Well that letter annoyed me.
This was my response from the doctor I saw when I went to go and talk to them about being transgendered. I don’t know about you but I find it dripping with ignorance and I also find it quite offensive. It doesn’t even offer the most basic of support that I would expect from the NHS.
Let’s have a closer look as to why I hate this letter.
|He doesn’t think that you have gender identity disorder as this is for people who require a sex change.
1. How does he know this? I have never spoken to him or made any form of contact with him. All he has to go on is second hand knowledge of what I am going through as interpreted by another doctor who didn’t even fully grasp the idea of GID in the first place. I told her I felt like I should have been born a girl. Yes I am the cliche of a woman trapped in a male body. This is GID as I understand it. I told the doctor this much at least.
2. Since when was it so black and white as to say you needed a sex change if you had GID. Also they are prepared to cut me off from further support just because I admitted that I did not fully know about how far I wanted to go with this. Of course I don’t know how far I want to go, I’ve only just come to terms with my transgender nature myself, I reached out for help.
|As I understand from our conversation you are not comfortable or confident with the fact that you are bisexual.
Right, this is not something I came to you about. I am very comfortable with my bi-sexuality and have been out about it for 4 years. So I find it very offensive that you should chose to focus on this as this is a non-issue. Just because I have never had sex with another man does not mean that I am not bisexual. I know what turns me on and I have been in love with other men. It isn’t all about where I poke my penis.
|If this is the case then Dr. Bakshi advised you to contact LGBT Group which stands for lesbian gay bisexual and transgender. Dr Bakshi couldn’t give me the exact details of how to contact them but he said it was self-referral and the contact details you can find online or in the Yellow Pages.
Now this is offensive. Not only is it condescending, it’s also inaccurate. The NHS has at least leaflets on this kind of thing as well as a whole host of support to offer. Not to mention the well-known groups such as Stonewall. This feels to me that I am just being brushed aside.
And I feel really sorry for anyone who might come to these doctors worried about their sexuality and will find no support. It’s not like being gay is a new thing. It’s not even a fringe thing any more. How can they not offer anything at all?
What I am going to do now? I am now going to request the letter than passed between the doctor and Dr Bakshi. I am going to see how accurately this represents what my issues were. I am also going to find out how I can see a competent doctor. Even if it means changing my GPs practise.
To me the biggest concern is how the proposed NHS funding changes will make this thing more common. My doctors have shown to me that they have no regard for people who are transgendered and I can imagine they are not the only one. So what if any services offered are cut, and people who are trans will have nothing to go to for help. That is a very basic way of describing it, I am not the most lucid of writers, but I think you may see what I mean. I don't mean this would happen across the UK, but certainly in small backwaters where knowledge of such issues is not very well known.
Holy shit. I can't imagine how I'd react if I got a letter even half as insulting as that.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right to try and find out what communication passed behind your back about this if that's what they think of your situation.
Aye tell me about it. I have had advice on how to complain as well. It is shocking the poor level of a follow up. It's just as well I'm an upbeat/happy go lucky kinda girl otherwise that could be quite upsetting.
ReplyDeleteThat is worse than crap. Go back to your doctor and kick up one HELL of a fuss. There is NO WAY that a psychiatrist can decide whether or not you have GID without seeing you personally, and this one has shown himself to be ignorant on several counts. (1)He's made the classic mistake of getting hung up on your sexuality, (2)He believes "You can't have GD because you're not wanting to transition" and (3)He uses the antiquated tabloid expression "Sex change". What a muppet!
ReplyDeleteWhat should happen is this: Somewhere in your part of the world, probably in Cambridge or Peterborough, there will be a psychiatrist who is the local first port of call for trans people. They won't be only devoted to gender variant patients but they will have seen more than any other psychiatrist in the area so they'll know about the condition. Their job is as a first gatekeeper, to say that "This patient isn't mad" before referring on to a GIC. You need to find out who this is, and ask to be referred to them, NOT the muppet. Then you'll be referred to the GIC, and wait about a year to get there is my experience is anything to go by.
Contrary to popular imagination the GIC system is not a transition factory. Their job is to help you on the path that's right for you. THey might not always get it right, but at least they know what they ae talking about.
You might find http://www.tgcambridge.org.uk/ to be of help.