SE2/EP 13: Conversation with Uchenna L. Umeh Dr. Lulu – A loving Nigerian Mom Supporting LGBTQ+ Community

I came across Dr. Lulu on June 25th, 2021. While watching CBS that morning, Dr. Lulu was featured among many other parents on the show who are showing support for Gay Pride. Seeing her talking about Gay pride and her support for her child on national TV was a breath of fresh air. Especially within the African immigrant community, being gay is frowned upon and seen as taboo. To be gay or a parent of a gay child is not acceptable in our countries in Africa. Being declared gay in a place like Nigeria could lead to many years in imprisonment or even get killed. After seeing Dr. Lulu, I immediately send her an email asking if she would like to be a guest on Pánsá Pánsá Podcast. With my finger crossed and hoping that she would respond with yes, I was surprised and happy when she accepted the invitation. This conversation is much needed in our community especially coming from a loving mother who accepted her dear child as a member of LGBTQ+. Dr. Lulu is a former Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force, Uchenna L. Umeh (Dr. Lulu aka The Momatrician) is a Nigerian-born board-certified pediatrician, global speaker on youth suicide prevention, 4-time bestselling author of How to Teach Your Children About Racism and The Warrior Women Project. She is a certified life coach and mother of three. She is also the CEO of Dr. Lulu’s Youth Health Center and Dr. Lulu’s Life Coaching Lounge, dedicated to parents of LGBTQ+ youth and youth suicide prevention. Herself a survivor of personal traumas and suicidality, she started speaking publicly following the suicides of colleagues and a patient. She has dedicated her life and work to suicide prevention in youth through speaking, books, and online courses. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and mother of a non-binary young adult, she coaches parents helping them accept, understand, and support their LGBTQ+ children to thrive, flourish and live their lives out loud without judgment or limitations. Her upcoming book is on the positive parenting of LGBTQ+ children. A regular on media outlets, she is a 2-time TEDx speaker and active on various social media platforms. In addition to freelance writing for magazines, her first podcast, Suicide Pages with Dr. Lulu, focuses on suicide prevention, her brand-new podcast; The Pride Corner, focuses on parental acceptance of LGBTQ+ children. She blogs at Words by Black Butterfly. The “Nigerians have recognized her work in the Diaspora Commission” of Nigeria and the Texas State House of Representatives. She has been featured on prime-time television in San Antonio, The Washington Post, Parents Magazine, Blackpast.org, The African Magazine, Thrive Global, etc., and has been interviewed by The History Channel. In this conversation, Dr. Lulu discusses her background, including family and professional background, most notably the activism she has been engaging in, including LGBTQ+, mental health, and suicide prevention. The discussion extended to Immigrant Experience, Race and Identity, and her pride as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She further talked about the barriers to why many Africans do not disclose their gender identity or sexual orientation to their parents and their community. Dr. Lulu emphasizes during our discussion that family support transforms the lives of members of the LGBTQ+ community. With family and community support and acceptance of our LGBTQ+ members of our community, we are improving their mental and emotional health and preventing suicide among one of the vulnerable groups. Dr. Lulu is normalizing conversations about LGBTQ+ and their allies within the African immigrants’ community and beyond. To learn follow Dr. Lulu on social media, please log on or follow her on social media page @ https://www.facebook.com/uchenna.umeh.9/ https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@drlulu https://www.instagram.com/askdoctorlulu/