Access Champion: Dr. Jae Puckett

October 22, 2024 - Emily Jodway

Dr. Jae Puckett is our Access Champion for the month of October. During this month, we celebrate LGBT History Month, acknowledging the continued progress and struggles of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, as well as the numerous ways these individuals have contributed to our country. An Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology’s Ecological/Community Psychology program and Director of Trans-ilience: The Transgender Stress and Resilience Research Team, Puckett has devoted much of their time and research to creating a more inclusive and affirming environment for those in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Originally from North Carolina, Puckett was raised in a very rural area and experienced issues of marginalization and stigma commonly associated with growing up queer and trans. They knew early on that they wanted to work in a field that could help make a positive and tangible difference in the lives of other trans and nonbinary individuals. When completing a master’s degree at Barry University, they learned they could bridge their dedication to LGBTQ+ communities with their studies in psychology. They credit their graduate program at the University of Massachusetts Boston as being particularly transformative, as it brought a social justice focus to their clinical psychology education, and Puckett was able to be part of a research team focused on work in LGBTQ+ communities. 

“When I got my postdoctoral position [at Northwestern], I chose to really center my focus on trans and nonbinary communities,” Puckett added. “There are many unique experiences within this community and they often get overlooked when doing research that is more broadly LGBTQ+ focused.”

Puckett’s research documents the experiences of stigma and marginalization often encountered by these individuals, as well as the negative health outcomes of prejudice that can stem from this marginalization. Often, trans and nonbinary people face significant challenges when navigating healthcare services for both physical and mental health. They may face barriers to access and marginalization in mental health services, as well as difficulty finding providers who offer trans and nonbinary affirming care and understanding. Puckett is working to understand the origin and production of these health disparities, as well as coping methods and resilience strategies that those in trans and nonbinary communities can implement in the face of adverse life events. 

This idea of resilience is one that creates the nucleus for much of Puckett’s work. One of their roles at MSU is directing the Trans-ilience Research Lab, a group of faculty and students working in the community to study the pathways of resistance and resilience to social oppression and marginalization that transgender and nonbinary people face. Their hope is to find ways to apply this research to advocacy efforts as well as clinical practices to improve healthcare services. 

Puckett describes resilience as a “complex experience” that can often be shoeboxed into finding ways to overcome hardships rather than looking to find the root of these systemic issues.

“I think we need to complicate the ways that we view experiences of resilience,” Puckett said. “I like to think of resilience in more expansive ways- it might include the traditional definition of ‘bouncing back’ from challenges, but can also include a multitude of other expressions.” Puckett further explains that resilience can be embodied in the ways that individuals show up for one another in their community, or through the creation of healthy boundaries with oppressive people or contexts.

“Not all resilience is an individual experience, and I like to think of it more from an ecological perspective to recognize the ways that resilience can come up or be embodied at the individual, interpersonal, community and societal levels.”

Puckett also stresses the importance of the creation of inclusive and gender-affirming spaces for these individuals in addition to resilience and coping mechanisms. Many trans and nonbinary people experience prejudice and marginalization on a daily basis, and for some it can be hard to find supportive individuals in their communities. Lack of support from friends and family, hardships faced in school or the workplace and other obstacles can take a serious toll on mental and physical health.

“This is all in addition to the broader anti-trans rhetoric and hostile sociopolitical climate that simultaneously negatively impacts the community as well,” Puckett said. “Having a place of respite or opportunities to connect with others in the community can be life-saving in this context.”

Puckett is grateful for spaces at MSU in which they can enhance their learning and research while surrounded by like-minded students and colleagues. They are a member of the MSU Sexual and Gender Minority Health Consortium, a group devoted to research on gender and sexuality. 

“Working with marginalized communities can be isolating at times, and having a place to connect here at MSU has been extremely helpful,” they said. 

Working so closely with other members of the trans and nonbinary community is one of Puckett’s favorite parts of their job. It circles back to their initial desire to make a tangible difference in the lives of these individuals. Being able to get out in the community and meet people struggling with these issues and finding ways to stay resilient is something they are very grateful for. 

“I am deeply committed to making sure that research goes beyond just publishing in academic journals,” they explained. “I want my work to be meaningful and impactful to the lived realities of trans and nonbinary communities. Trans and nonbinary people are centered in the work that we do rather than being added on or an afterthought. The most meaningful part of this work to me is seeing the ways that we can make a real impact in these communities.”

During LGBT History Month, Puckett finds it comforting to read and learn more about historical events related to the LGBT community. “It helps me feel connected to others and to our collective efforts for social change,” they said. 

“History is critical to creating our way forward. Learning from the past helps us to have hope for the future, and there are many lessons we can learn from across the generations of trans activism and advocacy. LGBT History month also provides a time to honor our past and the contributions of those who came before us.”