OmiSoore Dryden
OmiSoore Dryden | |
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| Website | omisooredryden |
OmiSoore H. Dryden is an academic whose work aims to identify barriers queer Black men encounter when donating blood in Canada.
Early life and education
[edit]Dryden earned her PhD in social justice education from the Ontario Institute for the Study of Education and the University of Toronto. Her dissertation focused on how blood donation regulations discriminate against queer people with a specific focus on Black queer people.[1]
Career
[edit]While working as an assistant professor of women's, gender and sexuality studies at Thorneloe University in Sudbury, Ontario, Dryden received funding from Canadian Blood Services to study racist and homophobic attitudes and stigmas perpetuated by blood donation questionnaires.[2]
Dryden is the James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies in the faculty of medicine at Dalhousie University,[3] where she is also an associate professor in the department of community health and epidemiology.[4] Dryden was first Black person appointed to the Nova Scotia Health Authority Board of Directors. The Board was disbanded in 2021.[5] In 2025, Dryden was appointed to the Dalhousie University School of Nursing.[6]
Personal life
[edit]Dryden identifies as a Black queer femme.[7] She moved to Nova Scotia in 2019.[5] Dryden has Crohn's disease[8]
Publications
[edit]- "Canadians Denied: A Queer Diasporic Analysis of the Canadian Blood Donor" in Canadian Perspectives in Sexualities Studies:Identities, Experiences, and the Contexts of Change (2012)
- "Má-ka Juk Yuh: A Genealogy of Black Queer Liveability in Toronto" in Queering Urban Justice: Queer of Colour Formations in Toronto (2018)
- "It's in Us to Give: Black Life and the Racial Profiling of Blood Donation" in Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada (2020)
- "Who Gets To Do Medicine: Black Canadian Studies and Medical Education." Special Issue Black Studies in Canada. TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies (2022)
Books
- Disrupting Queer Inclusion: Canadian Homonationalisms and the Politics of Belonging, co-edited with Suzanne Lenon (2015)
- Chapter: “A Queer Too Far”: Blackness, Gay Blood and Transgressive Possibilities"
- Got Blood to Give: Anti-Black Homophobia in Blood Donation (2024)[9]
References
[edit]- ^ Diverlus, Pascale (2019-02-22). "Five Black queer activists to celebrate beyond Black History Month". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ "Sudbury researcher says blood donation questions 'racist,' unfairly target gay men". CBC. 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ Reeder, Matt (2021-12-16). "Dal embraces Black studies research with new university‑wide institute". Dalhousie News. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ Ramesar, Vernon (2021-04-15). "Expert says race-based health data in Nova Scotia 'a great start' to addressing systemic racism". CBC. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ a b Cooke, Alex (2021-09-02). "1st Black member of Nova Scotia Health board of directors was 'stunned' by dismissal". Global News. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ "Dr. OmiSoore Dryden's appointment to the School of Nursing". Dalhousie University. 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ Dryden, OmiSoore (2020-07-19). "Dr. OmiSoore Dryden: Racism is a queer issue". Nova Scotia Advocate. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ "Anti-Black racism addressed in new course for health-care providers". CBC. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
- ^ "New book examines why Black and queer Canadians may be hesitant to donate blood". CBC. December 2024. Retrieved 2025-02-17.