’s a situation where you’re putting yourself out there, you’re exposed, and you’re already worrying about an illness or a disease or a chronic pain or an emergency. You shouldn’t also have to be worrying about whether your identity is going to impact the kind of care you get.
The thing that reminded me of this, though, was that I’ve seen the change in public opinions about transgender people being mirrored in the public opinion among healthcare. One of the things that I’ve had the fortune to work on is making health care software better support gender identity and legal sex, and sex assigned at birth, and all those other things that are important to the transgender community.
Well, that’s fantastic. I’m so glad that you’re doing that and that you’re working that.
Honestly the greatest outcome of writing this book and having this book out there for me has been the people who come up to me at different stops and say, just very simply, thank you for introducing us to Andy. It provides me a lot of comfort and it means a lot to me to know that people are seeing and meeting a person, the person who for me is the best person I’ve ever known in my life. And in many ways that helps to continue to keep his legacy and him alive. So thank you, and thank you to everyone who’s read this and has taken the opportunity to meet Andy and to go on that journey with me. And to learn from him the experiences we have together.
Randi Hagen is proud trans woman, storyteller, geek, programmer, athlete, sister, mother, and wife. She’s a developer for Epic by day, notably on healthcare interoperability, providing better support for queer patients in the medical record.