HunterDae, or HD, is a Birthworker, health access advocate, and parent of twins. HunterDae’s experiences navigating healthcare, conception, pregnancy, and birth as a Black, Fat, Queer, Non-binary person with a history of sexual trauma, have led them to fiercely tackle health disparities.
Committed to challenging the discourse surrounding birth and transition, HD advocates for change in elevating less racially biased, more body-affirming, more gender-expansive, and pleasurable care. HunterDae is a trained Community Doula through Groundswell Fund grantee, Ancient Song Doula Services. Currently, they support families through expansion and transition as a Birth Doula, Community Childbirth Educator (CCE), a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), and a Perinatal Yoga Instructor in the NY/NJ area.
With over 10 years in program support and coordination within LGBTQGNC community-based organizations, HD serves the grant-making team through an Anti-violence, Social Justice, Race Equity, Decolonized, Gender-expansive Parenting, and pro-body autonomy focused lens.
They’ve been working, organizing, and educating in their communities since the age of 12, when they were a student of the Children’s Empowerment Program (CEP) at The Center for Anti-Violence Education in Brooklyn, NY. While attending Howard University, HunterDae began organizing on campus and in the DMV area as a member of BLAGOSAH (Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Organization of Students at Howard). Upon returning to NYC, HunterDae supported LGBTQ folks and PLWHA at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and continued healthcare coordination and advocacy work as the Patient Navigation Coordinator at the NY LGBT Center.
HD believes strongly that our liberation will come when we decolonize gender and centralize compassion, pleasure, and accountability.