Reception | 3:30 - 4 p.m.

Event | 4 - 5 p.m.

The Robert E. Lang Memorial Fellowship is awarded annually to support an outstanding UNLV Ph.D. student completing a dissertation in metropolitan public policy broadly defined. At the end of their fellowship year, fellows present their doctoral research in a public forum. The 2024 -25 Robert E. Lang Memorial Fellow Emylia Terry will present a lecture titled "Sexual and Gender Minorities in Our Community: Policy Recommendations to Address Discrimination-Related Stresses."

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals face a wide range of mental and physical health challenges, which contribute to higher rates of suicide. SGM individuals encounter distress, discrimination, and in some cases, harmful anti-LGBTQIA+ laws and policies that contribute to additional mental and physical health stress.

A web-based survey of 1,034 SGM participants in the United States measured the types and frequency of discrimination occurrences and related distress. The survey considers the variety of interactions between individuals and their relationships, while also measuring the community and societal factors that affect health outcomes for SGM individuals.

This research evaluates many variables for discrimination-related stresses for SGM individuals including hearing news reports about transgender sports ban legislation as a significant predictor of discrimination-related distress. Recommendations for effective laws and public policies that protect members of the SGM community from discrimination and consider the rights of other segments of our society will be presented.

About the Speaker

Emylia Terry is a graduate student in the UNLV School of Public Health completing a Ph.D. in public health. Her research focuses on health disparities and the role of public policy in mitigating inequities, with a focus on the LGBTQIA+ community. Emylia is currently a research associate for the Center for Health Disparities Research and the Rainbows of Aging research teams. After earning her doctorate, Emylia hopes to attend law school and concentrate on public health law and legal epidemiology, with the goal of continuing to advocate for health equity for all Nevadans.