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‘Resisting moral panic one stanza at a time,’ professor says

A Western Oregon University professor’s poem about getting a “gender-affirming” hysterectomy appeared in the new issue of the journal Health Promotion Practice this month.

Lauren Bouchard, (pictured) the author of the poem, identifies as “non-binary” and uses “they/them” pronouns. Bouchard is an assistant professor of gerontology at Western Oregon University.

“This poem is me living a vibrant, queer life in academia and at my family’s kitchen table, resisting moral panic one stanza at a time,” the female professor wrote in the introduction to the poem.

The introduction — which shifted between first and third person, referring to the professor as “the author” at the beginning and “me” toward the end — described her as privileged because she was able to get a hysterectomy despite legislation that “target[s] trans and non-binary people.”

“The author of this poem accessed life-changing, gender-affirming care partly due to educational, racial, and geographic privilege,” according to the introduction.

The poem, “They was Patient,” appeared on a page of the journal titled “Poetry for the Public’s Health.” Colin Wright, an evolutionary biologist and editor-in-chief of Reality’s Last Stand, posted images of it on X.

It began:

“My hysterectomy was the jackpot
“After years playing fruity fertility slots”

Another stanza read:

“We showed our care to They Them Theirs
“and it wasn’t even June yet
“We was pros at nouns, and our notes were EPIC”

According to the journal, Bouchard wrote the poem, in part, to point out that even well-intentioned healthcare providers can be ignorant and transphobic.

“Allies who have not unpacked their transphobia may cause harm, even in seemingly innocuous interactions. Public health can benefit from the irreverence of gender euphoria,” the professor wrote.

Reacting on X, Wright described the poem as “bizarre,” especially for a journal focused on “health promotion and disease prevention.”

“Why is this published in a peer-reviewed health journal?” the Manhattan Institute fellow wrote. “What does peer review even entail for a piece like this?”

MORE: Professor: Parents are ‘fragile,’ their kids belong to the community

IMAGE: Portland State University, Colin Wright/X

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