Transcript sections: Challenges of being transgender (reading)

“One of the biggest difficulties is not being taken seriously and, basically, my gender being seen as either a phase or something that isn’t real. And this is something that happens not only in wider society but also within trans communities. So, the difficulties are multifaceted. Another aspect is stigma in the healthcare system because it is often, even when trans people do have access to trans-specific health care, it’s often geared towards trans men and trans women. And then if somebody wants anything or needs anything that’s outside of those standard procedures, it’s often stigmatised, making it more difficult to access the care. So, for example, I was taking testosterone for four years and then I decided to stop with hormone therapy, but I have not seen a doctor about this for the past several years primarily because of the stigma that I know is attached to it. Because doctors often say things like: “Oh, there are all these random things people want. What would happen if I wanted to cut off my arm?” and comparing it to things like this as if it’s not a legitimate need and the needs of transmen and transwomen are more legitimate. So, even though as an activist I do know how important it is to have medical supervision when changing things on your body, I have still chosen not to seek that supervision because of stigma. I would say those are maybe the biggest things. Along with just the day-to-day running into people on the street and not knowing what to expect, not knowing how they will perceive me, how they will interact with me and then how I should behave in order not to, for example, be attacked or questioned about who I am or what I am It’s also OK if a person changes their mind, if they’re exploring their gender, especially because this world was not made for trans people, it was not made for anybody who doesn’t fit stereotypical norms for men and women, whether in terms of body or appearance and so on, and then that makes it more difficult to realise what a person might need. So, the role of a therapist might be key in helping the person explore themselves and figuring out what they need, and reassuring them that it is OK to change and explore and not to just have to prove that they are trans enough, which is often the case. Another aspect that might be important to keep in mind is that sexuality and gender are not necessarily tied, so, for example, you could have a trans woman who is only attracted to women, whether they are cis or trans, and so she would probably identify as a lesbian and that might be the case for her before transition, after transition, or maybe she doesn’t even transition, and so on. But she’s still a lesbian if that’s what she says..”

“There is also the issue that often psychologists and psychiatrists act more as ‘gatekeepers’, so they give an approval whether a person is trans or not, and whether they are qualified to get access to hormones or surgeries or other things that they might need, and, especially, these professionals might be more stigmatising towards things that someone might need that are not fitting the typical male and female bodily norms. For example, there are trans people who would only want to get top surgery, getting their breasts removed and getting a more typically male chest, but they might not want to take hormones or have any other surgeries, and often this is not met positively by health care professionals. Or other times people might need, for example, a low dose of hormones, so that they don’t get as severe changes as would happen if you are on a full dose, and some people, some medical professionals, see this also as not serious or not really trans, and then there are obstacles, which usually then means that trans people talk to each other and end up lying in order to get what they need, which then doesn’t help anyone really.”

“If somebody needs trans-specific healthcare or legal gender recognition, it’s also important just to respect the person’s needs and that might mean, for example, if someone doesn’t need a typical procedure, if it’s medically safe and possible, then they should still be supported in this and not be ridiculed or obstructed. So, for example, if a trans man or a non-binary person or a queer person needs phalloplasty, which is a procedure of creating a phallus, or a penis, but at the same time they want to keep their vagina, that is absolutely possible in terms of medical procedures, and there are many people in the world who have had these procedures and live happily with them. So, just because things like these are odd to us or new to us, it doesn’t mean that we should judge a person for this, but support them in it.”