I have argued before that government shouldn’t n ban access to abortion. I have displayed my disdain for concierge medicine. I am still on the fence about whether we should universalize healthcare, or maybe just demand that medical and pharmaceutical prices be artificially set so we can afford them out of pocket, with need insurance to cover our costs.
As a transsexual, you would probably expect me to equally demand coverage for sex change therapies. That insurances should cover puberty blockers for trans children. That trans women should also be allowed laser treatments to remove their body hair.
The WPATH has succumbed to the radicalization of transgenders who now think any kind of gender variance automatically means you’re “trans”. The standards of care they promoted until the 7th edition of their codex promoted was respectable—you go seek a psychotherapist to make sure that the desire to live as a member of the opposite sex is genuine, and not because of some illusion that they have it “better”, because you have something like autism that makes you think differently, because you’re a drag performer trying to use insurance to cover cosmetic surgery to look more “realistic”. Then, with a written letter of recommendation, you take the real life test for a year or to make sure it’s what you expect (sometimes concurrently with or before you’re allowed to take hormones) and to start the social adjustment, and undergoing surgery to finally allow you to live full time as a member of the opposite sex.
Until this past decade, or so almost no insurance would cover anything; trans people essentially used their life savings, hustled to no end, and saved or skimped on everything else to afford sex change remedies. (Yes, often by doing sex work, which is why there is a strong correlation between trans women and sex work.)
What most people don’t realize is, most of the history of the advancement of sex change therapy was not to help trans women effeminate their bodies. Estrogen on male bodies was researched as a form of “chemical castration”, to punish men accused of “buggery”/”sodomy” (when gay sex was illegal), of rape, and other sex crimes. Dr. Harry Benjamin developed, at least for the United States, operations to help same-sex couples have the “effeminate” gay man or “butch” lesbian in a relation feminize or masculinize, respectively, their bodies so they could conform to “heteronormative” standards and appearances to assimilate back into society.
Despite what transtrenders and “transgenders” are demanding, 14 or so states from the 80s onward had a legal process in place to help transsexuals achieve a complete legal sex change, too. Once you could provide proof that you got your medical sex change, you brought your doctor’s letter of recommendation and current legal documents in for the state to process, and it was a done deal. All your legal documents showed you underwent the psychological, medical, and sociological changes to live as a member of the opposite sex, and that you now earned the benefit to legally live as one, too.
Which leads me back to my question(s): should insurances be mandated to cover a sex change? Yes, but with the return to how things used to be, as opposed to the “informed consent”. Cover big things like chest removal and hysterectomies for trans men, and bottom surgery for trans women. However, boob jobs, facial reconstruction, vocal surgery, etc seem more “cosmetic” than “medical” in nature, and leave that up to the system to decide coverage.
How much of a sex change should a person entail before the states should re-issue birth certificates and other legal documents? I think for trans men, a double mastectomy and removal of their reproductive organs are more than sufficient, as metoidioplasty and phalloplasty are very imperfect surgeries and have some of the highest complication rates of any surgery, and risking permanent injury if not disability in the pursuit of legal recognition isn’t right. For trans women, though—they have to get a neovagina before they can qualify. Double standard? The science, unlike with trans men, has been perfected, that I think it’s reasonable to demand sterilization and the creation of a neovagina before we deem someone legally as a “woman” in the eyes of society and allowing them access to women’s-only spaces. Why? To protect other women, so that they aren’t raped or assaulted from crossdressers claiming they’re “trans”. So women can congregate with others for girls’ night out. Because men and women want to have those times where they are solely with other members of the same sex—if I was going to attend a night out on the town with the boys, I definitely would not want a female friend or one of their girlfriends joining us!
Should children and teenagers be allowed access to puberty blockers to help start their transition? If we lived in a world like our ancestors when 15 or 16 was often considered age of majority, I would agree. But because we infantilize people well into their 20s, I don’t think they have the comprehension most times to determine they are ready for a sex change. Young children know there’s some distinction between men and women, and some clearly show they are girls who want to be boys, or boys who want to be girls. (I was one of them!) Many “progressive” parents have become disillusioned by trans propaganda, that they now deem any version of gender variance as transgenderism. Kids and teenagers also don’t understand “gender” adults do. Anyone under 18 should not be allowed to access any kind of hormones, or even puberty blockers—sure, much of the stuff is reversible, but these medicines were created for children with medical issues to correct, not meant for people who have otherwise healthy bodies to suppress puberty. Plus, the more we prescribe puberty blockers, that means less available for children with medical disorders who really do need them. Yes, this means they have to endure puberty, but if the gender dysphoria is that mentally challenging on them, that means they are nowhere of sound mind to decide to undergo surgery—they should be seeking a therapist to understand what they are going through, how to cope. There are binders for transsexual boys, and gaffs and bra-stuffers for transsexual girls. Help them socialize with other members of the opposite sex who don’t mind including them, to help them adapt and assimilate. Let them dress accordingly; allow trans girls to shave, and trans boys not to shave. (Brothers, I knew plenty of guys who were teens who didn’t develop facial hair until well after graduation; you’ll be fine.) Educate the transsexual youth on what sex change involves when they are 18, and help them get an after-school job to start saving (with the internet, this has never been easier), and help them research employers who have health policies that cover HRT and SRS.
This might sound like I am writing from a place of privilege, but it’s not—I had to fight tooth and nail to masculinize and heal my body. I put off college, moving out, saving for retirement, investing in the stock market, gave up parenthood, and only God knows how many other milestones to become a man. I was, and still am, lucky that my insurance then and now covers my unique health needs, but I had to and still have to pay high premiums, copays, coinsurances, and other out-of-pocket costs to this day for my health needs.
I don’t want future generations to be denied what we never had, but I don’t think it’s safe to access HRT and SRS without thorough vetting. Detransitioning is a major issue, and once you’ve gone under the knife, you can’t undo the change.
Comments are closed, given how controversial my stance is, especially among other “trans” people.
