To all MLAs of the Alberta Legislature,

Hello, I have recently been informed that the budget for 2009 has removed funding for Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS). I am writing this letter to have several questions answered. If you could please take the time to respond to each question it would greatly help.

First, the Alberta Government is required to fund medically necessary. The general consensus in the medical community in North America is that this procedure is a medical necessity to promote the the long term mental, and physical health of a patient who has Gender Identity Disorder (GID) The Ontario Provincial Government was recently forced to re-list GRS as a covered procedure due to a class-action lawsuit. BC recently re-listed it a medical necessity as well.

* In light of the Alberta Government's duties as defined under the Canada Health Act, what is the justification you are using to deny funding for this surgery?

Second, the Calgary Herald reported that denying funding for transsexual patients for GRS will save $700,000 per year. Let me explain some of the medical ramifications of this before I get to my question. Transsexuals undergo Hormone Replacement Therapy as part of the treatment. This produces secondary characteristics to better align the patient appearance with their gender identity. With Male to Female patients, this allows a re-distribution of fat to the hips and buttocks, reduces the upper body muscles, starts breast development, reduces and softens overall body hair, prevents the progression of male pattern baldness, and many other items that in concert create a female image. Most of these changes will revert without Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) with the most notable exception being breast development. Before surgery a higher dosage of hormones are required because the natural production of testosterone needs to be suppressed and estrogen needs to be introduced. After
* What are the projections for the secondary expenses that Alberta Health Care will be encountering due to the denial of surgery funding?
* What is the ultimate savings/or cost with denying this surgery.
* If those projections have not been done, Why have they not been done?

Third, as I have already mentioned the suicide rate among pre-operative transsexuals is 3 times the national average, whereas the suicide rate among post-operative transsexuals is lower then the national average. The denial of funding will result in the deaths of Albertans.

* What studies has the Alberta Government done to examine the cost of human life this policy will create?
* If no such study has been done, how can you deny the funding for GRS when you don't even understand the ramifications for denying that funding. Why has no study been done?
* What dollar value is the Alberta Government willing to spend to save a single life? How many lives need to be saved per $100,000 in order to justify treatment?

Fourth, on or about November 19th, 2008, Mr. Blackett responded to a question by Ms. Notley with the following:

Mr. Blackett: Well, you know what, Mr. Speaker? In our party we have one native, we have four Sikhs, we have two Chinese, we have two Caribbean, and we have somebody from the Philippines. We understand diversity. We understand it for all. We have a multicultural education fund that goes out and helps educate. We fund organizations, including gay, lesbian, transsexual, transgendered individuals, on education of their rights and promoting equality for all Albertans.

If it is your governments stance that you wish to fund organizations that include gay, lesbian, transsexual, and transgendered individuals and wish to promote their rights and equality among all Albertans then

* How do you believe that denying this funding will impact your governments declared dedication to the promotion of equality for transsexual people?
* What message is being sent to Albertans about the basic rights of transsexuals?
* Many will see this as a justification to discriminate against transsexuals. What secondary impact has been considered as a result of this action by the government?

Fifth, transsexuals cannot change the gender marker on government issued ID without having the surgery performed. This includes Drivers License, Social Insurance Card, Birth Certificate to name a few. These items of identification are required to function within our society. Since your government requires that the surgery be performed to have your ID reflect your gender, does that not make the surgery a requirement imposed by this government?

* How can the government require that a medical procedure be performed and yet not fund that medical procedure?
* How can the government state that a medical procedure is elective, yet require it's completion?

Sixth, the total budget for Health Care in Alberta is Almost 13 billion. The $700,000 per year that is paid for GRS, amounts to 1/18000 of the budget, or approximately 0.00005% or a 200th of 1 percent. This represents 19 cents for every man woman and child in Alberta. I am including 19 pennies in this letter to show my commitment as an Albertan to shoulder the cost of this surgery for the betterment of our province.

* I want to know whether you intend on specifically fighting the de-list of GRS as a funded procedure.
* If you do intend on challenging it, I want to know what you specifically intend on doing.
* If you do not intend on challenging it, I want to know your specific reasons why you refuse to.

I as a resident of the province of Alberta I expect a personal response to each of these questions. I thank you in advance for you time and attention to this matter.