Currently there is no funding or support for the intersex transsexual, transgender, sister-girl, brother-boy and gender-diverse community in Queensland for healthcare.
As a result there is a growing concern and fear in the community that gender centres and some sexual health services are at risk of shutting their doors to the community because of the lack of funding from the Queensland State Government. (See this article: http://www.qnews.com.au/article/qld-transgender-services-risk).
Access to proper counselling, therapy, treatments & cosmetic surgery is essential to many gender diverse people to enable them live happy and fulfilling lives. These services are essential so gender diverse people can blend and be accepted into society and reduce the risk of discrimination, vilification, abuse and violence that they might face.
Lives are lost every year because people cannot access to the services that they sorely need. These types of health care services are not elective, they are essential to someone who experiences severe gender dysphoria – it has been proven many times that Vocal Feminisation, Facial Feminisation and Sex Reassignment Surgery can all help to save lives.
The World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) released the new Standards of Care to better support the transsexual, transgender and gender diverse community.
This document calls on governments, support groups and agencies to adopt new policies for better transgender health care. However the Queensland Premier, Ms Anna Bligh, and the Minister for Queensland Health, Mr Geoff Wilson, appear to be slow to catch onto these new recommendations in the Standards of Care.
Additionally a report called the “Sex Files Report” was compiled by the Human Rights Commission in 2009, calling on governments to remove discriminatory policy from all levels of government. However there are many offices of the State Government of Queensland that need to have their policies reviewed and many people in the community believe that Queensland Health should set the example and lead the way.
The intersex, transsexual, transgender and gender diverse community might be only a minority group, but enough is enough. It is time we spoke out with a unified voice about the ignorance and neglect by the Queensland State Government and Minister for Health in how they are overlooking the health care needs of Queenslanders
So please sign this petition and show your support for for better health care for intersex, transsexual, transgender and other gender diverse community of Queensland. Please pass this petition onto your network of friends and collegues.
Please click here to sign:
