Sex change funding cut may take heavy toll

Edmonton Sun, Canada
April 11, 2009

Sex change funding cut may take heavy toll

By MICHAEL PLATT

For Michelle Ann Duff, it wasn't a choice. Sex-change surgery was a
decision between an early grave or a new life as a woman.

"I had two choices: number one was to make a gender change, and number
two was to jump in front of a subway car," said Duff, 69.

The Ontario woman faced a much bigger leap of lifestyles than for the
relatively few Canadians who undergo the life-altering switch every
year.

In 1985, as the soon-to-be "she" boarded a plane to Belgium for a date
with a sex-change specialist, Michael Duff was a world-acclaimed
motorcycle racing star, Canada's own record-setting grand-prix hero.

Retired and with three children from two marriages, Duff abandoned the
uber-macho world of pistons and leather to start a new life as a
woman.

"I hate that overused cliche, a woman trapped in man's body, but
that's basically it," said Duff. "It's been shown time-and-time again
that the only way to connect for a person with gender dysphoria is to
make the outside the same as the way they feel inside."

Gender dysphoria is a recognized psychological condition which causes
distress and depression. In Alberta, the condition is considered
serious enough to qualify victims for sex-change surgery, paid for by
the province for the past decade. Or, at least, it was.

On Tuesday, while hiking the price of beer and cigarettes, the
province also yanked funding for transgender surgery, supposedly to
cut $700,000 a year out of a $13-billion purse. Petty doesn't begin to
describe the few pennies saved by cutting funding to the 10 to 20
Albertans who undergo the surgery each year.

Already, there's talk of a human rights complaint -Ontario faced a
similar challenge and lost in 2008 - but those awaiting their turn for
change are devastated.

"I've been on hormones for two years and dressing as a female, and
then they do this - how is this even possible?" said Paris, a Calgary
male-to-female gender converter, who asked her name be changed to
avoid recognition. "I've been waiting to get on the waiting list - now
I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

Those who have started the surgery, which can take more than one
operation, will have their change covered by Alberta Health. But those
like Paris, who are still functionally of their birth gender, are out
of luck.

"It's not the same as getting a boob-job," said Paris, who describes
the change as essential to a person's identity, unlike cosmetic
surgery.

A Facebook group, Reinstate Gender Reassignment Surgery Funding in
Alberta, already has in excess of 300 members, and a campaign has
started a letter of complaint, along with 19 cents, to the province.
That 19 cents represents the per-Albertan cost for funding the
surgery, highlighting the pittance at stake, cash-wise.

On the human front, the cost could be incalculable: the Facebook group
already contains messages from despondent patients hoping to undergo
surgery, which they can't afford without funding.

"My chest surgery date is coming up in November, and if it's not
covered at that time.. I will not be able to pay for it myself ... so
I'll have to go without ...which will most likely result in me feeling
hopeless and suicidal," wrote Dominic Scaia.

Kristopher Wells, a researcher at the University of Alberta, said the
province is facing a serious legal battle, which will end up costing
far more than $700,000.

"They made this cut without understanding the personal and legal
implications," said Wells. "A human rights complaint will be filed -
that's the talk in the community at this point."

MICHAEL.PLATT@SUNMEDIA.CA
Copyright € ¦© 2009, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved.
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