As a psychiatrist, I am concerned about presidential actions, particularly the targeted attacks against LGBTQ+ people, and specifically transgender children’s ability to access medical care and their ability to participate in athletics. I spent a decade working in a multidisciplinary gender clinic. Transgender youth represent a small minority of youth who deserve our care and […]

Sen. Susan Collins has not held a town hall meeting in at least 20 years. That is really shameful. Mainers elected her to represent us, and yet she does not respond to emails or calls or offer a town hall meeting to hear directly from her constituents. So very disappointing. We need to know if […]

Do people really believe that fixating on kids’ genitals makes them safer? From athletes at the Summer Olympics, to our neighbors in the Cumberland School District, there is a growing obsession with trans people in sports. As an after-school, nursery and classroom teacher, I’ve worked with kids in several contexts. I’m very familiar with best […]

I can be silent no longer. Thank you, Portland Press Herald, for making conscious (and sometimes unpopular) decisions to maintain your standards and keep us informed. Thank you for featuring more high school sports. Thank you for combining a recent weekend’s two editions into one to keep our delivery person safe and off the road […]

As big corporations steamroll local communities, Portland faces a pivotal moment: will we preserve the soul of our city, or will we hand it over to Live Nation? This proposed 3,300-capacity venue is the equivalent of a Walmart moving into town — driving out independent businesses, increasing traffic issues and erasing the character that makes […]

Gov. Janet Mills may wish to pick her battles more carefully. Her determination to include male athletes (those who are born male and later opt for a female identity) in female sports is questionable. She risks the chance of female injuries, perhaps seriously, during contact sports. Nationwide, these injuries have done lifelong harm from competitors […]

Linda Morrison’s Feb. 23 op-ed on mending our nation’s polarization suggested the political left “look in the mirror” before asserting personal opinions as truth. Some political analysis also suggests Democrats contributed to President Trump’s two victories by demeaning and ignoring legitimate concerns of certain Americans, due to their beliefs and values. Remember “the deplorables”? The […]

Sport can be transformative. It hones fine motor skills, teamwork and discipline. Sports help us through major life upheavals, provides safety nets and creates community. For women, sports can be especially empowering. An Ernst & Young report found that 94% of C-suite women were athletes. Women’s sport certainly needs our collective help, but banning trans […]