As a Queer Reproductive Justice advocate, I choose to challenge the Women’s Health industrial complex that caters to cis, hetero, white women while promoting harmful practices of weight loss, nutrition, spirituality, and cultural appropriation.

I also acknowledge that I have participated in upholding all of these harmful practices in the past and will make mistakes as I continue to learn and unlearn within our racist, patriarchal, heteronormative, ableist, capitalist culture.

I not only want to expand the umbrella of reproductive health to serve queer, trans, and gender non-conforming people–especially those who are Black, Brown, and Indigenous, I also want to reclaim our right to exist, recover our dignity and bring respect and recognition back to our communities.

Queer, trans, and non-binary folks have existed well before colonizers invented the concepts of gender and heteronormativity. White supremacy has intentionally and systematically removed us from the conversation of our own health and reproduction and the time is long overdue to re-center the most marginalized communities among us—in reproductive healthcare and everywhere.

As a queer, non-binary, Latinx fertility acupuncturist, this theme of re-centering marginalized communities in reproductive healthcare is important to me because white supremacy has negatively affected my mental and physical health and well-being throughout my life.

I want to end the cycle of passing this harm to future generations.

From striving to achieve colonial beauty standards to internalizing the pain, shame, and rage that comes from living in a world that values queer non-binary folks even less than cis straight women, it’s no wonder I stayed in the closet for so long, tending to the physical manifestations of these inner conflicts; migraines, endometriosis, anxiety, depression, and sub-fertility.

My mission is to be a part of the restoration of ancient and Indigenous systems of medicine where people of all genders, all sexualities, all abilities, all races, and all socioeconomic backgrounds are seen, valued, and supported in expanding the family and life they desire and deserve.

Josie Rodriguez-Bouchier L.Ac. (they/them)