Transgender Community

Welcome!

2037-01-01T00:00:00Z

Posted by: ftmichael.livejournal.com

Welcome to transgender! Please read the tags and memories before posting questions, as your question may well have been answered already.

(This post is a permanent work in progress.)
( Other communities you may find useful )

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trans @ 2014-04-14T23:25:00

2014-04-14T23:25:00Z

Posted by: aaskew.livejournal.com

Asking on behalf of a trans female friend - do any of you have suggestions for a good psychiatrist in Toronto who's great with trans stuff and also a Christian? Her mother is open to her transition, but is also pretty adamant about the Christian bit.

Thanks!

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T-Vox info

2012-05-17T11:00:00Z

Posted by: ftmichael.livejournal.com

Many of you may have noticed that some pages on http://t-vox.org/ are giving database errors and not letting you see the content. The T-Vox admins are aware of the database issue and are working on it; it's proven to be a particularly obnoxious problem but they're doing their best to get it resolved ASAP. Anyone who's good with php and Mediawiki should please get in touch to help!

In the meantime, on any page that gives a database error, just click the little View Source tab to see the raw contents of the page. There's very little markup code so it should be readable, and you can use Ctrl+F to search it for whatever you're looking for. (If you have a T-Vox account and are logged in, the Edit tab will do the same thing.) Many of the pages do not have an error, fortunately, and can be accessed as normal.

The pages, including the ones with database errors, are still editable, so please do continue to contribute!

A few popular pages that are linked to from the Resources page, which people may now have trouble finding:

* Online Support
* Support groups
* FTM passing tips
* MTF passing tips
* FTM reading list
* General reading list
* Physicians by region
* Therapists by region
* List of transfeminine people
* List of transmasculine people

You can also go to All Pages to find what you're looking for.

Two of the most popular pages that folks may have issues with:

Therapists in the United States - this page links to more specific geographic areas in the US. If you can't figure out how to get to the page you need, here are the links:

Northeast
* New England - CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
* Mid-Atlantic - NJ, NY, PA

Midwest
* East North Central - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
* West North Central - IA, KS, MO, MN, ND, NE, SD

South
* South Atlantic - DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
* East South Central - AL, KY, MS, TN
* West South Central - AR, LA, OK, TX

West
* Mountain - AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY
* Pacific - AK, CA, HI, OR, WA

Support groups in the United States - same format as the therapists page. If you can't figure out how to get to the page you need, here are the links:

* New England
* Mid-Atlantic
* East North Central
* West North Central
* South Atlantic
* East South Central
* West South Central
* Mountain
* Pacific

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Gender disphoria and MassHealth

2011-07-23T22:06:00Z

Posted by: also-warriors.livejournal.com

I'm applying for MassHealth and it asked if I have any disabilities. I said yes, and they sent back a brochure to fill out. I have other disabilities, but they asked things like "do your medical or mental health problems make it hard to... go to the doctor/visit friends and family/go for a walk/go shopping" and I find all those things difficult for reasons related to gender and disphoria, but most of them are also hard for reasons related to other conditions I have, too. Is it best to list my full info, including something that they may not feel is a disability, and may open me to discrimination, or to only focus on the effects of my more well-established disabilities?

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Resolution!

2011-06-08T16:20:00Z

Posted by: trailrat.livejournal.com

Is there a difference between "acceptance" and "coming to terms"?

Couple of months ago I wrote a thread, well a rant actually about my last appointment with a certain Dr with a certain reputation at the GIC in Charing Cross. For those that missed it or want to refer to it here is the link - transgender.livejournal.com/2455912.html
( The resolution of that rant! )

Thank you for reading! Comments and Questions in the usual place. Leave your tray tables in their upright position and remember this is a residential area, so please leave quietly!

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Bastard!!

2011-03-29T15:12:00Z

Posted by: trailrat.livejournal.com

I need to vent. I need to rant!! I'm sorry.

I've just got back my gender clinic appointment at the GIC in CX. Any here that's been might know who I mean so I'll spare him his name!!

I have got back feeling miserable and bullied. I have been in tears since getting home and right now I feel depressed. All I want to do is get steaming drunk and climb into bed and pray that the house collapses in on me!

Criticism I can take, suggestions I can take but this sort of confrontation is the sort of crap I would have expected from the general public not a medical proffesional who's job it is to guide a person through their transition.

He's not happy I wore jeans to the appointment. Two reasons I did. It was cold out this morning and I haven't had my legs waxed. I don't own a long enough skirt for a cold day. Oh, I know they exist, but I don't own one! Apparantly, only real women can wear jeans or trousers because they look like women, just women who wear trousers that's all. I just look like a "new romantic bloke with dodgy make-up" his exact words!!

He is constantly surprised at me trying to respect my parents and family. I mentioned the funeral, and his advice was that it would be the perfect time to tell them!! What?? At my Nan's funeral. The last thing I want to cause is friction at my Nan's funeral.
He is also appalled at my choice of name. Apparently feminising my male name is stupid and redundant! I feminised my name out of respect for the fact my parents gave me that name!! He thinks I should have called myself Shirley or Heather or some such twaddle!!
My Mum has stopped trying to use male pronouns when talking about me but she has said that I'll always be her Son no matter what I do to myself because I have been her Son for so long. I'm fine with that, it's the people, the public I want to convince. He can't see that, he says it's not right. I understand some transgendered want to be recognized by their family in their new role and I respect that. Am I wrong, am I going about this the wrong way?

He also wittered on about my unemployed status and how the government will try to screw me over in regards to my benefits. God knows what that shit has to do with my transition but I am at fault for not putting myself out there and selling myself according to him!

It makes me question everything I do, everything I've done and not in the good way. It makes me feel like wanting to give up leaving the house and just be who I want to be behind the comfort of my door where the only judge is the women in the mirror!

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Sharing the news!!

2011-01-13T15:02:00Z

Posted by: trailrat.livejournal.com

Had my appointment yesterday at the CX Gender Clinic.....

I think that about sums up how I'm feeling really.

Been approved for oestrogen treatment. Going to be referred for speech therapy too.
Also going to push for Laser hair removal with my local PCT as the facial hair issues is causing me to self harm

Full news on my personal LJ if you're interested!!

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More Stuff!

2010-09-21T20:28:00Z

Posted by: trailrat.livejournal.com

I really hope that you don't mind all this. I seem to have become a regular visitor here and I feel kind of guilty about it. But I do have some questions today, again! I just need to "talk" to my peers!

( Under Cut For Length )

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sex marker in medical situations

2010-09-02T07:46:00Z

Posted by: didianebedeau.livejournal.com

Something I've been curious about, but haven't seen addressed specifically, is the issue of having the sex marker in Dr's offices/medical systems still listed as female.

Seeing "sex: F" at the top of forms and on wrist bands triggers intense dysphoria, and I find it's really eating at me lately. Since I have a number of health issues and spend a considerable amount of time in and out of Dr's offices, it currently is the arena where this issue comes up the most.

I am about 4 months on T, no surgeries, and am just on the cusp of starting to pass, but all of my sex markers (driver's license, social security) are still female at this point. (I intend to change my driver's license relatively soon, but I'd like my photo to be more congruent with the marker "male" before I do.) My birth name, which is listed in Dr's office systems, is unisex, but perceived to be male 95+% of the time.

I'm wondering mainly for future reference at what point I can legally change my marker to male in the system and how I would go about doing it. Would I first need to change drivers license or other markers? Since I pay out of pocket for some medical services and am covered under a hospital community discount program for the rest(not in any way connected to Medicaid, Medicare, or any outside program), insurance is not an issue.

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Informing my doctor

2010-07-20T01:20:00Z

Posted by: espreite.livejournal.com

Okay, I'm in an icky, painful dysphoric state at the moment, so I'm going to try and channel it into something useful.

I'm 17 years old, FTN, pre-name change, pre-medical transition and in the middle of social transition, in therapy for gender and other stuff. I live with my parents, who I'm out to; they're supportive but still feel like it's just a stage. Everyone calls me by my preferred name but parents won't let me legally change it until I'm 18 (provided they make good on that and don't make me wait until I leave the house.) So they're also in charge of all my medical things.

I've just switched to a new doctor recently, and the first time I went I tried to see if the people at the desks could put my preferred name in the records somehow. They irritatedly made sure I was called in by it, but the next time I went it was my legal name. I'm pretty sure the doctor knows my preferred name, but he doesn't know that I'm trans, as he referenced "ladies" a couple of times. I find that really painful to hear, so I'm wondering if I should explain that I'm trans and ask him to not use those terms....basically, if anyone has any suggestions for whether or not I should do this and what the best way to go about it is, I would be really grateful.

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UK: New Private Gender Clinic

2010-05-27T23:19:00Z

Posted by: auntysarah.livejournal.com

I've been given the following information which I am at liberty to share with the community. Dr Stuart Lorimer, familiar to many of us from his work at the Charing Cross GIC, is setting up a private practice in addition to his NHS work. He's currently looking at Saturday lunchtime slots, starting from July.

For more details, or to book an appointment, email to enquiries@gendercare.co.uk or phone 07899 929859. I understand there will be a website, but it's not live yet.

I am not affiliated with this practice, I merely pass this on for information purposes.

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trans @ 2010-04-22T08:48:00

2010-04-22T08:48:00Z

Posted by: aubreycolors.livejournal.com

Is there anywhere online that explains how the new health care laws in the US will affect transgender people here?

For example I'm looking for in depth answers about... Will SRS be covered? Breast augmentation? etc. -- Please point me there.

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Trans related medical care

2010-04-07T16:52:00Z

Posted by: zoeyprncs.livejournal.com

I'll be finishing medical school soon, and starting an externship this summer, I mentioned that several times in a few unrelated posts. I've listed only hospitals and clinics that are LGBT oriented as potential sites.

I want to know if anyone feels its important to receive care from someone who is trans or not and why. Should I even bother listing myself publicly (with clinical consent)? Does it matter to you as an individual if a clinic has medical staff that is within the LGBT community? That or should I shut up and quietly meld away into the medical community at large?

Edit: I realize that I should have been clear, the Medical School I attend covers a wide range of fields. I'm studying as a Medical Assistant, sure I have plans to move on to higher positions, but I am no means a Medical Doctor. Sorry if there was any confusion.

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DSM petition

2010-03-19T20:57:00Z

Posted by: steepholm.livejournal.com

Via juliaserano - a petition to remove transvestic fetishism/disorder from DSM V can be found here.

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Depathologisation of transsexual people and being non-binary

2009-10-11T13:11:00Z

Posted by: andrajames.livejournal.com

There have been some recent developments concerning the depathologisation of trans people which frankly worry me. I do agree that GID is a bad diagnosis for transsexual people, our genders are not disordered. Many of us do need hormonal and surgical treatments and felt dysphoric and unhappy with our bodies and THAT was a condition, but our genders per se aren't. The diagnoses for other transgender people are problematic too, 'crossdressing' should not be pathologised.

However I have seen people recently wishing to remove GID from the DSM/ICD entirely and not suggesting that it is replaced by something else. There is a suggestion that we should be able to change our legal genders without having already gone through hormonal and/or surgical treatments. This would then allow HRT and corrective surgery to be mandated purely on physical grounds.

This isn't the only problem with this but is what I want to talk about here:
This presents a problem for non-binary people. In pretty much every country throughout the world the choices of legal gender are male or female. A neutrois person (for example) cannot be legally recognised as neutrois, nor can any other non-binary people have their genders recognised. So where would this model leave an MTN? They could either stay legally male and therefore have no access to treatment or become legally female which would open up a treatment path, however this treatment path wouldn't be ideal for a person who wants minimal hormones and genital nullification.

The current availability of surgery for such people is still very poor (but slowly improving), however in some cases it can be made available via a GID or GID:NOS diagnosis under the radar. If GID is removed from the DSM/ICD then non-binary people will not be able to do this. Binary trans people would have their surgeries mandated by their doctor and the whole 'gender identity treatment' system wouldn't exist. This would leave non-binary people unable to access anything.

( This gives me the fear )

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T as a medication?

2009-08-12T20:28:00Z

Posted by: genderrender.livejournal.com

I was just wondering if when anyone goes to the doctor and they ask "so what medications are you taking?" if you tell them you're on Testosterone? Is it technically a medication? I mean, it's a naturally occuring hormone in the body...so I dunno. Anyone have any idea?

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Accutane?

2009-07-04T10:24:00Z

Posted by: jackrad.livejournal.com

my doctor prescribed me accutane for my acne but did not give me an ipledge number. the pharmacy asked me to get one and so i called the doctor back.

basically the last week or so i've been having it out with the nurse/..doctor/..director of old town clinic about this--they will not give me an ipledge number unless i either take phamacutical contraceptives or have a hystorectomy.

contraceptives would completely mess up the fact that i'm on testosterone and a hysto is something i want but not something that i should be required to have just so i can take a medication. Apart from that, testosterone is not fda approved as birth control, but it is.

also, if they filled out the forms for me as male, it would not be an issue, it's only an issue because they insist on marking me down as female. they said it's like a moral/ethical thing that they can't fill out the forms for me as male as long as i have not had a hysto.

i think this is bullshit and know that FTMs go on accutane all the time, but everyone kept insisting that the ipledge standards and stuff have recently been changed to be more stringent.

it's all on principal at this point because my health insurance just changed to kaiser and will have to start this process all over again with a new doctor, but i'd love to be better prepared this time. i can't lie and just say i've had a hysto or not tell them i'm trans either because i want to try and get a hysto covered so i put that i was female on my insurance stuff, plus it's an HMO and so i can't just go to one doctor and say one thing and go to another doctor and say something else because my info isn't private.

but i would love some input from anyone who's gone on acutane and overcome similar obsticles.

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Androcur? Again?

2009-06-09T12:26:00Z

Posted by: radargrrl.livejournal.com

For some reason, my dermatologist has chosen to put me back on anti-androgens, three and a half years to the day after I had my SRS, which is something that should have effectively negated any production of Demon T within my body, the production centres being sent for destruction on that day.

I understand the effects of Demon T on hair growth and and all, but this guy seems to have questions about why my face is so 'hirsute', as he puts it, after those three and a half years. Does he not understand that, once the Demon T has had its effects on the human body, certain things cannot and will not disappear without certain interventions, of which electrolysis is one? I've been doing electro for a year now, and had a fair number of laser sessions before that, and there's no doubt it's doing the job. My cheeks are pretty much free of the terminal hairs that it's supposed to get rid of. Ditto my upper lip. I really do not see any point in taking this stuff.

I'm quite happy to take the scrip he wrote me for Androcur and get it filled at the pharmacy on base (for free), then just not take it. I know a number of people who would gladly take it off my hands, since the stuff is expensive...my partner for one.

So, is it just me or do I have an asshat for a dermo? Should I be taking this stuff even though electro's doing it's thing nicely?

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trans @ 2008-01-18T05:39:00

2008-01-18T05:39:00Z

Posted by: hazumu-kun.livejournal.com

has anyone had much experience with the howard brown center in chicago? i am going there, well was for a lil while and currently haven't had any kind update from my therapist there. maybe someone else with experience can offer more insight though?

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PCT Query Problems - Advice? (Sheffield, England)

2007-11-29T18:54:00Z

Posted by: kasumi-astra.livejournal.com

Hi all.

I've been sending e-mails to the Patient Advice and Liaison Service ("PALS") about the level of funding transpeople are given in Sheffield. For those that are unfamiliar with trans treatment in Sheffield, patients are put on a waiting list for the Porterbrook Gender Identity Clinic. However, the waiting list is excessive. I have been waiting for my first appointment for four years, and I'm still waiting. Here's what I've learned through my questionning, to date.

- The Porterbrook GIC waiting list operates on a one-in, one-out basis; one patient is admitted to begin treatment only when one patient leaves.

- The PCT funds two new patients each year to begin treatment with the GIC.

- This amounts to just 6-7 patients actually receiving treatment at any time.

- Requests for referrals to other GICs such as the one at Charing Cross hospital are denied. Patients are only offered a referral to Porterbrook.

I've put the following questions to PALS regarding the funding level for the Porterbrook GIC, hoping to gain an insight into why the funding is so low as to allow waiting lists as bad as this:

( Cut for detail )

However, all I've actually got is a description of how the waiting list operates and how many people are waiting for treatment. As for the reason behind the waiting list, well, that's down to the rate of admission and the average time it takes for people to complete treatment. Well, obviously, perhaps I've made this whole thing out to be more complex that I thought >_>; ...

More seriously, I really feel that somebody is answering different questions to the one I'm asking. I wanted some insight into how the funding is justified, and how policy is put together. I haven't been offered any, and I'm convinced that I should have access to this information so that I can properly challenge it. I have had this kind of response twice from PALS now, and I have no idea whether I am entitled to the answers I want or if somebody is covering their arse by being coy. Four years of waiting is among the longest in the country for an appointment, in some area waiting times are measured in months. There has to be someone, somewhere who is making sure that funding transpeople deserve (and are entitled to elsewhere) is being routed away.

Where can you help? Tell me if I am asking the right questions. Am I even asking the right people? Should I be more pressing in language, should I take my query higher to the trust itself? I'm completely lost, I feel like I've hit a dead-end. I want to hold my PCT accountable for their negligence, but I need to know what to do next.

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transmale resources in asia (specifically: Japan)

2007-05-09T13:24:00Z

Posted by: aki-no-kaze.livejournal.com

My boyfriend will be moving to Japan this summer and is having trouble finding info on trans friendly doctors, endos, and top surgeons in the region. He is more then willing to go out of country for the top surgery if he can find someone especially good, but would like a local GP and Endo.

where could we find info on such medical folks? anyone know of any good communities / forums / message boards that he could look into?

thanks

(x-posted to transhealth)

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MS Physician

2006-11-28T01:40:00Z

Posted by: tntransguy.livejournal.com

I have a friend who went to Dr. Medlin in Ackerman, MS and had luck getting started on hormones. Granted, Dr. Medlin is self-admittedly just new to treating transfolk, but he is very liberal, has GLBT people in his family, and is happy to learn and help out. Just thought I'd pass this along.

J.R. Medlin
Choctaw County Medical Center
148 Cherry Street
Ackerman, MS 39735
662-285-6235

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Doctors

2006-11-14T22:42:00Z

Posted by: atmafox.livejournal.com

Xposted from MTF.

So, looks like its time that I enroll in my health plans, and they're all primary care physician based. My previous ones have all been "Go to whoever you want, in network". So. Now I've got to find a primary care physician. This rather sucks. Anyone know the names of any general practice or internal medicine doctors in the Richmond area -- I'd prefer them to be closeish seeing as I have to go them before I can go anywhere else -- that have a clue about MTF stuff?

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Mississippi Resources

2006-11-08T01:52:00Z

Posted by: tntransguy.livejournal.com

Hey, folks,

Some of my friends in Mississippi have confirmed and provided me with a couple of resources in the state and I thought I'd share with you all.

( Read more... )

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