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Precarious indeed. To repeat myself - not all trans folk seek or have medical gender affirming assistance. This can be because of reasons relating to financial, religious, family, social, employment and other reasons. 1/9 https://twitter.com/AlyxG/status/1349090725720256512
Unlike the UK, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, or even Iran gender reassignment (or reconstruction) surgery (GRS) is not covered by public health insurance, unlike the US itās not covered by private health insurance. Australians have to pay for gender affirming surgery themselves 2/9
And pay they do. Firstly the path to surgery requires gatekeeping, you have to be examined and signed off by two psychiatrists. A lot of folk go to places like Thailand because thereās multiple surgeons and the cost is cheaper. 3/9
There are two surgeons doing GRS for trans women and only one surgeon doing it for trans men here in Australia. Their schedules are getting busier because folk havenāt been able to go overseas for almost a year now and thereās no possible future travel date because of COVID. 4/9
For those having surgery here in Australia thereās a constant risk of the dates getting pushed back because itās elective surgery and COVID. Folk I know have had recent surgery pushed back to October - it takes a great deal of personal strength to handle the disappointment. 5/9
After having sign off by two psychiatrists I was to have an orchidectomy in Melbourne in August last year, pushed back to September, pushed back to February and with the new COVID outbreak in Sydney Iāve opted to cancel for now as Iāve no idea now when it might happen. 6/9
The objectors to having trans women in spaces for women call us males or male bodied. Itās name calling, these objectors have probably never met a trans person, never seen a trans body, never walked a metre in our shoes. 7/9
Itās possible that youāve met a trans person today and never knew it. Not because weāre perfectly feminine or masculine, but perhaps because that trans person either has chosen to acknowledge who they are without transitioning or doe many reasons listed above are unable to 8/9
Some think that weāre to be feared, if they allow a trans woman into a womenās space something will happen. But if you only knew the fear, the anxiety, the insecurity that a lot of us feel - we just want to be treated like everyone else. Weāre not very different to you at all 9/9
