Bathhouse Outreach Worker Wins Award

Bathhouse Outreach Worker Wins Award
Bathhouse Outreach Worker Wins Award

Second-year medical student from the University of Missouri-Columbia has won the Mizzou Inclusive Excellence Award for his contributions to the LGBTQ community.

John Steven Cummins won the award for founding MizzouMed Pride, a group which promotes and raises awareness LGBTQ health issues. In addition to being an bathhouse outreach worker at the gay baths. Targeting those closeted and married men who wouldn’t ordinarily see an STI healthcare professional.

Cummins says his goal in becoming a doctor is to service the missing holes regarding LGBTQ health. As well as teaching physicians how to be better physicians towards the LGBT community.

From The Maneater Student Newspaper

Cummins was 15 when he came out. He did projects on homophobia as a sophomore and junior in high school. Originally from a part of Chicago that wasn’t the most accepting, he went down to the capitol in Springfield, Ill., and talked to representatives.

“When I’d first come out and I had started talking to my own doctor about it, he was supportive, but very uncomfortable,” Cummins said. “He just didn’t know what to do.”

Cummins said his mission is to teach physicians how to be better physicians, filling in the gaps regarding LGBTQ health.

“I think, at least in Chicago, the epidemic was still quite terrifying,” Cummins said. “I was scared, but I was like, well, if I’m going to be terrified of it, I should at least learn about. At least I should do my best to fight against that fear.”
In the meantime Cummins continues his work being a bathhouse outreach worker.

To read more about his bathhouse outreach work go to Med student shines light on LGBTQ health with new group

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