What drew you to the role of Deputy Editor for Global LGBTQ+ Health, and why do you see the journal as particularly important at this moment?
I was keen to take on the Deputy Editor role to support the work of our wonderful Editors-in-Chief. The work of Global LGBTQ+ Health feels especially important today, as we grapple with major shifts in political systems and funding landscapes that deeply affect LGBTQ+ people around the world. The journal also holds a commitment to epistemic justice in global health, which I see as a response to the ways global health architectures have privileged research and evidence that fail to capture the complexities of LGBTQ+ lives across the globe.
As Deputy Editor, how do you see your role in supporting the Editors-in-Chief and the wider Editorial Board, and what do you hope to contribute in this leadership position?
This is my first senior editorial role, and I am excited to bring my experience of writing, reviewing, and publishing across global and public health scholarly spaces. Through this role, I also hope to platform and elevate LGBTQ+ scholarship, community practice, and narratives from Asia and the Pacific.
In what ways has your career path influenced your perspective on LGBTQ+ health research and your approach to editorial work?
As someone who inhabits and lives with multiple stigmatised and marginalised identities, research began as a way of better understanding myself. My ability to connect personal troubles — HIV, substance dependence, mental health challenges — to public issues was born out of my sociological training. I have since sought to apply sociological lenses to better articulate the public health issues faced by LGBTQ+ communities. Entering research as a person with lived and living experience, a patient, and a community member has also allowed me to sit with what it means to occupy dual positionalities within privileged, scholarly spaces. This has shaped my approach to equity, inclusion, and representation in co-designing research, and to contesting the power structures and dogmas that allow such inequities to persist.
Which emerging topics or underexplored areas in LGBTQ+ health do you think the journal is well placed to highlight?
Given the scope of the journal, I believe we have work to do across several areas. I am pleased that the initial special collections reflect some of these priorities, including queer, trans, and non-binary health, and sexualised drug use (or 'chemsex'). These are under-researched areas that stem from structural issues and global health dynamics: funding priorities, political determinants, and stigma and discrimination. Such work is too often deprioritised, and where it does exist, it tends to reflect scholarship from better-resourced settings.
What guidance would you offer to early-career researchers who are looking to publish and build a profile in LGBTQ+ health research?
This may apply to any field, but reflecting on my own experience: ensure that your research remains equitable and is done in partnership with LGBTQ+ communities. Being from the community yourself doesn't automatically make your research community-engaged. Build long-term partnerships, integrate yourself into LGBTQ+ community activities, and support those at the forefront of practice in equitable ways. You will find no shortage of inspiration or ideas for impactful research. And even when traditional funding is out of reach, we have seen communities and researchers band together to get work done in ways that spur both scientific innovation and positive impact for communities.
Dr Rayner Kay Jin Tan is hosting, alongside Dr Allegra Ferrari, the collection Global Perspectives on Chemsex in the Context of LGBTQ+ Health. Submit now!