Queering Care

Health Equity and Collaborative Policy Development- Queering Care

The Canadian Health Care System continues to fail the Gender and Sexual Minority (GSM) population.  Policy based in and created through a gender and sexually diverse lens is essential for the well-being of this marginalized community. Queer Ontario (2019), as one of thirteen recommendations calls for the government alongside GSM communities to collaboratively develop broad services, not only within queer communities but as services integrated into mainstream health care.  

Heteronormativity continues as the dominant view woven throughout structures as an institutionalized system that normalizes heterosexuality silencing GSM groups (Mule, Ross, & Deeprose, 2009).  Not only had data not been effectively collected, to truly be representative of this community, the pervasive belief that gender and sexuality is a binary must be dispelled.  Adhering to a social constructed understanding invisibilizes, transgender, non-binary, bisexual and intersex individuals.  The Trans PULSE Canada Team (2020), study reveals that while 81% of Trans and Non-Binary people have a primary care physician, 45% have unmet health care needs, as opposed to 4% in the general population. This report additionally highlights significant experiences of transphobic harassment and violence which impacts willingness to seek support for physical and mental health.  Emergency care was avoided by 12% of trans and non-binary people report not attending ER when needed due to their gender identity (The Trans PULSE Canada Team 2020, p. 1). 

While human rights recognize and protect gender and sexual diversity, the infrastructure to enforce and  educate is sorely lacking.  Most advocacy for patient rights are left to the patient themselves.  The Human Rights tribunal system is complex and difficult to navigate, and most often requires more energy and resilience then minority individuals have.

Canadian non-binary musician brought light to this struggle in the early spring of 2020 when they were diagnosed with cervical cancer.  In most literature cervical cancer is listed under the category of “women's cancers,” which alone makes a system more difficult to navigate. Spoon shared experiences of being welcomed with ‘Hello girls, and having pronouns mocked within earshot while waiting for a PET scan (Spoon 2020). Imagine what it would feel like if you arrived at an important and difficult medical appointment, or were vulnerable in reaching out for therapy and no one could get your name right, and they misgendered you, told you that your name was really difficult, asked if you really minded, if they just made up a new easier to remember name and use that instead. Now imagine this happening almost everyday.

In a quick google search of ‘cervical cancer’ Ontario’ this  pamphlet (annotated to highlight problematic language) is what is returned by the Ontario Government site, one trusted as a source of quality resources. For many female-to-male (FTM) individuals undergoing procedures that highlight anatomy that they have dysphoria surrounding is terrifying, exhausting and triggering. Each time their identity isn’t affirmed it is an additional microaggression, which quickly accumulates and builds to insurmountable barriers.  These experiences can mean the difference between someone seeking support and continuing to live with health concerns.  

Spoon as a patient worked with the BC cancer Centre to change the language and categorize cervical cancer under a category of pelvic cancers (Spoon 2020).  While Spoon has been a tireless advocate for the community and have themselves to be a powerful educator, they should be able to seek treatment and support and not have to take on additional weight of changing broken systems. 

 As health care supports and providers, as community members, it is essential to bring awareness to our language and our actions, to work to understand the gravity and impact that we have on others.  Bringing awareness to our own privilege, and mindfulness to what complex systems of accessing support would look without the privileges that are socially created by the dominant groups.   A diagnosis of cancer alone comes with stress and anxiety , for GsM people this is amplified by dysphasia and previous trauma and further problematic when gendered parts don’t align with social norms.  

Action

I encourage organizations to mindfully review literature provided to ensure that it is inclusive of the targeted groups and community knowledge is utilized during the process of review and creation. 

That institutions have internal human rights policies that ensure adequate training and inclusion of gender and sexual diversity.

I encourage individuals to stand up against homophobic and transphobic, and homophobic actions, and ideologies, when they are safe to do so.

Campaign archived here- not only do ads like ‘Guys Get Paps Too’ reflect the diverse gender identities of people who need regular cervical screening, but also normalized and educate.

Campaign archived here- not only do ads like ‘Guys Get Paps Too’ reflect the diverse gender identities of people who need regular cervical screening, but also normalized and educate.

Resources

Cancer Society trans men cervical cancer- the Canadian Cancer Society has some very thoughtfully worded resources for Cervical Cancer Screening.  

Trans Cervical Health Primer - information for both patients and care providers.

Rae Spoon speaks out, article with audio interview included CBC

Update on Rae Spoon

Language Matters Video -Short educational video that reminds of the importance of language. Video created by TRANSformative Talk and The PRIDE Project (my grassroots organization), created in collaboration with The Pucking Fuppet Co.

Video highlighting Trans Medical Experiences 

References

Mulé, N.J., Ross, L.E., Deeprose, B., Jackson, B.E., Daley, A., Travers, A. Moore, D. (2009). Promoting LGBT health and wellbeing through inclusive policy development. International Journal for Equity in Health, 8 (1), 18.

Queer Ontario (2019). Queer Ontario Brief LGBTQ2 Health in Canada. Brief submitted to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health. 42 Parliament 1 Session. Government of Canada.https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/HESA/Brief/BR10437302/br-external/QueerOntario-e.pdf

Spoon (2020). Cancer, Human Rights and Community: How Things Go Right. https://medium.com/@raespoon/cancer-human-rights-and-community-how-things-go-right-7759b58d3cff

The Trans PULSE Canada Team (2020) Health and health care access for trans and non-binary people in Canada. 2020-03-10. Available from: https://transpulsecanada.ca/research-type/reports


Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today we remember the lives lost to transphobic violence.

But that feels weird to me because the reality is that the Queer Community and allies remember the lives lost to transphobic violence everyday. These lives lost impact all of our lives, the way that we live our lives, and in how we see ourselves.

Today the Queer Community and our allies ask the world to join us in remembering what we remember everyday. We ask that you take a moment today to pay tribute to the lives needlessly lost to transphobic violence. The lives of advocates, of mothers, and sisters, and brothers, of partners and lovers, the lives of children, often our most marginalized, and the lives of Black Trans Women.

We must make our services accessible to everyone. We must make our organizations accessible to everyone. Barriers to service are transphobic violence at the structural level. We need to be able to challenge our own values and beliefs and sit in our own discomfort. We need to take a moment and reflect on how we have adopted the beliefs and values of the dominant groups in society and recognize that some of these beliefs and values are not serving us. We need to have the strength to question these values and have hard conversations about them. We need to to challenge these faulty beliefs when we see them playing out in lives, our communities and our organizations. There are far too many people that are still not safe from transphobic violence.

-Ali



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The memorial is part of TRANSformative Talks and aims to be an affirmative memorial space, we have started with the toronto region, and recognize that this is only a tiny representation of lives lost. We have researched and studied the media reporting of the events, but welcome additions and correction. This will be an ongoing project.

So Excited About !!!

The pride project in collaboration with social work graduate students from the university of Toronto in the social justice and diversity stream have been working to create a social action project that aims to educate and raise the voices of trans folx. We have a variety of social media education, interest and advocacy pieces that we will be sharing over trans awareness week, and beyond.

This collaborative piece with The Pucking Fuppet Co. is so exciting! Hope you all enjoy!

Hey Folx!

 

I hope that this finds you well during uncertain times. In addition to sharing some cool resources and a surprise release tomorrow, we also wanted to introduce you to some really folx. For non-gender confirming/trans folx it can be really hard to find role models. We are beginning to see more people on TV that reflect our own experiences, but especially is smaller communities it can be difficult to recognize what we are truly capable of accomplishing. Over the next few days we are going to profile some really rad gender non-conforming folx.

Krista McCracken

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Krista McCraken (they/them) is a non-binary, queer archivist and public historian. Krista is passionate about creating spaces for LGBTQ2S+ community building and gender inclusion in the workplace. They are currently working with Kalani Adolpho, Stephen G. Krueger to edit a book on Trans and Gender Diverse Voices in LIS. Krista speaks, writes, and embroiders things related to gender, inclusion, and queer identity. Some of their work includes:

 

Transformative talks

The pride project in collaboration with Social work Graduate students from the University of Toronto in the Social Justice and Diversity stream have been working to create a social action project that aims to educate and raise the voices of Trans folx. WE have a variety of social media education, interest and advocacy peices that we will be sharing over Trans awareness week, and beyond. We also have a special peice that we have been working and have ready share this Friday for Transgender day of remembrance. We have created a space on the PRIDE project website to share what we have created, we really want to hear from the community, and raise up your voices. What do you need? What can be done better? What are you great at? What do you want people to know? Please send us samples of art and music, either you make or artist you love, suggestions, stories, we would love to share your talents. At the same time, We are also very mindful of safety, and that social media and the internet are not always safe spaces, Information can be shared anonymously, my emailing it, to the Pride project. The pride project is also minful that sharing photographs can be unsafe, so while photos are great, lets stick to images where folks can not be identified. Comments, and conversations are welcomed and appreciated! Info@theprideproject.ca

 
 
 
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Not much longer till Queer* Prom 2019!  We have some surprise performers, preparing a few special numbers for you!  Snacks and sweet treats have been donated!   For most of the evening music will be by your request!  Camera Craft is helping us out with a photo booth.  I’v been working on decorations and... I’d like to introduce you to Red Daniel, almost fully hydrated.  He and his friends are looking forward entertaining your on June 15th!  Any one need hair or makeup to start the evening?  Send me a message and we will set something up!  

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 Red Daniel  

Trans Day of Remembrance

Today is Trans Day of Remembrance. As we work toward a world where Trans* folk are welcomed as and for the incredible, courageous and fabulous people they are, we are called to remember those who have struggled, those who have fought and those who have died. We have a lot of work left to do in their honour. We are also called to rally with our Trans* community and to celebrate their resilience today. If you are lucky enough to have a Trans* person in your life, be thankful. If you are Trans*, be proud! We love you! Today and everyday.

-Helen and Ali
 

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