Trans News Digest

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has asked all ob-gyns to either prepare to provide routine treatment and screening to transpeople or else refer them to other physicians in order to address health care disparities and improve our access to care.

In a Committee Opinion published November 22, The College also states its opposition to discrimination on the basis of gender identity and supports both public and private health insurance coverage for treatment of gender disphoria.

Transgender patients have many of the same health care needs as the rest of our patients.   It would be wonderful if all transgender patients had the resources to be seen in a specialized clinic, but the reality is that many forgo care because they don’t. By increasing the number of ob-gyns providing care to transgender patients we can help improve the overall health of the transgender community.

–Eliza Buyers, MD, former member of The College’s Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, who helped develop the new recommendations

Google set the “gold standard” for health benefits for its US transgender employees by, effective immediately according to a company internal memo, covering all transition-related procedures and treatment in accordance with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care, including gender reassignment surgical procedures deemed to be medically necessary by a doctor.  They include facial feminization for transwomen and pectoral implants for transmen on a case-by-case basis determined by the patient’s condition and life situation.

As the WPATH Standards of Care are considered the highest standards of care for transgender individuals, we agreed to cover the full range of procedures under WPATH

–Google spokesman Jordan Newman

Recognizing the inflationary cost of the medical procedures, the maximum amount of the benefit was raised from $35000 to $75000.

Other companies are expected to follow the Google example.

In June, Google joined a small list of companies that offer additional salary to gay employees whose domestic partner health benefits are taxed as income by the federal government because of DOMA.  Other companies also providing these “gross-ups” are the tech company Cisco and the hotel chain Kimpton.

The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has extended its medical benefits to transgender employees and their dependents.

This is a natural evolution for Chubb, where our inclusive environment demonstrates our commitment to fair and equal treatment for all employees.

–Trevor Gandy, senior vice president and chief diversity officer for Chubb

Chubb recognizes that sex reassignment is a medically indicated, rather than optional, procedure.  

Earlier this month, Chubb was one of 70 major companies to submit an amicus brief supporting GLAD’s challenge of DOMA.

Transadvocate.com has released a list to help folks understand the places wherein transpeople will not have equal rights in the new Massachusetts Transgender Equal Rights Bill which will become law next July 1.  Public accommodations were stripped from the bill before its passage.

(A) an inn, hotel, motel, or other place of lodging, except for an establishment located within a building that contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and that is actually occupied by the proprietor of such establishment as the residence of such proprietor;

(B) a restaurant, bar, or other establishment serving food or drink;

(C) a motion picture house, theater, concert hall, stadium, or other place of exhibition or entertainment;
(D) an auditorium, convention center, lecture hall, or other place of public gathering;
(E) a bakery, grocery store, clothing store, hardware store, shopping center, or other sales or rental establishment;
(F) a laundromat, dry-cleaner, bank, barber shop, beauty shop, travel service, shoe repair service, funeral parlor, gas station, office of an accountant or lawyer, pharmacy, insurance office, professional office of a health care provider, hospital, or other service establishment;
(G) a terminal, depot, or other station used for specified public transportation;
(H) a museum, library, gallery, or other place of public display or collection;
(I) a park, zoo, amusement park, or other place of recreation;
(J) a nursery, elementary, secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate private school, or other place of education;
(K) a day care center, senior citizen center, homeless shelter, food bank, adoption agency, or other social service center establishment; and
(L) a gymnasium, health spa, bowling alley, golf course, or other place of exercise or recreation.

At least thirteen transwomen were killed in a fire in New Delhi at a transgender conference.  More than 40 people were injured.  The attendance at the event, which is held every 5 years, was estimated at 4000.

The fire was believed to have been caused by a short circuit in the kitchen.  The fire then spread to an area containing gas cylinders.

Most of those who died are said to have been gurus in the community who adopted young transkids when they would be abandoned by their families.

Most of those who died were prominent gurus. When parents shut their doors to a hijra child born in the family, it is these gurus who adopt them. They are like our parents. Many in my community have been orphaned.

—Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a transgender who recently participated in the fifth season of TV reality show Bigg Boss

A contractor and an electrician have been arrested.  India’s Health Minister AK Walia has announced that the next of kin of those who died will receive Rs two lakh (about $3900 US dollars), while the seriously injured will get Rs 50,000 (~ $970 US) and those with minor injuries Rs 10,000 ($193.89).  

http://womensenews.org/story/b…

63 years after the partitioning of India and Pakistan Pakistan’s hijras have been granted the right to vote.  It is estimated that Pakistan’s hijras number 500,000.

Our eunuchs are very happy about the decision that now we will also cast the vote. It is a very good step in history and 63 years after partition, for the first time.  All credit goes to the chief justice [Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary] because he said that we are human beings.  People are now treating us like human beings and we are not unwanted fellows, now.

–Almas Bobi, Pakistani transgender activist

Japan’s only out transgender politician, Aya Kamikawa speaks her mind on the place of the transgender community in Japanese culture.  

Need a gift for the holidays?  There is a new book out.  The Lives of Transgender People by Genny Beeman and Susan Rankin responds to a perceived “critical need for greater perspectives on transgender life in the United States”.