Subconscious ignorance

 https://slate.com/technology/2023/04/gender-affirming-care-texas-teen-trans-boy.html

 Will summarize this great story from a mom of a trans boy and to add my personal experience as a mom of a trans girl.

 

Texas Legislature - LGBTQ Bills

Senate Bill 14

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/06/texas-legislature-lgbtq-bills/

https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/03/texas-senate-transgender-children-puberty-blockers-hormone-therapy/

https://www.marketplace.org/2023/05/08/a-family-fled-texas-to-protect-their-transgender-child-theyre-still-afraid/

 To be summarized later

 

 

Texas - Transgender Youths and CPS

https://texaslawhelp.org/article/transgender-youth-cps

To be summarized later

Informed Consent Model of HRT

HRT stands for Hormone Therapy Treatment.

If you remember from one of my previous posts, the transitioning journey for trans may include three major phases, (1) social transition (non-medical such as pronouns, clothing, hairstyle, or voice), (2) hormone therapy (which will be a life-long commitment), and (3) the optional (bottom) surgery (it is not only expensive but also dangerous, sometimes, life-threatening). (Note: bottom surgery can be done on 21+, so, for the moment, it is very much on the back burner and we do not even think much about it, other than struggling with finding the good panties - I may need to start a line of product one day!).

The legal requirements for adolescents to receive HRT vary from state to state since the federal government does not specify anything about hormone therapy or puberty blocker for adolescents, although the Biden administration has done a few things to promote access to health care and to prohibit discrimination in providing health care to the LGBTQA+ community. 

(Note: hormone therapy is done at later stage when teens already underwent their puberty years, most significantly, trans girls have already developed deep voices that could not be reverse with HRT; and puberty blocker is done at early stage, typically for pre-teens, so that trans girls do not have to deal with deep voice, among other things such as body hair and odor, wet dreams or erections, and trans boys do not have to deal with enlarged breasts).

https://www.kff.org/other/issue-brief/youth-access-to-gender-affirming-care-the-federal-and-state-policy-landscape/

Four states, including Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, and Alabama (in that chronological order), have recently in 2021/2022 enacted restrictions on limiting LGBTQA+ youths' access to HRT (gender-affirming health care). Fifteen other states are considering pieces of similar legislation. Some examples are: criminalizing or imposing professional disciplinary action, penalizing parents aiding, permitting individuals to file for damages against providers, and limiting insurance coverage or payment, among many other little things such as "the bathroom bills" or "don't say gay" bill.

Meanwhile, some states have adopted broad non-discrimination health protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation, including:

- Prohibitions on health insurance insurance discrimination based on sexual orientation, or

- Requirements that state Medical programs explicitly cover health services related to gender transition

The implication is that youth access to gender-affirming care boils down to state policies. In our particular case, we are stuck in a conundrum. I just quit a state-employed job in New York, where not only the access is great but the facilities are familiar with tons of youth transitions; I am now working a state-employed job in Texas, where I decided NOT to add my children to a family plan to avoid any legal issue towards me aiding my child (potentially considered child abuse); we are still living in New York where our base home is and we do not have a New York-sponsored medical plan; I decided to have my children added to their father's family plan which is based on a state-employed job in California, and while California is even more open and progressive than New York, my child has to either fly in to get in-state health care, or receive out-of-state health care, which is subject to a different set of rules.

Long story short, we have been very patient (while being somewhat frustrated) with months and months of waiting - waiting to figure out the process, for the next appointment with a doctor (or even a nurse practitioner from Gender Health Services under Adolescent Medicine), for the sorting out of insurance benefits and the upgrading to a better plan that would cover out-of-state health care, and finally, the jigsaw puzzle pieces fall a bit together. We now have three different options (note that there is a fourth):

(1) Kid could fly out to California, especially for the first appointment in-person (COVID allowed for many virtual setups but we are post-COVID now), and hopefully, depending on the physician, they may or may not allow subsequent visits to be done virtually (since the refills should not be a problem).

(2) Kid could receive the treatment from a local prestigious hospital, but the law in New York State would require months of consulting with a therapist (pediatric psychologist, basically) to talk about the emotional struggles, to make sure this is the right decision before getting a letter of support. 

(3) Kid could alternatively opt in for a newer approach called the "informed consent model" where we could cut off the months of therapy (where no DNA or blood test is done, just self-reported symptoms) and sign a consent form to acknowledge the potential risks that might come with receiving HRT.

(4) This scares me as a mom. My kid threatens to buy cheap hormone treatments off some dark website if she could not get HRT that she has been craving for. While I don't think HRT is the magic potion that will take her depression away overnight, my heart dropped she might actually do it.

Do some research, consider the so many plans you could possibly have, including flying/ driving to a different state, including alternative health care providers. It is a tough battle and I can't wait to finally have our very first HRT appointment tomorrow (under the "informed consent model").

2023 will be a better year for sure! 

Ref: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022167817745217?journalCode=jhpa

 

Hormone Replacement Therapy

https://idea.unt.edu/hormone-replacement-therapy

 

National Coming Out Day - October 11

National Coming Out Day (NCOD) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Coming_Out_Day 

This is an annual awareness day that is observed on October 11 to support any LGBT+ member "coming out" of the closet, whether it be to their significant other, their family, their smaller circle of friends, colleagues, or the whole world.

The first NCOD in the United States was in 1988 (marking its 35th anniversary in 2022).  

NCOD Observance is also done in Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and United Kingdom. 

In the United States, NCOD is sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign with annual themes.

At the very beginning, it was grounded in the feminist and gay/ lesbian liberation spirit and the most basic form of activism being living life as an openly lesbian or gay person. The psychology behind this is that homophobia thrives in an atmosphere of silence and ignorance. People who know they are loved by their family, friends, and colleagues, even after coming out, are far less likely to maintain homophobic or oppressive views.

I do not personally care too much about that psychological explanation. I don't believe all gays and lesbians, and other LGBT+ members, suffer from homophobia. At least my simple child does not, other than some non-believing jokes about moving to Texas with me and being shot in the parking lot (however, for that valid phobia, I am willing to allow her to live with her father in California in her senior year of high school, so that she could have her peace of mind). I also don't believe by coming out, homophobia will go away overnight. It is more complicated than that.

But, as someone who is somewhat free spirited, someone who wants to treat others the way she wants to be treated, I want to be my truest self, I want to hold up my value system (which may overlap but not necessarily identical to other value systems such as the law, culture, or religions). I want the freedom to make my own conscious decisions and take full responsibilities for the consequences, while at the same time making sure I am a contributing member of the society and I am here to marginally make the world a better place.

One of the biggest social transitions we did early on after my kid came out to me was to take her to our local Pride Fest. I was up close and cheering and whistling and waving. I was wearing rainbow all over me. I was a strong ally, basically. But, I was not a member. I knew the euphoria I got was coming from being a good and supportive person, not from being accepted or belonging like the real LGBT+ members feel. My child, shy and worried, hid behind a tree peeking out most of the time, she did not want to be associated with a crazy and loud mom, but, I saw the beaming light in her eyes and the blush cheeks on her face. She was clearly excited, and I, in that moment, knew for sure I must accompany her on this long journey to happiness, and I will fight if I have to.

 

LGBT+ History Month - October

This is not to be confused with LGBT+ Pride Month, which is usually June.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_History_Month

In the United States, Canada, and Australia, it is celebrated in October. In Hungary and the United Kingdom it is observed during February (in the UK this coincides with a major celebration of the 2003 abolition of Section 28). In Berlin, the capital of Germany, it is in May (known as Queer History Month). 

In the United States, October was chosen as the month for the celebration because the first and second LGBT Marches on Washington, in 1979 and 1987, were in October; National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is on October 11 to mark the date of the Second March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987, and October is within the academic calendar year.  

LGBT History Month is intended to encourage honesty and openness about being LGBT. While it was first known as Lesbian and Gay History Month, it has become known as LGBTQ+ History Month.