Over time, the medical establishment has grown to better reflect the understandings of people who trans gender, but is still not without its problems.
During the mid-20th century, medicine had a very narrow conception of trans despite theoretical progress. Beginning in the 1940s, popular ideas of gender variance began to gain nuance and move away from sexualized ideas of “inversion” and other psychoanalytic constructs. During this time, Harry Benjamin advocated for medical treatment of gender variance (Enke, Lecture 3/31). His work was influenced by his relationships with trans people such as Louise Lawrence. After her introduction to Benjamin by Alfred Kinsey, Lawrence shaped Harry Benjamin’s writings and medical activism (Enke, Lecture 4/12). …show more content…
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (formerly the BGDA) now includes many trans individuals and continues to have sway in medical practice. Models of care have grown to be more flexible in order to adapt to the varying desires and needs of individuals. Unfortunately, despite this huge progression, medical care still remains inaccessible to many trans people. One important barrier is cost. For many, transition-related care is out of financial reach. Despite provisions in the Affordable Care Act, trans care is not covered under many insurance policies (Wilkinson 12). Without insurance or disposable income, professional care is unavailable. Those who can afford care may struggle to find medical providers with adequate knowledge and experience to provide appropriate services. In Born On the Edge of Race and Gender, Willy Wilkinson discusses his work in cultural competency promotion. Wilkinson defines cultural competency as “the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with diverse populations” (19). Without cultural competency, even well-intentioned medical professionals are not able to provide the best care. Because of the financial and knowledge-based barriers, the trans community has developed alternate routes to transition (Enke, Lecture 5/5). This includes the sale of hormones on the underground economy. Recognizing the impact of barriers to access, medicine is currently shifting away from gatekeeping measures such as therapy requirements. However, work remains. Activists like Willy Wilkinson continue to advocate for the needs of the trans community. Wilkinson trains healthcare providers in transgender cultural competency and educates community members about their personal rights (Wilkinson 11). Others
During the mid-20th century, medicine had a very narrow conception of trans despite theoretical progress. Beginning in the 1940s, popular ideas of gender variance began to gain nuance and move away from sexualized ideas of “inversion” and other psychoanalytic constructs. During this time, Harry Benjamin advocated for medical treatment of gender variance (Enke, Lecture 3/31). His work was influenced by his relationships with trans people such as Louise Lawrence. After her introduction to Benjamin by Alfred Kinsey, Lawrence shaped Harry Benjamin’s writings and medical activism (Enke, Lecture 4/12). …show more content…
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (formerly the BGDA) now includes many trans individuals and continues to have sway in medical practice. Models of care have grown to be more flexible in order to adapt to the varying desires and needs of individuals. Unfortunately, despite this huge progression, medical care still remains inaccessible to many trans people. One important barrier is cost. For many, transition-related care is out of financial reach. Despite provisions in the Affordable Care Act, trans care is not covered under many insurance policies (Wilkinson 12). Without insurance or disposable income, professional care is unavailable. Those who can afford care may struggle to find medical providers with adequate knowledge and experience to provide appropriate services. In Born On the Edge of Race and Gender, Willy Wilkinson discusses his work in cultural competency promotion. Wilkinson defines cultural competency as “the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with diverse populations” (19). Without cultural competency, even well-intentioned medical professionals are not able to provide the best care. Because of the financial and knowledge-based barriers, the trans community has developed alternate routes to transition (Enke, Lecture 5/5). This includes the sale of hormones on the underground economy. Recognizing the impact of barriers to access, medicine is currently shifting away from gatekeeping measures such as therapy requirements. However, work remains. Activists like Willy Wilkinson continue to advocate for the needs of the trans community. Wilkinson trains healthcare providers in transgender cultural competency and educates community members about their personal rights (Wilkinson 11). Others