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Transgender Education Network of Texas Congratulates APA in supporting equality in health access
 August 16, 2012-
Transgender Education Network of Texas congratulates the American Psychiatric Association for issuing statements today legitimizing equality in care for gender diverse individuals. "This is but a first step towards on but a long journey of recognizing the dignity and wholeness of individuals whose gender does not meet expected societal norms", said Katy Stewart, Chair of the Board of Directors of Transgender Education Network of Texas.
"The APA decision not only affirms the work we do in educating the public about the great diversity in gender, it provides bedrock for the much needed work of engaging mental health professionals in a way that is culturally sensitive" Transgender Education Network of Texas applauds this decision and encourages our membership to share this good news with others. The APA press release for this momentous decision can be found HERE, and is reprinted below for ease of access #####
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APA Issues Official Positions Supporting Access to Care and the Rights of Transgender and Gender Variant Persons
ARLINGTON, Va. (August 16, 2012) - The American Psychiatric Association advocates for removal of barriers to care for gender transition treatment and for the protection of civil rights for transgender and gender variant individuals. APA has long expressed strong affirmation of lesbian and gay civil rights since the 1973 decision to remove homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Now APA is issuing position statements in support of access to care and civil rights for transgender individuals.
Gender variant and transgender individuals must cope with multiple unique challenges, including significant discrimination, prejudice, and the potential for victimization from violent hate crimes. They often experience discrimination when accessing health care and are denied numerous basic civil rights and protections.
Long-standing medical and psychiatric literature demonstrates clear benefits of medical and surgical interventions to assist gender variant individuals seeking transition. However, transgender and gender variant people are frequently denied medical, surgical, and psychiatric care related to gender transition. Access to medical care (both medical and surgical) positively impacts the mental health of transgender and gender variant individuals.
Being transgender or gender variant implies no impairment in judgment, stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities; however, these individuals often experience discrimination due to a lack of civil rights protections for their gender identity or expression. Transgender and gender variant persons are frequently harassed and discriminated against when seeking housing or applying to jobs or schools, are often victims of violent hate crimes, and face challenges in marriage, adoption and parenting rights,
Discrimination and lack of equal civil rights is damaging to the mental health of transgender and gender variant individuals. For example, gender-based discrimination and victimization were found to be independently associated with attempted suicide in a population of transgender individuals, 32% of whom had histories of trying to kill themselves, and in the largest survey to date of gender variant and transgender people 41% reported attempting suicide.*
The APA joins other organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association, in endorsing strong policy statements deploring the discrimination experienced by gender variant and transgender individuals and calling for laws to protect their civil rights. |
