In the Alberta Government’s 2009 budget, the province announced it was cutting the Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS) program to save $700,000 a year. Since this took effect, it has been an International topic grabbing the attention of many writers, news casts and celebrities including Oprah Winfrey. But do people actually understand what is being taken away?
With the letters and e-mails we have received at the Pride Centre of Edmonton, it is clear that most of this province does not. Many have the understanding that GRS is just “cosmetic surgery”, no different from elective surgeries such as breast augmentation or liposuction in people who aren’t satisfied with their body image. They just don’t understand why Gender Reassignment Surgery should be paid for by taxpayers.
Since the release of the proposed budget many people have stepped up and taken a stance on the rights of the Trans community, Sarah King and Cynthia Jasmyn Paish were two of many people that have filed human rights complaints, King taking it as far as a class-action lawsuit against the provincial government for cutting the funds. When asked how she felt about the GRS cuts King stated “I was devastated. I felt my life coming to an end. But I felt that I could not be negative about this situation and sit on the sidelines while my rights were violated and the sense of getting a kick in the head by the Government. My transition has already cost me greatly, and as such, I formed a group to file a civil lawsuit against them.”
Most medical professionals who provide Gender Reassignment services to adults, state that when able to live out their daily lives with both a physical embodiment and a social expression that most closely matches their internal sense of self, transgender individuals live successful, productive lives virtually indistinguishable from anyone else. The various medical treatments and procedures that alter an individual’s primary and/or secondary sexual characteristics are considered highly successful, medically necessary interventions for many transgender persons, especially those who experience the deep distress of body dysphoria.
While speaking to a few individuals about the issue I was blown away by the support they had for the community as a whole. Cynthia Jasmyn Paish shared, “I know my voice has been heard because I’ve seen changes in the last two weeks. Big changes.”
Said Paish bringing herself public was a big step “and to put the issue in front of Albertans, and Canadians for that matter, there was a downside to that, in that I would much rather remain “stealth”, not having everyone know my history. But if we’re going to win this, I had to stick my neck out for the rest of my community.”
Many Trans individuals don’t share with the rest of the world that they are Trans - they want to live as the women or men that they truly are. “It’s a small price to pay when I look at all those behind me who have not even been diagnosed with GID. It could have just as easily been me that got the short end of the stick. I just got my surgery approval in the mail today, and I’m happy, but what about the rest of us?”
The Government seems to have unilaterally deemed GRS as a disposable cost. It’s safe to say this because there is only one professional in the province that deals with Gender Reassignment, and they were not consulted. In a letter to the Editor of The Edmonton Journal, Dr. Lorne Warneke stated,”At the present time I am virtually the only psychiatrist in the Province of Alberta that has an interest in this area. A few years ago there was a gender clinic in Calgary but it closed because one psychiatrist deceased and the other left because of internal funding issues. This left two psychiatrists in Edmonton who were doing this type of assessment and follow up. For a number of reasons this shrank to one and I am now doing about 95% or more of such assessments for all of Alberta. With only one psychiatrist involved in this area of work, it would have been relatively simple for the office of the Minister of Health to have had a discussion about the impact of delisting SRS with myself before making the decision. Some dialogue, even as a courtesy, would have been appreciated.”
Ironically the Health Minister has been quoted saying, “we want to ensure that that we look after the most vulnerable in society.” Dr. Warneke commented on this remark.
“This was in reference to seniors. However individuals who are transgendered are also a very vulnerable and [marginalized] group in our society. What has happened to a compassionate approach to them? Also, what message is being given to transgendered youth and adolescents? They need support and to be secure in the knowledge that help is available for them at the time that they need it, and they will not be treated as second class citizens.”
Dr Gail Knudson, Psychiatrist and President of The Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health states, “The fact that the Alberta Government made this decision without consultation shows how little they understand transgender issues and how little awareness they have about the effect of their actions. We can reasonably assume that this news will create profound despair in individuals waiting for these life saving medical interventions”.
The Tory government was not expecting this kind of reaction from the community, and is scrambling to calm the storm after receiving so much flack. Liepert has guaranteed that anyone on the waiting list for the GRS will be covered, and not have to worry about coming up with the anywhere between $20,000 to $70,000 to pay for their surgery.
Paish assured me that even though her surgery approval has been received, she will not back down, “I have received my funding, but the people to follow me need all the support we can give them in this.”
Sarah King has a message for our province: “This issue affects ALL Albertans. Not just the Trans community. Many including myself have lost friends, family, employment and even children.”
One would think that each Alberta taxpayer could stand to part with the mere 19 cents in order to afford this service to those who can’t afford it on their own, and in many cases quite literally can’t bare to live without it.
To show your support you can find the petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/re-list-sex-reassignment-surgery-funding-in-alberta or join the Facebook Group Reinstate Gender Reassignment Surgery Funding in Alberta. Forums at http://transequality.ca/forums (There are 2 separate registrations for security purposes)
The Unitarian Church of Edmonton presents an evening of film and discussion about who transsexuals are, why Gender Reassignment Surgery is necessary and the assumptions and misperceptions that have driven this decision.
