Items

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  2021-04-25

  Ready for the one shot and done

  Now that the CDC has cleared the J & J one shot and done again after the scare of blood clots people are ready to get their shots. Will people line up to get the J&J shot? I hope they will as there are lots of them in stock here.
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  2021-04-23

  Yang Not Getting LGBTQ Support for NYC Mayor

  People in the LGBTQ community feel that the former Democratic Presential nominee is not out for their best interest but instead is just using them for their vote. They feel like he should push more for homelessness, housing, healthcare, and other issues important to the LGBTQ people but Mr. Yang says he loves and supports the community. He is running for New York City mayor and is the former nominee of the democratic party.
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  2021-04-07

  NC Law proposed would ban Trans Students and Report Them

  A new law making its way through the North Carolina legislator would force educators to out Transgender students to their parents. It also would not allow for people younger than 21 to have hormones for transgender surgery or to have surgery or anything like that.
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  2021-04-25

  Robert Baker-Nicholas Portfolio

  The internship experience has been one that has taught me many new and different skills that I did not have before or were very low on my abilities prior to this experience. Before I started this internship I had no experience in the field of public history or curation. I gained skills like learning how to preserve various sources for future posterity. I learned the process of properly using a system like Omeka, securing digital sources for the future, working on collections, oral histories, and more. The oral history part of my internship gave me skills that I can bring into my current role as a Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator by having some of our teachers encourage our students to conduct oral histories of our local town members in order to meet their standards in our state. My school uses the hands-on teaching method in order to bring the curriculum alive and this could be one way to implement and bring history alive. I also sharpened my skills of teamwork, collaboration, and virtual zooming in order to meet a project end goal. One thing this experience has taught me is that the pandemic has caused technology and collaboration to be taken to a next level and that I feel it will continue to grow and change in the future. This experience will also be memorable due to the fact that the actual documentation of the history is occurring while the events are happening not after the fact which is a unique experience.
• 
  2020-10-19

  3 easy ways to help kids unlearn gender identity & sexual orientation bias during the pandemic

  With all of the controversy in my state about our new Social Studies state standards about bringing in more diversity I see that we need to educate more people about the diversity that is in front of every student no matter their background because no matter what you do in life you will meet and interact with people that are not like yourself. I saw this article that gives teachers and parents some ideas on how to help kids unlearn gender identity and sexual orientation bias. Here are the three things you can do: 1. Prioritize Social-Emotional Learning 2.Introduce LGBTQ Characters, Works, and Historical Figures. 3.Start Easy, Start Small. Read the article for more information within these tips.
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  2021-04-09

  Clinical Trials for HIV Vaccine has been Overwhelming Success due to the help of COVID-19 Vaccine

  Clinical trials for HIV vaccines have been overwhelmingly successful with a 97% success rate at stimulating the production of rare immune cells which could lead to vaccines in the future. The COVID-19 vaccine has led to the increased development of m-RNA dosed vaccine which is also found in many other vaccines. By producing the COVID-19 vaccine has led to much more funding and research into the mRNA vaccine field which will bring about new changes in medicine in the future.
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  2021-04-14

  CVS Changes Policy to be more LGBTQ Inclusive

  CVS changed COVID-19 vaccination registration form to be more trans/ LGBTQ friendly. Originally, the form asked people to mark their birth sex in order to get the vaccine however, now they have removed the question. The CDC has come out and said it is important to only ask about the gender identity not the gender on the birth certificate. CVS has issued a statement stating that sex, gender, race, or ethnicity does not hinder people from getting the vaccine.
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  2021-03-04

  Colorado Governor Jared Polis Gets Engaged

  The Governor of Colorado Jared Polis proposes to his boyfriend of seventeen years Marlon Reis due to their COVID-19 diagnosis where one of them had to be hospitalized. Members of Congress in his state had issues with him getting engaged to his longtime boyfriend due to their conservative views and the governor's response to the pandemic. The two long-time partners have two children together as well. Some residents of Colorado showed hate towards the Governor's news as he was an open and out government official and was the first Gay Colorado Governor in history.
• 
  2020-06-24

  2020 Virtual Pride Event

  The Pride events that normally are live and in-person are now going to be going virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though, this may be seen as a bad thing it is to keep all participants safe as the pandemic has been raging and the goal is to still celebrate Pride and also keep everyone safe. There is one positive that comes out of this online pride this year which is that allows people who may normally not participate in other parts of the world who could not travel to New York City or their area or country outlaws LGBTQ things can simply just have internet and log on and participate and celebrate pride. This being online may impact others in a positive manner by allowing these new people to have the courage to be advocates for LGBTQ people.
• 
  2020-11

  Comparing the Impact of COVID-19-Related Social Distancing on Mood and Psychiatric Indicators in Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) and Non-SGM Individuals

  "There has been direct correlation with mental health disparities and sexual and gender minority (SGM) compared with cisgender heterosexual individuals. SGM members report having elevatedrates of emotional distress, symptoms related to mood and anxiety disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation and behavior. Social support is inversely related to psychiatric symptoms, regardless of SGM status. The COVID-19 pandemic—with its associated limited social interactions—represents an unprecedented period of acute distress with potential reductions in accessibility of social support, which might be of particular concern for SGM individuals' mental well-being. In the present study, we explored the extent to which potential changes in mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, worry, perceived stress, positive and negative affect) throughout the duration of the pandemic were related to differences in perceptions of social support and engagement in virtual social activity, as a function of SGM status. "-Front Psychiatry. 2020; 11: 590318. Published online 2020 Dec 22. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.590318
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  2020-11-11

  Hungary Government Proposes Gay Adoption Ban As COVID-19 Rages

  The story from Reuters talks about how the country of Hungary has people who want to ban Gay adoption as COVID-19 is raging around the world. It is important to note that there are many people who are losing loved ones and who will need a home in the future. The proposed ban would not allow people who are both domestic and international to adopt from this country that currently has a COVID-19 rate that is going up. The Prime Minister is proposing that there be an Amendment stating that children be raised with Christian traditional gender roles. Hungary currently does not allow for same-sex marriage.
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  2020-06-20

  For LGBTQ Patients, the Coronavirus Brings New Challenges

  This article by John Hopkins Medicine is talking about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the LGBTQ+ community. The doctor points out that community members are more likely to be smokers and so they are higher proportionately to have complications with COVID-19. The doctor also points out that gender-affirming surgery in the Transgender community has been delayed or is not being done at all which has impacted that community greatly. It is important that the doctor gives the advice to not isolate ourselves in the LGBTQ+ community throughout the pandemic.
• 
  2021

  The Lives and Livelihoods of Many in the LGBTQ Community are at Risk Amidst COVID-19 Crisis

  The story speaks about how many people in the LGBTQ community are at risk while the COVID-19 crisis is occurring. The study shows that people within the community have less access to healthcare, a greater risk of health complications due to COVID-19, and do not have paid leave.
• 
  2021-03-29

  Being More Social In The LGBTQ+ Community

  After getting my last dose of the vaccine my husband and I have been able to be more social with others in the LGBTQ+ Community and Allies who have had their vaccine. For the first time in a year we actually had a date night eating ramen and other yummy food then we were able to meet up with friends who have been vaccinated for drinks. This finally helps me to possibly see a light at the end of the tunnel.
• 
  2021-03-29

  Lessening the Pandemic’s Burden on LGBTQ Workers and Families

  This article is very interesting as it mentions that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be at higher risk to have worse COVID-19 than heterosexual counterparts. The COVID-19 Pandemic has shown the cracks that are in the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. These impacts include participating in the workforce less, less economically secure, and homelessness. Eventhough, this group has been discriminated against and continue to be in soma cases they are not alone feeling the brunt of this COVID-19 Pandemic. Other groups include communities of color, low-income households, and people with disabilities. This pandemic has caused people to start to notice these disparities and as someone who is apart of the LGBTQ+ community, there is a higher chance of not receiving a job based on just this fact. I have seen this in action in my own life before and it is not always blatant and more work needs to be done on this front.
• 
  2021-03-28

  Vaccinated

  I know the LGBTQ+ Community has a higher chance to have depression, anxiety, and other health ailments like many other minority communities. This Friday I got my second dose of the vaccine. I have been encouraging others in my LGBTQ+ Community to get the vaccine so this is one less health ailment they have to worry about.
• 
  03/13/2021

  Paul Jason Baker-Nicholas Oral History, 2021/03/26

  Paul Jason Baker-Nicholas gives an oral history interview about how COVID-19 has affected the LGBTQ+ Community.
• 
  03/13/2021

  Covid-19's Effect on LGBTQ+ Community in NYC

  Interview with Krystal McRae
• 
  2021-02-21

  Silver Lining Mini Oral History with Jessica Goldman

  This is an interview done by Robert Baker-Nicholas, interviewing Jessica Goldman for the Covid Archive. I asked her a couple of questions in this short mini oral history interview. The questions included her name, age, race and where she lives, along with the question that states, “What’s one positive thing you’ve experienced during the pandemic?” Jessica Goldman replies to the question with a detailed explanation of how the COVID-19 has impacted her job and her students.
• 
  02/21/2021

  Kim Feins-Snow Oral History, 2021/02/20

  This is an interview done by Robert Baker-Nicholas, interviewing Kim Feinz-Snow for the Covid Archive. I asked her a couple of questions in this short mini oral history interview. The questions included her name, age, race and where she lives, along with the question that states, “What’s one positive thing you’ve experienced during the pandemic?” Kim Feinz-Snow replies to the question with a detailed explanation on how the Covid had impacted her resilience and how she is actually more resilient than she originally thought she was.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Pet Love

  During this pandemic, the love of our fur babies has become even more important. Our fur babies have become even more spoiled I feel since many of us are working from home, holding meetings via zoom, and overall being forced to be sequestered with our own four walls. The increase of adoption of pets has been seen nationwide and I can see why as they provide love, comfort, entertainment, and more. Pets have been studied and it is a known fact that they lower stress, increase people in the positive direction, keep people active, and have many more benefits. I feel very blessed to have my fur babies. This is important to document during the pandemic because pets are all part of the pandemic experience because they have been affected by COVID-19 as well.
• 2021-02-07

  Spreading Happiness

  As a way to help my students stay social and emotionally well I have started to do a spread happiness wall where they have to leave at least one nice note to either a classmate or to me as a way to spread joy. To me, this will brighten their day and show them that someone cares for them and may help get some of them out of a funk of sadness and encourage more social interaction with one another. To me, this is very important because students are having a tuff time during the pandemic along with adults. Overall, all people need to know that they are cared for.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Plan A Reopening Schools and Rights

  This document from North Carolina Association of Educators is explaining the legal facts that educators have in my state when it comes to opening schools fully under Plan A. This document shows what legal protections we have and don't have as a state employee and how COVID-19 is viewed as a public health issue. It is important to note that as of right now most school districts in my state are not on Plan A which is 100% open but instead are either on Plan B or Plan C. Plan B is partially open/ online and Plan C is strictly online. Our governor is encouraging our schools to reopen and is opening more vaccine sites as teachers are next in line for the vaccine. This is important to document because every state is doing so many different things and people's rights vary from state to state.
• 2021-02-07

  New Routines in Education

  The face of education has changed is an understatement. It is not even recognizable as it once was a year ago. We spend more time on hygiene than we have ever before. Most students in my school district have opted to stay online while the handful comes in small cohorts. We are required to keep the socially distanced, masks on, no circulation around the room, teaching them from the Zoom screen even if they are live in class. This has caused me as a teacher to be sad as I thrive on being able to teach my students face to face and interact with them however, I understand. This pandemic I feel has changed K-12 education forever and not for the best in some ways. The new way of teaching has caused many teachers to leave, change their attitudes, and have made us focus on just the basics of student's needs in many cases.
• 2021-02-07

  Gas and New Covid

  When I was pumping gas I realized how much has life has changed from about a year ago. This time last year I did not have to wear a mask, glove, and wipe down everything just to get gas. It is crazy to think that a simple task like getting gas requires people who are responsible to put on their mask, put on gloves, get their hand sanitizer/ hand sanitizer wipes and wipe down the card machine and the gas handle. Then finally, after that is all done you can insert your card push the buttons, choose your fuel grade, then pump, and finally, you can place the pump back on the machine. Then you have to strategically take off the gloves like I was trained when dealing with blood and then I have to use my hand sanitizer then I can get in my car and leave. This new task and very detail-oriented "dance" was foreign to most of us this time one year ago and now it has become a way of life. This is important to note this change because there was a time before that it was not like this and maybe one day we may get close back to that but if not we need to document the change.
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  2021-01-31

  Trying New Things With Teaching

  I currently teach sixth grade Social Studies and due to the pandemic, I have been in and out of face to face teaching for about a year. The pandemic has caused me to try new things educational software-wise in my virtual classes. Before the pandemic, I would have considered myself a pretty tech-savvy teacher but now I have fully integrated many new educational programs into my toolbox. I am now using new programs like News ELA and Flocabulary to increase student engagement in my virtual classes. NewsELA lets me choose articles about current events or subjects we are currently learning about. The students then can discuss these topics in class together which has caused many of them to come out of their shells. Flocabulary brings various Social Studies topics alive by turning them into animated rap videos which my students love. I even see myself sometimes bopping along to the songs. Overall, these two programs have increased my student's engagement and interaction with one another in class.
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  2021-01-31

  Change in Teaching

  As a teacher for thirteen years of Social Studies this pandemic has greatly impacted me when it comes to my job as an educator. As teachers, we do lesson plans, grade assignments, implement IEPS/504s, hold parent/ teacher conferences, motivate students, listen to students, increase student growth, and so much more. However, due to COVID-19, the role of the educator has changed even more from not just educating the student, we have to now clean the desks and surfaces when we are in person or even virtual when reporting to the building. I have to wear face masks when in common areas, teaching online all day even if we are face to face because there are still students at-home learning. This shift from being able to sit next to a student and walk around the room to now being away from them all together has caused a shift for the students and for me as the teacher. It has made me very sad due to the fact that I am a teacher who enjoys helping my students and sitting next to them and interacting with them.
• 
  2020-01

  Doggy Love for Patient!

  The photo shows me and my dog while I was in the hospital doing chemotherapy for Testicular Cancer. By that point, I had been in the hospital for three weeks and we had got a prescription for me to be able to bring my dogs in order to cheer me up. My husband brought me our dogs Little Man (Miniature Dauschuand) and Lady (Whippet Terrier Mix). I was so happy to see them that I cried. The fur babies were so happy to see me that they just jumped on me and began licking me. This shows how lonely the covid-19 had made me and how the doctors were able to allow my furbabies to come to visit me which cheered me up.
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  2021-01-23

  Change of Life A Friends Story!

  I realized the seriousness of the pandemic when I began an exercise program on February 6, 2020. There was not much noise being made about the pandemic yet. I got my nails and hair done on February 11-12, 2020. I would realize now that this would be the last time since I have done this in a year. As the pandemic progressed things were places shutting down and I left my exercise program on February 28, 2020. I early voted on March 2, 2020, and wore a mask. Saw my dentist on March 4, 2020, and got my hair done one last time. By May, I went practically to my doctors and my general physician via telehealth, and then finally I realized this was very serious. People I know began to test positive for Covid. One of these people came into direct contact with me so as a result I went and got a Covid Test as a safety precaution. I found out it was negative. I began to not leave the house now due to the rising cases in my community in Florida. In August cases began to surge even more as people returned to school since summer was over. The holidays came in December and the numbers continued to grow and caused me to not leave the house anymore. This has been a terrible year of isolation and has caused me to lose many dear friends due to the pandemics of isolationism and people's change in attitudes. I am blessed to have a great spouse and a home with a bed to sleep in. I got vaccinated in January 2021. While this brings hope I have to figure out what I am to do and how to move forward as a result of the ongoing pandemic while I have to still maintain safety protocols. I hope the end is in sight due to there now being federal government oversight.
• 
  2019-09-13

  Canceled Pride Parade

  My first time at a Pride parade was in 2019. The time at the pride parade made me super proud of who I am and that facet of my life. The photo I chose from the parade is that of the giant unicorn. I chose to use the unicorn photo because it truly represents LGBTQ+ people I feel because many people in my community consider themselves a unicorn which represents a mythological creature that is a myth and shows people view them as unique. The reason this picture represents Covid-19 is that for the past two years the Pride Parade in Durham, North Carolina has been canceled. It has bummed me out not being able to go to the Pride parade because having a new excitement for my community made me sad that I could not continue this. Also, I was looking forward to this event annually and making it a tradition.
• 
  2020-10-15

  Board Game Anything But Boring!

  The picture I submitted shows how I have dealt with the pandemic in order to pass my time during the quarantine. I have started to play more board games with family and friends in order to pass the time and keep my mind active. All of us who play truly have started to enjoy playing the board game Risk as it allows for us to strategize, enjoy each other’s company, and to increase our mental activity. This game is fun as well because it allows us to catch up with one another over this long and fun board game.
• 
  2019-06-08

  My New Puppy

  The picture that I am sharing is that of our newest family member, Petey. He is a Catahoula Leopard Dog who has webbed feet and was bred to go into the bogs. My husband and I found him online from an animal rescue in which we found out he had been abused which made us love him evermore. We have been wanting to get a new puppy for a while in order for our other two fur babies to have a playmate. As a result of the pandemic, we thought now would be the best time since I am working from home and it affords me to be able to train and work with a puppy. This is important to me because he has become a vital part of our homemaking. We keep our sense of humor, even more, bringing new adventures, and allowing for us to make a home for a dog that had not seen love before. To say the least, Petey has fit into our household great and is now part of the pack.
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  2021-01-01

  Japanese New Years Open House Covid-19 Style

  This picture shows how my family celebrated our annual Japanese New Years Open House during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The annual event in my household is one of an open house where there is lots of food, friends, conversations, and wishing of a Happy New Year and blessings to them and/or their family. This year the pandemic affected our annual event by not allowing anyone to come except one person besides our household. This event means a lot to us as we are a multi-racial family with various ethnicities and heritages. We make dishes that bring new and exciting food choices to people who normally would not be exposed to this cuisine.