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Media & Public Writing

I write and speak for public audiences about aging, health, medicine, and social policy. My goal is to translate research into conversations that matter beyond academic journals.

This page collects op-eds, essays, interviews, public talks, and video appearances, as well as commentary on current policy debates and emerging research.

If you're a journalist or editor looking for expertise on health equity, gender-affirming care, aging, or the social impact of public policy, this is the best place to start.

Topics I Cover

My public-facing work often focuses on:

  • LGBTQ+ health and healthcare systems
  • Gender-affirming care and public policy
  • Aging, dementia risk, and inequality
  • Workplace discrimination and long-term health
  • Health regulation and medical governance
  • Translating science for policymakers
  • Ethics, evidence, and public debate

Select Op-Eds & Essays

New research shows coming out is still risky. Washington Blade. December 2025

Supreme Court’s conversion therapy case tests if science matters. Washington Blade. October 2025.

What good are rights when you can’t afford to use them? The Advocate. Reprinted on Yahoo! News. July 2025.

LGBTQ people must stand with immigrants now. Washington Blade. June 2025.

Science must not be a weapon against trans people. Washington Blade. April 2025.

US v Skrmetti is a public health disaster. The Advocate. December 2024.

RFK Jr. as HHS secretary spells trouble for trans healthcare.” Washington Blade. November 2024.

Transgender regret? Research challenges narratives about gender-affirming surgeries. The Conversation. (Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese). January 2024.

Interviews & Media Appearances

Dr. Harry Barbee on the moral panic targeting trans youth. Well Beings News. (Interviewed, quoted in article). January 2026.

Coverage of research on coming out and suicide vulnerability. NPR News. December 2025. (Interviewed, sound bite played in newscast).

UPMC Children’s included in federal letter targeting gender care restrictions. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 2025. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

White House order NIH to research trans ‘regret’ and ‘detransition.’ NPR. April 2025. (Interviewed, quoted in article and radio program).

Exclusive: Trump White House direct NIH to study ‘regret’ after transgender people transition. Nature. April 2025. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

Reversal of progress: protecting gender- affirming care in Trump’s America. Clinical Advisor. April 2025. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

Parents and hospitals alike navigate shifting gender care access after Trump order. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 2025. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

Reversal of Progress: Protecting Gender-Affirming Care in Trump’s America. Endocrinology Advisor. Reprinted in Cardiology Advisor. March 2025. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

Gender, Justice, and Joyful Acts. The Illegal Trans Woman Podcast. January 2025. (Interviewed in podcast).

A Wider Lens on Aging. Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine. May 2024. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

Regret after gender-affirming surgery is virtually nonexistent. Serious Inquiries Only. February 2024. (Interviewed in podcast).

Students caught in the crosshairs of Tennessee’s fiercely debated gender admissions. The Tennessean. October 2022. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

On Instagram, Seeing Between the (Gender) Lines. New York Times Magazine. November 2018. (Interviewed, quoted in article).

Talks & Video

2025 Sommer Klag Advocacy Impact Awards Pitch. I was one of two winners. (My pitch begins at 29:00).

I was interviewed on The Illegal Trans Woman podcast to talk about low levels of surgical regret among transgender patients who receive gender-affirming surgeries.

I presented some of my research on supportive work environments and cognitive health outcomes among LGBTQ+ adults at the 2023 Data-Intensive Research Conference. (Presentation starts at 15:18).

For Journalists & Editors

I'm available for commentary, interviews, and background briefings related to:

  • LGBTQ+ health policy
  • Aging and dementia disparities
  • Health systems and regulation
  • Medical education
  • Discrimination and health outcomes