Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
@ronaldberkowsky.bsky.social
Associate Professor in Health Science at California State University Channel Islands. Trained in medical sociology and gerontology. Focused on community-engaged work addressing health, well-being, and equity among older adults and LGBTQIA+. (he/him)
Pinned
“And now I just have to disappear”: A Gerontological Reading of The Last Showgirl
Film: The Last Showgirl (88 min)
academic.oup.com
Excited to share my first published film essay, on "The Last Showgirl" (Gia Coppola, 2024)! In it, I argue that the film succinctly illustrates how aging women navigate the complexities of work and retirement, self-worth, and fighting for stability and relevance.
#AcademicSky #FilmSky #Gerontology
#AcademicSky #FilmSky #Gerontology
Reposted by Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
US Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn same-sex marriage right reut.rs/4oFLYmw
US Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn same-sex marriage right
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday a bid by a former Kentucky county official to overturn its landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, as the justices steered clear of the contentious case some 3-1/2 years after its conservative majority reversed abortion rights.
reut.rs
November 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
US Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn same-sex marriage right reut.rs/4oFLYmw
And another school of higher education caves to the administration. Gross.
Breaking News: Cornell University reached an agreement with the Trump administration that would restore hundreds of millions in funding to the university. It's expected to pay a $30 million fine to the government and to invest $30 million in agriculture and farming programs.
Cornell Reaches Deal with Trump Administration to Restore Research Funds
The Ivy League university had warned of layoffs after the Trump administration stripped it of funds this year. The cuts were among the deepest in higher education.
nyti.ms
November 8, 2025 at 3:26 PM
And another school of higher education caves to the administration. Gross.
Happy Halloween from Joe Bob’s Halloween Spooktacular at the Texas Theatre in Dallas, TX (feat. Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl)! Buckling up for a 12 hour-marathon of horror films and fun.
May the drive-in never die!
May the drive-in never die!
October 31, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Happy Halloween from Joe Bob’s Halloween Spooktacular at the Texas Theatre in Dallas, TX (feat. Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl)! Buckling up for a 12 hour-marathon of horror films and fun.
May the drive-in never die!
May the drive-in never die!
Hasn’t exactly been the most relaxing sabbatical (watching the collapse of democracy may be a contributing factor!), but at least the husband and I have a Halloween adventure planned that should offer some fun and respite.
But in the meantime, dealing with the stresses of the world via an LA run.
But in the meantime, dealing with the stresses of the world via an LA run.
October 30, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Hasn’t exactly been the most relaxing sabbatical (watching the collapse of democracy may be a contributing factor!), but at least the husband and I have a Halloween adventure planned that should offer some fun and respite.
But in the meantime, dealing with the stresses of the world via an LA run.
But in the meantime, dealing with the stresses of the world via an LA run.
Can’t even fully express the magnitude of my anger and frustration at HHS. Trans-affirming care for youth has been shown to improve mental health outcomes and quality of life - it’s saved lives. But the Trump administration is using Medicare/Medicaid as a tool to strip that care from those in need.
Exclusive from @npr.org: the Department of Health and Human Services plans to introduce a rule in early November eliminating Medicare & Medicaid funding of any kind for any hospital that offers care for transgender youth. This would make care nearly impossible to access. www.npr.org/sections/sho...
Trump pushes an end to medical care for transgender youth nationally
The White House plans to bar hospitals that treat transgender children and youth from getting any Medicare and Medicaid payments. The move would affect trans youth who have private insurance, too.
www.npr.org
October 30, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Can’t even fully express the magnitude of my anger and frustration at HHS. Trans-affirming care for youth has been shown to improve mental health outcomes and quality of life - it’s saved lives. But the Trump administration is using Medicare/Medicaid as a tool to strip that care from those in need.
This is a quick reminder that the Older Americans Act (responsible for a wealth of elder services despite being chronically underfunded for decades) has yet to be reauthorized, jeopardizing the lives of millions.
But apparently we have plenty of money for ICE, and Argentina, and a ballroom, and…
But apparently we have plenty of money for ICE, and Argentina, and a ballroom, and…
What to Know About the Older Americans Act and the Services it Provides to Older Adults | KFF
The Trump administration is proposing a reorganization and staffing cuts at HHS that create uncertainty about the potential effects on older adults, who receive services authorized under the Older Ame...
www.kff.org
October 30, 2025 at 1:26 PM
This is a quick reminder that the Older Americans Act (responsible for a wealth of elder services despite being chronically underfunded for decades) has yet to be reauthorized, jeopardizing the lives of millions.
But apparently we have plenty of money for ICE, and Argentina, and a ballroom, and…
But apparently we have plenty of money for ICE, and Argentina, and a ballroom, and…
A glaring example of how attacks on DEI can significantly impact infrastructure development and keep underserved populations without needed resources. In this case, canceling the Digital Equity Act’s funding on grounds of “racism” limits rural communities in addressing/closing the digital divide.
A 91-year-old learns to check health portals; a 7-year-old finally can do homework. They were among rural residents helped by a digital navigator, until President Trump abruptly canceled the Digital Equity Act’s dollars.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Trump Called Digital Equity Act ‘Racist.’ Now Internet Money for Rural Americans Is Gone. - KFF Health News
President Donald Trump called the Digital Equity Act unconstitutional, racist, and illegal. Then the $2.75 billion program for rural and underserved communities to gain internet access disappeared.
kffhealthnews.org
October 10, 2025 at 2:12 PM
A glaring example of how attacks on DEI can significantly impact infrastructure development and keep underserved populations without needed resources. In this case, canceling the Digital Equity Act’s funding on grounds of “racism” limits rural communities in addressing/closing the digital divide.
As a UPenn alum, I’m incredibly concerned at the Trump’s administration attempts to undermine academic freedom (and higher education overall). If you’re an alum of the 9 universities currently being targeted by this so-called “compact for academic excellence,” consider signing this petition!
Trump attacks 9 universities: Sign the alumni petition to defend your school now
Are you an alum outraged by Trump's attacks on universities? Defend your school now by signing this alumni petition in support of these 9 universities as well as campus communities across America.
alumni.controlshift.app
October 3, 2025 at 11:37 PM
As a UPenn alum, I’m incredibly concerned at the Trump’s administration attempts to undermine academic freedom (and higher education overall). If you’re an alum of the 9 universities currently being targeted by this so-called “compact for academic excellence,” consider signing this petition!
Reposted by Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
Intersex people are real, trans people are real, biological sex is not binary, gender is complicated, and nothing anyone says can change any of those facts.
Thank you @georgianndavis.bsky.social for this piece and for all your work and speaking out.
Thank you @georgianndavis.bsky.social for this piece and for all your work and speaking out.
Contributor: I'm an intersex professor. Am I supposed to lie by teaching 'only male and female'?
A campaign against teachers who acknowledge realities of human biology forces a choice: Teach truth and risk your job, or lie and maybe keep it.
www.latimes.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Intersex people are real, trans people are real, biological sex is not binary, gender is complicated, and nothing anyone says can change any of those facts.
Thank you @georgianndavis.bsky.social for this piece and for all your work and speaking out.
Thank you @georgianndavis.bsky.social for this piece and for all your work and speaking out.
What is sad about the radical conservative takeover of New College of Florida (by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Christopher Rufo) is that a once respected institution is close to collapse.
And this will happen country-wide should anyone sign on to the Trump compact for “academic excellence.” So let’s not!
And this will happen country-wide should anyone sign on to the Trump compact for “academic excellence.” So let’s not!
Spending Soars, Rankings Fall at New College of Florida
Student outcomes and rankings are slipping at the liberal arts college while spending is up. Critics believe the college is at risk of implosion, and some are calling for privatization.
www.insidehighered.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:53 PM
What is sad about the radical conservative takeover of New College of Florida (by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Christopher Rufo) is that a once respected institution is close to collapse.
And this will happen country-wide should anyone sign on to the Trump compact for “academic excellence.” So let’s not!
And this will happen country-wide should anyone sign on to the Trump compact for “academic excellence.” So let’s not!
No institute of higher education should even think about signing on to this. And shame on any institution for spending even a second of their time contemplating the possibility.
It’s an obvious ploy to stifle academic freedom and make universities an arm of the Trump/MAGA admin. - don’t be fooled.
It’s an obvious ploy to stifle academic freedom and make universities an arm of the Trump/MAGA admin. - don’t be fooled.
October 2, 2025 at 1:55 AM
No institute of higher education should even think about signing on to this. And shame on any institution for spending even a second of their time contemplating the possibility.
It’s an obvious ploy to stifle academic freedom and make universities an arm of the Trump/MAGA admin. - don’t be fooled.
It’s an obvious ploy to stifle academic freedom and make universities an arm of the Trump/MAGA admin. - don’t be fooled.
Up at the crack of dawn on this cloudy Los Angeles morning because all other screenings were sold out(!), but I feel like it’ll be worth it - checking in from the Vista Theater for a special VistaVision showing of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” (2025).
#FilmSky
#FilmSky
September 28, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Up at the crack of dawn on this cloudy Los Angeles morning because all other screenings were sold out(!), but I feel like it’ll be worth it - checking in from the Vista Theater for a special VistaVision showing of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” (2025).
#FilmSky
#FilmSky
“…if we are going to be bullied by a branch of the federal government to comply with what seems to be new puritanical or overly draconian rulings, we are going to be in a lot of trouble.” (CSULB Lecturer)
The fight for higher education has come to the CSU. Disappointed but not surprised!
The fight for higher education has come to the CSU. Disappointed but not surprised!
Trump administration probes alleged antisemitism in Cal State University system
Trump administration probes alleged antisemitism in Cal State University system
The Trump administration has launched a system-wide investigation into allegations of antisemitism at California State University and has started issuing subpoenas for employees' contact information.
www.latimes.com
September 27, 2025 at 2:57 PM
“…if we are going to be bullied by a branch of the federal government to comply with what seems to be new puritanical or overly draconian rulings, we are going to be in a lot of trouble.” (CSULB Lecturer)
The fight for higher education has come to the CSU. Disappointed but not surprised!
The fight for higher education has come to the CSU. Disappointed but not surprised!
I have argued, informally among friends for months, that the current Trump administration has been one of the worst for older Americans in a long time. Add this to the pile of dangerous policy decisions (e.g., Medicare/Medicaid changes, lapsed OAA reauthorization, etc.) harming older adults.
President Trump on Thursday evening threatened pharmaceutical companies with a 100% tariff unless they build manufacturing plants in the U.S. www.statnews.com/2025/09/25/t...
Trump threatens 100% tariffs on prescription drugs — unless companies build in the U.S.
The president threatened tariffs on pharmaceuticals, days before a deadline he set for drug companies to lower their prices.
www.statnews.com
September 26, 2025 at 2:01 PM
I have argued, informally among friends for months, that the current Trump administration has been one of the worst for older Americans in a long time. Add this to the pile of dangerous policy decisions (e.g., Medicare/Medicaid changes, lapsed OAA reauthorization, etc.) harming older adults.
Calling all horror fans! I'm pleased to share that my review of the essay collection "Fear of Aging: Old Age in Horror Fiction and Film" (edited by João Paulo Guimarães, 2025) has been published in The Gerontologist.
#FilmSky #BookSky #GeroSky
#FilmSky #BookSky #GeroSky
Using the “thrills and pleasures of horror” to explore aging and old age in Fear of Aging
I still vividly recall the thrill of viewing Coralie Fargeat’s body horror triumph The Substance (2024) opening weekend with a packed audience at my local
nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com
September 25, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore $500 million in federal grant funding that it froze at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Judge orders Trump administration to restore $500 million in grant funding to UCLA
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore $500 million in federal grant funding that it froze at the University of California, Los Angeles.
n.pr
September 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore $500 million in federal grant funding that it froze at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The irony (as outlined in the article) is that RFK Jr and McMahon are arguing for a particular approach to treating mental health in children - but what they’re seeking to actually eliminate isn’t treatment at all, it’s *screening.* The article outlines the obvious reasons why this is a bad idea.
"U.S. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr ... want[s] schools to do away with mental health screenings and therapy. Instead, ... schools 'must return to the natural sources of mental well-being: strong families, nutrition and fitness, and hope for the future.'"
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
www.npr.org/sections/sho...
RFK Jr. wants to end mental health screenings in schools. Experts say it's a bad idea
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Education Secretary Linda McMahon are against schools giving kids standardized questionnaires about their mental well-being. But experts say they are wrong.
www.npr.org
September 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
The irony (as outlined in the article) is that RFK Jr and McMahon are arguing for a particular approach to treating mental health in children - but what they’re seeking to actually eliminate isn’t treatment at all, it’s *screening.* The article outlines the obvious reasons why this is a bad idea.
“Words are not violence, nor are they powerless…if you would look away from the words of Charlie Kirk, from what else would you look away?”
-Ta-Nehisi Coates (in an excellent piece summarizing the bigotry and impact of Kirk, and how this moment in time ties to the Reconstruction era)
-Ta-Nehisi Coates (in an excellent piece summarizing the bigotry and impact of Kirk, and how this moment in time ties to the Reconstruction era)
Charlie Kirk, Redeemed: A Political Class Finds Its Lost Cause
By ignoring the rhetoric and actions of the Turning Point USA founder, pundits and politicians are sanitizing his legacy.
www.vanityfair.com
September 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
“Words are not violence, nor are they powerless…if you would look away from the words of Charlie Kirk, from what else would you look away?”
-Ta-Nehisi Coates (in an excellent piece summarizing the bigotry and impact of Kirk, and how this moment in time ties to the Reconstruction era)
-Ta-Nehisi Coates (in an excellent piece summarizing the bigotry and impact of Kirk, and how this moment in time ties to the Reconstruction era)
Reposted by Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
“Anti-trans harassment and violence is all the rage. Trans people are afraid to leave the country, let alone leave their houses. The right-wing ecosystem has gladly spent years creating these conditions, while Democrats have by turns avoided saying anything about them at all” 😞
👉🏻 archive.ph/ewBhT
👉🏻 archive.ph/ewBhT
September 15, 2025 at 11:29 PM
“Anti-trans harassment and violence is all the rage. Trans people are afraid to leave the country, let alone leave their houses. The right-wing ecosystem has gladly spent years creating these conditions, while Democrats have by turns avoided saying anything about them at all” 😞
👉🏻 archive.ph/ewBhT
👉🏻 archive.ph/ewBhT
Capitulating to the demands of the Trump administration would be counter to the mission and integrity of not just UCLA, but the UC system and higher education in general. The full details of this proposal need to be made public so that we can all see the extent of its potential damage.
Here are the details of Trump's $1.2-billion call to remake UCLA in a conservative image
The Times describes the details, for the first time, of the 28-page proposal the Trump administration has made to remake the UCLA campus.
www.latimes.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Capitulating to the demands of the Trump administration would be counter to the mission and integrity of not just UCLA, but the UC system and higher education in general. The full details of this proposal need to be made public so that we can all see the extent of its potential damage.
#FilmSky lost a great one today. A true Hollywood legend.
Oscar winner Robert Redford, respected actor, director and producer who founded the Sundance Institute, has died
Robert Redford, a generational icon who commanded the big screen as the star of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Way We Were” and won awards and lasting praise for directing films such as...
www.latimes.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:29 PM
#FilmSky lost a great one today. A true Hollywood legend.
Reposted by Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
1. Trump threatened every hospital that provides gender affirming care to transgender youth.
Many complied and shut down their programs.
Boston Children's Hospital didn't. They fought back and kept providing care.
And now, they just beat Trump in court.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Many complied and shut down their programs.
Boston Children's Hospital didn't. They fought back and kept providing care.
And now, they just beat Trump in court.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Boston Children’s Fights Back For Trans Kids: Judge Quashes Trump Subpoena
Around 2,000 BCH employees and untold numbers of patients were targeted by the DOJ. A judge just told them, “No.”
www.erininthemorning.com
September 14, 2025 at 3:31 PM
1. Trump threatened every hospital that provides gender affirming care to transgender youth.
Many complied and shut down their programs.
Boston Children's Hospital didn't. They fought back and kept providing care.
And now, they just beat Trump in court.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Many complied and shut down their programs.
Boston Children's Hospital didn't. They fought back and kept providing care.
And now, they just beat Trump in court.
Subscribe to support our journalism.
Reposted by Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
I wrote about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, its aftermath, and the sort of people we are when we engage the world through our screens. Read @liberalcurrents.com
www.liberalcurrents.com/yes-its-the-...
www.liberalcurrents.com/yes-its-the-...
Yes, It’s the Guns. It’s Also the Phones.
Life online is corroding the virtues that make liberal democratic life tenable.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 14, 2025 at 1:32 PM
I wrote about the assassination of Charlie Kirk, its aftermath, and the sort of people we are when we engage the world through our screens. Read @liberalcurrents.com
www.liberalcurrents.com/yes-its-the-...
www.liberalcurrents.com/yes-its-the-...
Reposted by Ronald W. Berkowsky, PhD 🏳️🌈
He didn't bridge disagreements. What he did with "Prove Me Wrong" was the debate equivalent of creating a wrestling persona--watch me take on, and take down, all comers! Nothing he did suggests that he was honestly open to persuasion by others or to tempering his numerous ugly, bigoted stances. >
September 13, 2025 at 2:36 PM
He didn't bridge disagreements. What he did with "Prove Me Wrong" was the debate equivalent of creating a wrestling persona--watch me take on, and take down, all comers! Nothing he did suggests that he was honestly open to persuasion by others or to tempering his numerous ugly, bigoted stances. >
Fun fact: involuntary euthanasia is euthanasia performed without the consent of the person. It is, put more simply, murder, and also is: grotesque, abhorrent, unethical, and f*cking illegal (regardless of the population under discussion, including especially vulnerable groups).
Brian Kilmeade endorses euthanizing homeless people: "Involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill them."
September 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Fun fact: involuntary euthanasia is euthanasia performed without the consent of the person. It is, put more simply, murder, and also is: grotesque, abhorrent, unethical, and f*cking illegal (regardless of the population under discussion, including especially vulnerable groups).