Thomas Jefferson U hosting ‘Affirmed Voices’ series to give ‘voice therapy’ to ‘non-binary’ and ‘gender-expansive individuals’
‘Affirmed Voices’ is a ‘monthly meeting to learn about and practice your voice with other trans, non-binary, gender-expansive individuals who are also on a journey of vocal discovery to find their authentic voices.’
The university also offers ‘Gender-affirming top surgeries’ and ‘Gender-affirming pelvic health therapy.’
Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania is offering a series of recurring, monthly “voice therapy” events for those who identify as “LGBTQ.”
The event series, “Affirmed Voices,” is a “monthly meeting to learn about and practice your voice with other trans, non-binary, gender-expansive individuals who are also on a journey of vocal discovery to find their authentic voices.”
The school advertises: “Whether you have already started one-one voice therapy and want additional practice, are about to start one-one voice therapy or are interested in learning more about the process of voice modification, join us.”
The event is organized by the university’s Hospital Speech Therapy Department and its College of Rehabilitation Sciences and Einstein Pride Care, and its next iteration will take place on April 17.
So-called “gender-affirming voice therapy” is meant to help men who identify as women modify their voices to sound more like females, and vice versa. Such training can “help change voice characteristics, such as pitch and resonance, as well as voice quality,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
Other schools also offer similar “voice therapy” for transgender-identifying individuals, including Hunter College, the University of Maryland, and the University of Utah.
The University of Colorado Boulder also hosted a “Gender Voice and Communication Training Workshop” in January in which participants could “[c]ritically examine and refine their voice specialized skills and cultural responsiveness for the provision of gender affirming voice services.”
Jefferson Health also offers “Pride Care” services including “Gender-affirming hormone treatment,” “Gender-affirming top surgeries,” and “Gender-affirming pelvic health therapy.”
Transgender surgeries and hormones, which are frequently called “gender-affirming” by their proponents, have been consistently criticized as causing dangerous, lifelong, and irreversible damage to patients.
The university also advertises the MarcDavid LGBTQ+ Scholarship to support students who show “active leadership and advocacy for LGBTQ causes.”
Campus Reform reached out to Thomas Jefferson University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
