LIFE Detroit Presenter - Dr. Alan Bowers, M.D.

Presentations:

• Gay Parenting, D.A.R.K. 2006
• Titleholders Roundtable, D.A.R.K. 2006
• Hurricane Katrina D.A.R.K. Keynote Address, D.A.R.K. 2006

I was born on January 31, 1966 in New Orleans, Louisiana. I am fortunate to actually now work in the exact hospital in which I was born. Some 39 years later I am an Internal Medicine physician providing Primary Care to the community in which I grew up. Many of my patients are neighbors, friends, relatives, or others who in some way have ties to my family through earlier crossroads in life. This really makes my job enjoyable -- it gives me a more humanistic quality that makes my patients feel I am approachable and not so much of a demi-god as some physicians are.

I live in a home that is less than 5 miles from the one in which I grew up. I am blessed with two sons ages 7 and 3. They get to go places I went as a child and do things I did as a child and learn the rich history of our family and the wonderful city in which we live. These boys are my life. They ground me and keep me humble. They teach me with their unobstructed vision. They humor me with their various perceptions of the world in which we live. My partner and I have the magnanimous task of molding these young minds, hearts, and bodies into healthy, happy, well-adjusted members of our society. It is our goal to give them our very best attention and an endless supply of love to achieve this so that hopefully one day they will be examples of of love, compassion, and tolerance that can be so hard to find in our world these days. My partner and I are completely committed to this ideal as much as we are committed to our relationship with each other. We have spent time over the past year exploring a new world and a new community of people we had had limited contact with heretofore. He unhesitatingly joins me wherever my travels have taken me. He accepts me completely and embraces me totally. He is truly the very best definition of the word "partner' incarnate.

I won my first title in May 2004 when I was selected Mr. Knight d'Orleans 2004. This was a feeder contest to the Mr. Louisiana Leather 2005 Contest which was held later that summer during our Southern Decadence celebration here in New Orleans September 4, 2004. I suddenly found myself propelled into a world which cannot be explained to anyone--they have to experience it themselves to fully understand it. My partner was there from the beginning at my side cheering me on and ready to face any challenge that confronted us. Despite the many "I'm so sorry for you" condolences he got as my "sash widow", he has unwaivered in his complete support and has yet to meet any challenge which he cannot easily surmount in HIS new position. We have attended many functions and traveled many places as a result of my new title. Together we have met so many new and wonderful people who have all been so genuinely and consistently kind to us. He has also been there to help me with my Community Health based program entitled "Dr. Knight" which was originated after my first win in May of 2004.

I regularly provide screenings for serious health conditions such as Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, and Hypercholesterolemia. I hold these screenings onsite at a leather bar where patrons can be screened for conditions such as these which might have gone unnoticed and undetected. There have been several people who uncovered conditions that required treatment and might have had serious damage had they not found out their condition. They received onsite recommendations from an M.D. and patient education material for them to improve their own knowledge of their particular condition. The feedback from these screenings has been tremendous. It is very satisfying to me to be able to work in some way to improve the overall health condition of our community and to be an example for others. Unquestionably this has been the most rewarding part of my title year. It has placed me in a position to educate people on the importance of preventative medicine. This crosses gender lines and extends far beyond the boundaries of the leather community. I will continue to promote this project and work in this capacity after my title year is over because there is such a huge need for this type of care and education. I would hope that other elements of our Gay culture notice the strides we are making as a health-conscious Leather Nation and also make efforts at practicing preventative medicine so that we all may lead longer healthier lives.