Health-Care Focused Work

When the Co-Executive Directors of ROAR and the QJC became aware that Baystate Health had eliminated gender-affirming care for trans and non-binary youth we recognized that our organizations placed us in the unique position to do something about it. 

So many of the people involved in the Queer Joy Chorus and ROAR understand the impact of Baystate’s discriminatory decision. Our membership includes trans people, non-binary people, and parents and family members of trans and non-binary people. Our lived experiences drive us to care, and to advocate. 

We also bring diverse and unique skills to our lives and our work. Our volunteers and members are brave. They show up for hard things all the time. We have skilled communicators, creative minds, artists, musicians, strategists, activists, builders, engineers-minded members, tech-savvy members, members with access to building spaces, members with access to materials, and members with the time, energy and spirit to show up and work toward change. 

We began to organize together and named Baystate's decision as an example of a policy-level decision that treats a vulnerable population as expendable: Baystate is throwing trans kids under the bus. Injustice thrives in a vacuum. Trans and non-binary kids are a small minority. Baystate might assume that denying them care would go unnoticed by all but those most impacted. It is a responsibility of advocates and activists to expose injustice. We decided to collaborate  to make people aware of the impact of Baystate's decision. 

Protest art is a powerful tool. We created an artistic representation of Baystate throwing trans kids under a bus. We wanted it to be big enough for passers by to see it in public spaces. It was built in garages, basements and a maker-space another volunteer had access to. The materials were brought from many directions. A generous donation allowed us to buy paint, canvas and PVC piping. The building work was completed over the course of a couple of weekends. When it was done the result sent a powerful and uncomfortable message - those who built what has come to be known as the "Baystate Bus" stand behind this message. It should be uncomfortable to recognize  that a company that claims to be patient-focused is denying trans and non-binary children life-saving health care. 

In the months that followed members of the Queer Joy and Justice Collaborative brought their protest art, their testimony, their advocacy and the media to actions at Baystate practices and other public installations in Northampton, Springfield, Greenfield. and Boston. We have raised awareness, engaged members of the community in an important conversation and amplified the needs of trans and non-binary children. The work continues because Baystate has not (yet) changed course. Meanwhile, the number of people moved to act with us continues to grow. 

The Baystate Bus organizing exemplifies the vision behind the forming of the Queer Joy and Justice Collaborative - that we are a community built on creative action and artistic advocacy, and that we are strongest together.