GWS 294

[gwsblogpoject-blog]

Fifth Post: Recalling Childhood

Transgender adults were asked about their upbringing and experiences in schools and with their families.  Growing up as a gender variant child comes with many different challenges.  Some children have a harder time than others depending on how supportive their family, friends, and peers are.  Without support from their family it is more difficult to feel confident at school.  

One transgender adult shared how they found an image in a catalogue that they really enjoyed.  They wanted to be able to achieve the same look, so they showed the image to their mom. She told them no, for the sheer fact that they were born a boy and the attire in the picture was for girls.  They suppressed the idea and tried their best to not let anyone else know how they truly felt.  Holding these feelings in is hurtful to the self.  Fearing criticism from others and never feeling like you can be yourself can lower self-esteem.

Children who are not supported and encouraged to be who they are by their family most likely will not try to be themselves in school.  Since children only understand the basics of the binary they can be left feeling confused as to why what they feel is considered “wrong” by their families and peers.  One person noted that they knew to hide how they felt in school but somehow the children “just knew” they were different.  Despite trying to fit in this individual was targeted and shunned by their peers.  

Children who fake it only to attempt to fit in with their peers at school (even if they manage to be convincing to their peers) suffer.  Another individual stated how they felt depressed, anxious about school, alienated, and desperate to be understood (Clemson, Diamond, Riley, & Sitharthan 2012).  All of this takes away from the growing experiences that other children get to go through.  These things aren’t things that young children should be so concerned with or subjected to.

Riley, E. A., Clemson, L., Sitharthan, G., & Diamond, M. (2013). Surviving a Gender-Variant Childhood: The Views of Transgender Adults on the Needs of Gender-Variant Children and Their Parents. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 39.

http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/2010to2014/2012-surviving-gender-variant-childhood.html

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I really liked this post because it touches on the interaction with peers. Children learn about binaries from the communities around them. This puts them in a position where they feel that they have concrete definitions of gender and can police others into fitting these definitions. A lot of shame can and does come from our interactions with peers and therefore children’s interactions are a very important aspect to look at.

[genderinschools-blog]

Fifth Post: Polarization of Gender

In this article which discusses families who let their children live and dress however they wish, there are key points offered by Doctor Polly Charmichael, a consultant clinical psychologist who leads a Gender Identity Development Service in London. She suggests that gender be viewed as a spectrum of identities and the inclusion of such identities could help ensure the break down of gender stereotypes (The Guardian). Gender stereotypes as we know that serve to harm those who transgress these stereotypes and expected gender roles. 

A psychologist who works alongside Charmichael, Dr. Bernadette Wen states that gender is often polarized at a young age and for seemingly no reason. She states, “Some of these children are going into a school environment where they make gender choices all day long, and they shouldn’t have to,” she says. We discuss how pupils have to choose what uniform to wear, what books to read, what sports to play, even what stationery to use […] It’s not that you want everyone to be androgynous and gender fluid, you just don’t want children to constantly have to make those choices. We need to preserve a space where children can explore their gender identity without having to make a commitment so early” (The Guardian). All this is to say that these are ways in which we force children to place themselves in categories of gender when there really is no need.

Children due to their nature generally want to play and dress how they wish. They should not feel guilty or bad about themselves based on how adults tell them they should be. It is possible for schools to not separate children by gender in this way or force them to pick and choose from a limited number of options that are quite arbitrary in nature. School of all places should be a space in which children feel free to be themselves. Especially considering that children spend several hours a day, five days out of the week, it is crucial that they be in a supportive environment. That being said, the limitations polarization of gender that takes place in school is bound to have an effect on transgender and gender-variant children. School is arguably where the most socialization takes place in any child’s life but when simple behaviors and items are unnecessarily gendered it can leave transgender and gender-variant youth feeling ostracized. The biggest takeaway point here is that upon further inspection, a lot of the gender discrimination and separation that takes place in schools is often without grounds or justified because “that is just how it is” but is not necessary. In fact, it is indicative of the fact that children are often stripped of their autonomy and instead of presenting them with a wide array of options to choose from, they are given an already limited number of options based on gender stereotypes and expected to choose from that which is hardly a choice at all. 

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/12/transgender-children-have-to-respect-who-he-is

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I think it would also be useful to look at the interactions between children and how it affects gender variant children. At a young age children tend to be very accepting and open to different views. However, as they get older, they also can police others’ clothing, expression, etc. Children’s clothing is very gendered and reinforces the binary. Pink is for girls, blue for boys. Steering away from gender clothing can really affect a child’s interaction with their peers.

[latinxgws294-blog]

Scholarly Source Part Deux

Social Integration and Health:Community Involvement, Stigmatized Identities, and Sexual Risk in Latino Sexual Minorities

The topic of the article was about social integration theory, which as explained in the article is that if an individual is more involved in the community they will get a sense of fulfillment in their lives. The purpose of the study is to see if there is a positive effect from volunteering and activism on gender nonconforming folks and their health. 

The article points out that GBT Latinos are three times higher rate of HIV/AIDS than whites. Research of volunteering and its positive affects have been limited to heterosexual white males (So what’s new? LOL). As it is mentioned in the article stigma of race and gender nonconforming increase the likelihood of risk use of alcohol and other substances, which are often used as coping devices. “Individuals may engage in substance abuse and sexual risk act to compensate for feelings of devaluation and shame as individuals may feel they lack self-control”.

An interesting thing I found in the article was that it mentioned that some Latinos do show some psychological distress when being racially discrimination, but those whom are active against discrimination and are proud of themselves don’t have negative health outcomes. The results of the study did show a relationship between activism/volunteering and positive outcomes, but mainly if the individuals did work with HIV/AIDS organization or LBGT organizations. The results also showed that involvement may deter alcohol and drug use. 

Ramirez-Valles, Jesus, et al. “Social Integration and Health Community Involvement, Stigmatized Identities, and Sexual Risk in Latino Sexual Minorities.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 51.1 (2010): 30-47.

Photo Credit Here

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I find the correlation between activism and health very interesting. I used to think that those who were activist might show more health problems because they are exposing themselves to many heavy issues. I think part of the problem with Latinxs was that there was shame in their identity, both ethnic and gender. Part of the reason why those who were involved in activism had less negative health outcomes can be because they had a stronger sense of community and stronger sense of their gender and ethnic identity. 

[translatinosandpoverty]

Housing

A report from 2011 (Injustice at Every Turn: A Look at Latino/a Respondents in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey,) suggests that transgender Latinos are unemployed, impoverished, homeless and discriminated against at higher rates than the transgender population and general population. The intersectionality between pertaining to a racial minority, such as Latino and also identifying as transgender leads to higher risks of poverty and even homelessness.

Employment discrimination can be a determining factor in why transgender latinos face these issues at higher rates than any other groups. In turn, these trans latinos whom live in poverty experience homelessness nearly four times more than the general population according to a National Transgender Discrimination Survey.  

Moreover, employment discrimination is not the only thing that can account for the homelessness trans latinos experience at higher rates than any other group. In the latino culture, family is a very important role. Families of these trans latinos are not always accepting of a family member coming out as trans and in turn, they may sometimes even be kicked out. Our Families: LGBT Latino Stories, a youtube video tells the story of a transgendered Latina whom came out to her mother and her mother told her to not come home dressed as woman, that she gave birth to a boy, not a girl. This situation is a great example of how family is not always accepting of the choices made to transition and as a result they may be pushed away and in some cases even become homeless.

Works Cited:

New Analysis Reveals Disproportionate Discrimination and Violence Against Latino/a Transgender People. (2011). Retrieved April 27, 2016, from http://www.glaad.org/blog/new-analysis-reveals-disproportionate-discrimination-and-violence-against-latinoa-transgender

REPORT: Trans Americans Four Times More Likely to Live in Poverty. (2015). Retrieved April 27, 2016, from http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2015/02/18/report-trans-americans-four-times-more-likely-live-poverty

Photo Credit 

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

In this post you mention that Latinx families are not very accepting of their trans children. Are you arguing that Latinx families are more unaccepting than their white counterparts? I think it would be interesting to see if Latinx families show higher rates of unacceptance. I think it is important to look at systems that lead to this unacceptance or why there is a ‘priority’ on family ties in Latinx communities. I think that there is a lot that goes into it other than “culture”.

[femmeb0i]

Reflection on the Course

Throughout the course, I have realized how much my thinking has been still very US-centered and Western-based when approaching the terms “transgender” and “gender variant.” This course has done a lot to deflate my ego in terms of knowing about gender variance in every space. Being trans, I felt as if I knew what was going on through experience, especially also having other intersecting oppressed identities. While I didn’t assume my experience was the end-all, it was still eye opening to learn about gender variance in other places, and how the study of these things and calling them “gender variant” may be problematic in certain contexts.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I completely agree with your point on realizing how US-centered and Western-based my views were. During class discussion someone would make a point about gender in other contexts and it would really allow me to think because I hadn’t necessarily thought about gender in that particular context. This course has pushed my thinking, which is extremely useful. It is important to think about gender in relation to a certain culture and not impose our understanding on it.

[bianca-curlworld]

This semester I have definitely learned a lot more related to Trans and gender variant history, issues, and current activism. I am a queer cisfemale so I wanted to know more about my Queer community and because that is not my lived experience and so I felt it was important to gather as much knowledge as I could. I have especially learned more about gender variance in communities of color. This was interesting because I did not have too much information on this before this class, especially as it relates to gender variance in the Latinx community. 

My views on the ways that social change can happen and on being more critical of movements that claim to represent all have shifted somewhat. This is mainly due to new knowledge that I acquired about Trans activism and LGBTQ movements in general. I hope to continue to expand on what I have learned in this class by using the authors, Vloggers, and names of Trans activists as a foundation to search for other articles, videos, and pieces about these topics.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I find your point about learning more about gender variance in communities of color very interesting. In this course we definitely focused a lot on gender in different countries and cultures, many of which were communities of color. I really appreciated this aspect because usually courses tend to focus on the white, dominant population and ignore the experiences of so many communities of color. This course really tried to get us to move away from this idea that our culture is the norm, and i think it was very beneficial.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

Post 7: Reflection

I really enjoyed this course and grateful that I was able to take this course. I hope UIC continues to offer this course in following semesters because many of us can a learn a lot from a course like this, and it can open up opportunities for transgender, gender variant, or gender non conforming folks. At the start of the semester we focused a lot on theory which I think was very useful for me. It allowed me view gender in whole new ways. I enjoyed hearing different opinions because it ultimately adding on to my knowledge of gender as a category. I am now more aware of gender categories in other countries and this allows me to think critically of gender as a social construction.

One of the most significant take-aways from this course is not imposing our Western ideas of gender onto other cultures. This is very important because this is knowledge that I spread. We learn a lot from other students and I can help others become aware of the many constructions of gender internationally. Being critical about everything we know about gender can help us better understand other categories, which in turn helps us understand gender in our own communities.

[queerchillona-blog]

Gender Variant Event : Her Story

I was able to attend the Her Story event and really enjoyed myself. I wasn’t able to stay for the panel portion of the event but I got to watch the whole series with a community of people. A link to the event is found here.

I actually had a great experience at the Her Story event. I was surrounded by a great community of people. Her Story is a six episode web series that follows the lives queer and trans woman and how they navigated through relationships. I really enjoyed the characters Page and Violet.The web series promotes a realistic representation of trans women and actually included trans women actresses. I also really liked that the web series incorporated issues that affect trans women. I enjoyed each and every episode and when the series ended, it left me wanting more.

The web series covered sexuality and how gender does not equate to sexuality. The character, Violet, thought she was straight, but found herself exploring her sexuality and forming a relationship with Allie. Her Story also touched upon sex work industry, to be specific, escort services. Violet had been an escort when she was in New York and the man she was living with had been one of her regulars. In class we discussed gender variant people getting into the sex work industry because of lack of financial opportunities,poverty,homelessness,etc. Violence was also portrayed in the web series; trans misogynist violence and interpersonal violence. There was a lot of trans misogyny from a cis lesbian character named Lisa. Lisa used harmful slurs, outed Page, and used trans misogynist rhetoric to claim that trans women shouldn’t be allowed in women’s shelters.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

You did a good job of listing the ways in which issues that trans women face were presented in the web series. You mentioned the exploration of sexuality among Vi’s character and how gender does not equate sexuality. In this web series there was also a lot that had to do with body. Violet had mentioned that she would be with men because next to them her body appeared feminine, but next to woman, she felt she looked “manly”. The way Violet felt about her body relates to sexuality because being into men reinforced that she was a woman. As she explored her sexuality, she also explored the ways in which she felt in her body.

[queendqgws294-blog]

Gender-Related Event

Body Courage is a play that is performed and written by Danielle Pinnock. The play is about Danielle’s journey of accepting and loving the body she has. Danielle grew up in a family that focused a lot of attention on the way she looked, and she struggled with her weight most of her life. So she embarked on mission to interview different types of people and asked them about their bodies and self-love. Danielle captured the essence of each the interviewees in her performance, and it was brilliantly done. I personally enjoyed the show very much; Danielle was hilarious, and just a pleasure to watch.

Danielle included gender variant folk in her interviews, which ties in closely to class topics. The main focus of her interviews were based on how one felt beautiful and how they felt about their body. For many gender variant people accepting the way they look can be difficult because we live in a binary society that marginalizes people who may look different. As someone who has struggled with weight, and self-esteem issues there were moments in my life that we very depressing. Depression among gender variant people is extremely high, and I think part of it stems from isolation from society and they way the view themselves.

Many gender variant people feel like they need to meet certain standard because of how society reacts if you don’t, which ties in with the way young women feel the need to become very thin. In our culture, thin is beautiful, and many women go to longways sometimes unhealthy ways to achieve this status. I think that can be related to the void of access many gender variant people have, and they get hormones in an unsafe manner. I am not saying the struggle is the same by any way, just that society puts a lot of pressure to look a certain way that it leads to people doing things in an unsafe manner.

Lastly, her overall topic of acceptance can definitely relate to gender variant folk. It is important to be comfortable with who are and love yourself. I also think that Danielle’s message can relay to other people looking for them to be love people regardless of sex, gender, weight, height, and color.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I agree with the point you make that social expectations can lead to low self-esteem and depression, especially for gender variant folks. I also really liked that you mentioned how issues with body image can lead to searching and obtaining unsafe hormones. In Body Courage, one of the narrators was gender variant and they mentioned that they did not feel comfortable in either body. I think this relates a lot to what you have mentioned above. Unrealistic standards lead many to feel unhappy in their body, and expectations are even more rigid for gender variant folks. If they choose to transition, society expects them to pass.   

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

Event Post: Body Courage

Body Courage is a one-woman show staring Danielle Pinnock. In search of her own body acceptance, Pinnock conducts various interviews, asking folks about their own body acceptance or shame. In the show, Pinnock acts out individual interviews and narratives. I really enjoyed my experience here. The show covered a lot of material, from lighthearted narratives to heavier material. Each narrative was presented in a way that gave a lot of agency to the narrator. Overall, the show made the audience laugh and kept everyone engaged. Pinnock did a great job!

The main topic in this show was body acceptance and body shame. Often when we talk about body shame we tend to focus on cis women; however, this relates a lot to gender variant folks. As discussed in Clare, there is often a disconnection that gender variant folks feel about their body and this disconnection is often related to shame.

One of the narratives that Pinnock presented was of a transgender person. Through the interview, the narrator explain how they felt shame in their body, pre and post transition. This is important because it shows that trans folks can also feel ashamed after they transition because there are social expectations that are placed on them.

When it comes to representation we only see certain bodies; whether that’s white bodies, cis bodies, or cis passing bodies, and for the most part, they are all conventionally attractive. This can create a of sense of shame in trans folks because they are told to look a certain way. When trans folks choose to transition we as a society expect them to pass and cater to beauty standards. Body Courage addresses this feeling of shame when it comes to gender variant folks. 

More info on Body Courage here.

[transstudieskat-blog]

In the article “Send in the Clowns” by Kate Bornstein, we learn about Bornstein’s defense to the ways in which society tries belittle and humiliate the gender variant community. She refers to these individuals as “fools”. The “fools” are those who are often seen as the trouble makers in our society. Those who freely take hold of their gender variant identities can perform twith making strides for the community. They are people who rebel against the humiliation and violence in a way that leads and inspires without taking themselves too seriously. 

I made a personal connection with this article because as I read Bornstein’s descriptions of what the fool does and is I felt that it was a form of activism that does not get taken seriously. In a sense, a lot of people assume that when there is a movement by a marginalized group of people that it should serious and jargon heavy and violent, but Bornstein brings up all the people who can laugh at the rules. I really liked that later in the semester after the trans health panel someone said that one of the panelist could be an example of what Bornstein described. This panelist was doing serious work, but embodied this because they didn’t hold themselves up to a higher place than the rest of the community that they helped. I also felt that a lot of work that i do for my communities is performance based and I really that is being acknowledged.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I agree with you about the “fool” being a form of activism. Humiliation is used as a way of asserting power over other individuals, especially those who do not fit into societal expectations. The fools rejects humiliation and by doing so rejects the expectations that police their bodies. This rejection of humiliation makes a statement and becomes reflective of those who impose the humiliation. The rejection of humiliation allows us to questions the norms that lead to this humiliation. 

[queerchillona-blog]

Blog post #4

Tim Retzloff’s article, “ Eliding trans Latino/a queer experience in U.S. experience in U.S. LGBT history: Jose Sarria and Sylvia Rivera reexamined” discussed the way Sarria and Rivera have been portrayed throughout different forms of media/history. Retzloff’s analyzes the respectability politics around the representation of these figures and how often their Latinidad has been erased.Jose Sarria is known for being the first open homosexual in the U.S. to run for elective office and he also formed the Imperial Court System of female impersonators. Meanwhile Sylvia Rivera is known for her involvement in the Stonewall Riots and is said to be the one who threw the first brick, along with that, she and Marsha P. Johnson started STAR which provided a shelter for homeless trans youth.

Retzloff compares how Sarria and Sylvia were represented in media/history and the respectability politics behind the representations. Sarria was seen to be more favorable in representing the gay community because of his respectability of running for office. Not only that, Retzloff touches upon colorism and the division within the Latinx community by mentioning that Sarria claimed Spanish ancestry and lack of connection to the Latinx community. Sylvia Rivera didn’t have such a positive representation in history/media and had been rejected by the GAA. She was Puerto Rican and was openly involved in the queer Latinx community. “ Her darker skin, her feminine performance, her sheer destitution were read as alien, to be shunned or fetishized but not assimilated” (Retzloff 155).

I liked this article because it was the first one to talk about Latinx gender variant people and also talked about colorism in the Latinx community. I actually didn’t know about Sarria before I read this, so I was glad to learn about him. I knew about Sylvia Rivera before and it was interesting to read more about her and the way she had been portrayed through history. I also liked how the article talks about how often when there’s a queer Latinx figure, their Latinidad gets erased, as if you can’t be both queer and Latinx. Reading this made me think about respectability politics and how it plays a part in articles, films, etc we read/watch. 

link to reading: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12784237/GWS%20294%20Spring%202016/Retzloff%20-%20Eliding%20Trans%20Latinoa.pdf

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I like that you mentioned colorism and respectability politics because I think that they go hand-in-hand. It is all about representation and often it is ‘easier’ to portray Latixs with lighter skin because bodies of color are often seen as threatening. Those portrayed are not only respectable but do not consider themselves Latinxs or people of color. This idea that you can’t be Latinx and queer is still very prevalent and it leads to the erasure of queer Latinxs and the overlooking of issues that affect them.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

4th Post: A Course Reading 

Eli Clare’s “Resisting Shame: Making Our Bodies Home” talks about the shame that people feel on their bodies, especially trans, gender non-conforming, and people with disabilities. Trans people often feel shame when it comes to their bodies and as a result they tend to look at their “trans-ness [as] a birth defect,” (459). Framing trans identity as a disability not only pathologizes trans identity but it also erases disability as an actual issue. Clare also discusses how trans people describing their “trans-ness” as a defect and claiming that they want the same health benefits as people with disabilities is problematic because once again it ignores the issues that people with disabilities face and erases the fact that they also endure inequality in the healthcare system.

I felt a connection to Clare’s article because the feeling of shame is central to a lot of issues. Clare mentions trans identity and disability, but it is also central to issues of sexuality and race. Getting at the root of why people feel shamed in their bodies can help to unravel and expose systems of oppression. This article helped to explain other reasons for the health disparities in gender variant people and how a lot of it is rooted in shame and how that affects mental health. This article also did a great job of highlighting how comparing trans identities to disabilities is problematic and it should be a take away from this article.

Link to article, click here.

[bonnie-gws-294-blog]

Group 4 Project

Romancing the Transgender Native: Rethinking the Use of the “Third Gender” Concept

by Evan B. Towle and Lynn M. Morgan

WORKS CITED: 

Towle, Evan B., and Lynn M. Morgan. “Romancing the Transgender Narra=ve: Rethinking the Use of the "Third Gender” Concept.“ The Transgender Studies Reader. London: Routledge, 2013. 666-84. Print.

Morris, Rosalind C.. “All Made Up: Performance Theory and the New Anthropology of Sex and Gender”. Annual Review of Anthropology 24 (1995): 567–592. Web

Ravine, Jai Arun. Toms and Zees: Locating FTM Identity in Thailand. Print.

Jones, Kelsie Brynn. "Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism: What Exactly Is It, And Why Does It Hurt?” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 Aug. 2014. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Kalei, Kalikiano. “AuthorsDen.com: Page Not Found.” AuthorsDen.com: Page Not Found. Author’s Den. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.  

Morgan, Lynn M., and Evan B. Towle. Romancing the Transgender Native: Rethinking the Use of the “Third Gender” Concept. Print.

Center for American Progress. “Transgender Americans Face Staggering Rates of Poverty, Violence.” Movement Advancement Project. 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

[gp528-blog]

Trans Health Panel

I enjoyed the panel presentation as it was interesting to hear the experiences of those who are directly involved in a few or many aspects of Trans healthcare. They covered everything from the harms of passing, accessibility, advocacy at systems level, to gender non-discrimination. I found myself intrigued as there were individuals on the panel who recounted their experiences passing through the system and others who were the ones that provided the care within the same system. In that regard I didn’t feel any tension in the room but I felt tense myself. I don’t know. Consciously I would feel upset as a provider if I couldn’t provide my patient with what they so desperately needed and as one panelist suggested, may have resorted to paying out of my own pocket.

Three things I appreciated: 1. The discussion on the harms of passing. Passing for many is seen as the ultimate goal of transitioning but it can be incredibly damaging to many gender non-conforming people. There is the pressure to pass as either a man or a woman so it leaves no room to individuals who may feel no alignment with either. Not only that but there was a moment in which a panelist provided their pronouns and another misgendered them. These can be common mistakes but often if one seems to “pass” as one gender that is how they may be addressed and I think it’s important to discuss how that may not be desired by everyone. 2. Accessibility. This topic is obviously very important because many Trans people have no access to the services that they need. It was emphasized that a dialogue needs to be created and adult providers a crucial (since many seem to cater younger individuals). Not to mention the financial issues that many face. But along with accessibility comes 3. Advocacy at systems level. One panelist pointed out how a policy was reformed to include Trans people but it was not fully thought or carried out. Trans people were included but not really helped. People need help in order to fully access care and that involved having people actively fight to change the systems. And not just “fix” because quick fixes don’t actually fix the problem. There needs to be a complete and intensive change of system in order for his to happen.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I like that you mentioned passing and the dangers of assuming that everyone wants to pass. As you mentioned, people are often misgendered when others assume their gender because they may pass as a certain gender. I think there needs to be more discussion on the dangers of passing in order to become aware that not all trans people want to pass. In the panel they also mentioned that trans health is not just about surgeries and this goes along with the idea that not everyone chooses/wants to pass.

[transstudieskat-blog]

The Trans Health Panel on Feruary 25, 206 included Margo Bell, MD, Caprice Carthans, Kelly Ducheny, PsyD, Aiden Harrington, APN, CNM, and Shay Phillips. There was a very good mix of people in the medical field providing a well rounded discussion of the topics. The communities tat each person served also enriched the discussion because it provided more views one what trans health looks like in real life. The panel was very informative what it is like to try and provide health care for the trans community. The panelist were very open the talking about experiences in the field.

1. Kelly Duchensy said that she believed that every single piece of health care is trans, anything anybody needs is trans health. This moment was really important because I think it was simply states that trans healthcare is an all encompassing field and that transfolk are more than just a surgery. Someone also brought up the idea that we need to untangle the idea of elective versus necessity. This shows the ways in which society can drive forward the idea that Duchensy had summed up, not to looking at transhealth as just a surgery.

2. I was really shocked when one of the panelist talked about how far people were willing to travel to get help from the night clinic. This really shows the lack of health care that is out there for the community. It also shows that the way that the healthcare is given matters. The panelist that talked about this talked about treating the person like a whole and how far that really goes. 

3.  Shay Phillips was talking about how UIC works with our gender queer youth in helping them get health care. I was pleasantly surpassed to know that the school is so inclusive because i thought that with how much disparity there is else where that the school would have harder time doing this.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

I agree that what Kelly Dutchensy said was very important. Often times when people think of trans health they think of surgeries but there is way more that goes into that. Thinking about health as being taken care expands what it is included under health. For example, mental health is very important, especially for trans people who have higher rates of depression and suicide. However, this is often overlooked because people only focus on the surgeries.

[mezcalconcafe-blog]

Blog Post 3: Trans Health Panel

The Trans Health Panel touched on many issues such as what constitutes as “essential” healthcare to cultural sensitivity training for healthcare providers. A main topic was access; who has access to healthcare, hormones, and/or information. I really enjoyed the panel because it was very informative, yet easy to comprehend. When it comes to talking about health it is often in clinical language that not many understand. However, this panel addressed many issues and was very informative without the clinical language. 

Through this panel I learned about GENDA (Gender Expression Non-Discriminatory Act). I was unaware that this had passed in New York but it is very important to be informed about it because it is very impactful. GENDA protects gender identity and expression from hate crimes or discrimination in housing, employment, etc.

I appreciated the discussion about language because as mentioned by Caprice, not everyone has access to clinical language or even the language to express themselves. When it comes to healthcare, it is important that healthcare providers make sure to use language and terms that can be understood by patients. It is also important that healthcare providers use terms that a patient has used to described their self, instead of imposing terminology on them.

Representation. Part of making a patient comfortable and making sure that the patient is cared for, is representing them on documents. It is useful for a patient to walk in and see themselves represented in pamphlets or posters. Similarly, medical documents should have a “buffet” of options when it comes to gender identity or expression to make sure a patient can see themselves represented in a document.

More on GENDA here.