Michael Haymer - I Am Bruin Pride Winter 2015

Описание: UCLA's LGBT Campus Resource Center proudly presents the I Am Bruin Pride Project, a documentary and archival project honoring the words, stories, and contributions of LGBT students, faculty, staff and alumni of UCLA.

Michael Haymer, class of 2018, is a graduate student at UCLA whose passion for helping others stems from the challenges of his life. His activist work around HIV prevention, LGBTQ rights and transgender equality made him a clear candidate for I Am Bruin Pride. We proudly feature Michael Haymer as our 13th interviewee.

Michael Haymer was raised in Orange County, CA. He self-identified as gay early yet expressing himself in a conservative atmosphere meant relentless bullying; however Michael found that these qualities were fundamental to his personhood. During this time, Michael became interested in medicine after watching his single mother struggle without health insurance. He saw UCLA as a beacon and dreamed of becoming a future Bruin.

As a UCLA undergraduate, Michael experienced homelessness for about 6 months and this inspired him to co-found the Happy Feet Clinic. Prior to starting medical school in the dual-degree PRIME Program, Michael worked as a community educator and conducted research on the use of GPS-enabled applications for HIV prevention. Tragically, Michael’s mother passed away from complications of diabetes in his first year. Michael rebounded from this tragic loss and serving vulnerable populations is a tribute to his mother.

Michael is actively involved in transgender health research and helped change UCLA’s LGBTQ patient-related policies. He is dedicated to educating providers about LGBTQ health, has planned several conferences, and is an editor for a novel LGBTQ health textbook. In recognition of his efforts, Michael received the UCLA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Award and is a Point Foundation Scholar.

"I Am Bruin Pride" team, Jack Kaden, Produced Winter quarter, 2015.
Title Music by Nick Esposito VIII.