Healthcare

In 2022 I made a video about my attempt to get gender-affirming care from the NHS entitled “I Emailed My Doctor 133 Times.” I showed that Britain operates a discriminatory healthcare system in which trans people have to beg permission to transition whilst the same medicine is available to cis people much easier. This results in years-long delays that have contributed to the deaths of multiple patients. I compared my odyssey through the system to the Joseph Heller novel Catch-22.

Attempting to manufacture yet more anti-trans panic, The Telegraph ran a story regarding ‘bridging hormones’, which is short for a doctor prescribing you medication for harm reduction purposes. According to The Telegraph this basic harm reduction strategy is bad, because transgender.

To me, the trans community is like a big bag of pick n’ mix – some are sweet, some are sour, some are soft, some are crunchy. We are strawberry laces and chocolate nougat and caramel buttons. Fruity gummy bears and rainbow Skittles.

On days like Trans Pride London, surrounded by my family of trans candy; I felt as happy as a kid in a sweet shop.

Articles posted to The Daily Mail and The Times are making claims that Health Secretary Sajid Javid is looking to change the law regarding record keeping for trans patients with the NHS. This is allegedly an attempt to aid in the ongoing Cass Review

This isn’t that article, this article is the one where we take Kellie-Jay’s advice and we let women speak – but not just the women she personally approves of. I asked on Twitter – selection bias beware – for women to tell me what’s important to them. You can find the full thread here and below you can find the first 100 responses.

I would prefer to centre desire and will when talking about transition. To me, transition is more than meeting a medical need, just like crossing the Rubicon was more than Caesar getting his feet wet. It’s taking your life in your hands and shaping it yourself. I think that’s beautiful. I didn’t transition to “alleviate my dysphoria,” I transitioned because I fucking wanted to. Who is the state, or a doctor, to tell me I can’t? 

The fact that transgender men and nonbinary people exist (and in the case of the former can have legal recognition of that fact) is enough to warrant the use of inclusive language. It’s not about beliefs or about ideologies, its about ensuring that people get the care they need and that requires going beyond primitive views of ‘basic biology’.

As it stands, the government have made the UK unsafe for anyone to be themselves. Due to this, Trans Activism UK will be protesting at Parliament Square on Wednesday 29th of June at 12PM. Join us.”