Featured Post from Tulane University

Mental health expert available to discuss impact of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills

Apr 7, 2022

2 min

Myo Thwin Myint, MD

Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill has officially been signed into law by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. The bill prohibits public school teachers in kindergarten through third grade from discussing anything related to sexual orientation or gender identity with their students. Similar bills restricting discussion of LGBTQ+ issues in schools have been proposed in more than a dozen states across the country, including Louisiana.


Tulane University child and adolescent psychiatrist and pediatrician Dr. Myo Thwin Myint, an expert in LGBTQ+ health, is available to discuss the potential impacts these bills could have on children, parents and teachers.


“The Florida bill was written so broadly and there’s a concern that when a child has a question or wants to have discussions about different types of families and they're curious about it, the teacher won’t be able to explain appropriately without the fear of getting sued,” Myint said. “For example, second graders who have same-sex parents may be curious and want to ask questions. This is not about teaching explicit sexual acts to the children. This is about having the right to talk to kids about the diverse nature of human relationships and human identities, which every kid should have an opportunity to learn.”


Research shows that LGBTQ+ youth face much higher risks of depression, suicide and health issues when compared to their straight or cisgender peers. Restricting education about LGBTQ+ relationships and families could amplify these issues, cause long-term harm, and make LGBTQ families feel isolated and marginalized, Myint said.


“By making their gender identity or sexual orientation — or of their parents —a forbidden topic, children are going to internalize that shame, which has a risk of long-term impacts on their mental health,” Myint said.


These bills could pressure LGBTQ+ families to hide who they are, causing a significant impact on how LGBTQ children and families see themselves in their communities, the country and the world, Myint said.


Louisiana lawmakers passed the fairness in women's sports act last year to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports of their affirmed gender, but the bill was later vetoed. A similar bill is under consideration this year while another bill, House Bill 570, would restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth.


Myint is associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine. For interviews, contact Lance Sumler at lsumler@tulane.edu or 504-777-0132.


Connect with:
Myo Thwin Myint, MD

Myo Thwin Myint, MD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics; Training Director, Triple Board (Pediatrics/ Psychiatry/ Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) Residency and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Programs

Dr. Myint is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and pediatrician who specializes in LGBTQ health, medical education and advocacy.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)Family ViolenceAdolescent PsychiatryPsychiatryLGBTQ Health

You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Tulane University

2 min

National survey finds gender and partisan divides in perceptions of women's leadership abilities

A national survey from the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University has found that significant gender and partisan divides persist in perceptions of women's leadership abilities. While the majority of Americans do not believe men make better political leaders than women, there are stark differences in attitudes based on the gender and political ideology of respondents, according to the Institute’s forthcoming #MeToo Harassment Study 2024, which polled more than 3,000 U.S. adults earlier this year. The survey, conducted in partnership with the University of California at San Diego and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, included questions related to domestic violence, sexual harassment and abuse in the past 12 months. It also asked participants how much they agree or disagree with the following statement: “On the whole, men make better political leaders than women do.” This item is used by the World Values Survey to assess this belief in other country contexts. Key findings include: • Only 12% of U.S. adults agree that men make better political leaders than women, far lower than the global average of 50%. • Men are more likely than women to believe that men make better political leaders than women do – 16% of men compared to 10% of women hold this belief. • There is a clear partisan divide, with 26% of very conservative respondents agreeing compared to only 5% of very liberal respondents. • Disagreement with the notion that men make better leaders is highest in progressive states like California, which has relatively higher representation of women in elected office, and lowest in more conservative states like Mississippi. "These findings are concerning, as persistent biases against women's leadership abilities can impede progress in achieving gender parity in political representation," said Anita Raj, executive director of the Newcomb Institute and professor of global public health at Tulane. Raj said gender inequality in political representation matters because elected female officials are more likely than their male counterparts to introduce and enact bills, and they are more likely to build legislation on key areas affecting women and families, such as childcare, healthcare, paid family leave and sexual harassment in the workplace. The full report, which will be released in September, will dive into experiences of sexual harassment in public and private spaces, including the workplace.

3 min

Rising sea temperatures are pushing Great Barrier Reef to brink

Rising sea temperatures are causing increasing signs of stress and threatening the existence of one of the world's most diverse and valuable marine ecosystems, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, according to a new international study from a team of researchers that includes Tulane University coral reef expert Thomas DeCarlo. The assistant professor of oceanography at Tulane School of Science and Engineering analyzed historical temperature and bleaching patterns at the reef site using underwater drilling to collect coral core samples and CT scans to identify density variations and annual growth bands visible from when coral previously bleached and recovered. DeCarlo’s work, published this month in Nature, documents unprecedented levels of ocean heat leading to bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, endangering a vital marine ecosystem. How is climate change threatening coral reefs across the globe? Corals are animals that live in symbiosis with photosynthetic algae inside their cells. These algae provide most of the energy corals need to survive. When water temperatures are abnormally warm, this symbiosis breaks down. The coral expels the algae, which is called bleaching. The coral turns white as you see the skeleton through the translucent tissues. While bleached corals are still alive, they begin to starve without their symbionts and may die if conditions don't improve quickly. What makes the Great Barrier Reef so unique — and how does it illustrate the urgency of rising sea temperatures? The Great Barrier Reef is the longest continuous reef in the world, near the center of reef biodiversity, with hundreds of coral species. It's a World Heritage Site and an icon for Australia. Key findings observed there include: - The high-temperature events of the past two to three decades are exceptional and unprecedented in the past four centuries. - There's strong statistical confidence that the highest temperature events causing devastating mass coral bleaching in the past decade have no parallel in at least the last 400 years. - We found some evidence of coral bleaching in the late 1800s, which wasn't previously known. - The frequency of mass bleaching has dramatically increased. From 1877 to 1982, there was almost a century between bleaching events. Since 1982, there have been seven mass coral bleaching events, occurring almost every other year recently. - The severity of bleaching has likely increased, and the short time between events doesn't allow for reef recovery. Why are coral reefs so important? Hundreds of millions of people depend on coral reefs for food, economic reasons and livelihood. Reefs also provide tourism revenue, as well as spiritual and aesthetic value. Ecologically, reefs protect shorelines by breaking waves and reducing erosion. As we lose live corals, reefs become flatter and less effective at breaking waves. Reef degradation also leads to loss of biodiversity, as many species depend on specific coral habitats. This impacts fisheries potential and has widespread effects on society and people around the world. How can we protect coral reefs from further damage? The primary action needed is reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Climate models show that the warming trend since the late 1800s is due to human activities. These models can simulate natural climate variability and demonstrate that the temperature events of the past two decades on the Great Barrier Reef would have been impossible without human CO2 emissions. The first step is to acknowledge that a problem exists. Unfortunately, there's still controversy around labeling the Great Barrier Reef as "in danger," despite clear scientific evidence of its deterioration and continued exposure to heat extremes. We need to agree on the danger the reef is in before we can make the hard choices necessary to reduce the speed of climate change. For more on DeCarlo’s work, visit The Sclero Lab at Tulane University. To schedule an interview, contact Stacey Plaisance with Tulane media relations, splaisance@tulane.edu or 504-247-1420.

2 min

Expert available to comment on fallout from plea deal with 9/11 masterminds: “There are no winners here”

Three men held at Guantanamo Bay since 2003 who planned and organized the attacks on New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania that killed nearly 3,000 people on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, have struck a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to all charges and avoid a death-penalty trial. Tulane University expert Muira McCammon, an assistant professor at the School of Liberal Arts, says the plea deal will suppress vital information from families still looking for closure and public accountability from the U.S. government and continue the troubled legacy of Guantanamo Bay. McCammon can discuss: • The impact of not having a trial for the 9/11 masterminds leaves families without closure and the public without a full accounting of the attacks. • How this decision highlights ongoing detention at Guantanamo, raising questions about U.S. commitment to due process. • Gitmo's legacy underscores tensions between national security and respect for human rights and sovereignty. McCammon Quote: “There are no winners here. Many 9/11 families had hoped that there would be a trial, which might’ve given the public more of an opportunity to digest and reflect upon what Khalid Sheikh Mohammed knew - and the extent of who was involved in coordinating the 9/11 attacks. Many had hoped that these individuals would ultimately be tried in federal court, outside of the grasp of the military commission, which would not have only protected the rights of the detained but might have also reminded the American public that the U.S. is still holding people tied to the terrorist attacks.” Contact Roger Dunaway, assistant director of media relations, for interviews at roger@tulane.edu.

View all posts
Powered by