Planned Parenthood Regina, a non-profit clinic, recently announced the arrival of their new executive director Julian Wotherspoon, who plans on making the clinic more “inclusive of queer communities.”. Julian Wotherspoon Planned Parenthood Regina .This comes after the clinic celebrated moving to a new location a few months ago..Wotherspoon has taken over from the previous director, Risa Payant, who led the clinic through a tough year when it was closed for most of 2022..“I jumped at the chance to have more of a part,” Wotherspoon told the Leader-Post..“Eighty percent of the time, I’m just a boring administrator. But 20% of the time, it’s this boots-on-the-ground service, education and community building, and I think it’s just what I needed in my life.”.Wotherspoon has a background in non-clinical birth support, health policy, and non-profit management..With her experience, Wotherspoon said she feels comfortable leading the sexual health clinic..Wotherspoon describes herself on the Healthy Campus Saskatchewan as “she/her is a queer neurodiverse white settler woman, single parent, and community organizer living and learning in Treaty 4 Territory.”.Although her role began in May, this is not her first time working in the reproductive health sector..Wotherspoon has been an outspoken supporter of sexual health and reproductive rights in Regina for “some time” and is one of the organizers of the Regina Abortion Support Network, which was recently established..“It’s about community care, for me,” she Wotherspoon..“I have just this vested interest in expanding the reproductive justice and reproductive health space, particularly in Regina, to be inclusive of queer communities.”. Trans PronounsTrans pronouns .Wotherspoon recognizes that reproductive rights have been a hot topic lately and the clinic's closure for most of last year was a challenging obstacle to its goal of providing accessible care..Before the closure, Planned Parenthood Regina saw an average of 735 clients per month..However, in 2022, except for pop-up clinics, in-person services were suspended, and phone consultations were restricted..Although the clinic is not yet back to its pre-closure capacity, Wotherspoon noted a positive atmosphere since reopening in January in a renovated downtown location on Albert Street..“We have a new team who is just absolutely so dynamic and just so eager to be at work every day, and just at the heart, just want to help people,” said Wotherspoon..“It makes me excited about the future and that I’ve been gifted this position where I get to support growth, but it almost feels like a renewal at the same time.”.Wotherspoon's objective is to improve capacity and revive the non-profit's mission of providing medical services and educational programs..“It’s really a bridge between the community and these larger systems that we’re working alongside of, within and around,” said Wotherspoon..Wotherspoon focuses on establishing a secure, gender-inclusive environment that actively engages with young people..“We are here to serve everybody who comes in the door, but we really want to make sure that it’s easiest for youth to get in the door,” said Wotherspoon..“And for me, particularly, queer and trans youth who maybe don’t have access to information or parental support.”.Wotherspoon pointed out that young adults face a challenging situation, as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted sexual health education in school settings..Wotherspoon worries about the increased use of digital health tools, such as eHealth, becoming more common than in-person appointments..“Parents have an unprecedented amount of access to their [children’s] medical records, and they’re aware of it,” said Wotherspoon..“So, we have this perfect storm brewing, with youth who don’t have the education that they should have and who are worried about their privacy.”.According to Wotherspoon, resuming educational programming, which has been on hold for several years, will “significantly address” these challenges for young people..“The most exciting part for me is like, Planned Parenthood is going to do what Planned Parenthood has always done, for the last 30 years, and that is to provide its services in the best way possible,” said Wotherspoon.
