Public Art Exhibits

This work emerged as a direct response to the experiences had while planning for the Pride of Rural Virginia community health chat. Despite numerous attempts to secure a primary care physician to speak on our panel we were unable to find any medical doctor willing to commit to our event. It wasn’t just that folks said no or had conflicts, it was the difficulty of it all. The discourtesy, disrespect, the subtext, the microaggressions of it all. It was the overwhelming feelings of sadness and concern for safety. The emotional experiences of being unable to secure a medical doctor to speak at the Pride of Rural Virginia community health chat led to an emergence in feelings of what can only be considered a good ole fashioned personal slight. It should not be difficult to find a medical doctor willing to sit on a stage and tell LGBTQIA+ folx that they will be treated with kindness and dignity.

This work is symbolism and metaphor. This work is intentional. The chairs are a visual representation of the folx that were offered a seat at the table, and they made a choice to not take it. We held space for them, and we acknowledged Their lack of attendance. Attached to the chairs is a 2023 report on LGBTQIA+ patient safety concerns that was commissioned by U.S Department of Health and Human Services. The study states, “Although research to understand the healthcare needs of LGBTQ+ patients and associated disparities in care has increased substantially over the last 15 years, there continues to be a need to understand the specific harms and adverse events that members of the LGBTQ+ population may encounter when accessing healthcare services”. A seat at the table was offered. The seat was not taken. This is what neglect looks like.