The Media & Transgender Issues

By Denise Holliday

Published:Wayves November issue 2005

 

I followed with interest the announcements that proclaimed the CBC was to be doing something on transgendered issues and in particular Transsexual surgery and how it relates to medical services in Nova Scotia. It was unfortunate that I never got to hear it and only received emails of quotes and coverage from friends. Living in the country with dial-up as your only options and a computer that you should, but cannot afford to update, can be limiting.

However, what I have seen, read and heard did not please me.

As a 58 year old Male to Female who has been fully transitioned for over 5 years and a legal Female Canadian for over 2 years, I found the coverage by CBC and the Chronicle Herald to be “in my opinion” full of content that was inaccurate, self serving and inflammatory. In a guise of covering what to transgendered people is a key and vital step they turned it into an argument of spending Thousands on questionable gender surgery while leaving others with vital life saving surgery, waiting on the sidelines.

Nova Scotia may or may not start paying for this surgery and like anyone who knows what is involved, the hope would be that it would be done and sooner rather than later. However, quoting an example of surgery costs at $120,000 without clear definition of what that cost involves and why it is required is inaccurate, inappropriate and blatantly irresponsible reporting that I was surprised to see coming from CBC in such a manner.  Newspapers often phrase things to gain reaction, but this was blatant provocation.

My dear friends from the news media, have you any idea what the results of your action could of and still may lead to.

Some parent with a child on Kidney machine is refused something for what ever reason and seeing a Transsexual granted funding for surgery is in deep despair and attacks .If that happened, you and your level of reporting could have been a primary cause.

For the record:

Female to male numbers are less than male to female and some suggest a 40% versus 60% to be a reasonable guess.

 

Female surgery is complicated and involves several different surgeries, some of which if not done, leave the TS extremely vulnerable to cancer and many other problems.

Male to Female surgery actually has a cost between $14,000 and $25000. Anyone wishing to check that can check the site in Montreal at Dr.Menards Clinic for in house pricing.

It should be noted that a high percentage of transsexuals actually do not fully transition. Some do not want to for their own reason and it is true to say a big one would be finances.

More Female to Male pass on surgery due to the cost, true, but also and more often because of the extent of damage and poor results obtained.

As a Transsexual we are in a position of owning a car that is not suitable for the road we travel, yet the cost for us to have the right car is many times higher than the average person has to pay. Even then the car is inadequate, inefficient and has a problem passing the ? Road (gender) test.

 

Over the last 30 years many thousands of transsexuals have quietly paid for their own surgery and still had to follow strict and expensive government guidelines to acquire permission for this surgery. Most people complain and even hate us without even knowing the basic facts. Anyone wanting information only needs to type “Lynn Conway” into their search engine and they can gain all and any information they need. Spend 6 hours browsing that site and I know it will change your outlook, if not your priorities.

Some famous person once said “for every action there is a reaction, even if the action is to do nothing”. 

Well for transsexuals every day that is a reality. Inaction creates health issues both physical and mental. It costs money to treat these things, especially on an ongoing basis. Try to imagine a person at 15 years of age with no hope and suicidal. Visits a shrink monthly for an hour and gets to 35 before finally killing him or herself. This at a cost to the health group of over $2000 a year. Medicine costs and due to stress, hospital stays at over $800 a day plus transport and family lost work days due to suicide watches.

Extreme you say, don’t be too quick to poo poo the idea before adding up the costs. The alternative to a very wasted and expensive life is surgery and a healthy well balanced person living with dignity and paying taxes over the rest of their life till age 55 to 85 depending on their life span.

Wow, and I have not even touched the surface of this issue.

Questions and comments can be sent to me via this papers email address, I look forward to your comments.