complete gender transition

I wrote a my state senator (among others) the following:

I writing to ask that you sponsor a bill that would ban discrimination in healthcare against transgender Minnesotans. This position is supported by both the American Medical Association (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/471/114.doc) and The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) (http://www.wpath.org/documents/Med%20Nec%20on%202008%20Letterhead.pdf). I am transgender and have been through a great deal of hardship due to discriminatory practices in both private and public insurance plans. I have attempted suicide four times, and been hospitalized for suicidal ideation forty times. The hundreds of thousands of dollars those hospitalizations have cost could have paid for surgery to end my distress many times over. Money that is going toward mental healthcare for the transgender community could be much better spent. Please help by giving transgender Minnesotans hope by sponsoring a bill to end transgender discrimination in healthcare.

Sincerely,

AN

He wrote me back today:
Thanks for your e-mail.

Any Legislator can introduce any bill on any topic. However, we tend to let those legislators who actually serve on the subject’s committees to carry the bills relating to that committee. I do not serve on the Senate’s Health, Housing and Family Security Committee which would have jurisdiction on this topic. Again, that does mean that I cannot introduce a bill, but it would be smarter if a member of that committee does so. The committee members would have a better sense of the likelihood of getting a bill through a committee.

I would be concerned that even if such a bill passed the Legislature, the Governor may veto it. Two years ago, the Legislature approved healthcare benefits for same sex couples and that provision was added to the State Government Budget bill, which I carried. The Governor vetoed the whole bill, basically because that provision was included.

State Senator Don Betzold

I guess my next move is to write every member of the Health, Housing and Family Security Committee, and the governor. I know a lot of people who are in my life have been touched by this too, watching me go through things, so please write too.

I taken a big step and submitted paperwork to the court for a legal name change, and requested they order a change to my legal sex on my birth certificate too. I have a hearing on June 25th, so I’ll know more then. You need to have a couple witnesses at the hearing to verify your identity. I asked my mom and my sister. My sister said she would, but acted like she wasn’t happy about having to miss work. I found out from my mom later that my sister doesn’t approve of my transition, and doesn’t want me to change my name or sex. Very disappointing. I’ve asked a few other people, and I think I should have another witness to take her place, but not having the support of family really sucks. She’s seen how many times I’ve been in the hospital and struggled with this. It’s like she wants me to remain miserable for her. What’s the deal?

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist on Friday that went pretty well. After talking with my psychiatrist, they’ve decided that hormones probably haven’t had anything to do with my hospitalizations. Interesting…since I’ve told them that a million times. Grr. He’s finally going to just prescribe the hormones with no more hassle, and I don’t have to go back for six months. I’m a happy camper. =)

As a result of my recent hospitalization, the University of Minnesota’s Program in Human Sexuality discharged me from the program. They kicked me out b/c they said I was too unstable, and told me I would have to complete a DBT program b/f I can return. The biggest gender clinic in the upper midwest doesn’t even get it. I’m unstable b/c of severe GID. Grrr.

Well I have no plans of ever returning to that program. I’ve started seeing Diane Stellrecht again, who I’ve seen b/f. I saw her today for the first time in 10 months, and she wants me to start seeing her twice a week. She’s indicated that she’s not a fan of the program at the U, and I think she wants to one-up them where they failed. Works for me, but I’m going to have no social life when I get started in DBT too.

Not sure how that is going to work, but I guess I’ll have to make it work.

I got to keep my job! =)

I started again a couple weeks ago (6/11) half-time. I can’t wait until I can go back to full-time (~7/18). It took the last two weeks for me to get access to all my systems, since if you don’t login for 90 days you basically don’t exist in the system, or your passwords expire. They had to reset everything up. I had a pile of passwords for the different systems when they got everything up. I was so afraid of how many emails I would have in my inbox. When I finally got to check my email on Friday I had 1570 emails. I got it knocked down to under 600 now though. I still have a ton of catchup to do.

I’m so glad I’m a tax payer again, and get going on funding for transitioning.

Today I found out I might have lost my job from being away from work so long due to being in the hospital, and being in court with the civil commitment process (even thought it was stayed). I have a conference call on Tuesday with my boss and employee relations to find out. My world has already been turned upside down so much, but if that happens it will wreak havoc with my professional career and all hopes of income for transitioning.

I haven’t freaked out too much…yet. If that happens though I think I’m going to totally give up. I thought about suicide, but everyone is so determined to make me live no matter how shitty things are for me. If they want me to live so bad and not help with transitioning, so be it. I’m going to be as big of burden on the system as I can. I’m going to make it my personal mission. I’ll be an advocate for the community one way or the other. They’ve spent so much on me already, but by the time I’m done they are going to have spent so much money on me that I could have transitioned many many times over. Fuck ‘em.

OMG! I took a copy of my treatment plan from DBT to my psychiatrist today, and asked him what he thought of it. It lists all my diagnoses on the top. He actually said he didn’t know if he agreed with the GID diagnosis. He thought that b/c I was very comfortable with my decision of wanting to transition. He had to take out his book, and then he said he guesses I do fit. I’m still stunned. This is the person that is running my….seriously. I’m still thinking ‘say what?’ Definitely time for a new doctor. I’ll have to ask my therapist about that one. I indicated earlier that there might be a problem, but she said to give him a little time, to be sure. I’m DAMN sure now. Seriously. Omg.

Today in DBT I was referred to as the new girl a few times, and I’m not even trying to present as female yet. The therapist and I just looked at each other and smiled. I’ve had things like this happen several times before, but always nice when it happens again. Helps me know my transition is making progress. =)

MPR: Identifying with a gender

I heard this while I was driving into the hospital yesterday, and thought I would put a link here. It was kinda interesting.

If you are curious and would like more information, I noticed that Wikipedia has a decent outline of facts about Transsexualism. My favorite book on the topic so far would have to be True Selves by Mildred L Brown.