Thoughts and Ruminations — February 2018

 What I’m Watching/Listening To

Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations – RuPaul Charles: We’re All In Drag

• Watch on YouTube
• Visit the Facebook page

Underneath his over-the-top hair, makeup and outfits, RuPaul Charles believes that at the core “we’re born naked and the rest is drag.” There were a number of great moments — gender-related and otherwise — in this episode of the podcast/interview series, however, here’s a couple of takeaways that resonate:

OPRAH: What is the advice you find yourself giving LGBTQ kids?

RUPAUL: Know thyself and be kind to yourself…rules of life — we teach them in kindergarten — be nice to other people, be nice to yourself.

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RuPaul also feels that there is a new breed of young people that are watching and enjoying our show.

OPRAH: Why is drag resonating now?

RUPAUL: Kids are smart and they are looking for a voice or a new belief system that transcends the 20th Century that is completely of the 21st Century. Forward-thinking voice.  Seeing both sides of yourself is the next-level. For them, drag is how you see yourself.

A Fantastic Woman

I recently screened this Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film (Chilé) from Sony Pictures Classics, starring Daniela Vega.

“Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 30 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina’s birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion. The doctors and Orlando’s family don’t trust her. A woman detective investigates Marina to see if she was involved in his death. Orlando’s ex-wife forbids her from attending the funeral. And to make matters worse, Orlando’s son threatens to throw Marina out of the flat she shared with Orlando. Marina is a trans woman and for most of Orlando’s family, her gender identity is an aberration, a perversion. So Marina struggles for the right to be herself. She battles the very same forces that she has spent a lifetime fighting just to become what she is now — a complex, strong, forthright and fantastic woman.” ~ Wikipedia

It was a really good film but somewhat difficult to watch as the protagonist, Marina, deals with many instances of degradation and disrespect that many of us, unfortunately, know too well. However, throughout, she is resilient which conveys a great sense of hope. Go see it!

What Are My Clients Talking About These Days? 

Many of my young clients are talking more today about pronouns and being “misgendered.” New pronouns are replacing old pronouns such as he/she or him/her. Many young people no longer fit into the heteronormative or cisgender society that once was.  Many young people consider themselves non-binary, not wanting to put themselves into the boy or girl category. Rather than him/her or she/he, many prefer as a singular gender-neutral third person gender to be called they/them or ze/zir.

If a person is misgendered or called “it”, they are being disrespectful and insulting.  It can be offensive and unacceptable to people that do not identify with the old paradigms. It takes some getting use to but it means asking, educating yourself and never assuming you know what’s best for your child, your student, your friend, or your patient. It has become problematic when applying for jobs, applying to colleges or other less progressive situations and each person must decide how to maneuver this sensitive situation. Until society catches up, or the individual demands the respect (irrespective of the outcome), change is happening slower than desired. It can — and has — caused problems with getting medical attention, applying for school or other services.

Questions My Clients Are Asking

• Can I have chest surgery without going on T?
• Why do my parents insist that I wait until I’m 18 to start on hormones?
• How many times do I have to tell my family that I’m transgender before they believe it?

A Typical Inquiry Today vs. A Few Years Ago?

• How many sessions do I need to come to get a letter?
• Will my insurance cover the hormones and any of the surgeries I need?
• Can I start on HRT before I turn 18?  What are the exceptions?

What’s on My Mind Now? 

EXCITEMENT! On Saturday, February 17, 2018, I attended the SoCal LGBTQIA Health Conference — Resistance Through Healing: A Call To Action — hosted at Keck School of Medicine at USC. The conference was dedicated to bringing together diverse professionals dedicated to evidence-based care, education, research, advocacy, and public policy that promotes equality and respect for LGBTQIA health.

I was so fortunate to attend the conference! It included illuminating talks by Kristen Vierreger M.D., Maurice Garcia, M.D., Michael Kreuzer, M.D., Johanna Olson-Kennedy, M.D. and Fara Tabatabai, JD among others.  Workshops included “Advancing Best Practices in Hormone Therapy for Transgender Patients,” “Immigration Policy as an LGBTQ Health Issue,” “Intersex/DSD: Clearing the Fog of the Binary Myth and Rethinking Gender,” to name a few.

Overall, the program sought to increase awareness and education on culturally appropriate ways of engaging with their LGBTQIA patients. I think I can speak for all who attended in expressing thanks to the sponsors of this event who also contributed substantively: Keck School of Medicine of USC, Keck Medicine of USC, Western University, UCLA Health, UCR School of Medicine, Graduate Student Goverment – University of Southern California, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and UC San Diego School of Medicine. Never before have I been to a conference sponsored by the top schools of medicine in California and it was impressive.