IHSS Blog 2020-2021

Alex Karni IHSS Mr. Roddy April 26, 2021 Interfaith Ministries           Interfaith Ministries has been running for over 50 years and it’s coming to its 52nd this year. Kamil Khan, the one I interviewed, has served the greater Houston area and Galveston. There are 4 major programs that Interfaith Ministries works with, one being meals on the wheels which helped 4400 12th graders to receive healthy food for a whole year. The second is called interfaith relationships because they help people of all different religions and faiths. The third is Volunteer Houston that goes out to find organizations to volunteer. Lastly is the refugee services, where Kamil works, which helps people settle that have come from all around the world to the Houston area. Kamil’s job is as the community engagement coordinator. He finds gaps in areas of service, reaches out to community resources, attends speaking engagements, runs programs to help refugees beyond essential services, et...

  Alice Korkin Mr. Roddy IHSS April 26, 2020 ED Interview With Nicole Kestenbaum Nicole Kestenbaum is a social media influencer. She posts blogs and different content on Instagram. She has a part-time job in marketing and loves photography. Nicole also has type one diabetes. During our interview she didn’t just answer my questions in one sentence, I knew that she loved the topic of body positivity and enjoys helping people out in that topic. My first question was how she first started getting involved in the topic of eating disorders and having a positive relationship with food. She said that when she was a teenager there were social media, like today, but it wasn’t advanced at all. The kids didn’t know that the models on tv and magazines could be photoshopped or edited. She thought this was the norm. When she became an adult she decided not to restrict herself from different activities or foods. Having a positive mentality lets her share her experiences with others. I asked he...

 Natalie Gross Mr. Roddy IHSS April 10, 2021 Disability Discrimination in the Workplace               When people think about discrimination, they usually think about discrimination based on gender or race, Most people don't think about disability. According to the unemployment rate of disabled Americans is 12.6%, compared to the 6% of all Americans. When the ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, was passed, many companies seemed like they were helping by adding ramps, automatic doors, and handicapped parking spots, but in reality, this only provided them ways to get in the building, not to get in the company. While the ADA says that you can't discriminate against people with disabilities, there is still a way to get around that today, it stated that private employers with at least 15 employees must follow it, leaving employers with less than that able to disregard the whole thing. The ADA also says that the employer must provide...

The hijab is something that has been gaining a lot of attention recently because France has put a ban on it. However, that was not the only thing that received a ban. The law that made hijabs illegal to wear was a law that banned face coverings; this law included hijabs. The law did make women who were over 18 able to wear them; this still doesn't allow many people the ability to follow their religion and what they believe in. But this is not the first time something like this has happened. In 2004 France had a law passed that banned all religious items that could not be worn in public schools this included crosses, kippah and even clothing one of those being the hijab. This law however gave the schools the jurisdiction to decide if the law was being broken or not. I can't imagine not being someone the teachers had a grudge towards. Five years after in 2009 the government of France passed a law that  made it illegal to wear any kind of religious veil anywhere. And 80% of all vo...

  The Anti-Trans Wave Washing Across Our Nation  In the past few years there has been a significant increase in anti-trans movements within the US Government and surrounding organizations. Two specific bills that have been circulating through more than 28 states have been the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act (SAFE Act)” and the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act”.  The SAFE Act states that trans youth under the age of 18 cannot receive gender-confirming medical treatment. This includes, puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and gender confirming surgery. The problem with this act is that it prohibits life saving care from a community that is known to have an extremely high rate of suicide.  A large portion of these suicides are due to dysphoria. However, studies have been done that show that the use of these gender confirming treatments have provided great aid to people struggling with dysphoria. I can understand delaying the use of hormone therapy and gender...

     Up to two-thirds of transgender youth consider suicide, not because they are transgender but because they are shamed for being transgender. Often families will not understand their transgender child. Many transgender and other LGBTQ+ persons will even be kicked out of their house by their parents. In Alabama, both the Senate and the House of Representatives are considering a vote on the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act . This act prohibits gender change therapy for minors as well as the withholding of certain related information from parents.       Alabama is the first state to pass a bill that would directly interfere with a transgender youth’s medical decisions — even in cases where they have the support and blessing of their parents.  It was really surprising to me when I found out that the Senate voted 23-4 to approve the bill and that the House has already passed a similar measure. The bill would make it a felony for medica...

 India Riley Mr.Roddy IHSS March 9, 2021 Arkansas' Anti-Trans Bill This Monday, Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill banning healthcare to transgender minors. Not only is this new law going to hurt thousands, but it has significantly put back the trans-Americans currently fighting for their equality. Children who seek puberty blockers or hormone therapy are being declined and cannot change their appearance to be consistent with their gender identity. Asa claimes that "there is no going back once you make the decision to be on hormones that change your current gender." not only is this incorrect, but it's spread lots of misinformation. Anyone that receives these medications will discontinue them at any time, and the side effects are quickly reversed. That is why this is such a blatant human rights infringement since it denies people access to primary healthcare in an entire state. Declining puberty blockers can be highly irreversible. They would be going thro...