Angry Letter Part Deux
Today at 12:15pm
Dear Mr. Stelmach,
I am writing you again to solicit a response to the email I sent you last week. While I appreciate that you are a busy man and that you may have limited time available to respond to such inquiries, I feel that my earlier communication included a number of valid questions that merit a reponse. My questions to you are:
1. Are the increased health care costs that will result from delisting gender reassignment surgery lesser in value than the $700,000 per year saved?
2. Is the government prepared to weather the possible legal costs that could be associated with delisting this service? (and again, is this potential cost less than the $700,000 per year saved?)
3. Has the government considered how this decision will affect the rate of depression and suicide among the transgendered community?
4. What was considered in the decision-making process with regard to cutting this particular service?
I have attached my previous email below should you require any further clarification regarding the questions I'm posing, or in the unlikely event that you did not receive it.
Sincerely,
Chris
Showing posts with label Budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Budget. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Savings a pittance
Edmonton Journal, Canada
Savings a pittance
The Edmonton Journal
April 13, 2009
In a $36-billion budget, the Alberta government chooses to eliminate
$700,000 for gender reassignment surgeries. By my calculation that's a
whopping 0.00194 per cent of the budget.
Sorry, but to me this looks like a convenient opportunity to disguise
blatant and cruel discrimination as fiscal prudence.
If it wasn't tragic, it would be laughable.
And the saddest thing is that the government will now have to spend
considerably more than they will save in defending this policy before
a human rights tribunal.
It's wrong, mean-spirited and petty, and for what it's worth, against
my religious principles.
Rev. Brian Kiely, Unitarian Church of Edmonton
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Savings a pittance
The Edmonton Journal
April 13, 2009
In a $36-billion budget, the Alberta government chooses to eliminate
$700,000 for gender reassignment surgeries. By my calculation that's a
whopping 0.00194 per cent of the budget.
Sorry, but to me this looks like a convenient opportunity to disguise
blatant and cruel discrimination as fiscal prudence.
If it wasn't tragic, it would be laughable.
And the saddest thing is that the government will now have to spend
considerably more than they will save in defending this policy before
a human rights tribunal.
It's wrong, mean-spirited and petty, and for what it's worth, against
my religious principles.
Rev. Brian Kiely, Unitarian Church of Edmonton
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Class action suit over gender reassignment funding
iNews880.com, AB, Canada
Class action suit over gender reassignment funding
10 pm
Edmonton / iNews880.com
4/11/2009
A 33-year-old woman is spearheading a class-action lawsuit against the
Alberta government over its decision to stop funding gender
reassignment surgery.
The move was made to save about $700,000 in the provincial budget.
Sarah King was recently notified that funding for her own gender
reassignment surgery, scheduled for January, had been cancelled. She
says she hopes the court will grant an injunction that will force the
province to approve funding for everyone on surgical waiting list.
Then she hopes to have the funding relisted.
Currently, there are more than 16 people represented in the lawsuit
and King says that number continues to grow by the day. (CP, ES, td)
Copyright © 2008 CHQT-AM. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/LocalNews/story.aspx?ID=1081335
Class action suit over gender reassignment funding
10 pm
Edmonton / iNews880.com
4/11/2009
A 33-year-old woman is spearheading a class-action lawsuit against the
Alberta government over its decision to stop funding gender
reassignment surgery.
The move was made to save about $700,000 in the provincial budget.
Sarah King was recently notified that funding for her own gender
reassignment surgery, scheduled for January, had been cancelled. She
says she hopes the court will grant an injunction that will force the
province to approve funding for everyone on surgical waiting list.
Then she hopes to have the funding relisted.
Currently, there are more than 16 people represented in the lawsuit
and King says that number continues to grow by the day. (CP, ES, td)
Copyright © 2008 CHQT-AM. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.inews880.com/Channels/Reg/LocalNews/story.aspx?ID=1081335
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.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/2009/04/11/9081746-sun.html
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.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/2009/04/11/9081746-sun.html
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Re-list Sex Reassignment Surgery Funding in Alberta
Care2 - The Petition Site, CA, USA
Re-list Sex Reassignment Surgery Funding in Alberta
Target: Gov.Of Alberta, Health Minister Ron Leipert and Premier Ed Stelmach
Sponsored by: Sarah King & The Edmonton GLBT Community and the
Citizens of Alberta
I would like all citizens of Alberta, Canada and those all over the
world to support and sign the petition. First gender identity was
excluded from proposed amendments to the Alberta Human Rights,
Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Act, and now gender reassignment
surgery is de-listed from Alberta Health Care coverage. This has
caused many on the list who are waiting and need this procedure to be
suffering in many ways.
We are calling on everyone to sign our petition. Help send a message
to the government of Alberta to re-list funding for gender
reassignment surgery. This is an essential medical service that a lot
of transgendered individuals require to live normal and productive
lives.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/re-list-sex-reassignment-surgery-funding-in-alberta
Re-list Sex Reassignment Surgery Funding in Alberta
Target: Gov.Of Alberta, Health Minister Ron Leipert and Premier Ed Stelmach
Sponsored by: Sarah King & The Edmonton GLBT Community and the
Citizens of Alberta
I would like all citizens of Alberta, Canada and those all over the
world to support and sign the petition. First gender identity was
excluded from proposed amendments to the Alberta Human Rights,
Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Act, and now gender reassignment
surgery is de-listed from Alberta Health Care coverage. This has
caused many on the list who are waiting and need this procedure to be
suffering in many ways.
We are calling on everyone to sign our petition. Help send a message
to the government of Alberta to re-list funding for gender
reassignment surgery. This is an essential medical service that a lot
of transgendered individuals require to live normal and productive
lives.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/re-list-sex-reassignment-surgery-funding-in-alberta
Friday, April 10, 2009
When he wants to be a she, who are we to disagree?
Calgary Herald, Canada
When he wants to be a she, who are we to disagree?
By Paula Arab, Calgary Herald
April 9, 2009 3:03 AM
I know a female guitarist in Toronto who was in love with a woman, yet
she insisted she was no lesbian. It turned out her girlfriend was
still technically a man, but in transition. He was undergoing the
extremely long process of becoming a woman and believed he wanted
surgery. He was caught in limbo after the Ontario government stopped
funding gender reassignment.
As time passed, it became clear the guitarist didn't want her partner
to undergo the final, er, snip. The guitarist liked that aspect of
their relationship. It was all bizarre and extremely confusing, but it
illustrated to me just how complicated sexuality can be. (He was a man
who liked women but wanted to be a lesbian, she was a heterosexual
woman who liked men but was with a man on the verge of becoming a
woman. Or something like that.)
Imagine, then, how con-fusing it must seem to the actual person who
believes he or she was born inside the wrong body.
Ontario, prompted by a human rights complaint, eventually concluded a
gender identity disorder is a serious medical condition. Alberta has
always considered it a mental health issue, but the province
contradicted that position by delisting the surgery in Tuesday's
budget. The move saves the equivalent of about half-an-hour's worth of
annual health-care spending.
It's harsh, narrow-minded and backwards, never mind hurtful to those
affected. They're already rejected as social pariahs by a judging,
mainstream society.
Health Minister Ron Liepert could learn from Ontario, where it took 10
years for the government to reverse course. During that time, lives
were needlessly on hold and individuals suffered tremendously.
Last year, then-Ontario health minister George Smitherman concluded it
was "appropriate" to reinstate funding for surgery, even though it
affected only a small group.
He admitted the earlier decision had been made out of ignorance and a
"narrow understanding" of the needs of transgender people.
"A population which has needs that are quite difficult to understand
were subjected to a lot of politics. I think we should be careful not
to use what is $200,000 on a $40.2-billion budget as an excuse to try
to create a them-and-us conversation."
What Smitherman did then was courageous. What the Alberta government
has done now is not.
As Smitherman said, this is a political move. It's a cheap shot at an
extremely vulnerable and tiny minority.
Cutting $700,000 is such an insignificant amount of money, it would
barely cover the cost of paper clips for the system's administration.
The total annual health-care budget is $12.9 billion. Put in
perspective, it takes less than 28 minutes to rack up the amount spent
on gender reassignment surgery. That's not much.
The big expenses of health care are salaries and overtime. Alberta
must start tackling those costs if any improvements in health care are
to be noticeable. Liberal Leader Dr. David Swann elaborated on the
problem during a recent meeting with the Herald editorial board. He
said nurses who come straight out of school are deliberately accepting
part-time jobs, giving up benefits for the more lucrative overtime.
Extra shifts are the norm, according to Swann.
You can't blame the young nurses for taking advantage of a need in the
system to bolster their salaries. But from the government's
perspective, this is a huge waste of money. If Liepert is truly
committed to finding efficiencies, he should demand better scheduling.
Hire someone who knows how to staff an emergency department and leave
trans-genders alone! That would slash costs, whereas the $700,000
saved on phalloplasty is the kind of cut you give yourself shaving.
These people are so misunderstood, they don't even understand
themselves or their own identity. That's why some go through the
surgery, only to discover nothing has changed. For others, though,
they are able to get clarity, and the surgery is a success.
It's possible Alberta's requirements for transgender surgery--the
final stage of a complicated process --aren't stringent enough.
Surgery isn't for everyone. The process should insist the person has
come and gone into the deep recesses of their mind and soul, and is
certain they are making the right choice.
Ontario has nearly four times the population of Alberta, yet approves
just eight to 10 people for surgery each year. Candidates must first
pass a "rigorous" psychological evaluation at the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health--the country's leading medical health organization.
Alberta candidates should be subjected to the same intense scrutiny
before undergoing the knife.
Liepert's actions belied his words Tuesday, when he told reporters:
"We want to ensure that we look after the most vulnerable in society .
. .."
Who is more vulnerable than someone who identifies as transgender--a
term so difficult, its definition is still in flux? They are the
voiceless members of our society who are on the fringe.
The province has shamefully just kicked them even closer to the edge.
parab@theherald.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Health/When+wants+disagree/1481223/story.html
When he wants to be a she, who are we to disagree?
By Paula Arab, Calgary Herald
April 9, 2009 3:03 AM
I know a female guitarist in Toronto who was in love with a woman, yet
she insisted she was no lesbian. It turned out her girlfriend was
still technically a man, but in transition. He was undergoing the
extremely long process of becoming a woman and believed he wanted
surgery. He was caught in limbo after the Ontario government stopped
funding gender reassignment.
As time passed, it became clear the guitarist didn't want her partner
to undergo the final, er, snip. The guitarist liked that aspect of
their relationship. It was all bizarre and extremely confusing, but it
illustrated to me just how complicated sexuality can be. (He was a man
who liked women but wanted to be a lesbian, she was a heterosexual
woman who liked men but was with a man on the verge of becoming a
woman. Or something like that.)
Imagine, then, how con-fusing it must seem to the actual person who
believes he or she was born inside the wrong body.
Ontario, prompted by a human rights complaint, eventually concluded a
gender identity disorder is a serious medical condition. Alberta has
always considered it a mental health issue, but the province
contradicted that position by delisting the surgery in Tuesday's
budget. The move saves the equivalent of about half-an-hour's worth of
annual health-care spending.
It's harsh, narrow-minded and backwards, never mind hurtful to those
affected. They're already rejected as social pariahs by a judging,
mainstream society.
Health Minister Ron Liepert could learn from Ontario, where it took 10
years for the government to reverse course. During that time, lives
were needlessly on hold and individuals suffered tremendously.
Last year, then-Ontario health minister George Smitherman concluded it
was "appropriate" to reinstate funding for surgery, even though it
affected only a small group.
He admitted the earlier decision had been made out of ignorance and a
"narrow understanding" of the needs of transgender people.
"A population which has needs that are quite difficult to understand
were subjected to a lot of politics. I think we should be careful not
to use what is $200,000 on a $40.2-billion budget as an excuse to try
to create a them-and-us conversation."
What Smitherman did then was courageous. What the Alberta government
has done now is not.
As Smitherman said, this is a political move. It's a cheap shot at an
extremely vulnerable and tiny minority.
Cutting $700,000 is such an insignificant amount of money, it would
barely cover the cost of paper clips for the system's administration.
The total annual health-care budget is $12.9 billion. Put in
perspective, it takes less than 28 minutes to rack up the amount spent
on gender reassignment surgery. That's not much.
The big expenses of health care are salaries and overtime. Alberta
must start tackling those costs if any improvements in health care are
to be noticeable. Liberal Leader Dr. David Swann elaborated on the
problem during a recent meeting with the Herald editorial board. He
said nurses who come straight out of school are deliberately accepting
part-time jobs, giving up benefits for the more lucrative overtime.
Extra shifts are the norm, according to Swann.
You can't blame the young nurses for taking advantage of a need in the
system to bolster their salaries. But from the government's
perspective, this is a huge waste of money. If Liepert is truly
committed to finding efficiencies, he should demand better scheduling.
Hire someone who knows how to staff an emergency department and leave
trans-genders alone! That would slash costs, whereas the $700,000
saved on phalloplasty is the kind of cut you give yourself shaving.
These people are so misunderstood, they don't even understand
themselves or their own identity. That's why some go through the
surgery, only to discover nothing has changed. For others, though,
they are able to get clarity, and the surgery is a success.
It's possible Alberta's requirements for transgender surgery--the
final stage of a complicated process --aren't stringent enough.
Surgery isn't for everyone. The process should insist the person has
come and gone into the deep recesses of their mind and soul, and is
certain they are making the right choice.
Ontario has nearly four times the population of Alberta, yet approves
just eight to 10 people for surgery each year. Candidates must first
pass a "rigorous" psychological evaluation at the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health--the country's leading medical health organization.
Alberta candidates should be subjected to the same intense scrutiny
before undergoing the knife.
Liepert's actions belied his words Tuesday, when he told reporters:
"We want to ensure that we look after the most vulnerable in society .
. .."
Who is more vulnerable than someone who identifies as transgender--a
term so difficult, its definition is still in flux? They are the
voiceless members of our society who are on the fringe.
The province has shamefully just kicked them even closer to the edge.
parab@theherald.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Health/When+wants+disagree/1481223/story.html
Queermonton: Ch-ch-changes
VUE Weekly, Canada
Week of April 9, 2009, Issue #703
Queermonton: Ch-ch-changes
Tamara Gorzalka / tam@vueweekly.com
I woke up last week to a text from a friend excitedly asking if I’d
read the newspaper yet. I knew immediately the story she was referring
to: “Alberta’s law to embrace gay rights,” read the headline. I was
initially as excited about the announcement as my messaging friend,
but then, as often happens, reality set in.
For the uninitiated, provincial Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett
announced last week that the provincial government will be amending
Alberta’s Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act to
include sexual orientation. It’s an alteration that’s purely symbolic,
since a Supreme Court of Canada decision forced the
anti-discrimination protection into being more than a decade ago, but
Alberta’s government has been kicking and screaming its way out of
acknowledging it ever since.
When the federal decision came down, Alberta was the only province to
resist the ruling, merely “reading in” the decision rather than
ammending its legislation. It’s not simply that the government only
agreed (if a court order could be called agreeing) to make the change
in such an invisible way, it’s that they have denied any discussion
about it since, with the intervening years of rejection reminding
queers in Alberta that they don’t carry quite the same worth as
everyone else.
Blackett has called the upcoming change “long overdue,” “just common
sense” and said, “We’d look very, very foolish if we said ‘No, we
wouldn’t do that.’” Which is all fine and dandy except that this is
the same government that’s been denying the change for a decade.
Because 10 years is okay, but 11? Well, that would just be “foolish.”
Perhaps more troubling is there is still no mention of including
gender identity and expression as a protected right. If a person is
fired, denied housing or otherwise discriminated against in Alberta
because they are transgender, gender non-confirming or in any other
way perceived as gender-variant, they will still be without recourse.
Until a court case challenges this in the same way that Vriend
challenged the exclusion of sexual orientation, our trans brothers and
sisters are being abandoned well behind the fight.
Still, something is better than nothing, right? Oh, if only.
Unfortunately Blackett has decided to add some other changes along
with the anti-discrimination amendment, including a new “parent’s
choice” provision enshrining parental rights to have their children
opt out of classes that they don’t believe in—a right parents actually
already have under the provincial school act.
Both are symbolic changes. One enshrines a protection that’s a decade
old, finally giving value to Alberta’s queer community. The other
draws attention to a parent’s ability to pull their child out of a
class that they don’t agree with. It’s hard to say that one is more
worthy than the other, especially since both deal with rights that are
already there.
But I’m of the mind that kids should learn everything there is to
learn in the curriculum. Just because a child is taught something
doesn’t mean he or she will take it as the indesputable truth. A
parent should always be around to discuss and debrief what their child
has learned in school, and if they disagree, they have the perfect
opportunity to talk about it and give their kid both sides of the
issue.
Students still learn very little about sex, gender and health issues.
Do parents really need the right to deny their children the one class
of their entire schooling when they’re going to cover sexual
orientation or birth control?
Blackett says he doesn’t believe that “parent’s choice” will cause
some parents to pull their children out of classes about evolution and
things that are in opposition to their religious beliefs. “As a
parent,” opined Blackett, “most would say they can teach religious
beliefs based on what is taught at home.” It’s confusing then, to
wonder why he’s suggested the amendment. But that’s not as puzzling as
his other rationale behind the change, that a gay parent might not
want their children to attend a class about heterosexuality. That’s
just ... no.
Minister Balckett has also suggested a change to the Alberta Human
Rights Commission, removing their ability to adjudicate cases of free
speech, saying such cases are better handled by the laws in the
criminal code. This could be another blow to all minorities in Alberta
who are affected by hate literature, as affected groups will no longer
be able to file a complaint with the commission.
If any good has come from these omnibus changes, it’s that people are
talking about these issues again. We can celebrate our victories while
still looking at the road ahead, and without blindly accepting what’s
offered. Perhaps with these wins on our side, now we can pick up the
fight for the Ts in LGBTQ. We’ve still got a long way to go towards an
Alberta with protections and equality for everyone.
http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=11571
Week of April 9, 2009, Issue #703
Queermonton: Ch-ch-changes
Tamara Gorzalka / tam@vueweekly.com
I woke up last week to a text from a friend excitedly asking if I’d
read the newspaper yet. I knew immediately the story she was referring
to: “Alberta’s law to embrace gay rights,” read the headline. I was
initially as excited about the announcement as my messaging friend,
but then, as often happens, reality set in.
For the uninitiated, provincial Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett
announced last week that the provincial government will be amending
Alberta’s Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act to
include sexual orientation. It’s an alteration that’s purely symbolic,
since a Supreme Court of Canada decision forced the
anti-discrimination protection into being more than a decade ago, but
Alberta’s government has been kicking and screaming its way out of
acknowledging it ever since.
When the federal decision came down, Alberta was the only province to
resist the ruling, merely “reading in” the decision rather than
ammending its legislation. It’s not simply that the government only
agreed (if a court order could be called agreeing) to make the change
in such an invisible way, it’s that they have denied any discussion
about it since, with the intervening years of rejection reminding
queers in Alberta that they don’t carry quite the same worth as
everyone else.
Blackett has called the upcoming change “long overdue,” “just common
sense” and said, “We’d look very, very foolish if we said ‘No, we
wouldn’t do that.’” Which is all fine and dandy except that this is
the same government that’s been denying the change for a decade.
Because 10 years is okay, but 11? Well, that would just be “foolish.”
Perhaps more troubling is there is still no mention of including
gender identity and expression as a protected right. If a person is
fired, denied housing or otherwise discriminated against in Alberta
because they are transgender, gender non-confirming or in any other
way perceived as gender-variant, they will still be without recourse.
Until a court case challenges this in the same way that Vriend
challenged the exclusion of sexual orientation, our trans brothers and
sisters are being abandoned well behind the fight.
Still, something is better than nothing, right? Oh, if only.
Unfortunately Blackett has decided to add some other changes along
with the anti-discrimination amendment, including a new “parent’s
choice” provision enshrining parental rights to have their children
opt out of classes that they don’t believe in—a right parents actually
already have under the provincial school act.
Both are symbolic changes. One enshrines a protection that’s a decade
old, finally giving value to Alberta’s queer community. The other
draws attention to a parent’s ability to pull their child out of a
class that they don’t agree with. It’s hard to say that one is more
worthy than the other, especially since both deal with rights that are
already there.
But I’m of the mind that kids should learn everything there is to
learn in the curriculum. Just because a child is taught something
doesn’t mean he or she will take it as the indesputable truth. A
parent should always be around to discuss and debrief what their child
has learned in school, and if they disagree, they have the perfect
opportunity to talk about it and give their kid both sides of the
issue.
Students still learn very little about sex, gender and health issues.
Do parents really need the right to deny their children the one class
of their entire schooling when they’re going to cover sexual
orientation or birth control?
Blackett says he doesn’t believe that “parent’s choice” will cause
some parents to pull their children out of classes about evolution and
things that are in opposition to their religious beliefs. “As a
parent,” opined Blackett, “most would say they can teach religious
beliefs based on what is taught at home.” It’s confusing then, to
wonder why he’s suggested the amendment. But that’s not as puzzling as
his other rationale behind the change, that a gay parent might not
want their children to attend a class about heterosexuality. That’s
just ... no.
Minister Balckett has also suggested a change to the Alberta Human
Rights Commission, removing their ability to adjudicate cases of free
speech, saying such cases are better handled by the laws in the
criminal code. This could be another blow to all minorities in Alberta
who are affected by hate literature, as affected groups will no longer
be able to file a complaint with the commission.
If any good has come from these omnibus changes, it’s that people are
talking about these issues again. We can celebrate our victories while
still looking at the road ahead, and without blindly accepting what’s
offered. Perhaps with these wins on our side, now we can pick up the
fight for the Ts in LGBTQ. We’ve still got a long way to go towards an
Alberta with protections and equality for everyone.
http://www.vueweekly.com/article.php?id=11571
Cuts to surgery elicit protest from LGBT community
Metro Canada - Calgary, Canada
Cuts to surgery elicit protest from LGBT community
KRISTA SYLVESTER
METRO CALGARY
April 09, 2009 5:39 a.m.
Members of Alberta€ ’²s transgendered, gay, lesbian and bisexual
community are preparing for a battle with the Alberta government after
cuts were made to gender reassignment surgery.
The Alberta government delisted gender reassignment from its funding
coverage as part of the budget announcement Tuesday.
€ ’³This is a decision we feel is based on ignorance and discrimination.
On paper it seemed like an easy cut but this is people€ ’²s lives we€ ’²re
talking about,€ ’´ Kristopher Wells, researcher at the Institute for
Sexual Minority Studies based in the University of Edmonton, said.
€ ’³These medical transitions are not a choice for some people, it€ ’²s a
necessary medical procedure,€ ’´ he added.
The cuts to the funding would only save Alberta Health and Wellness
about $700,000 a year, a cost Wells feels isn€ ’²t worth the
consequences.
€ ’³Some members of this community report being born in the wrong body
and gender reassignment surgery helps to re-establish their biological
self with their emotional self,€ ’´ Wells said.
Wells launched a Facebook group regarding the issue and already has
over 360 members.
Copyright 2001-2009, Free Daily News Group Inc.
http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/210858
Cuts to surgery elicit protest from LGBT community
KRISTA SYLVESTER
METRO CALGARY
April 09, 2009 5:39 a.m.
Members of Alberta€ ’²s transgendered, gay, lesbian and bisexual
community are preparing for a battle with the Alberta government after
cuts were made to gender reassignment surgery.
The Alberta government delisted gender reassignment from its funding
coverage as part of the budget announcement Tuesday.
€ ’³This is a decision we feel is based on ignorance and discrimination.
On paper it seemed like an easy cut but this is people€ ’²s lives we€ ’²re
talking about,€ ’´ Kristopher Wells, researcher at the Institute for
Sexual Minority Studies based in the University of Edmonton, said.
€ ’³These medical transitions are not a choice for some people, it€ ’²s a
necessary medical procedure,€ ’´ he added.
The cuts to the funding would only save Alberta Health and Wellness
about $700,000 a year, a cost Wells feels isn€ ’²t worth the
consequences.
€ ’³Some members of this community report being born in the wrong body
and gender reassignment surgery helps to re-establish their biological
self with their emotional self,€ ’´ Wells said.
Wells launched a Facebook group regarding the issue and already has
over 360 members.
Copyright 2001-2009, Free Daily News Group Inc.
http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/210858
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.
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.
It is a sad day indeed. A mental health nurse once stated, that GID is listed as a mental illness 80% curable by surgeries and hormone therapies. Is there any data available on how much an untreated TS costs the government in mental health care on average vs. the cost of surgery? I think that would be the first point on fighting it.
As for other provinces that still have coverage, BC covers top surgery and hysto for FTM's but not bottom. They also cover MTF surgery but I have heard you still have to pay your travel costs and stay at the residency. Ontario covers it now but apparently has strict gatekeepers. Quebec covers MTF and FTM surgeries but they don't like the Montreal clinic for whatever reason and do not send people there. I know a guy who moved there from ON to get covered and he said they could pick to go pretty much anywhere else, Thailand, Europe, whatever, just not Montreal.
I also think this is a purely politicial decision by them. They save 53 million on chiropractors and a drop in the ocean 700,000 on TS surgeries.
As for other provinces that still have coverage, BC covers top surgery and hysto for FTM's but not bottom. They also cover MTF surgery but I have heard you still have to pay your travel costs and stay at the residency. Ontario covers it now but apparently has strict gatekeepers. Quebec covers MTF and FTM surgeries but they don't like the Montreal clinic for whatever reason and do not send people there. I know a guy who moved there from ON to get covered and he said they could pick to go pretty much anywhere else, Thailand, Europe, whatever, just not Montreal.
I also think this is a purely politicial decision by them. They save 53 million on chiropractors and a drop in the ocean 700,000 on TS surgeries.
Alberta Transgender Resources: http://www.albertatrans.org/
By now, many of you have heard the bad news that funding for Gender Reassignment Surgery is being delisted in this year's budget. We do have a few enquiries out there right now to take scope of what all might be affected, and narrow down what our best options are. I can't promise anything at this stage, other than that we will find a way to fight this.
Keep in mind that the American Medical Association restated the necessity of GRS this past fall, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission ordered funding reinstated in that Province last spring. There is reason to keep hope.
For the time being, if people could send me a private email to let me know who is in the queue for 2009-2010 (this year), and who expects that they likely would receive funding for surgery in this or the following year. If you know of someone I might not be aware of or have contact information for, please forward this note to them and have them contact me (if email is not an option, let me know and we'll find an alternative). If you are aware of any independent efforts, please let me know so that we can possibly combine efforts.
I may be contacting some people in coming days about possible involvement, depending on what our best options are. If you don't hear anything on action on the issue in the next while, don't panic about that -- we might be taking a strategy in which confidentiality may be necessary. It does not mean that we've given up.
But it is most of all important: DON'T LOSE HOPE. There is reason to hold on.
Keep in mind that the American Medical Association restated the necessity of GRS this past fall, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission ordered funding reinstated in that Province last spring. There is reason to keep hope.
For the time being, if people could send me a private email to let me know who is in the queue for 2009-2010 (this year), and who expects that they likely would receive funding for surgery in this or the following year. If you know of someone I might not be aware of or have contact information for, please forward this note to them and have them contact me (if email is not an option, let me know and we'll find an alternative). If you are aware of any independent efforts, please let me know so that we can possibly combine efforts.
I may be contacting some people in coming days about possible involvement, depending on what our best options are. If you don't hear anything on action on the issue in the next while, don't panic about that -- we might be taking a strategy in which confidentiality may be necessary. It does not mean that we've given up.
But it is most of all important: DON'T LOSE HOPE. There is reason to hold on.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
VUEPOINT: COLD CALCULATION
Week of April 9, 2009, Issue #703
FRONT
VUEPOINT: COLD CALCULATION
Scott Harris / scott@vueweekly.com
In the grand scheme of a wholly unremarkable $36 billion dollar
budget, the somewhat meagre sum of about $700 000 hardly seems like a
nit worth picking, but the decision by the province to end coverage
for new gender reassignment surgeries—more commonly known as
sex-change operations—just seems so mean-spirited that it deserves
comment.
On one level, the move seems like a simple case of cold calculation:
staring down at the barrel of a multi-year, multi-billion dollar
deficit—and still needing to find $215 million to cut this fiscal year
and $2 billion to cut in the next—there was no doubt a whole lot of
stone-turning going on in government buildings. From a political
standpoint, cutting a tiny program that 99.99 per cent of Albertans
will never use, which only directly benefits a handful of members of
the transgender community—not exactly one of the Tories’ key
constituencies—and is for a procedure that most Albertans either don’t
understand or are openly hostile about, makes good political sense.
On the other hand, when considering the lives of Albertans who will be
impacted by the decision, it seems less like cold calculation and more
simply cold. Until now the province has covered up to 16 gender
reassignment surgeries annually, surgeries which cost tens of
thousands of dollars (male-to-female surgeries costing in the range of
$16 000 - $20 000, and female-to-male surgeries costing roughly twice
that for “bottom surgery” and additional amounts for related
mastectomy and hysterectomy). When those costs are “socialized” it’s a
drop in the bucket (actually, a very small percentage of a drop), but
when the cost is borne by individuals, it becomes a much more daunting
sum.
It’s impossible for me as a straight male to imagine the emotional
tumult, discrimination and violence faced by individuals who don’t fit
into society’s tidy conceptions of sex and gender, but it’s not hard
to see that adding a major financial barrier to a recognized necessary
medical procedure that is already rife with hurdles has the very real
potential to literally destroy people’s lives. The move says a lot
about the government, and their willingness to save a few bucks at the
expense of one of the most marginalized groups in Alberta. It’s an
ugly way to make a budget and a sad way to run a province. V
FRONT
VUEPOINT: COLD CALCULATION
Scott Harris / scott@vueweekly.com
In the grand scheme of a wholly unremarkable $36 billion dollar
budget, the somewhat meagre sum of about $700 000 hardly seems like a
nit worth picking, but the decision by the province to end coverage
for new gender reassignment surgeries—more commonly known as
sex-change operations—just seems so mean-spirited that it deserves
comment.
On one level, the move seems like a simple case of cold calculation:
staring down at the barrel of a multi-year, multi-billion dollar
deficit—and still needing to find $215 million to cut this fiscal year
and $2 billion to cut in the next—there was no doubt a whole lot of
stone-turning going on in government buildings. From a political
standpoint, cutting a tiny program that 99.99 per cent of Albertans
will never use, which only directly benefits a handful of members of
the transgender community—not exactly one of the Tories’ key
constituencies—and is for a procedure that most Albertans either don’t
understand or are openly hostile about, makes good political sense.
On the other hand, when considering the lives of Albertans who will be
impacted by the decision, it seems less like cold calculation and more
simply cold. Until now the province has covered up to 16 gender
reassignment surgeries annually, surgeries which cost tens of
thousands of dollars (male-to-female surgeries costing in the range of
$16 000 - $20 000, and female-to-male surgeries costing roughly twice
that for “bottom surgery” and additional amounts for related
mastectomy and hysterectomy). When those costs are “socialized” it’s a
drop in the bucket (actually, a very small percentage of a drop), but
when the cost is borne by individuals, it becomes a much more daunting
sum.
It’s impossible for me as a straight male to imagine the emotional
tumult, discrimination and violence faced by individuals who don’t fit
into society’s tidy conceptions of sex and gender, but it’s not hard
to see that adding a major financial barrier to a recognized necessary
medical procedure that is already rife with hurdles has the very real
potential to literally destroy people’s lives. The move says a lot
about the government, and their willingness to save a few bucks at the
expense of one of the most marginalized groups in Alberta. It’s an
ugly way to make a budget and a sad way to run a province. V
Protecting Trans-identified Persons Right to Full Health Care
Folks:
The provincial budget will cut funding for sex reassignment surgery for our Trans sisters and brothers. No doubt, the Tories feel this is an easy cut to make. Below is a copy of a letter to Ron Liepert, Minister of Health and Wellness. Copies of this letter are also being sent to Iris Evans, Lindsay Blackett, Brian Mason and David Swann. I urge you to also write letters. This is a very unjust cut.
God bless you.
-- Wayne
Hate is not a Christian Value. Encouraging fear is not a traditional Value.
THE LETTER:
I am very distressed to hear that sexual reassignment surgery will be delisted from paid Alberta Health Care Services. While I recognize that budget cuts are necessary at a time of revenue shortfalls, I believe it is imperative the government not target the most vulnerable groups in society for those cuts.
It is a sad fact that Trans-identified or Transgendered persons are one of the most misunderstood groups in our society— often even misunderstood by others in the larger LGBT community. As a result of this lack of understanding, there is a misconception that seeking to change gender is a frivolous choice or that the need or desire to change genders can be corrected by counseling or psychological help. It is true that our understanding of gender identity is very limited, but this does not mean the concerns and needs of Trans-identified people can be considered frivolous or unimportant. Nor does it mean that gender reassignment surgery can be considered an elective or unnecessary choice. I might note that persons seeking this surgical proceedure must undergo an extremely rigourous screening proceedure by appropriate medical and psychological professionals before it is approved.
I believe that government in a just and caring society will act to protect the least powerful and most vulnerable in our society, rather than make them the first and easy targets for spending and service cuts. I respectfully urge you and your colleagues to review this decision immediately and restore full funding for Trans-identified persons requiring sexual reassignment surgery.
The provincial budget will cut funding for sex reassignment surgery for our Trans sisters and brothers. No doubt, the Tories feel this is an easy cut to make. Below is a copy of a letter to Ron Liepert, Minister of Health and Wellness. Copies of this letter are also being sent to Iris Evans, Lindsay Blackett, Brian Mason and David Swann. I urge you to also write letters. This is a very unjust cut.
God bless you.
-- Wayne
Hate is not a Christian Value. Encouraging fear is not a traditional Value.
THE LETTER:
I am very distressed to hear that sexual reassignment surgery will be delisted from paid Alberta Health Care Services. While I recognize that budget cuts are necessary at a time of revenue shortfalls, I believe it is imperative the government not target the most vulnerable groups in society for those cuts.
It is a sad fact that Trans-identified or Transgendered persons are one of the most misunderstood groups in our society— often even misunderstood by others in the larger LGBT community. As a result of this lack of understanding, there is a misconception that seeking to change gender is a frivolous choice or that the need or desire to change genders can be corrected by counseling or psychological help. It is true that our understanding of gender identity is very limited, but this does not mean the concerns and needs of Trans-identified people can be considered frivolous or unimportant. Nor does it mean that gender reassignment surgery can be considered an elective or unnecessary choice. I might note that persons seeking this surgical proceedure must undergo an extremely rigourous screening proceedure by appropriate medical and psychological professionals before it is approved.
I believe that government in a just and caring society will act to protect the least powerful and most vulnerable in our society, rather than make them the first and easy targets for spending and service cuts. I respectfully urge you and your colleagues to review this decision immediately and restore full funding for Trans-identified persons requiring sexual reassignment surgery.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
For the letter writing campaign
Here is the contact information for the main players. Blackett and Evans may not be directly involved, but they are still involved
Contact Information for Premier Ed Stelmach (PC)
MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville Ed Stelmach
Legislature Office
307 Legislature Building
10800 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-2251
Fax: (780) 427-1349
Vegreville
Box 451
4945 - 51 Avenue
Vegreville, AB
Canada T9C 1R6
Phone: (780) 632-6840
Fax: (780) 632-6888
fortsaskatchewan.vegreville@assembly.ab.ca
Fort Saskatchewan
9925B 104 Street
Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Canada T8L 2E7
Phone: (780) 992-6560
Fax: (780) 992-6562
Contact the Premier
Contact Information for Honourable Lindsay Blackett (PC) He is the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit.
MLA for Calgary-North West Lindsay Blackett
Legislature Office
#418 Legislature Building
10800 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 422-3559
Fax: (780) 427-7729
Constituency Office
#29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd. NW
Calgary, AB
Canada T3G 3A9
Phone: (403) 216-5444
Fax: (403) 216-5442
calgary.northwest@assembly.ab.ca
Contact Information for Honourable Ronald Liepert (PC) Minister of Health and Welness
MLA for Calgary-West Ronald Liepert
Legislature Office
#323 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-3665
Fax: (780) 415-0961
Constituency Office
#2, 5555 Strathcona Hill SW
Calgary, AB
Canada T3H 1S2
Phone: (403) 216-5439
Fax: (403) 216-5441
calgary.west@assembly.ab.ca
Contact Information for Honourable Iris Evans (PC) Minister of Finance and Enterprise
MLA for Sherwood Park Iris Evans
Legislature Office
#208 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-8809
Fax: (780) 427-5543
Constituency Offices
Constituency Office
#116B, 937 Fir Street
Sherwood Park, AB
Canada T8A 4N6
Phone: (780) 417-4747
Fax: (780) 417-4748
sherwood.park@assembly.ab.ca
Contact Information for Premier Ed Stelmach (PC)
MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville Ed Stelmach
Legislature Office
307 Legislature Building
10800 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-2251
Fax: (780) 427-1349
Vegreville
Box 451
4945 - 51 Avenue
Vegreville, AB
Canada T9C 1R6
Phone: (780) 632-6840
Fax: (780) 632-6888
fortsaskatchewan.vegreville@assembly.ab.ca
Fort Saskatchewan
9925B 104 Street
Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Canada T8L 2E7
Phone: (780) 992-6560
Fax: (780) 992-6562
Contact the Premier
Contact Information for Honourable Lindsay Blackett (PC) He is the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit.
MLA for Calgary-North West Lindsay Blackett
Legislature Office
#418 Legislature Building
10800 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 422-3559
Fax: (780) 427-7729
Constituency Office
#29, 735 Ranchlands Blvd. NW
Calgary, AB
Canada T3G 3A9
Phone: (403) 216-5444
Fax: (403) 216-5442
calgary.northwest@assembly.ab.ca
Contact Information for Honourable Ronald Liepert (PC) Minister of Health and Welness
MLA for Calgary-West Ronald Liepert
Legislature Office
#323 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-3665
Fax: (780) 415-0961
Constituency Office
#2, 5555 Strathcona Hill SW
Calgary, AB
Canada T3H 1S2
Phone: (403) 216-5439
Fax: (403) 216-5441
calgary.west@assembly.ab.ca
Contact Information for Honourable Iris Evans (PC) Minister of Finance and Enterprise
MLA for Sherwood Park Iris Evans
Legislature Office
#208 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-8809
Fax: (780) 427-5543
Constituency Offices
Constituency Office
#116B, 937 Fir Street
Sherwood Park, AB
Canada T8A 4N6
Phone: (780) 417-4747
Fax: (780) 417-4748
sherwood.park@assembly.ab.ca
The Cracked Crystal Ball II, Canada
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Transsexuals In Alberta To Bear The Brunt of Liepert's Mendacity
Apparently, in Alberta, being a transsexual also means that it's your
fault that the "Health Superboard" is in the hole to the tune of a
little over $1 billion dollars for fiscal 2008.
Calgary Herald
:
Today's budget also eliminates "gender reassignment" surgery,
meaning it will no longer pay for Albertans to have sex change
operations, saving the system about $700,000 a year.
The government hasn't simply reduced the number of procedures that
they pay for, or the proportion that they will pay. No, in this case,
they have axed it outright. This puts a lot of people into really
awkward straights. Not all transsexuals have the kind of professional
income that would allow them to pay that cost out of their own pocket
- in fact relatively few do.
Similarly, I have to wonder at the long term costs of yanking funding
for chiropractic care. Who is going to be most affected by this?
Seniors, who are not only on fixed incomes, but for whom chiropractic
care is often a vital relief from chronic back problems.
Then we find Liepert bragging about this:
The province's superboard received a modest increase in funding of
about $550 million, bringing its budget to $7.7 billion.
"We are maintaining our spending from last year and are also able
to give Alberta Health Services an increase," said Health Minister Ron
Liepert, in a statement.
Think about this, while cutting $700,000 (less than 1% of the Health
"Superboard" budget), the Alberta government brags about adding
funding. Typical Conservative policy - when times get tough, attack
the people who can do the least about it.
Posted by MgS at 4/07/2009 05:02:00 PM
Labels: Alberta, Health Care, Liepert, Mental Health, Transsexuals
http://crystalgaze2.blogspot.com/2009/04/transsexuals-in-alberta-to-bear-brunt.html
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Transsexuals In Alberta To Bear The Brunt of Liepert's Mendacity
Apparently, in Alberta, being a transsexual also means that it's your
fault that the "Health Superboard" is in the hole to the tune of a
little over $1 billion dollars for fiscal 2008.
Calgary Herald
:
Today's budget also eliminates "gender reassignment" surgery,
meaning it will no longer pay for Albertans to have sex change
operations, saving the system about $700,000 a year.
The government hasn't simply reduced the number of procedures that
they pay for, or the proportion that they will pay. No, in this case,
they have axed it outright. This puts a lot of people into really
awkward straights. Not all transsexuals have the kind of professional
income that would allow them to pay that cost out of their own pocket
- in fact relatively few do.
Similarly, I have to wonder at the long term costs of yanking funding
for chiropractic care. Who is going to be most affected by this?
Seniors, who are not only on fixed incomes, but for whom chiropractic
care is often a vital relief from chronic back problems.
Then we find Liepert bragging about this:
The province's superboard received a modest increase in funding of
about $550 million, bringing its budget to $7.7 billion.
"We are maintaining our spending from last year and are also able
to give Alberta Health Services an increase," said Health Minister Ron
Liepert, in a statement.
Think about this, while cutting $700,000 (less than 1% of the Health
"Superboard" budget), the Alberta government brags about adding
funding. Typical Conservative policy - when times get tough, attack
the people who can do the least about it.
Posted by MgS at 4/07/2009 05:02:00 PM
Labels: Alberta, Health Care, Liepert, Mental Health, Transsexuals
http://crystalgaze2.blogspot.com/2009/04/transsexuals-in-alberta-to-bear-brunt.html
The 19 Pennies Campaign for SRS in Alberta
A friend of mine has started a campaign. Please read:
Hello everyone, this has been cross-posted to the Facebook discussion on the GRS issue. I am reposting it here just to ensure everyone sees it.
Bottom line is I need to act. I need to do something while the protest machinery is getting geared up and this is something that is within my ability.
I have composed a letter with specific questions I want each and every MLA to answer. I am calling it the 19 pennies campaign because that is what $700,000 amounts to for each and every Albertan. I am sending a physical letter with 19 pennies in it to add effect to the letter. I encourage each of you to send a similar letter to as many MLA's as you can. Even though our numbers may be low, every single MLA getting 100+ letters each with 19 pennies in it makes a HUGE statement. We have a right to be heard and this is a great way to start.
Here is the first draft of my letter
MLA NAME HERE,
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.
Sincerely,
Jordenne Prescott
To get contact information for any MLA use the following link
http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=mla_home
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
A Sad Day In Alberta's Trans Community
Budget cuts chiropractic funding, defers medical projects
By Michelle Lang, Calgary HeraldApril 7, 2009 4:01 PM
Alberta's health budget defers several medical projects including nursing homes, while cutting funding for chiropractic patients and sex change operations.
The province's 2009-10 budget, released today, provides $13 billion to the health system, but axes subsidies for chiropractic care that were previously worth $200 annually per patient.
Today's budget also eliminates "gender reassignment" surgery, meaning it will no longer pay for Albertans to have sex change operations, saving the system about $700,000 a year.
The province's superboard received a modest increase in funding of about $550 million, bringing its budget to $7.7 billion.
"We are maintaining our spending from last year and are also able to give Alberta Health Services an increase," said Health Minister Ron Liepert, in a statement.
Captial spending on new and renovated health facilties, however, will decline signfiicantly, to $369 million this year compared to $979 million last year.
The province's health capital plan shows several projects are on hold, including several rural long term care facilties and a north Calgary diagnostic clinic.
mlang@theherald.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
By Michelle Lang, Calgary HeraldApril 7, 2009 4:01 PM
Alberta's health budget defers several medical projects including nursing homes, while cutting funding for chiropractic patients and sex change operations.
The province's 2009-10 budget, released today, provides $13 billion to the health system, but axes subsidies for chiropractic care that were previously worth $200 annually per patient.
Today's budget also eliminates "gender reassignment" surgery, meaning it will no longer pay for Albertans to have sex change operations, saving the system about $700,000 a year.
The province's superboard received a modest increase in funding of about $550 million, bringing its budget to $7.7 billion.
"We are maintaining our spending from last year and are also able to give Alberta Health Services an increase," said Health Minister Ron Liepert, in a statement.
Captial spending on new and renovated health facilties, however, will decline signfiicantly, to $369 million this year compared to $979 million last year.
The province's health capital plan shows several projects are on hold, including several rural long term care facilties and a north Calgary diagnostic clinic.
mlang@theherald.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
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