Mabel Wadsworth Center

11/25/2025

Heads up, folks! We will be closed Thursday and Friday this week (11/27-11/28).

11/24/2025

An anti-trans agenda is anti-feminist. As a feminist health center, we know that trans youth deserve love, support, and acceptance.

We strongly oppose the attempt to put a question on the 2026 Maine ballot that, if passed, would force Maine schools to ban trans and nonbinary students from playing on sports teams and using bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity.

Let's be clear: it's a massive waste of time and resources. While Mainers are struggling to put food on the table and afford healthcare, these anti-trans activists are focused on sowing division in Maine communities and pushing a national political agenda that does not align with Maine values.

Beyond what a huge distraction it is, this measure would create hostile school environments, and open the door to bullying, harassment, and ostracization of any student that doesn’t conform to a narrow definition of what certain genders are “supposed” to look like. We believe that all students — and all people — have the right to safety, inclusion, and respect at school and beyond.

If you see these petitioners gathering signatures for this ballot question - many of whom are hired by out-of-state political firms funded by billionaire right wing donors - we ask you to please decline to sign. Hate has no place in Maine.

11/21/2025

November is Native American Heritage Month: a time to honor the histories, cultures, contributions and continued presence of Indigenous peoples across this land, including the Panawahpskek (Penobscot) Nation, Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) Tribe, Mi’kmaq Nation, (Wolastoqiyik) Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and Abenaki, collectively known as the Wabanaki Nations, on whose homelands we live today.
It’s also the month many of us were taught a simplified story about the first Thanksgiving. That is one of the reasons we recognize the month: to name the stories that erase the violence, displacement, and discrimination Indigenous peoples have endured, and continue to resist.
Here in Maine, acknowledging that truth means recognizing a complex history. This place holds stories of stolen children, broken treaties, and efforts to eliminate Wabanaki people from this land. But it also holds stories of community strength, cultural revival, and generations of Wabanaki leadership that continue to shape our shared future.
Native American Heritage Month invites us to hold both realities: the horrors of genocide and discrimination, and the beauty of community resilience, artistic brilliance, and cross-cultural solidarity.
Honoring this month isn’t about the past alone. It’s about recognizing the living presence, power, and creativity of Wabanaki people today, and committing ourselves to a future rooted in truth, justice, and belonging for all.
Learn more about recognizing Indigenous Heritage from the Maine Department of Education's Wabanaki Studies' Indigenous Heritage Month Guide (with great thanks to Brianne Lolar):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L8Yu5J3nUkjENLyEKxO-u4HpSvxQ5uTdAIJFqUVMeQU/edit?tab=t.0 =h.ly0u7suuh2xb
Image Alt Text: A watercolor-style map showing the overlapping homelands of the Wabanaki Nations across the Northeastern region. Each Nation’s territory is shaded in a different color with the name written in its own language and a phonetic pronunciation below it. Abenaki (green), labeled “Abènaki” with the phonetic spelling “ah-ben-ahk-ee.” Panawahpskek — Penobscot (tan), labeled “Panawahpskek” with the phonetic spelling “bun-nuh-wub-skek.” Wolastoqiyik — Maliseet (pink), labeled “Wolastoqiyik” with the phonetic spelling “Woh-luhst-tuk-ee-ig.” Peskotomuhkatiyik — Passamaquoddy (yellow), labeled “Peskotomuhkatiyik” with the phonetic spelling “beska-tim-oo-kud-ee-ig.” Mi’kmaq (blue), labeled “Mi’kmaq” with the phonetic spelling “meeg-muck.”
A four-direction medicine wheel in black, white, yellow, and red appears in the upper left corner, marked with the cardinal directions. In the upper right is a traditional Wabanaki double-curve motif. The surrounding background is light blue, representing water and coastline.

11/20/2025

Every year, November 20th is recognized as Transgender Day of Remembrance. On this day, we honor and mourn the trans people whose lives have been taken by acts of anti-trans violence. TDOR was first held in 1999, in remembrance of Black trans women Rita Hester and Chanelle Pickett, both of whom were taken from us by anti-trans violence.

Trans people deserve better. Everyone deserves a life where they are free and safe to be themselves without the threat of violence. Trans people deserve communities that uplift and cherish them.

May there come a day when no more names are added to the TDOR list.

11/20/2025

EqualityMaine hit the nail on the head!

11/18/2025

Mabel's is honored to be featured in this article alongside our friends at Maine Family Planning, and honored to provide our full range of services, including gender-affirming care and primary care, to our trans community!

While we are still able to provide primary care at Mabel Wadsworth Center, we are heartbroken on behalf of MFP and the folks they serve that they were forced to end that essential care due to the federal government playing politics with people's lives and health. Our staff understand firsthand how hard it can be to find a primary care provider you feel safe with, especially in rural areas.

"Trans folks are everywhere," Ruhlin added. "We have always been everwhere."

Read the full article at the link below!

https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/11/17/aroostook-county-loses-trans-friendly-primary-care/?uuid=4cd2d474-1e79-482c-8c7c-5baabb3e4253&lid=196270

11/14/2025

We're having a great time at the Penobscot Parenting Expo! Swing on by at 128 Texas Ave in Bangor for resources for parents and soon to be parents from a multitude of fantastic community organizations.

(And shout out as always to AIDS Healthcare Foundation for the condoms to distribute to our community, pictured here in the cute pink heart bowl!)

11/13/2025

We're teaming up with the Cancer Network to share the OUT: The Community Survey! Why? Because data about our health and our lives is essential for shaping research and policy to improve our lives. The federal government stopped collecting essential LGBTQI+ health data, but that isn't going to make Q+ folks go away or stop caring for their health and community.

If you're 15 or older and a member of the Q+ community (or you work with folks who are), you can take this confidential survey below! Questions? Reach out to our Community Engagement Manager Aspen at ruhlin@mabelwadsworth.org.

https://csbsutah.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9WyKRPONJuL67Yy?org=MabelWadsworth

11/13/2025

We're still so excited not only about the opportunity for a member of our staff to have been in conversation with feminist giants, but also to work with other indie clinics in the fight for care across borders. You can join the fight and the movement by donating to all 9 indie clinics involved at the link below!

"The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day; a movement is only people moving.” — Gloria Steinem

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/careacrossborders

11/12/2025

Join us and our friends at Maine Family Planning, SAFE Maine, Maine Doula Coalition, and Coastal Recovery Community Center (our lovely event hosts) for Shifting Access to Reproductive Healthcare in the Midcoast in Rockland on Dec 3rd from 5:30pm-7:30pm!

At this info session and community resource fair, you'll have the opportunity to learn about ongoing changes to healthcare access, including Medicaid, and engage with local community orgs. Refreshments will be provided at this family friendly event, and there will be a kids' craft corner!

Registration at the link below is encouraged but not required--we'd love to know if you're coming, but we'll be glad to see you regardless.

https://secure.everyaction.com/3wZn6jln_E6gvg6Ba3AtAg2

11/12/2025

Today, we say loud and proud!

There are so many options for birth control/contraception that have their own benefits. Barrier methods like condoms help prevent STI transmission while hormonal options can help manage period cramps, make periods lighter, or even safely stop your period altogether (menstruation cessation). One thing that unites them all? It's in the name--pregnancy prevention!

All of the benefits of birth control are worthy of celebration, even if our society is weird about pregnancy prevention and the fact that it's totally normal for people to have s*x for pleasure.

Not all birth control options are the right fit for everyone for a multitude of reasons, and that's part of why it's so important to have different options available. We also know that nothing works perfectly, contraception included, so whether you're in need of contraception, abortion, or prenatal care, Mabel's has you covered! You can call our office to schedule an appointment at 207-947-5337 or send an email to info@mabelwadsworth.org.

11/10/2025

We love starting the week with good news!

The Supreme Court will not revisit its landmark decision that legalized same-s*x marriage nationwide after rejecting a case brought by a former county clerk who was jailed for contempt after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-s*x couples: http://www.newscentermaine.com/article/syndication/associatedpress/supreme-court-rejects-call-to-overturn-its-decision-legalizing-same-s*x-marriage-nationwide/616-6cf11f8c-b8a0-4dd5-ba06-19f97ca1f2bb?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_NEWS_CENTER_Maine

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)