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Sage (they/he)

When I needed assistance with transitioning, I decided to turn to my community again, as I no longer trust doctors. I received a binder through G(end)er Swap’s free binder program, which has been a massive weight off my shoulders (no pun intended) whilst I remain on the GIC’s waiting list for top surgery.

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Features Healthcare History Lived Experience

Gender Identity Clinics: Genesis and Unoriginal Sin

Giving evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee on 8 September 2015, Dr John Dean authoritatively summarised the genesis of gender identity clinics [GICs]: 

“there is quite considerable diversity of opinion between different clinicians and different clinics. All seven gender clinics in England arose out of the special interest of an individual a long time in the past. There has not been a lot of planning of their development, and there certainly is no training pathway for medical practitioners or others who work in this field.” [1]

Who were these individuals ‘a long time in the past’, how did they come to define the lives of trans people, and why are GICs such a focus of criticism from the patients they exist to serve?

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Features International Lived Experience

Coming from abroad, falling between the cracks

by Maya Chew I arrived at the dimly lit Heathrow in the dead of winter. “You have a good day, sir,” said the immigration officer as I first set foot […]

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Features Lived Experience

Remembering who I am

I act for a living. That would make sense, what with going to drama school. It’s tough – brutal at times – but I love it. And I love being trans, in every capacity. Simply knowing myself to be ‘trans’ makes me feel whole. And being both trans and an actor makes me a ‘trans actor’ – I love that, too. But, prior to this year, I was stuck in a habit of forgetting who I am.

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Features Healthcare Lived Experience

My learning disabilities don’t make me any less trans, or any less of a man.

But when I started to transition medically, it took a lot longer than other transgender people. When I asked for treatment, I had to wait a long time. They asked me loads of questions, like “you have a learning disability, so do you understand what transgender means?”  Someone told me I couldn’t possibly be trans, because it was “too complicated for me.”

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Features Healthcare Lived Experience

What difference does inclusive cancer screening make?

I let the nurse persuade me to make an appointment for a check up and went along to the trans specific clinic. I live in London so actually had a choice of two trans specific clinics to go to. I think it being a trans specific clinic made it better somehow. I didn’t have that fear of being misgendered, judged or pitied. I knew that my genitals wouldn’t faze them. There is no way I would have gone to my GP surgery for a smear.

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