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[yukonnights]

I'm not sure, but is there more of cultural recognition in the Philippines as there is in some Pacific countries?

The bathroom thing comes down to 'passing' which too many cis gender people interpret as vanity. Passing is safety, or as safe as it is for any woman. The Pink News article points out that it is trans women who have the problems far more than trans men - in case readers thought I was being biased.

In the UK, things used to be better: when I started transitioning it certainly was, in terms of social resources and tolerance.

"... In the UK, things used to be better: when I started transitioning it certainly was, in terms of social resources and tolerance."

This is somewhat surprising upon first read. But with more thought, it seems that both in the UK and in the USA there is a political polarization occurring. Much like the anti-mask stupidity here, as an example. Since "things used to be better"; I suspect it is this right vs left — conservative vs liberal polarization that's in play with trans issues. This is disturbing because there are very strong emotions being stoked. In addition, this recent election in the USA has again highlighted the toxicity of the various social media platforms.

There was a documentary on — I think HULU — about Cambridge-Analitica during the 2016 USA elections. In the British investigations it was determined that the software C-A used was classified as weaponized technology. In summary, the social media software was in effect a sophisticated and persuasive propaganda platform.

So is there a social media component to the aniti-trans efforts? It seems plausible given the fact that attitudes are turning harder on a scale that can be noticed.

 

[timreh]

I'm not sure, but is there more of cultural recognition in the Philippines as there is in some Pacific countries?

The bathroom thing comes down to 'passing' which too many cis gender people interpret as vanity. Passing is safety, or as safe as it is for any woman. The Pink News article points out that it is trans women who have the problems far more than trans men - in case readers thought I was being biased.

In the UK, things used to be better: when I started transitioning it certainly was, in terms of social resources and tolerance.

If I've told this story before, my apologies.

I was part of a hospital inspection team tasked with doing a review of a hospital that wanted to join our network. All of our inspection team know I am trans, and none ever had any kind of an issue with it.

Near the end of that day's inspection I went and used the loo. I was barely into the toilet stall when some guy on the hospital staff barged into the Ladies Room and started hollering at me. I calmly replied that I was female. He left.

About 20 minutes later the inspection team met the hospital upper staff to discuss our findings and review the next steps in the process.

Our team leader read his report, and then went around the room asking each of the rest of us to add anything we felt needed mentioning. Due to our random seating order I happened to be one of the last to speak. I asked the hospital staff if they felt they complied with the state laws regarding LGBTQ+ people. They assured me that they took those laws seriously and gave the staff regular trainings on the topic.

I then asked why less than 30 minutes earlier one of their staff felt it appropriate to follow me into the Ladies Room and scream at me for being in "the wrong bathroom".

Their faces froze.

 

[stickygirl]

"... In the UK, things used to be better: when I started transitioning it certainly was, in terms of social resources and tolerance."

This is somewhat surprising upon first read. But with more thought, it seems that both in the UK and in the USA there is a political polarization occurring. Much like the anti-mask stupidity here, as an example. Since "things used to be better"; I suspect it is this right vs left — conservative vs liberal polarization that's in play with trans issues. This is disturbing because there are very strong emotions being stoked. ~~

So is there a social media component to the anti-trans efforts? It seems plausible given the fact that attitudes are turning harder on a scale that can be noticed.

When I first applied to get on the NHS medical ladder, via appointments with the GIC I had a seven month wait. Today people are having to wait two or three years for that first appointment. A part of this is due to the number of applications - a statistic that has been leapt upon by anti-trans groups. They ignore the inconvenient truth that the vast majority of people being seen at the GIC do not meet the requirements to approve hormone treatment and/or surgery. Even when they are approved, the prescriptions are made by the local GP who may not have sufficient knowledge to safely do this, so they get referred back to the GIC, with another waiting list, for them to say "Yes, we do recommend hormone treatment". It's a mucking fuddle

As for anti-trans sentiment? How about the most famous and rich author in the world lending her support to TERF extremists?
Our present slime-ball government put the brakes on the recommendations made after the biggest survey into transgender legal status intended to guide the Gender Recognition Act.

 

[stickygirl]

If I've told this story before, my apologies.

~ snip ~

Their faces froze.

Mic drop <boom>

It's not often we get a chance to turn the tables. Thanks for that and no, I hadn't heard that account before.

It's quite frightening if it's a guy shouting especially if you've got the door closed because you think is he shouting at me or someone else, is he a nutter, etc? Then you have to take a deep breath and step out to leave.

There's a creeping public sense of "I know my rights and you shouldn't blah blah". That hostility seems to be everywhere and I blame social media for that.

The Stonewall CE issued a response to the UK govt review of the GRA
"It’s a shocking failure in leadership that after three years and a robust public consultation, the UK Government has put forward only minimal administrative changes to improve the process for legal gender recognition of trans people in England and Wales. While these moves will make the current process less costly and bureaucratic, they don’t go anywhere near far enough toward meaningfully reforming the Act to make it easier for all trans people to go about their daily life. ..." Sept 2020

Even the BMA has called on the UK for change: "..enabling trans people to receive healthcare and access to gendered spaces in line with the gender they identify with.." Sept 2020

There was a Guardian article last year that cited
"The rate of LGBT hate crime per capita rose by 144% between 2013-14 and 2017-18. In the most recent year of data, police recorded 11,600 crimes, more than doubling from 4,600 during this period.

Transphobic attacks have soared in recent years, trebling from 550 reports to 1,650 over the period examined. Almost half (46%) of these crimes in 2017-2018 were violent offences, ranging from common assault to grievous bodily harm."

Out government is inept, disorganised and uncaring. The extends beyond LGBT rights but into their failed leadership in the current Covid crisis.

Welcome to Transgender Awareness Week btw

 

[stickygirl]

Wooh! YouTube
Anyone seen this guy - self professed transgender specialist? I started watching which some scepticism but all his science seems really good... I see his presentation is two hours long! I may need a few breaks as he talks really fast and some of the medical terms are unfamiliar.
OUWB Faculty

I'll add an opinion once I get through it all

This is fascinating 30 mins in...

He just cited "Not taking your estrogen first thing in the morning because you crash later and feel like shit..." yup - I got that figured already.
He makes a brief mention of the correlation between GD and ASD but I think that's wrong. He should've said GIC and ASD where there have been more studies. Only a small point though because very often GIC and GD got together. Oh... maybe I should explain that
GI(C) is gender identity confusion. Statistically ( I can dig out the studies later ) people who are ASD can be confused by GI because it's a concept that doesn't make sense to them. It does not mean they are transgender or suffer from Gender Dysphoria.

Well finished it but wow, what an amazing video. This doctor is amazing so far as I can tell. He totally gets it from pronouns to homelessness, breast growth to chest binders.

1.56.40 he talks about the increased aggression of transmen who have not had the same social conditioning as cis men with regard to modifying ( coping with ) their aggression.

I tell ya, the trans experience tells us so much about our society

 

[timreh]

Wooh! YouTube
Anyone seen this guy - self professed transgender specialist? I started watching which some scepticism but all his science seems really good... I see his presentation is two hours long! I may need a few breaks as he talks really fast and some of the medical terms are unfamiliar.
OUWB Faculty

...

I tell ya, the trans experience tells us so much about our society

A friend sees him and is really happy with his care. She's seen several other docs during her transition, and she says he's the best doc she's met so far.

A few months ago she sent me that link and raved about him and told me I should see him.

 

[coati]

I tell ya, the trans experience tells us so much about our society

It sure does. Society takes a hell of a lot of conditioning and oppression for granted.

 

[ShagTimes]

I tell ya, the trans experience tells us so much about our society

By "our society" I presume you mean the west? well the west is the best place on earth to be trans, gay, a woman, a minority and so on.

Try and be trans anywhere else other than the west.

 

[stickygirl]

By "our society" I presume you mean the west? well the west is the best place on earth to be trans, gay, a woman, a minority and so on.

Try and be trans anywhere else other than the west.

But the west is where we live. Your suggestion seeks to dismiss by comparison and to deflect from the real problems where we live. Yes, 1st world problems but that doesn't stop making them problems. If we follow that line of argument we dismiss every advance that has been made in the west, like medicine, education and even women's rights as irrelevant because third world countries have it so much worse.

In short, it's a meaningless comment. You give up your electricity, your car, your right to vote and then come back.

 

[AlexBailey]

My wife is working from home today. She works in homeless services and is doing online trainings with a vast agency here in California.

I just overheard a supervisor talking about doing street level outreach, instructing workers not to make assumptions about anyone's gender, particularly the homeless community. She went on to explain how difficult it can be to present as you want without shelter and resources, but that it is important to reach out without preconceived expectations so people feel safe asking for the assistance they need.

The workers are instructed to ask for gender the same as they would ask for their names and to write the response verbatim whatever it may be.

 

[Asian_Flower]

By "our society" I presume you mean the west? well the west is the best place on earth to be trans, gay, a woman, a minority and so on.

Try and be trans anywhere else other than the west.

Really? Places in Asia I have found far more accepting of Trans people than in the West. I think you are misguided.

 

[stickygirl]

When the rights of one outweigh the rights of many

I'm not surprised that the courts have caved in to make a sweeping judgement for U-16 trans kids in the UK today. It's a baby and bathwater approach, conflating puberty blockers referred to as 'experimental', even though they been around for 40 years, with cross-hormone treatment.

As Nancy Kelley UK Stonewall points out
"...today’s ruling “set a dangerous precedent” not just for the rights of young trans people, but for all young people." [Gillick competency]

“Kelley also pointed to the fact that while puberty blockers are a reversible intervention, the judgement says that in order for young trans people to give informed consent to blockers, they must now also understand “the potential implications of a range of other potential future treatments, including cross-sex hormones and surgical intervention”.

“These are treatments only available to those aged 16 or over, and those aged 18 or over, respectively,” Kelley said. “We believe this is an extraordinary extension of the principle of informed consent.

“If this judgment is upheld on appeal, this ruling is likely to significantly extend the wait trans young people already face when seeking specialist support – and risks adding enormous strain to our already overstretched courts and mental health services.”

Until today in the UK
Up to 16 yrs
reversible puberty blockers could be prescribed under supervision at a GIC with a waiting list up to 2 yrs
At 16 yrs
could be prescribed cross sex hormones under supervision at a GIC with a waiting list up to 2 yrs
At 18yrs
could have cross sex surgery, waiting list around 3yrs

Now
Up to 16yrs.
Trans men will have to menstruate and grow breasts they may later have surgically removed to match the gender ID.
Trans women will develop male characteristics such as broadening shoulders, Adams Apple, deepening voice, facial hair etc

None of those ^^ puberty traits are reversible without major surgery.

Since 2011 around 2700 patients have gone from being referred to a GIC to actually transitioning. One case has been brought to court that will end that. Of those 2700 people, around 1000 will have attempted suicide because of their gender dysphoria at some point.

 

[stickygirl]

Lets have some happy for change shall we?

Here's Maya, who I've followed for some years - she's like a little Canadian sister to me. She had her surgery two months ago, is looking back to her normal stunning self and reports she's doing well.

Some good news for December, which I'm sure we all need

 

[stickygirl]

Back to the repercussions from the recent UK ruling against transgender people


Susie Green, CEO of a charity that helps families of trans kids, said: ‘To say this is devastating is an understatement. As a parent of a child who accessed blockers internationally because they weren’t available on the NHS at that time, I know what this means to those families affected. My daughter is clear that without blockers, she would not have wanted to carry on, knowing that forever, she would be identifiable as being assigned male at birth due to irreversible changes that a male puberty would have brought. In the wake of this judgment, hundreds of families are telling us the impact it will have on their children. I only wish the judges involved had actually talked to some of the young people affected by their decision. They were offered such an opportunity but refused. They should have listened to the voices of older trans people who never had the opportunity to access puberty blockers, and desperately wish they could have. They should talk to the young people on a 2-year-plus waiting list who have now had hope ripped away from them. We are seeing panic, desperation and distress on our helpline. This is an unforgivable and shameful betrayal of young people’s rights to autonomy over their own bodies and we are deeply concerned about the impact it will have in the months and years to come.

Lui Asquith, from the trans children’s charity, said: ‘It’s frankly a potential catastrophe for trans young people across the country and it cannot be exaggerated the impact that this might have, not only on the population of trans young people that require hormone blockers, but it may potentially open the floodgates towards other questions around bodily autonomy and who has the right to govern their own body.”

Personally I fear for the lives of kids, many of whom will already have considered suicide. Maybe their parents will be able to access drugs from the international market - like how safe is that route?

 

[coati]

Personally I fear for the lives of kids, many of whom will already have considered suicide. Maybe their parents will be able to access drugs from the international market - like how safe is that route?

I recall that you had to go international for your surgery. How did you get your initial hormone blockers before surgery? Was there a long wait?

 

[stickygirl]

Talking to my transgender girlfriend in the Philippines, they can easily get hormones either by pill or injection. A lot is available from Thailand.

I'm pretty sure the various charities in the UK will have anticipated this happening and made some enquiries for supply on behalf of families. It would need to be 'unofficial' or else UK customs would get shitty about it so families might need to make individual purchases. I'm pretty sure the medical practise I attended in Bangkok would be happy to supply them, but potentially that means no oversight by a qualified practitioner. In the end, like any banned drug supply, it goes underground - quite the reverse of what the mealy-mouthed legal people intended.

That of course will play into the hands of transphobes. I dare say some of them will be sneaking around trying to catch people out.

 

[Afterhours22]

Thank you

Lets have some happy for change shall we?

Here's Maya, who I've followed for some years - she's like a little Canadian sister to me. She had her surgery two months ago, is looking back to her normal stunning self and reports she's doing well.

Some good news for December, which I'm sure we all need

Thank you so much for sharing the link to Maya's story! She is such a sweetheart!

 

[AlexBailey]

Yeah, stickygirl. Thanks so much for sharing Maya's story. Beautiful girl, beautiful spirit.

From what I saw, hers is a beautiful story of a cross-gendered girl who grew up in a good supporting family. That's so great! So many young spirits are crushed by prejudice and expectations by those closest to them.

It seems that acceptance for trans-gender is suffering some pendulum swings -- what you shared about the backward steps within the UK, let's hope the next swing corrects and solidifies the inclusion of those who don't fit binary expectations. Change moves so slowly for those affected by today's conditions, but stepping back; so much has been changing so fast just in the last 30 years! It changes because of love and advocacy... because of people like you.

Thanks so much!

 

[stickygirl]

Yeah, stickygirl. Thanks so much for sharing Maya's story. Beautiful girl, beautiful spirit.

From what I saw, hers is a beautiful story of a cross-gendered girl who grew up in a good supporting family. That's so great! So many young spirits are crushed by prejudice and expectations by those closest to them.

It seems that acceptance for trans-gender is suffering some pendulum swings -- what you shared about the backward steps within the UK, let's hope the next swing corrects and solidifies the inclusion of those who don't fit binary expectations. Change moves so slowly for those affected by today's conditions, but stepping back; so much has been changing so fast just in the last 30 years! It changes because of love and advocacy... because of people like you.

Thanks so much!

It's difficult to see the long game when we witness frequent set backs. One Conservative govt initiated an extensive consultation process for transgender rights, then the present lot ignored all the findings and recommendations.

Until we can rid the UK system of its nepotism and elitism, we'll continue taking backward steps and our current PM is a perfect example of that.

There's a vocal minority who'll say 'Why should society have to bend over backwards to accommodate blah blah?' as though we weren't even part of that society. The people who usually come out with that kind of BS are usually over-privileged wankers who have been riding on the backs of other people all their lives. The reply to the question might be "Why should society have to keep bending over forward to let you lot fuck us up the ass?"

Oh I'm sorry - is this the Politics thread?!

 

[MsNatalie99]

There's a vocal minority who'll say 'Why should society have to bend over backwards to accommodate blah blah?' as though we weren't even part of that society. The people who usually come out with that kind of BS are usually over-privileged wankers who have been riding on the backs of other people all their lives. The reply to the question might be "Why should society have to keep bending over forward to let you lot fuck us up the ass?"

Oh I'm sorry - is this the Politics thread?!

It does amaze me that people still consider it bending over backwards. I was having a discussion about the trans movement with a coworker. I was stunned when she went on and on about women's suffrage, segregation vs inergration, a women's right to choose, and yet she could not understand why people were so upset about gender identity.

I tried to explain that it wasn't extra rights or privileges awarded to the entitled few. The conversation went nowhere and I just grunted my way through the rest of my salad. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't understand why being able to decide for yourself who you are requires people to bend over backwards for you. Nor do I get why they even care. It isn't a faith thing. Most of those conservative types have worse on their browser history, than most of the Lit authors have in their heads.

 

[MsNatalie99]

Sorry duplicate reply

 

[MsNatalie99]

“Transgender rights are human rights”. Aside from the personal interest I have (girlfriend is transgender) I always feel when I stand up for transgender rights, I am actually standing up for the rights of everyone including myself.

I know right! I have the right to kiss another man, or wear women's clothing just as they have the right not to like it. I don't like when people disfigure their ears with those giant gauges. It eeks me out. But it is their ears on their bodies and they have the right to choose what they want for their bodies. Unfortunately, people can't seem to grasp that you don't have to like or even understand someone to still accept their basic human rights. I don't understand why it's we have to accept the rights of a racist, respect the rights of a pedophile, honor the rights of people who bash us at every opportunity, but we can't dare to allow for people to pursue their own senses of identity or sexuality. I don't fear the few in power who hate me. I fear the populous who keep them there.


Sorry that turned into a rant.

 

[stickygirl]

A good rant is always appreciated!

She's my kind of ranter

There's special irony that just a few days of the High court ruling the BBC airs a three-part documentary about a trans girl... which I'd better go watch and report back

OK - a one part 40mins. Terrific. What a lovely girl and true ambassador for trans women.

In a nutshell, she's from a farming family in a quiet part of Wales. Very supportive parents and Dad who is a dear - he was obviously close to tears at times and kept getting pronouns wrong to begin with. Then she moves to Birmingham and the family goes through what every family must, when their kids grow up and leave *tears*.
She had surgery planned for March this year, but had it put back because of covid, to September. Has a supportive, chilled boyfriend, who the parents like.

Wow - the final interview she has such a radiant, happy face. A joy, really a joy.

So take this video and shove it up your crusty old arses, you fuckers in the High Court. Damn you for denying kids a chance to grow and be who they are

 

[MsNatalie99]

After.

Stickygirl,

Did you or anyone else you may know who underwent SDS have to undergo any kind of therapy afterwards? I ask because I am a psych major, and it just seems to me that a change that big might have called for such therapy. From everything I've seen, you and others who have undergone the transition seem to be much happier and well-adjusted. I just didn't know if it was always that way.

 

[stickygirl]

Stickygirl,

Did you or anyone else you may know who underwent SDS have to undergo any kind of therapy afterwards? I ask because I am a psych major, and it just seems to me that a change that big might have called for such therapy. From everything I've seen, you and others who have undergone the transition seem to be much happier and well-adjusted. I just didn't know if it was always that way.

Less than 1% of people (that's off the top of my head, not cited info ) who've had surgery later regret it, so they'd be the only ones I can think might need counselling for their surgery afterward. They still might need it if they had comorbid mental health problems of course, but I dare say the surgery will alleviate those.

Post surgery physical self-care keeps you so busy for three months that it gets pretty wearying, but then it's easy to observe the progress. It's a slog but the ending is always in sight. Counselling for patience maybe?! Or counselling for how to cope with overwhelming joy?!