Being a “sexual minority” in the U.S. is classified as a social determinant of health. Meaning, the discrimination, microaggressions, and higher levels of existential stress faced by the LGBTQ+ community equates to some of the worst health outcomes of any group in the U.S. As a non-binary health coach, educator, and queer health advocate, I’m working to help improve the behavioral and physical health of my community. It’s also my personal belief that queerness is a superpower for behavior change. In my experience working with hundreds of people, I’ve seen that personal transformation happens when people get real with their current behaviors, and when they reject the toxic diet culture and identify what they truly want for themselves. Who has more experience honoring their true selves- in the face of society’s expectations- than the LGBTQ+ community? Through our experiences of marginalization, we have the gift of a hard-won perspective on how power structures, identities, and categories are created in society. When we choose to use that lens to see how we, as individuals, construct our own behaviors- and how we can deconstruct them- that’s the foundation for real, sustainable, behavior change.

Meghan Crutchley M.Ed., CPT, PN2 (they/them)

Meghan Crutchley is a multi-faceted educator, writer, corporate consultant, and non-binary health coach whose work is centered on improving the health outcomes of the queer community. In addition to their private coaching practice and the Habitqueer community they founded, Meghan is a queer health advocate working to make fitness more inclusive by educating fitness professionals, coaches, and businesses on issues around queer health, and helping businesses create more inclusive environments and policies. To facilitate this work Meghan created the first certification of its kind for coaches in the health and fitness space, Fitness Beyond the Binary: coaching gender-diverse clients, to educate and empower an industry that has a long history of excluding the queer community.

Meghan currently resides in Stamford, CT. and enjoys kettlebells, mountain biking, and hiking on the weekends with their wife Carrie, and their power chihuahuas Violet and Sebastian.

Email Sydney@nullctpridecenter.org for the Zoom Link