Skip Kirkwood resigns from NEMSMA

[NomadicMedic]

I saw this start on Facebook last week and am impressed that NEMSMA cut ties so quickly.

Dear NEMSMA members, On Friday, July 2nd, several members made the National EMS Management Association's (NEMSMA) leadership aware of comments made on social media by Director-at-Large Skip Kirkwood. The Board has reviewed the issue and agrees the statements by Mr. Kirkwood were inappropriate, insensitive, and not representative of NEMSMA's values. Director Kirkwood has apologized to the Board of Directors, affirmed that he did not intend to speak ill of any person or group, and has offered his resignation. The Board has accepted Skip's immediate resignation. The NEMSMA Seven Pillars of National EMS Officer Competencies were published in 2014, which serves as the basis for our paramedic officer certification programs. Pillar #6 – Social Responsibility includes valuing diversity, among other traits. In alignment with the pillars, we will work to strengthen the code of conduct in our bylaws and the process to enforce that code as needed moving forward. NEMSMA is an inclusive organization that welcomes the diversity of our members regardless of organizational size, corporate structure, ownership, or philosophy. We value our members from various EMS system models, organizational structures, and agency affiliations. NEMSMA has always been and continues to be a collaborative and inclusive organization that encourages diversity and celebrates our differences. Our LGBTQI+ members and colleagues are wonderful examples of this inclusive association and should feel like they belong in our profession and our association. The NEMSMA Board of Directors and Executive Director not only stand behind but advocate for equity in support of LGBTQI+ leaders, clinicians, and patients. We realize that diversity, inclusion, and equity are even more important in 2021, and we will be working to improve NEMSMA's efforts in this area moving forward. As always, we are open to input from our members as we try to build the next generation of leaders in paramedicine.

 

[PotatoMedic]

Apparently I missed something. But I also avoid work related stuff on my days off.

 

[E tank]

What did he say?

 

[NomadicMedic]

While commenting on an EMS1 article, he made some statements regarding the fair and equitable treatment of transgender patients that were not well thought out or received well.

 

[GMCmedic]

If this is the same skip kirkwood who's Facebook profile is public, I'm surprised it took this long.

Politics are best kept to yourself.

 

[E tank]

While commenting on an EMS1 article, he made some statements regarding the fair and equitable treatment of transgender patients that were not well thought out or received well.

but were they accurate?

 

[CCCSD]

but were they accurate?

Doesn’t matter nowadays…

 

[DrParasite]

If this is the same skip kirkwood who's Facebook profile is public, I'm surprised it took this long.

Politics are best kept to yourself.

Why? are his opinions any less valid than yours? He just so happens to be an out and proud conservative, when it's not cool to have conservative beliefs. And he's retired, so it's not like he is going to lose his job over his beliefs

While commenting on an EMS1 article, he made some statements regarding the fair and equitable treatment of transgender patients that were not well thought out or received well.

I read many of the comments he made... his comments weren't received well, but his points were actually well thought out (opinions, based on his experience), albeit unpopular. I don't agree with them (and others made much worse comments in that thread), but he can say what he wants. And deal with any consequences. Truth be told, I don't think it was as bad as many were claiming, and NEMSA was simply doing damage control to prevent the loss of support, but who knows.

Until 2 days ago, I haven't heard of a trans person ever being mistreated by EMS.... I message the author of this article, and she advised me of one documented case from 1995 in DC, and I was told of one in 2015 in NYC but couldn't find any additional details. His point was that it wasn't as common as people were making it out to be because he would never tolerate it at any agency that he was a leader in. From personal experience, I have always treated trans and all cis and queer people the same, so maybe Skip was right, and this mistreatment wasn't as commonplace as some thought?

BTW, it was actually a really comprehensive article, and I recommend everyone reading it.

Advocating, caring for transgender patients

No patient should be worried about discrimination in the back of an ambulance

www.ems1.com

But I absolutely agree with the article:

No [transgender] patient should be worried about discrimination in the back of an ambulance​

I just don't know how common this type of discrimination is in EMS, esp considering we have quite a few openly queer people in this field.

 

[CCCSD]

It’s not. They are making another issue up to show how discrimination is rampant in EMS.

 

[GMCmedic]

Why? are his opinions any less valid than yours? He just so happens to be an out and proud conservative, when it's not cool to have conservative beliefs. And he's retired, so it's not like he is going to lose his job over his beliefs

I read many of the comments he made... his comments weren't received well, but his points were actually well thought out (opinions, based on his experience), albeit unpopular. I don't agree with them (and others made much worse comments in that thread), but he can say what he wants. And deal with any consequences. Truth be told, I don't think it was as bad as many were claiming, and NEMSA was simply doing damage control to prevent the loss of support, but who knows.

Until 2 days ago, I haven't heard of a trans person ever being mistreated by EMS.... I message the author of this article, and she advised me of one documented case from 1995 in DC, and I was told of one in 2015 in NYC but couldn't find any additional details. His point was that it wasn't as common as people were making it out to be because he would never tolerate it at any agency that he was a leader in. From personal experience, I have always treated trans and all cis and queer people the same, so maybe Skip was right, and this mistreatment wasn't as commonplace as some thought?

BTW, it was actually a really comprehensive article, and I recommend everyone reading it.

Advocating, caring for transgender patients

No patient should be worried about discrimination in the back of an ambulance

www.ems1.com

But I absolutely agree with the article:

No [transgender] patient should be worried about discrimination in the back of an ambulance​

I just don't know how common this type of discrimination is in EMS, esp considering we have quite a few openly queer people in this field.

Like it or not, it's not a great time to be a Conservative. Whether or not that makes people stop and think about what they post, is on them, and he did lose a job so there is that.

 

[Fezman92]

BTW, it was actually a really comprehensive article, and I recommend everyone reading it.

It seems like it’s just basic sense stuff.

 

[E tank]

It’s not. They are making another issue up to show how discrimination is rampant.

FTFY. The problem, in the end, isn't 'discrimination'. It's people being tools. And that goes without saying. But it serves a lucrative popular narrative currently to appropriate people being d***s and assigning that to advance an agenda that divides and marginalizes...danged if it isn't working, too...

 

[Tigger]

None of us have any idea how rampant this discrimination is. Relying on reported cases to gauge a problem when the whole issue is that people are not comfortable speaking up for themselves isn't really going to work. This article sought to provide some education and tips, and why any sort of nefarious purpose for it is the immediate comment is quite unfortunate.

 

[E tank]

meh...an article on the inherent dignity of people would have been a whole lot shorter and more relevant. As well meaning as it probably was, it just services the victim culture narrative that feeds the greater culture war that has gained such a strong foothold.

What do I do when I don't understand the cultural particulars of a patient I'm treating? Be nice, that's what. Like literally every other single person I know. And were they not, I'd call them out right then and there.

But when everyone from ESPN to some ems website to my own hospital is taking up constant, unrelenting progressive race/gender imaging and messaging that I resist at my own peril, there's a lot more going on than 'education and tip's'.

 

[NomadicMedic]

None of us have any idea how rampant this discrimination is. Relying on reported cases to gauge a problem when the whole issue is that people are not comfortable speaking up for themselves isn't really going to work. This article sought to provide some education and tips, and why any sort of nefarious purpose for it is the immediate comment is quite unfortunate.

If you read any research on the subject, you can clearly see that documented discrimination and the fear of discrimination among the trans population is an issue.

This quote from a study exploring the health care experiences of trans nonbinary people shows it's NOT a sporadic instance, "Our results clearly indicate that there are major differences in who is able to access respectful healthcare providers. Over one-third of the total sample (37.01%) had experienced a provider not treating them respectfully when knowing about their TNB identity. Those experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts were significantly less likely to have had a provider treat them with respect."(Kattari, Bakko, Hecht, & Kattari, 2019).

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827319303246)

Transgender individuals belong to one of the most stigmatized groups in society and gender-nonconforming people may experience harassment or discrimination from people who are scared or uncomfortable with these identities.

No one has the right to discriminate against another person, or to hurt them emotionally or physically. Especially a person who has a senior leadership role in the National EMS Management Association. You can look at it any way you like, but I believe there is no excuse for targeting trans people.

 

[DrParasite]

No one has the right to discriminate against another person, or to hurt them emotionally or physically. Especially a person who has a senior leadership role in the National EMS Management Association. You can look at it any way you like, but I believe there is no excuse for targeting trans people.

Hold on... that's not what happened. No one from NEMSA's senior leadership said otherwise. Skip didn't say otherwise. if anything, you can say he wasn't sensitive to their concerns, or downplayed that it was a major issue, but he NEVER advocated for the targetting of trans people.

To say otherwise is a false accusation, a bold face lie, and is a complete misrepresentation of what occurred

 

[NomadicMedic]

“another made up woke concern to further the alleged victimhood of a group.”

Read that and tell me that he has not marginalized trans people.

 

[Fezman92]

Yikes

 

[IFRMedic]

typical boomer FB profile. good riddance.

 

[GMCmedic]

typical boomer FB profile. good riddance.

Typical Gen Z'r.


See how generalizations work?

Be an adult, don't call people boomer.