Why The Trans Community Hates Dr. Paul McHugh

"The post-surgical subjects struck me as caricatures of women. They wore high heels, copious makeup, and flamboyant clothing; they spoke about how they found themselves able to give vent to their natural inclinations for peace, domesticity, and gentleness—but their large hands, prominent Adam’s apples, and thick facial features were incongruous (and would become more so as they aged)...." Dr. Paul McHugh 2004 Surgical Sex.

If you've noticed the spike in anti-trans rhetoric coming from the Catholic Church that has resulted in an increase in transphobia and hate violence crimes directed at transpeople in Latin America and other heavily Catholic spots on the planet, you have this man to thank for it.

You also have this man to thank for the 'transsexuality is a choice' meme that we have had to constantly fight as well.

But there is one group that he zealously defends. Catholic priests facing sex abuse charges.

Dr. Paul McHugh is another one of our longtime enemies of the trans community who first got the attention of our community in 1979. As then chair of the Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Department from 1975-2001 he shut down the Gender Program based on that infamous 1977 John Meyer study he ordered that claimed there was no real benefit to these services.

As a longtime critic of trans issues, McHugh has ties to neoconservative Catholic groups, was a member of the GW Bush Administration's President's Council on Bioethics, and is frequently quoted by anti-transgender groups such as NARTH and the Concerned Women for America.

McHugh claims responsibility for helping get J. Michael Bailey's anti-trans character assassination waste of trees The Man Who Would Be Queen published through the National Academy of Sciences.

He was tapped as the Vatican Advisor on trans issues and set the table for the current 'hate on transpeople' attitudes now prevalent in the Vatican since 2003 and now spreading like a cancer through the Roman Catholic Church.

Paul McHugh is also a supporter and proponent of Ray Blanchard's dubious autogynephelia theory that he created in 1989.

The "transgender" activists (now often allied with gay liberation movements) still argue that their members are entitled to whatever surgery they want, and they still claim that their sexual dysphoria represents a true conception of their sexual identity. They have made some protests against the diagnosis of autogynephilia as a mechanism to generate demands for sex-change operations, but they have offered little evidence to refute the diagnosis. Psychiatrists are taking better sexual histories from those requesting sex-change surgery and are discovering more examples of this strange male exhibitionist proclivity

McHugh not only leads the attacks on transpeople with a fanatical zeal, he did so against the late Dr. George Tiller to the point that in 2007 he was ordered by Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison to cease and desist. The anti-Tiller public statements by him and others in the conservative movement led to Tiller's death.

McHugh has the blood of our brothers and sisters around the world on his hands as well, and is deserving of the antipathy heaped upon him in our community.

Helena Bushong-Interview

HIV-AIDS affects almost 50% of the African-American population. Out of that portion of the African-American population living with HIV-AIDS, about a quarter of it is older than age 50.

And there's the African-American trans community.

28% of the African-American trans community is affected by HIV-AIDS.

Here's a link to a video interview of a woman who hits all three categories, Helena Bushong.

Helena in addition to being the head of the Illinois Gender Advocates also has the distinction of being the first African American transwoman ever to visit the White House.


TransGriot Update:  Helena recently e-mailed me to advise me she's no longer the head of Illinois Gender Advocates

Dr. Marci Bowers '98% Certain' She's Leaving Trinidad

Looks like I'm not the only well known transperson who is changing addresses this year.

Dr. Marci Bowers is '98% certain' she'll will be moving herself and her practice to the San Francisco bay area October 1.

According to an AP article she is in a relationship with a first year surgical resident in San Francisco and if she moves, she would join an office in San Mateo, CA with two plastic surgeons and a surgery center.

Dr. Bowers has been practicing in Trinidad, CO since the late surgeon Dr. Stanley Biber, who began doing SRS surgeries there in 1969, retired in 2003 and passed away in 2006.

She's been disappointed with the leadership of the Mt. San Rafael hospital where her practice is housed, and also noted in an AP interview that "There are advantages to being in a bigger city with access to airports."

Dr. Bowers is also one of the few surgeons trained in genital reconstruction techniques for people who have been harmed by genital mutilation.

She noted that Trinidad's location three hours driving time on I-25 south of Denver on the Colorado-New Mexico border has been a barrier to some potential patients, but didn't rule out a future return to the area.

Whatever you do Dr. Bowers, good luck and hope that whatever decision you make not only makes you happy, but helps your potential clients as well.

Bad Medicine

One of the things that continues to be an issue in the trans community is the negative treatment that trans people receive at the hands of people in the medical establishment.

While some doctors, nurses, EMT's and other medical personnel are caring, compassionate and professional, we have some nekulturny fools in the bunch as well.

We have doctors who fail to live up to the Hippocratic Oath and nurses, EMT's and other medical personnel who are more concerned with maintaining their faith based bigotry of trans people than providing the quality medical care their trans patients need and deserve.

Even at the expense of that trans person's life.

The nightmare scenario for many transpeople took place almost 15 years ago on August 7, 1995.

Tyra Hunter was on her way to work in Washington DC when the car she was riding in was involved in an accident. She was refused timely treatment by DC Fire Department EMT Adrian Williams and later at DC General Hospital that would have saved her life.

Worse, while Williams was NOT treating Tyra, he took the time to disrespectfully mock her. And what was his punishment? A promotion by the DCFD.

Sadly, the less than stellar treatment trans people receive in medical facilities still happens. Had a transwoman recently e-mail me about her needing to call in her congressmember to get her Medicaid application approved she filed in April 2007.

They glacially dragged their feet on a process that normally takes only 90 days for kidney patients. She heard nothing about her status until July 2008. Once the congressmember's staff started making phone calls on her behalf it was approved two weeks later.

To add insult to her injury, she endured a jacked up transphobic medical experience while getting needed kidney dialysis treatment.

Less than 24 hours after reading her e-mail, I heard the story about a transwoman getting disrespectfully treated July 18 at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, IN.

Her life partner took her there because she was coughing up a large volume of blood.

The patient showed emergency room intake staff her Indiana state ID which had her FEMALE name and FEMALE gender marker in clear print on it.

So what did the Ball Memorial ER staff do? Logged her into their system as a MALE.

The fun and games continue. They proceeded to ridicule the patient and loudly refer to her as "it" while the patient's partner was disrespectfully asked by these infantile health care "professionals" if she was a 'he/she'. To add even more insult to injury, the patient was quizzed about her length of time as a 'transvestite'.

That incident was so jacked up a protest is going to take place there on August 17, and a petition is already circulating on the Net condemning it.

Medical disrespect and poor service happens to our transbrothers as well. Just as Tyra Hunter is our nightmare scenario, Robert Eads has the same significance to many transmen.

They will sadly recall how he was refused medical treatment by two dozen doctors for the cancer that took his life in 1999. His story is detailed in the 2001 documentary 'Southern Comfort'.

And that's before we even get started with pharmacists who refuse to fill hormone prescriptions on specious faith based grounds or if they grudgingly have to do so, disrespect the trans person availing themselves of their services.

So yes, there's a lot of work we must do to ensure that no transperson is denied care or mistreated while receiving it.

But at the same time the medical profession needs to look inward, do the right thing and come down on those people in its ranks who presume their religious beliefs and transphobic attitudes outweigh their solemn oaths to do no harm and take care of all patients who seek their services.

And the point also needs to be driven home to the medical profession that 'all patients' includes trans people as well.

WPATH Response To DSM V Revisions

Transpeople around the world have rightfully been concerned about the ongoing DSM V revisions.

The concern has been heightened about what shape those revisions would take thanks to two enemies of the trans community with specious theories about us being placed on that panel.

WPATH, The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, formerly known as HBIGDA, put together a committee to review some of the stuff the DSM V working group came up with.

You can check it out by following this link.


WPATH Press Statement issued May 26.

The WPATH Board of Directors strongly urges the de-psychopathologization of gender variance worldwide. The expression of gender characteristics, including identities, that are not stereotypically associated with one’s assigned sex at birth is a common and culturally-diverse human phenomenon which should not be judged as inherently pathological or negative.

The psychopathologlization of gender characteristics and identities reinforces or can prompt stigma, making prejudice and discrimination more likely, rendering transgender and transsexual people more vulnerable to social and legal marginalization and exclusion, and increasing risks to mental and physical well-being. WPATH urges governmental and medical professional organizations to review their policies and practices to eliminate stigma toward gender-variant people.”

2009 World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day, in which we draw attention to the AIDS pandemic and also remember the people lost to the disease.

I count some of my friends and extended family members among the 25 million people who have died of AIDS between 1981 and 2007. There are another 33.2 million people around the world who live with HIV/AIDS as of 2007.

I'm also concerned about the high infection rates for my transsisters as well, who acquired it either through risky sexual practices or sharing needles with infected people while injecting hormones.

So take a moment to say a prayer for the people we've lost, who live with the disease every day, and pray that a cure is found for it as well.

Will 'Be Fruitful And Multiply' Become a Reality For Trans People?

The one thing about medical technology is that it is constantly advancing, evolving and making things a reality that were impossible only a few short years before.

I stumbled across two articles that reminded me of an old joke that transwomen and transmen other used to say to each other.

We used to remark to each other it would be nice if we could just swap the gender specific body parts.

While the medical technology as of yet hasn't perfected a realistic looking and functional penis for transguys, the news is a little different for transwomen.

We've always had since the 60's SRS surgeons skilled in creating realistic looking feminine genitalia. Now if the news coming from research scientists pans out, a result of gynecological research being done to help infertile cismothers bear children, may also give transwomen the ability to give birth.

Lili Elbe, one of our pioneering transwomen, died 78 years ago from complications stemming from the rejection of her uterine transplant. She did so because she wanted to bear children

Lili's dream may soon become a reality for 21st century transwomen.

A New York surgical team is now interviewing candidates who will attempt to do the first human womb transplant in the United States. The technique was tried by a Saudi Arabian surgical team in 2000, but the womb was rejected after three months.

The procedure would potentially allow women who have had their wombs damaged or removed to develop a pregnancy and give birth. It may also give transwomen who desire to do so the ability to give birth to children as well.

Transman Thomas Beattie caught a lot of flack inside and outside the trans community in 2008 for stopping his testosterone shots so that he could bear children.

Never mind the fact he did so because he and his wife wished to become parents and his wife was infertile. In addition to their now one year old daughter, Thomas recently gave birth to a son on June 9, 2009.

But that Beattie drama got me thinking about our reproductive rights as transpeople and how they've taken a back seat to just living our lives.

Many of us back in the day didn't consider banking our sperm before we had our orchiectomies or SRS. Thanks to the restrictive HBIGDA/WPATH transition rules in place at the time, we never considered the possibility that one day you'd might wish to have children with some of your family DNA in them.

And who would have even contemplated the thought that transwomen would not only stay married to their cis spouses, but keep their neoclits and get busy being fruitful and multiplying? What are the odds of a transwoman meeting a ciswoman who loved you enough to marry you, simply wanted to bear your child or a transman doing so?

Somehow I doubt much has changed in the 2k's. I don't believe it's high on the priority lists of many 21st century transpeople either, much less is a discussion topic in our gender meeting groups.

Some will argue life's hard enough for us now. Why bring a child into this situation? Ask any parent raising them and they can give you infinite reasons why you should.

As these interesting medical developments unfold, maybe it's time for us to be proactive in this debate instead of reactive. You can bet your last hormone shot that the fundies and their haters are already looking for a way to demonize a process that will help millions of people.

It's time to get our arguments ready to counter whatever lies and out of context Scripture they come up with.

It's time to do some hard solid thinking about where we are in terms of reproductive rights issues as they relate to us personally and as a community.

It's time for us to ask the question, will 'being fruitful and multiply' not only become a reality for those of u who wish to do so, but what are the ramifications for the child we bring into the world as well?

Dr. Kelley Winters GID Reform Letter

TransGriot Note: One issue that many trans people are passionate about is GID reform.

I'm proud to know and was able to get reacquainted with on my trip to Boulder last fall with Dr. Kelley Winters, who is one of the activists leading the fight to open minds on that issue.

Here for your TransGriot reading pleasure is the text of a June 22, 2009 letter she penned to help make the case.
****

Alan F. Schatzberg, M.D., President, American Psychiatric Association
Carol A. Bernstein, M.D., President-elect, American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Association
1000 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209
care/of: apa@psych.org


Dear Drs. Schatzberg and Bernstein:
I am a writer and consultant on gender diversity issues in medical and mental health policy, and I am asking the American Psychiatric Association to affirm human dignity and access to medical transition treatment for trans and gender variant individuals in public position statements.

To introduce myself, I am the author of Gender Madness in American Psychiatry: Essays from the Struggle for Dignity (2008) and the founder of GID Reform Advocates (www.gidreform.org). I serve on advisory boards to the Matthew Shepard Foundation and TransYouth Family Allies, and I have presented papers to Annual Meetings of the American Psychiatric Association in 1998, 2003 and 2009.

I am also a transsexual woman and can speak personally to the barriers to dignity, civil justice and medical care at issue in current APA policies and diagnostic nomenclature.

The APA has a long taken strong public positions in support of oppressed minority groups. For example, in 1973 the American Psychiatric Association issued a historic position statement on “Homosexuality and Civil Rights” that had a profound impact on public opinion and defamatory stereotypes. Unfortunately, the APA has never issued a similar statement in support of trans and gender variant people, even though APA policies and DSM nomenclature have contributed to analogous barriers and stereotypes that trans and gender variant people face.

I am asking for your personal support in drafting APA position statements to clarify that gender difference is not disorder, to affirm the medical necessity of transition care, and to urge legal recognition of social gender transition:

• I ask the elected leadership and Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association to affirm in a position statement that gender identity and expression which differ from assigned birth sex do not, in themselves, constitute mental disorder and imply no impairment in judgment or competence.

• I also ask the APA to follow the example of the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) by issuing a statement clarifying the medical necessity of hormonal and/or surgical transition treatments for those who suffer distress caused by deprivation of physical characteristics congruent with their gender identity. I call on the APA to urge insurance and healthcare coverage for medically prescribed transition treatment as well as ongoing and ordinary medical and mental health care.

• Finally, I ask the American Psychiatric Association to follow the example of the American Psychological Association and WPATH in opposing discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression and encouraging legal recognition of all people that is consistent with their gender identity and expression. I ask the APA to affirm in a position statement the dignity and legitimacy of individuals who have transitioned their social gender roles, regardless of their physical anatomy or assigned birth sex.

I have attached the names of well over 400 community members, leaders, clinicians, researchers, scholars and allies, who have joined me in this request through an on-line Facebook advocacy group. I have also attached copies of individual letters that I have received.

I would very much appreciate your consideration and endorsement of these position statements. Please feel free to contact me, if I can answer any questions that you have or can provide more information.

Regards,
Kelley Winters, Ph.D.
GID Reform Advocates
www.gidreform.org

MP Hedy Fry Says Canadian Transpeople Aren't Getting Medical Needs Served

Seems as though my Canadian transbrothers and transisters may have another friend in Parliament besides NDP MP Bill Siksay.

Dr. Hedy Fry, a physician and the Liberal MP for the Vancouver-Centre riding said Monday in Saskatoon that transgender people are not being fully served under the Canada Health Act.

"I feel like it's the last piece of discrimination under medicare,"

Fry hosted the nationally televised CBC series Doctor Doctor and served as president of the British Columbia and Vancouver medical associations before becoming an MP in 1993.

She is attending the annual Canadian Medical Association meeting being held there from August 16-19 to hear concerns from a number of groups in the city including seniors' groups, the GLBT community and city officials.

MP Fry, the Official Opposition Critic for Canadian Heritage, is also taking the time to participate in a multiculturalism round table.

Fry also met on Monday with University of Saskatchewan Students' Union president Warren Kirkland to discuss concerns of the GLBT community as well as the dearth of young people in politics.

The lack of access and equality for transgender people is a huge issue across the country, said Fry, whose medical practice served a high number of GLBT patients at the time she was first elected to Parliament.

"I found out that the suicide rates were high. I was seeing patients who didn't want anybody to know that they were teachers or public servants."

Dr. Fry is now serving her sixth term in Parliament after succeeding Kim Campbell, who became the first Canadian female prime minister. Fry herself was in the running for the Liberal party leadership before bowing out of the race eventually won by Michael Ignatieff.

Though much has changed since she was elected, Dr. Fry feels transgender people are still being discriminated against.

"There have to be legislative changes to make sure that the Canada Health Act is being observed," she said.

While being transgender is defined as a medical condition, Fry said it is still difficult for people to receive proper care. Care across the country is "spotty" at best.

"Transgender patients do not have access under medicare to the things that they need," she said. "It discriminates against an identifiable group who are not just wanting to do something, but are clearly a medical diagnosis. It's a clear diagnosis."

The Freezer Project

TransGriot Note: Wonderful story from north of the border about a meals project that helps recovering post operative trans peeps

Freezer Project Eases The Transition

By Sarah Fraser
Ottawa
Wednesday May 27, 2009
Xtra.ca.com

Post SRS Trans Folk Get Boost From Program

Now entering its second year, the Freezer Project is an initiative that provides a portable freezer containing 30 homemade frozen meals —and the occasional ice cream bar or eclair — to individuals who have undergone sex reassignment surgery (SRS).

The project, started by trans activist and community agitator Elizabeth Tyler in 2008, is a free service open to both trans men and trans women. It fills a critical gap for people who may not have other options in terms of household support post-surgery.

"The freezers typically go out to folks who are living alone or who are low income."

The project began after Tyler observed an acquaintance recuperating from a bilateral mastectomy. His recovery was a painful and difficult one.

"After the surgery, he couldn't open his pain medication. He couldn't use the can opener to open a can of beans. He even had trouble taking the top off of spaghetti sauce," Tyler says.

"That's how the Freezer Project was born. I thought, 'Hey, someone should do this.' Then I thought, 'I guess that person is me.' It was easy to take action on."

Prior to surgery, Tyler meets with clients to understand their preferences and needs. They discuss whether the individual has any food allergies or restrictions, such as a vegetarian diet, and they work out the month-long menu together.

Tyler drops off the freezer after the client returns from the hospital and then picks it up in 30 days' time. In the meantime, the client simply takes a Tupperware container out of the freezer each night, lets it thaw and the food is ready to be heated and eaten the following day. No additional prep is needed.

When it comes to potential clients, Tyler says that she goes on an honour system and wants to keep it that way.

"If someone wants to be a recipient of [a] freezer and feels that they need it, I do my best to arrange it for them. I would not turn anyone down, and so far, the service has not been abused."

Although Tyler is the one who initiated this project, the wider Ottawa community is now getting involved in the process of cooking and assembling the meals for each freezer.

"The Freezer Project engages the community — it gives folks a chance to help out in a simple and easy way," Tyler says.

How does it work? Tyler typically rounds up seven other volunteer cooks and asks each person to make a large pot of a specific dish, like chili or stew. They each divide their dish into four portions, which equals a month's worth of food. A little bit of effort ends up making a huge difference in someone's recovery.

For the freezer that's about to be assembled, one of Ottawa's roller derby teams has volunteered to cook everything and put it together. Amazingly, the food, the freezer and the Tupperware containers come entirely from donations and the person receiving the freezer does not pay for the service.

Beyond it being free, Tyler believes that the Freezer Project offers benefits that services like Meals on Wheels does not.

"[With] Meals on Wheels...there is not as much choice," Tyler said. "And [they] deliver at lunch time, which is not always the most convenient for people. With the Freezer Project, you create your own menu and have more variety. And we try to keep the contents nutritious."

Given that SRS is now included under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) — a move made by Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in June 2008 — more people will be able to undergo SRS. And the Freezer Project will undoubtedly grow as a result. In fact, in the last year, the project has served five clients in the Ottawa-Carleton region and more are requesting the service. Tyler is working on expanding the Freezer Project beyond Ottawa.

"The hope is to see the project take off in other cities — I'm trying to spread the word far and wide. I think the program could be applied to many different situations: I concentrate specifically on trans men and women because...there is a need for it, and it is close to my heart," said Tyler.

"I'm not aware of any other such projects in the world. It is very simple to run, and it doesn't cost a thing."

So far, the feedback Tyler has received from clients has been tremendously positive. She has received thank you cards in the mail and heartening comments from recipients.

"People appreciate that it is free and think it's a wonderful project."

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving a freezer or volunteering for the project, please contact Elizabeth Tyler at thefreezerproject@ live.com.


©2009 Pink Triangle Press

ABC 20/20 Feature on AIS

Contrary to the BS the scientifically ignorant Reichers put out there, humans are a lot more complex than their simplistic line of thinking would have you believe.

Back in August 2008 ABC's 20/20 did a segment on AIS, Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome.

In a nutshell, Androgen insensitivity syndrome is a condition that affects sexual development before birth and during puberty. People with this condition are genetically male, with one X chromosome and one Y chromosome in each cell. Because their bodies are unable to respond to certain male sex hormones (called androgens), they may have mostly female sex characteristics or signs of both male and female sexual development.

Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome occurs when the body cannot use androgens at all. People with this form of the condition have the external sex characteristics of females, but do not have a uterus and therefore do not menstruate and are unable to conceive a child (infertile). They are typically raised as females and have a female gender identity. Affected individuals have male internal sex organs (testes) that are undescended, which means they are abnormally located in the pelvis or abdomen.

Undescended testes can become cancerous later in life if they are not surgically removed. People with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome also have sparse or absent hair in the pubic area and under the arms.

Juju Chang interviewed Eden, and told her story.

Now Manitoba Is Delisting SRS

Renee at Womanist Musings has a post up about the recent decision of the Manitoba provincial government following Alberta's lead in delisting SRS.

While you expect that from a conservative province like Alberta struggling with a budget deficit and using it as an excuse to cut so called 'fat' out of a multi billion dollar provincial healthcare budget, Manitoba has an NDP government which is projecting a C$48 million SURPLUS.

So what's up with that?

If you peeps north and south of the border and beyond wish to RESPECTFULLY express your opinions about it, here's the contact info for Kerri Irvin-Ross, the Minister of Healthy Living for the Province of Manitoba

Kerri Irvin-Ross, Minister of Healthy Living
Phone: 204-945-1373
FAX: 204-948-2703
E-mail: minhliv@leg.gov.mb.ca


H/T Womanist Musings

Gia Darling's MTV 'I Want A Famous Face' Video

Gia Darling was on MTV's I Want A Famous Face' as well. Found the video for her appearance on the show. It also gives you an idea of just how much can be accomplished body work wise if you have the cash to do so.



It also gives you an idea of some of the pain you'll have to endure as well if you go under the knife to get that type of body.

President Obama Moves To End Moral Opt Out For Health Care Providers

One of the last minute regulations the Bush misadministration pushed through was a policy that would allow doctors, nurses and other health care providers to refuse to treat people who they disapprove of on "moral" grounds.

In other words, it would allow a doctor, nurse or EMT for example to refuse to treat a gay person or a pharmacist to dispense medication to a transgender person for religious or moral reasons. That regulation was timed to take effect several days before President Obama took office and were designed to override state regulations protecting citizens access to care.

These regulations also could impair LGBT patients’ access to care services if they are interpreted to permit providers to choose patients based upon sexual orientation, gender identity or family structure. They also posed a threat to women's access to comprehensive health care by permitting pharmacists to refuse to dispense contraception even when doing so significantly burdens the patient’s access, or to refuse to participate in an emergency abortion even when the woman’s health is at risk.

Thankfully the Obama administration is moving to eliminate this odious rule. It has begun the repeal process for the Department of Health and Human Services regulations regarding "provider conscience."

Bottom line, as a US taxpayer whose taxes go to pay to build and equip the medical, nursing and pharmacy schools that train you, how dare you arrogantly assert that you have the right to refuse to treat people or dispense medication because you don't approve of their lives for specious faith based reasons?

Time to stop the conservamadness. If you don't want to treat ALL people who potentially are in need of your services, then maybe you don't need to be providing health care for people, period.

Any Black doctor that agrees with the conservaidiots and this BS regulation that thankfully will be gone soon given the tortured history we've had as African descended people with the medical profession needs their behinds kicked as well.

National Go Red Day

If you can't figure out what to wear to work today or while you're out and about doing errands, may I suggest something red?

Today is National Go Red Day. I'm joining millions of women, companies, organizations and cities across the country in raising awareness about women and heart disease.

According to Tiffany Travis, communications director for the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women ages 25 and older.

African American women are 35% more likely than non-Hispanic white women to die from heart disease. Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and smoking all put women at risk for heart disease. Studies have shown that African Americans don't get the same care for heart disease as whites because they don't get the same tests and treatments.

“We want women to talk about prevention and living heart-healthy lives,” she said. “There are factors you can control like diet and exercise, but getting an annual heart checkup, not just a well-woman exam, is vital.”

A heart checkup includes checking cholesterol and blood pressure levels, as well as blood sugar tests.

So pull that red outfit out of the closet and wear it in honor of Go Red Day.

What's Facial Feminization Surgery?

I mentioned in a post last month that one of the pioneers of facial feminization surgery, Dr. Douglas Ousterhout is planning to retire in 2011. But what I didn't do was explain what facial feminization surgery is.

There are some of my sisters who were fortunate enough to get the genetic luck of the draw and all we needed was hormones and attitude to pass successfully. Others of us started early enough in our lives to avoid the ravages of demon testosterone on our bodies.

But for those peeps who either transition late in life or need help to feminize their appearance from the neck up, they resort to facial feminization surgery to do so.

Basically, facial feminization surgery (or FFS for short) is a wide array of surgical techniques employed to make a masculine face resemble a more feminine one.

If you watched the MTV show 'I Want A Famous Face' and remember Jessica, that's basically what she was doing.

Facial feminization surgery involves facial plastic surgery, maxillofacial surgery and reconstructive surgery. While those surgery skills and disciplines are well known, there are not many surgeons that specialize in FFS techniques worldwide. Those that are skilled at it are highly sought after.

While transwomen are major customers of the surgeons who specialize in this area, there are biowomen who do avail themselves of their services as well because of dissatisfaction with what they may consider masculine facial features.

Some of the techniques are forehead contouring, in which the bony ridge just above the eyes is removed and shaped to create a more feminine appearance. Scalp advancements, brow lifts are also done to enhance the new smooth forehead.

Sometimes, chin and cheek implants may be necessary or chin reshaping, in which the old squared male chin is given a more rounded feminine appearance.

There's also the tracheal shave, in which the cartilage bulge on the neck is shaved down as much as possible without touching the vocal cords.

Some people undergo rhinoplasty to get more feminine appearing noses, face lifts and lip augmentations as well.

The procedures, when completed and the post-surgical pain and swelling subsides, result in remarkable results, but it ain't cheap. FFS can cost anywhere from $10-40K depending on what procedures you get, which surgeon is doing them and where you get it done.

Bu for some transwomen, the positive effects on their self esteem and peace of mind because they blend in better with society are worth every penny they spent on it.

Dr. Ousterhout Planning To Retire In 2011

If you're thinking about getting facial feminization surgery from Dr. Douglas Ousterhout, better do it before 2011.

The pioneer of facial feminization surgery is planning to retire, according to comments posted on the Transsexual Road Map website attributed to his office manager Mira Coluccio.

Dr. O as he's affectionately known in the transgender community, is the author of the book Aesthetic Contouring of the Craniofacial Skeleton. He's penning an upcoming book about FFS written for a lay audience and holds an MD as well as a DDS degree.

He is a great friend and a wonderful ally to our community, and his surgical skills have been utilized by many in our community to help them not only look better, but feel better about themselves.

Hopefully, he'll pass on his knowledge to another colleague or younger doctor willing to take on the challenge.

Black Doctors-Where Y'all At?

One of the things that I've noted about the helping professionals assisting us in becoming the men and women we are is the lack of melanin in the group at the national level.

While we are blessed in the transgender community with helping professionals that are compassionate, skilled and caring to all their patients no matter what their ethnicity is, I've had the pleasure over the years of meeting many of them, and they go beyond the call of duty to fight tooth and nail for us, I'm still struck by the lack of African-American doctors involved in the gender identity medical world.

It's a concern because I know we have young African-Americans attending medical school. When I was a TATS member I used to be part of the Transgender 101 panel discussions we had at Baylor College of Medicine and talked to them.

One of my doctors early in my transition in between visits to the gender clinic was a Latino one on Houston's north side by the name of Dr. Mendoza. He unfortunately has passed away, but his basic philosophy when he was sometimes asked why he treated us was 'transgender people need medical care, too.'

Maybe there are African-American doctors involved in other cities on a local level that I'm not aware of yet that have the same basic philosophy and take their oath seriously, but who aren't disclosing that part of their practice in fear that it will drive other patients away.

But in light of a medical establishment that still is met with cautious skepticism by many African-Americans because of the fallout from the 40 year Tuskegee Syphilis Study that commenced in 1932, I believe that one reason that some African-American transpeople are reluctant to access the health care system besides cost or seek dangerous alternate methods such as silicone pumping to accomplish the body morphing we need to have happen is lingering trust issues as a result of that study.

The fact that some transpeople of color have experienced overt negative transphobic behavior and denial of service doesn't help either. It's also never far from our minds as African-American transgender people that Tyra Hunter died in 1995 because of lack of timely medical assistance in an emergency situation, and the EMT involved shared our cultural heritage.

And let's face it, it sometimes helps to have someone who has shared your cultural background understand when you're talking to them about transition as a person of color and some of the issues unique to that.

It would be nice when they have these WPATH conferences that the experiences of people of color are injected into the overall discussion of transgender health matters as well by their African-American medical peers. It would carry more weight than just moi speaking to them.

It would be also be nice for example, if you desire to do or need facial feminization surgery, to have a plastic surgery doctor that understands that we have cultural issues about our noses being messed with, there are certain nuances about ethnic beauty, and we don't want to look like Lil Kim or Michael Jackson when they finish.

So where are the African-American doctors that support us? For those of us who do have that option of surgical enhancement, do they even want our business?

Inquiring minds wanna know.

Survey Finds VA Discriminates Against Transgender Veterans

Trans Universe, TAVA founder Monica Helms' blog has the results of an interesting survey conducted by TAVA of 827 transgender veteran participants from December 13, 2007 to May 1, 2008.

This represents a strong sampling from what is estimated to be approximately 300,000 veterans in the US who identify as being transgender.

The Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara has released the findings of a survey, conducted by Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA), that shows that transgender veterans are being turned away and being mistreated in high numbers by Veterans Administration medical facilities.

Check out the story at Trans Universe

Great News From The AMA!

TransGriot Note: The good news just keeps on coming for us. A legislative victory in Colorado, positive responses to the Transgender Pride March in Northampton, and now this wonderful news out of Chicago.

The American Medical Association's House of Delegates, their highest policy making body yesterday passed a resolution yesterday calling for the removal of financial barriers imposed on transpeople by public and private insurance companies.


AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Resolution: 122
(A-08)

Introduced by: Resident and Fellow Section, Massachusettes Medical Society, California Medical Association, Medical Society of the State of New York


Subject: Removing Financial Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients
Referred to: Reference Committee A

Whereas, The American Medical Association opposes discrimination on the basis of
gender identity and

Whereas, Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is a serious medical condition recognized as such in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Ed., Text 5 Revision) (DSM-IV-TR) and the International Classification of Diseases (10th Revision), and is characterized in the DSM-IV-TR as a persistent discomfort with one’s assigned sex and with one’s primary and secondary sex characteristics, which causes intense emotional pain and suffering; and

Whereas, GID, if left untreated, can result in clinically significant psychological distress, dysfunction, debilitating depression and, for some people without access to appropriate medical care and treatment, suicidality and death; and

Whereas, The World Professional Association For Transgender Health, Inc. (“WPATH”) is the leading international, interdisciplinary professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender identity disorders, and has established internationally accepted Standards of Care for providing medical treatment for people with GID, including mental health care, hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery, which are designed to promote the health and welfare of persons with GID and are recognized within the medical community to be the standard of care for treating people with GID; and

Whereas, An established body of medical research demonstrates the effectiveness and
medical necessity of mental health care, hormone therapy and sex reassignment
surgery as forms of therapeutic treatment for many people diagnosed with GID; and


Whereas, Health experts in GID, including WPATH, have rejected the myth that such
treatments are “cosmetic” or “experimental” and have recognized that these treatments can provide safe and effective treatment for a serious health condition; and

Whereas, Physicians treating persons with GID must be able to provide the correct
treatment necessary for a patient in order to achieve genuine and lasting comfort with his or her gender, based on the person’s individual needs and medical history; and

Whereas, The AMA opposes limitations placed on patient care by third-party payers when such care is based upon sound scientific evidence and sound medical opinion; and

Whereas, Many health insurance plans categorically exclude coverage of mental health, medical, and surgical treatments for GID, even though many of these same treatments, such as psychotherapy, hormone therapy, breast augmentation and removal,
hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, and salpingectomy, are often covered for
other medical conditions; and

Whereas, The denial of these otherwise covered benefits for patients suffering from GID represents discrimination based solely on a patient’s gender identity; and

Whereas, Delaying treatment for GID can cause and/or aggravate additional serious and expensive health problems, such as stress-related physical illnesses, depression, and substance abuse problems, which further endanger patients’ health and strain the health care system; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the AMA support public and private health insurance coverage for treatment of gender identity disorder (Directive to Take Action); and be it further

RESOLVED, That the AMA oppose categorical exclusions of coverage for treatment of gender identity disorder when prescribed by a physician (Directive to Take Action).

Fiscal Note: No significant fiscal impact.