Fiona Fox's Tales

My latest article

2011-01-03T15:00:00.000Z

http://www.ts-si.org/guest-columns/28345-equality-means-equal-full-stop

My final thoughts on transition..

2009-03-01T11:40:00.006Z

I've been doing at lot of thinking and soul searching over the past week or so.

I'm now "retired" having been put in the Support Group at the Department of Work and Pensions, my Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) having reached a level that effectively excludes me from the workplace.

It's a good and pragmatic decision as I'm going to be needing all my energies to recover from major surgeries soon. I have one assessment for surgery next week and the other at the end of the month. My AS is a significaant factor in both but hopefully not show stopping as I have no Plan B.

I've now got some contact lenses and a tooth in the gap that made me too self conscious to smile properly and I'm getting used to both so things are looking up.

The death of my heroine, Rachael Webb, a few weeks back has made me reevaluate my thinking on transsexual and transgender rights.She had nothing to do with LBGT in the Union but was a warrior for women's rights. It's the right position to take in the sense that as a true transsexual I have a female brain whilst transgender have a male brain and no matter how much I want to be inclusive and non discriminatory I don't feel comfortable fighting for their "rights" as I don't understand the fetish or whatever it is that drives them. I also respect everyones right to express their sexuality any way they want but it's nothing to do with being a true transsexual and the grouping of LBGT is a political one that I have never really felt comfortable with and can't advocate.

Whilst I don't feel really worthy to pick up the baton from Rachael I am going to follow her lead and put my political energies into women's rights and let the feminist in me run free.

I think I've done my bit for the true transsexual by demonstrating that you don't have to submit to the illegal and obscene methodologies of NHS Gender Identity Clinics (even the name of which is discriminatory to the true transsexual) to get NHS funded surgery with the surgeon of your choice at the hospital of your choice once you have a gender recognition certificate.

It's now up to another true transsexual to either follow my method or get the whole process declared illegal.

My message is simple though don't wait for the likes of Press For Change to achieve fundamental change because they won't as they support the role of the psychiatrist in the bogus mental illness classification.

The DSM revision will probably declare true transsexuals as people with a morbid mutilation fetish and reaffirm transgender as a sexual fetish but my argument is that it doesn't matter as they never understood and they just make themselves look ridiculous.

Those born with a female brain in an externally male body will always know the truth and know that the ultimate choice is transition or die. It matters far less what the world thinks you are than you knowing what you are. That is what transition is letting go of the male construct that society has foisted on you and releasing the woman inside.

To set yourself free you have to take control and responsibility not hand it to someone else.

So it's time to let go of everything LBGT and let the feminist run free. When I set out to transition it was to live as a women in society not as a trans ghetto member.

I've achieved that here in Manchester so this blog has run it's course. I'll leave it up as it contains a lot of useful information for someone transitioning under today's NHS "rules".

I'm taking a small break from blogging though I expect I'll return to it from a female & human rights perspective. I'll post the URL on here when I start again as I'm not ashamed of my past. http://manchestermaid.blogspot.com/

God Bless you all.

This was the most important part of this blog:

This article is for anyone In England who knows they were born with a female brain in a male body and by definition is not mentally ill but has to jump through the hoops in the bogus treatment paths invented by charlatan psychiatrists who make a living out of punishing & persecuting people they consider sexual deviants with a mutilation fetish.

So if you are gender confused, gender queer, a cross dresser, a transvestite or anyone who falls under the transgender label go away this is not for you.

Lets start at the beginning:

In England your sex at birth is determined (not unreasonably) by the presence or otherwise of a penis so if you have one you are male and you stay male on English birth records forever.

However if your brain sex is female no matter how hard you try to suppress it eventually you will get to the point where you either change your sex or die. There is no escape from this decision and genital surgery is essential not an option.

Notice that up to this point I’ve not used the word gender because it is a concept of sexuality invented to appease the Establishment who can’t grasp the simplicity of the condition and see sex as a binary anatomical issue that cannot be changed.

So in England we have the Gender Recognition Act to appease the Religious Establishment but grant most of the fundamental Human Rights enjoyed by people born with congruent brain & body sex to those that do not.

HM Government was let off the hook of being in breach of European Human Rights Legislation of the legitimacy of sex change by giving a few honours to a self appointed group of Transgender activists that wanted to create a law to reflect their Queer based politics and that preserved the earnings potential of the Gender Industry. It is bad law mixing bogus medical practice with historical legal concepts.

It can however be used to absolutely guarantee that the National Health Service funds what is known as gender reassignment surgery with the surgeon of your choice at the hospital of your choice.

Remember in the eyes of the law you are male until you have a gender recognition certificate but are female once you have one.

The general public is not generally aware that you can get a new female birth certificate without having genital surgery and it is in the Establishment’s interest to minimise this occurrence. It was not the Establishment's intention to recognise women with penises and this has only occurred because of European Law.

So no National Health Service Primary Care Trust can refuse to fund surgery or delay it once you have the magic bullet of a Gender Recognition Certificate.

There are two other legal magic bullets to kill off any possibility of some bigoted administrator trying to deny you your right to NHS funded surgery and choice.

They are the Sex Discrimination Act and the Mental Capacity Act. Essentially the first guarantees your absolute right to be treated in the same way as any other woman with a life threatening birth defect or simply a genital deformity and the second absolutely guarantees your right to make the decision on surgery without requiring permission from for example multiple charlatan psychiatrists at a Gender Recognition Clinic.

Now the trick is to achieve your objective of State funded surgery without compromising the integrity of the Health Professionals who can make this a relatively short easy journey for you.

No surgeon will operate without two referrals from appropriately qualified people and no gender recognition certificate can be issued without one report from an appropriately qualified person.

Gender psychiatrists working in the NHS Gender Identity Clinics want you to believe that only they can issue the report to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate and only they are the gatekeepers (backed by a willing PCT administrators) to NHS funded surgery. Their arrogance on this issue remains astonishing.

The truth is that anyone on the list of approved Gender Specialists can issue the report and most importantly they are not all psychiatrists. So pick one and agree a fee for the report.

Aside from the one specialist medical report the Gender Recognition Act requires proof of living in your true gender for a period of two years based on a recognisable start date for example when you change your name or first see your General Practitioner if you have a name that is used by both sexes.

To totally avoid giving your local Primary Care Trust any ammunition to delay your application for funding for surgery and have the reassurance of NHS monitored prescription hormones you might want to adopt a sequence similar to the one detailed below.

#1 Change your name by statutory declaration immediately you transition. This is vital as it is the start date to get a gender recognition certificate.

#2 See your General Practitioner on the same day who must confirm an initial diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” and arrange an appointment with a local psychiatrist.

#3 One and only one single hour appointment is all that is required with a general clinical psychiatrist to establish proof that you have no mental illnesses. Get yourself discharged back to GP care not an NHS Gender Clinic.

#4 Via your GP ask your PCT to fund your referral to the Gender Specialist you chose from the official Gender Recognition Act list on their web site if they refuse then fund this yourself.

#5 Obtain NHS prescription for hormone and anti-androgen therapy from your GP on a joint care basis with your chosen Gender Specialist.

#6 As soon as it is 24 months from your statutory declaration of change of name apply for a gender recognition certificate.

#7 As soon as you have a gender recognition certificate and a new birth certificate in your true gender apply for NHS funding for surgery for correction of birth defect by a surgeon of your choice in a hospital of your choice.

Warning do not pick Charing Cross as they will insist on you going to their Gender Identity Clinic who ignore #1 to #6.

#8 Be prepared to use the law to get your funding. The Sex Discrimination Act, The Gender Recognition Act, The Mental Capacity Act and the Human Rights Act are now in your favour as you are legally of the gender that you have transitioned to and the NHS cannot apply their arbitrary unscientific prejudiced rules that they get away with those who accept referral to the Gender Identity Clinics prior to transition.

It is important to understand that your application for funding will be made outside of any Gender Dysphoria pathway, adopted or invented by local administrators, on the grounds of exceptionality. The exceptionality being that you have already legally changed sex to female as opposed to someone who is male and may be considering it.

I have to avoid at this stage digression into the numerous illegalities of current National Health Service policy adopted by Primary Care Trusts but suffice to say I have yet to read one that does not conflict with the three magic bullet Acts that I have referred to earlier.

Here is the legal argument for a woman with a Gender Recognition Certificate claiming exceptionality compared to a man applying for a sex change at some future date.

This is an edited version of the one I used to obtain funding from the Exceptionality Panel at my local PCT so some points may be specific to their particular perverse views.

N.B. If a local criteria is in excess of the criteria in the Gender Recognition Act and you don’t meet that particular bogus criteria then point out that it is illegal to insist on any criteria beyond those required for a legal sex change in the Act.

1.1          Treatment Option Unlawful

The proposed treatment for psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross Hospital gender clinic prior to GRS is considered unlawful under the Mental Capacity Act 2004 and the amended Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

1.1.1          Mental Capacity Act 2004

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers this issue. A person cannot be forced to accept a treatment if the patient’s mental disorder does not justify detention in hospital, or the patient needs treatment only for a physical illness or disability.

The successful treatment of gender dysphoria requires a surgical intervention (GRS) so must relate to a physical disability. Psychiatric interventions have never been successful on their own in addressing gender dysphoria.

Alternatively, it cannot be claimed that a psychiatric evaluation is required to have GRS.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 affirms that a person must be assumed to have the capacity to make a decision about their life/treatment unless there is evidence that they do not have such capacity. That a decision may appear to be foolish or unwise to someone, such as the PCT, is not evidence of this.

Any Department of Health or PCT policy that contradicts the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is unlawful and invalid.

1.1.2          Sex Discrimination Act

The decision to refuse treatment at the preferred hospital appears to be due, at least in part, to sex discrimination by reason of gender reassignment contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 as modified by The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2008 No 963.

1.1.2.1         Gender Certificate

XXX is legally female and has a gender certificate and a female birth certificate.

The requirement for XXX to attend psychological evaluation will require duplication of the criteria for which she was issued with a gender certificate. To require this is sex discrimination by reason of gender reassignment contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 as modified by The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2008 No 963.

Most patients in XXX’s peer group are presenting as males considering future GRS at the beginning of their treatment and are legally male. In these circumstances, a psychological assessment may be appropriate. However, this situation where a patient is legally female at the time of their referral for GRS represents a new circumstance that has not been addressed.

1.1.2.2         Illogical Arguments\

The arguments presented by the PCT are so illogical that it is difficult to see that there is a coherent argument behind them and if pursued one would be led to conclude that it is an attempt to justify prejudice. Such dogmatic prejudice would be unlawful discrimination against XXX by reason of her gender reassignment.

The PCT has proposed that XXX be referred for psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross when her GP referred her to have GRS with Mr YYY at ZZZ Hospital.

A psychiatric assessment as part of the treatment is to lead the patient into making a decision as to whether they wish to make a permanent change of gender to their preferred gender. XXX has already made such a commitment and has acquired a gender certificate and a female birth certificate. This makes any psychiatric assessment redundant as well as illogical.

Finally, XXX appears to meet the PCT’s criteria for GRS as described in section 2.3.

1.1.2.3         Mental Health

From April 2008 Primary Care Trusts are expected to offer a free choice of where to go for hospital treatment. Exceptions are for mental health services and maternity services. Patients referred by their GP for hospital treatment can now choose to be treated in any hospital anywhere in the country, which meets the standards set by the NHS.

The DoH document Choice of Hospital: Guidance for PCTs, NHS Trusts and SHAs on offering patients choice of where they are treated published in July 2003 states that all patients who have to wait more than 6 months for a surgical intervention should be offered choice. Further, the document states: “The Department of Health does not believe there is any justification for the blanket exclusion of any category of patient.” Individual PCTs were to have implemented surgery choice with up to 5 hospitals by 2004.

Typical waiting times after a referral to an NHS Gender Identity Clinic have been typically 6 months but there is pressure to reduce this to 18 weeks as required for psychiatric services (NHS funding processes and waiting times for adult service-users: Trans wellbeing and healthcare GIRES for DH Feb 2008). Referral for surgery is a separate referral process and again an 18 week response time applies.

This can be contrasted with the current time to wait for surgery with Mr YY at ZZZ Hospital of 13 weeks. Thus the referral for surgery via a referral to Charing Cross GIC will lead to a delay in surgery. This delay is unfavourable treatment and is thus sex discrimination by reason of gender reassignment.

2         MRSA Rates

No specific rates are available for Charing Cross so we have to infer from PCT rates. The DH published statistics for Imperial College Healthcare was for 967 reported episodes of MRSA at hospitals in the group, including Charing Cross, in the period April 2001 to Mar 2008. This represents an average rate of 2.68 MRSA episodes per 10,000 bed days with the minimum half year rate of 1.46.

Applying these rates to the 433 GRC patients, for an average 5 bed days at Charing Cross the MSRA incidence would, for example, generate 0.32 to 0.58 occurrences. Therefore, it is not surprising that there were no reported incidents of MRSA in the Charing Cross GRC patients but there remains a significant risk of infection. This compares unfavourably with the ZZZ Hospital rate of zero episodes of MRSA.

2.1.1          Choice of Surgeon

Charing Cross hospital does not allow external selection of the surgeon for this procedure as the surgeon is assigned to perform the procedure by hospital administration.

2.1.2          Specialised Service and the Choice agenda

“Choose & Book” – Patient’s Choice of Hospital and Booked Appointment Policy Framework for Choice and Booking at the Point of Referral (DH ref 3467 23 August 2004) identifies the exclusions referred to above in paragraph 19:

“19. Choice of hospital may not be appropriate for all services. The services that will not be required to offer a choice of 4-5 hospitals (or suitable alternative providers) by December 2005 are:

”Services where other choices are more likely to improve the patient experience:
o        maternity services
o        mental health”

The GP referral was for GRS which although more commonly following a mental health element is a surgical procedure and does not fall within either excluded category.

GRS has a near 100% success rate in relieving gender dysphoria.

Gender Identity Disorder is recognised as a specialised service in Specialised Mental Health Services (adult) - Definition No 22 (DH 2nd edition). This states that:

“The programme requires patients to complete a minimum of two years of real life tests before they are accepted for transgender surgery. For men seeking female identity, this includes exclusive adoption of female dress, a female name, and full-time employment as a female. Initial treatment is with hormone therapy, usually for a period of two years.

The principal reasons for patients leaving the programme are psychiatric disorders, personality disorder and dysmorphophobia. The drop out rate is less than 1%.

After this period of real life testing and treatment with hormone therapy (which averages 3-4 years) a proportion of the patients still in the programme are assessed as appropriate for surgical therapy.

Patients will not be accepted for surgery unless at least 2 specialist consultant psychiatrists support the referral. Once the surgical option has been agreed, the patient is referred to one of the very few surgical units that provide this highly specialised service.”

XXX meets all these criteria and will have achieved “K” years living as a woman so there is no requirement for further psychiatric assessment.

The PCT is insisting that the referral should be to Charing Cross GIC for a psychiatric assessment. Presumably this is the PCT’s justification for pretending that a surgical intervention might fall under mental health services.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (see legal section below) covers this issue. A person cannot be forced to accept a treatment if the patient’s mental disorder does not justify detention in hospital, or the patient needs treatment only for a physical illness or disability. The successful treatment of gender dysphoria requires a surgical intervention (GRS) so this relates to a physical disability. Psychiatric interventions have never been successful on their own.

Alternatively, it cannot be claimed that a psychiatric evaluation is required to have GRS.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 affirms that a person must be assumed to have the capacity to make a decision about their life/treatment unless there is evidence that they do not have such capacity. That a decision may appear to be foolish or unwise to someone (the PCT?) is not evidence of this. The PCT have not offered any such evidence.

Any DH or PCT policy that contradicts the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is unlawful and invalid.

From April 2008 patient choice of hospital should be implemented by GP referral, as in this case.

2.1.3          Quality of Clinical Care:

2.1.3.1         Is the intervention offered effective? Evidence to be put forward to support the intervention.

The request was to use Mr YYY, one of 2 surgeons at Charing Cross, who also works at Nuffield Sussex. The other surgeon, Mr UUU, uses a different technique.

GRS is well established as being nearly 100% effective in relieving gender dysphoria and was not disputed by the PCT.

2.1.3.2         Is the intervention being undertaken by a known provider with an established reputation for treatment i.e. is the provider competent or there other potential providers?

Mr YYY is one of two surgeons at Charing Cross that would undertake surgery via the PCT preferred treatment pathway. Therefore there is no dispute that he is competent.

2.1.4          Quality of Life:

2.1.4.1         What is the patient’s quality of life? E.g. is the condition life threatening/is the patient in permanent chronic pain?

The patient’s gender dysphoria represents a disabling condition that can be remedied by GRS.

2.1.5          Health Gain:

2.1.5.1         What is the extent of the health gain?

There is no difference in the health gain from GRS with either path. However, psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross will only extend the delay until GRS.

2.1.5.2         Is the treatment meeting the patient’s needs?

The GRS will relieve her gender dysphoria. The patient does not want, and there is no evidence that she needs, psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross (ref Mental Capacity Act 2005).

2.1.6          View of Stakeholders:

2.1.6.1         Has appropriate clinical advice been taken?

There is no disagreement with all involved that GRS is the correct end result. The dispute has been on choice of hospital for GRS and a PCT insistence on a psychiatric assessment.

2.1.6.2         Are the patient’s requirement’s reasonable?

No party has disputed that GRS is a reasonable end result. This appeal document addresses whether the treatment path constraints the PCT has tried to impose are reasonable or even lawful.

2.1.6.3         GP approval sought.

The patient has the full support of her GP.

2.1.7          Equity:

2.1.7.1         Does the patient fit the agreed patient selection criteria e.g. NICE guidance? If not, what is the case for expanding the selection criteria?

NICE guidance is not available. Not applicable as the dispute is in respect of patient choice in the treatment pathway.

2.1.7.2         What is the priority of this in relation to potential opportunity costs? i.e. is funding the intervention reasonable in relation to the needs of the overall population?

Not applicable as the dispute is in respect of patient choice in the treatment pathway.

2.1.7.3         What precedence for funding is there?

The PCT have offered XXX a treatment path at Charing Cross hospital which includes the same surgical procedure as a treatment component.

2.1.8          Cost Effectiveness and Affordability

2.1.8.1         Are alternative treatments available?

There are no effective alternatives to GRS in relieving gender dysphoria.

2.1.8.2         Are there comparable less expensive alternative and comparable interventions available?

XXX’s efforts to get visibility or clarification for cost comparisons have not succeeded due to the PCT’s failure to disclose cost information.

The PCT are proposing a treatment path of psychiatric assessment with Charing Cross GIC prior to GRS at Charing Cross Hospital, XXX’s GP requested she have GRS with the same surgeon at ZZZ Hospital.

2.1.8.3         Is the intervention currently available under contract?

Yes, at Charing Cross Hospital but it appears that this contract requires GIC psychiatric assessment prior to surgery.

2.1.8.4         Is this good use of public funds?

This is not disputed. The dispute is in respect of the treatment path.

2.1.8.5         Can the PCT afford this treatment?

Yes, in that the PCT are insisting that XXX must undertake treatment at Charing Cross if she is to receive PCT funding.

2.1.9          Human Rights

2.1.9.1         Is there a victim?

Yes, it is claimed that XXX has been the subject of sex discrimination by the PCT – see section below.

2.1.9.2         Is the PCT pursuing a legitimate aim?

No, it is claimed that XXX has been the subject of sex discrimination by the PCT – see section below.

2.1.9.3         Is the request/decision proportionate?

No, significant PCT resources appear to have been used to try to force XXX to submit to the PCT’s preferred treatment path.

2.1.9.4         Are there relevant and sufficient reasons for the decision?

No, the arguments presented in the letter in favour of the decision are flawed, see section 2.1.

2.2          PCT Criteria for GRS

The criteria for accepting a patient referral for GRS is stated in the PCT’s Policy Statement No. 1 – Commissioning Policy and Referral Guidelines for Gender Dysphoria Services and Gender Reassignment Surgery in Adults.

The relevant section is 6.3 which list the criteria for the PCT commissioning GRS. The criteria (annotated with whether criteria is met) are:

·         Patient aged 18 or over;
 Yes, XXX is over 18

·         The patient must be registered on the list of NHS patients of a GP practise with which SSPCT holds a contract or, where the patient is not registered with a GP practise, he or she must be “usually resident” in the geographic area covered by SSPCT, except where paragraph 80 of the Department of Health guidance “Who Pays Establishing the Responsible Commissioner” (September 2007) applies 
Yes, XXX is registered with Dr LLL

·         The transsexual identity must have persisted for at least two years. 
Yes, XXX has proof of this is in having a gender certificate.

·         The disorder must not be a symptom of any other mental disorder or chromosomal disorder
 Yes, Dr RRR, a consultant psychiatrist who assessed XXX confirmed that XXX did not have any other mental disorder. There is no suggestion that XXX has a genetic disorder.

·         Patients should complete two years’ successful continuous full-time real life experience in their chosen gender role. Periods of returning to their original gender may indicate ambivalence about proceeding and should be excluded when calculating the two year continuum.
 Yes, XXX has lived exclusively as a female since she changed her name to XXX and this is proved by her gender certificate.

·         Patients should have found employment, or have been in education or training, in their desired gender role for a minimum period of one year, including employment in the voluntary sector.
 Yes, XXX has been continuously employed by GGG in a female role since her transition on dd/mm/yyyy.

·         Patients should have continued with an established course of hormone reassignment therapy.
 Yes, XXX is continuing her hormone reassignment therapy prescribed by her GP.

·         Patients should have changed their name legally to one appropriate to the transgendered self.
 Yes, ‘XXX’ changed her name to XXX on dd/mm/yyyy.

·         Patients should have a demonstrable knowledge of the cost, required length of hospitalisations, likely complications and post surgical rehabilitation requirements of the various surgical interventions.
 Yes, XXX has shown her understanding in correspondence with the PCT and is willing to have a short ( 1 hour) assessment by a psychiatrist to confirm that she is giving informed consent to the GRS procedure.

Thus, XXX meets the PCT criteria for referral for GRS which makes the PCT decision to refer her for psychiatric assessment under a claimed standard treatment both illogical and a misuse of clinical resources in offering unnecessary and unlawful (psychiatric) assessment or treatment.

What I am saying in this article as legal fact is true as I know I did it and in the process got two Primary Care Trusts to acknowledge it.

The sequence I describe can be done at minimal cost I managed it on a net income of £200 a week and my total cost was under £800 spread over 3 years.

I write this article for the benefit of someone who does not have the funds to go private on every aspect of confirming their true sex.

If it saves one life then it is greater payment than any financial reward.

Here are the legal references:

Mental Capacity Act 2005

The five statutory principles are:

1. A person must be assumed to have capacity unless it is established that they lack capacity.

2.A person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision unless all practicable steps to help him to do so have been taken without success.

3.A person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision merely because he makes an unwise decision.

4.An act done, or decision made, under this Act for or on behalf of a person who lacks capacity must be done, or made, in his best interests.

5.Before the act is done, or the decision is made, regard must be had to whether the purpose for which it is needed can be as effectively achieved in a way that is less restrictive of the person’s rights and freedom of action.

In particular regarding XXX, she must be assumed to have the capacity to make the decision to have GRS unless there is medical evidence that she does not [MCA 2005 Section 1 (3) below]

A lack of capacity cannot be established merely by reference to—

(a) a person’s age or appearance, or

(b) a condition of his, or an aspect of his behaviour, which might lead others to make unjustified assumptions about his capacity.

Compulsory treatment under the MHA is not an option if: the patient’s mental disorder does not justify detention in hospital, or the patient needs treatment only for a physical illness or disability MCA 2005 Section 3.2

Sex Discrimination Act 1975

A section of the notes from the “EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM TO THE SEX DISCRIMINATION (AMENDMENT OF LEGISLATION) REGULATIONS 2008” 2008 No. 963 are presented below.

Section 1 SDA, (direct and indirect discrimination against women)

Schedule 1, paragraph 2 of the 2008 Regulations amends section 2A SDA (discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment) to extend protection from direct discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment in the provision of goods, facilities, services or premises.

Schedule 1, paragraph 13 of the 2008 Regulations provides how the SDA operates in relation to gender reassignment discrimination in respect of contracts entered into which relates to differences in premiums and benefits.

Article 3 SDO, (direct and indirect discrimination against women)

Schedule 2, paragraph 2 of the 2008 Regulations amends Article 4A of the SDO (discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment) to extend protection from direct discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment in the provision of goods, facilities, services or premises.

Schedule 2, paragraph 13 of the 2008 Regulations provides how the SDO operates in relation to gender reassignment discrimination in respect of contracts entered into which relates to differences in premiums and benefits.

Section 1(2) SDA.
Schedule 1, paragraph 1 of the 2008 Regulations applies the Directive-based definition of indirect discrimination in section 1(2) SDA to those areas of the SDA with which the Directive is concerned, namely sections 29-31, except in so far as they relate to an excluded matter.

Article 3(2) of the SDO.

Schedule 2, paragraph 1 of the 2008 Regulations applies the Directive-based definition of indirect discrimination in Article 3(2) of the SDO to those areas of the SDO with which the Directive is concerned, namely Article 30-32, except in so far as they relate to an excluded matter.

R v North West Lancashire HA ex p A, D and G (1999) 53 BMLR 148, [2000] 1 WLR 977

This precedent appears relevant to XXX’s case.

The Court of Appeal said that a decision regarding the provision of treatment must be taken within a proper framework.

Although it is appropriate for a Health Authority to have a policy for establishing certain priorities in funding different treatments, in establishing priorities - comparing the respective needs of patients suffering from different illnesses and determining the respective strengths of their claims to treatment - it is vital for the Health Authority to:

· accurately assess the nature and seriousness of each type of illness

· determine the effectiveness of various forms of treatment for it, AND
·
give proper effect to that assessment and that determination in the formulation and individual application of its policy

Time to say "No more"...

2009-02-14T22:14:00.003Z

I have never believed in violence to achieve legitimate aims but this belief is being pushed to the limit by the fascist state I live in. HM Government is institutionally prejudiced against disabled and transsexual people so if you are both you simply get twice the discrimination.

Occasionally you find someone, like my GP who is without prejudice and prepared to help but the overwhelming majority of the establishment do everything they can to destroy you. Worst of all are the smiling bigots feigning concern and understanding whilst in reality they treat you with utter contempt.

This all starts with HM Government’s attitude to true transsexual people who they now gleefully call transgender or Trans a meaningless grouping invented by their lackeys Press for Change that equates a neurological condition with some sort of sexual preference.

HM Government bigots constantly sell the propaganda that being transsexual or disabled is some sort of lifestyle choice made by the work-shy to enjoy a life of luxury on benefits. This is the propaganda of the capitalist state that wants a low wage global economy playing off one set of subsistence wage worker against another.

Meanwhile the fat cat bankers pay themselves huge bonuses as a reward for their greed secure in the knowledge that HM Government will continue to fund their excesses through increased taxation of the workers, well those that are left after the mass layoffs, to ensure the capitalist shareholders maintain their dividends and increase their wealth at the expense of the majority.

This is medieval feudalism brought up to date and held in place by fear and force. Whatever woes befall the common people the establishment continues and flourishes but this must change. I’ve always been an anarchist but held back from violent protest as it’s never directed well enough against the establishment hierarchy and it is the innocent protester that gets hurt. That is the lesson of the Peterloo massacre and should not be forgotten.

Targeted non-violent direct action can however produce fundamental change in this bankrupt state and the time is right to start it…

Please sign up to this petition…

2009-02-07T16:01:00.000Z

I don’t think this petition is particularly well worded and I’m not convinced such petitions make a real difference but none the less it deserves support.

HM Government proposals for transsexual and transgender people in terms of ID cards are a sick joke though the way the Government is diluting transsexual rights in the Single Equality Bill is far more serious.

I don’t think ID cards will become law as the Labour party is going to get beaten at the next election but I could be wrong though as the majority of the population are pretty easily manipulated by Government propaganda.

This is the link:

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/TransID

Thank you for signing.

Tribute to Rachael Webb…

2009-02-04T15:25:00.002Z

Today Rachael’s daughter Leila telephoned me to tell me that Rachael had taken her own life last week. To say I was upset by this news is a bit of an understatement.

Rachael Webb was one of my heroines, a comrade and a friend. She described herself as a Marxist Atheist so with me as a Christian Anarchist we had plenty to talk about and we did. I have a series of emails, that I treasure, that passed between us that make me smile now I’ve reread them as we had a lot of intellectual differences but then again so much in common.

That she chose the time and manner of her death was not a sign of weakness but of great strength. Rachael like myself believed in the importance of control of your own destiny and she did that in situations way beyond those that I have had to face and I respected her greatly for that ability. She was an inspiration to me.

Rachael spoke her mind and told the truth something that those she crossed swords with had to recognise though often begrudgingly. She was a true revolutionary that stuck to her principles and beliefs and I was proud that we were on the same side.

My only regret is that I didn’t know her better or spend more time with her as every time we spoke I learnt from her wisdom. She rang me at Christmas and again just a few weeks ago and yes she told me that she was contemplating her demise but I never thought she’d do it and now having reflected on it I know that once she’d decided that was what was going to happen no one on this Earth could have stopped her.

I don’t want to dwell on her death though she lived an amazing life and I’m going to carry a great memory of someone it was a privilege to call a friend.

Her daughter Leila is going to organise a Tribute Meeting in Brixton, sometime in May as Rachael being Rachael left strict instructions regarding no memorial services. Rachael is not dead, in my mind, as I know her soul survives though she’d hate me writing that. But anyway Rachael I raise my glass to you and say I told you so! LOL It was a pleasure to meet and get to know the spirit that inhabited the body. Rachael Webb was a very special lady.

I’ll end this tribute by reprinting an unedited email from Rachael to me in which she talks about her life and times. It is so typical of her and for those who didn’t know her it might shed some light on why this lady was one of my heroines…

Hi Maggie

There is so much in your email that I want to hold a dialogue on:

You say "not sure why I am telling you all this". Well as far as I am concerned ideas are what people are all about, I know I was labelled a lot of rather insulting things by psychiatrists and psychologists over this, I must admit I could never understand why Albert Camus's anti-hero in "The Outsider" was labelled a psychopath? Very significant and the reason why ... Oh best forget all about the psychologists and psychiatrists for my own peace of mind and almost all are more than average boring?

"Gender Identity Clinic" staff/psychiatrists as Charlatans?

Yes, I get quite angry about this, you are right I am sure. Maybe we should pathologise* them for a change? unless they do what they do because they can't earn a living doing anything else, (could any of them drive a 40 tone truck between here and Alicante without looking at a map? or make biscuits?), I think they must be on a power trip?

*(Ronnie Laing who I was a patient of, (Politics of Experience and the Bird of Paradise) for a time when I lived in Brixton once said something about, "Saints may still be kissing lepers, it's about time lepers started kissing saints".

Of course I "transitioned", (don't like the word but I can't think of another), in 1981/2, over a quarter of a Centurary ago and assume I am older than you? (dob 1940), and I didn't have to go through the so called "real life test", but the idea that they have control over who and when has female hormones, (or male hormones), appals me. Why? what does it achieve? Who are they "protecting" from what? Just who is going to take female hormones if they were available over the counter at Boots? (You can get them on the internet anyway).

Which man is going to take female hormones unless they are transsexual? I can remember a truck driver who I was in bed with, (that's enough of the salacious stuff), and my hormone patch became dislodged and stuck on him, I laughed when I saw it and just for fun told him what it might do to him, he became quite agitated, either unfortunately or fortunately almost all other men would have a similar reaction? No "normal" (I don't think there is such a beast) man would even dream of taking hormones like hrt so what do psychiatrists achieve by playing god and deciding who should and should not get them?

Nietzsche once said, (bearing in mind he was brilliant and also a self centred egotistical male), "there is no such thing as knowledge only power, no such thing as truth only will". Of course he was speaking objectively, he wasn't saying "this is how I want it to be", he was only saying "this is how it is"; and psychiatrists at gic's are a very good example. I do sometimes wonder whether they get off on tranvestic fantasies? Maybe they lack the imagination to know what being transsexual could be like, but as the numbers of men who practise some sort of transvestism is quite large, (apparently), maybe they assume that all transsexual people are tranvestic and try to make their patients conform with their own limited imaginations?

When I confronted my basic transsexuality I didn't have to jump through those ridiculous hoops because gic's hadn't been invented, I just went along to my GP and obtained hormone prescriptions. I won't bore you with my life history but they produced changes in my body, if I had not been tsp then I would have found those changes uncomfortable and stopped taking them, as it was I knew it was "for me" and persevered.

In the 1980's talking things over with a friend we decided that a tsp from our early times when we were still young, (I didn't approve of the person concerned, she was a leading member of a NAZI organisation), but it doesn't alter what she said which was that really being tsp meant you had to do 4 things:

1) Alter your body shape (by taking hormones)
2) Alter your body hair from male type to female type (by electrolysis or laser or what ever)
3) Alter your voice (speech therapy)
4) Alter you genitals from male to female (with surgery)

Of course I object totally to this persons politics but cannot fault her observation on what is involve in being ts? It is only psychiatrists and other prejudiced people who make so much of it? What do you think of the "four points"?

At my age I can't help but observe that generally things are better now, when I was a teenager, (London 1950's), and spent my youth in Soho in various clubs and bars on the existential and gay scenes, (we took drugs, made love and listened to Edith Piaff and also west coast jazz and we discussed Sartre, Camus, Kafka, Simone de Beauvoir etc), we could get put in prison for gay sex, in some ways there wasn't even a word for "transsexual" so I was totally excluded, even from the society in which I mixed, as for the suburb in which I grew up in, I may as well have come from Mars I suppose. Well, things are better now, I must face up to that and be glad for it.

I knew I was transsexual when I was six years old, my experiences are more normal amongst tsp's than I ever thought. I'm not rambling back in time for the sake of it, I want to establish what is and what is not so we can try to grasp the right questions about the political tasks we approach, even if we cannot think of the right answers.

One thing strikes me is that we mustn't assume progress is inevitable, it isn't. I don't know a lot about it but for example, I understand that the Weimer Republic was tolerant towards the lesbian and gay scene, then thousands or more people like you and me were killed in concentration camps by the third Reich, we can go backwards and we could well do so, we can also go forwards, the marxist in me says that the only thing we cannot do is stay in the same situation we are in now?

I might have been able to get hormones on demand but the rest was often unpleasant due to there being far more prejudice. Of course I was involved in politics, I was a member of Militant, (the RSL), and an active member of the Labour Party and the T&G. I had some positions in the labour Movement where I lived in King's Lynn and am afraid I had to put up with a hell of a lot of prejudice, particularly from some people in the T&G. In some ways I want to put that to one side, I moved to Brixton as "Rachael Webb" in 1983 and took part in Peter Tatchell's election campaign in Bermondsey, Simon Hughes played a disgraceful role in whiping up prejudice against Peter Tatchell, I knew him slightly at the time, and he has since said "that's history" so if he can say that then so can I.

I'll always remember one leading T&G member in King's Lynn who was supportative of me, (there were quite a few), Bill Davidson, who was an ex Durham Coal Miner and former squaddie, he had trade unionism in his guts and he stood by me as a true friend and Comrade, I'll always be grateful to him and to others.

The reason I'm going into this is about the situation of tsp's and how it has developed over the last 25 years. I made the mistake of joining the only available tsp organisation which was called the Self Help Association For Transsexuals, (think of the initials and cringe), it was as reactionary and right wing as the initials suggest, the leading member was a former wealthy business person and Senior Army Officer called Judy Cousins. They expelled me for my left wing feminist views.

I think that both Christine Burns and Stephen Whittle will agree that I was the principle person who stood up for a position of transsexual people within a position which accounted for both feminism and the emerging lesbian and gay political scene, including "sexual politics" etc. I was elected as a Councillor in Lambeth and had a job as a Housing Officer in Southwark and of course the media looked on me as some sort of gift from Sun/Mail heaven, they did me over when ever there wasn't much on the news. I developed media skills, I remember a media course I went on with Diane Abbot and Scarlet McGuire, the lessons I learnt are ones the Press Office of the T&G still tell me to observe: only ever say 3 things when you give a radio or tv interview, keep the three things simple because listeners/viewers can't absorb anything more, say them over and over again what ever questions you are asked - end of lesson. It works, just look at the next tv interview of any politician you see and you will see that that is the ABC of media relations, even after all these years.

Anyway, I became drained by fighting and fighting and by always being sort of available for public inspection. I will never ever forget the first time I was "doorsteped" by a Fleet Street photographer, I could have grabbed his camera and thrown it over a hedge but I knew I had to "grin and bear it", it gets to you in the end.

In some ways I was glad when Christine Burns, who was a member of the Conservative Party stood up at a Tory Party Conference, and for no reason that she can think of, as far as I know, talked about her being tsp, (everyone else in the Tatton Conservative Party Business women's group, of which she was Chair) thought she was a "normal" Tory business woman, so I will always be grateful to her. Stephen Whittle was as far as I know what used to be called a "Euro-Com" after Gramcsci et al. He and Christine and other, fortunately, left wing younger people than me took up the challenge.

They worked with Dr Lynn Jones MP, (I know her now through the LRC, why don't you contact her, she is from your part of the world - details http://www.l-r-c.org.uk/ ) and so the GRC was duly passed on my 64th birthday I think it was.

IN 1994 I had become, as I said, fed up with local government and all that went with it, I became nostalgic about my life as a truck driver so I moved to Brighton, bought a 38 tonne truck and went trucking in Europe. What a culture shock, the world of Inner City London Labour Parties to being an international freight driver, it was bad enough being a woman in a man's world, I never breathed a word about being transsexual, the blokes had problems with accepting the few women doing international trucking, let alone being a tsp. Tell you more about it sometime. Well just one thing:

When you look at my photo on "page 3" you will see I am behind Maureen Byrne who was Equalities Officer for Region 1 of the T&G. She gave a talk on Equality issues to our RTC Committee which consists of 17 male truckers and me, a number of them never knew, and in arrangement with her I talked about being tsp, she said afterwards that she studied their faces and said that some of them obviously had difficulty in taking it in but that most of them came round to a reasonable position. Interesting. Glad things have improved and they have, but as I said above we cannot assume they will carry on doing so.

Anyway, yes, I agree with you on a lot of points and disagree with you on some, but on the important issues we are totally together and have everything to gain and nothing to lose by organising together.

Solidarity

Rachael Webb

It just keeps getting better…

2009-02-03T20:04:00.000Z

I’ve had a couple of days on medical matters well in the sense I got my free NHS eye sight test and I’m delighted with the result. My last test was in 2003 and six years later and having had three major Iritis attacks amazingly my prescription is no different now compared to 2003. Next week I have a contact lens test but I have to pay for that. It’ll be great to go back to contact lenses particularly now there are gas permeable varifocal contact lens options. The NHS contributes to the cost of the lenses as well which is a bonus.

So on a bit of a roll I went to see my GP with my list; sick note, prescription etc. and to say a big thank you for giving me real hope of putting my Ankylosing Spondylitis into permanent remission once my major surgery is out of the way. I decided to ask about rhinoplasty as whilst this was approved by South Staffordshire PCT they instead on one of their hospitals. I had asked for the top maxillofacial surgeon in the UK who also coincidentally (of course) is the top private facial feminisation plastic surgeon. I don’t think I have to explain why South Staffordshire said no to me.

Anyway I gave all the details to my GP as this particular surgeon is based in Manchester in the forlorn hope he might do some NHS work. Later today I got a text back saying he’s based at the Manchester Royal Infirmary and yes I can have my rhinoplasty there with him. I must say there is a genuine reason for my requiring surgery in that when my nose was reset after my accident the internal & external damage could not be corrected without an operation.

I must admit I spent a good hour laughing after the news came through as I think I’m becoming the Bionic Woman (we have the technology we can rebuild her). LOL Lets see so far Manchester NHS has agreed to my major surgery, agreed to put me on the expensive TNF alpha treatment, and now agreed to rhinoplasty that will dramatically improve my appearance.

I owe this City so much, for taking me in when I was near total physical and mental collapse and giving me renewed faith in the future. I am determined to find a way of paying back this investment in my health.

I owe (and love) Manchester big time…

Pot calls kettle black…

2009-01-29T15:14:00.006Z

I received an email from Press For Change publicising Christine Burns’s rant against the Equalities and Human Rights Commission asking if it was trying to forget “trans” people?

I think the answer should be Yes for a lot of the “Trans” community as I can’t quite see how the Human Rights or Equalities are compromised for drag queens, hairy panty wearers, cross dressers or transvestites. These are all men who are free to indulge their fantasies if they so wish.

Of course no man should be subject to violence or abuse for any temporary change in gender presentation but I’ve yet to hear or see a list of issues that go outside existing legislation’s ability to protect the individual. I say that as someone who has been directly involved with LBGT. My experience there was that “Trans” is generally misunderstood or defined incorrectly to be true transsexual.

What I do know is whether we are talking “Trans”, transgender or true transsexual none of people assigned the label are mentally ill and it is the psychiatric community that is guilty of an abuse of human rights by treating them as such.

The mess of NHS treatment and the mess of the law itself continue because of this unscientific bogus classification that none of the high profile champions of trans ever challenge. It is total hypocrisy to avoid the confrontation that is needed to effect real and permanent change for both transgender and true transsexual people.

This is Ms Burn’s list of issues and some comments from me.

# set yourself the goals that trans people in Britain should no longer suffer a postcode lottery for funding of the most basic health care provision

Nice but same is true for every other NHS treatment

# commission the most basic of all research – to find out, with a degree of certainty, (a) how many transsexual, transgender and other gender variant people live in the UK; (b) how many require care relating to their gender issues (not just those who present seeking surgery); and (c) how many are not getting that care or suffer unreasonable waiting times or denial of service choice

This looks like a pitch for some work.

# quiz the Royal Colleges on why they have dragged their feet for seven years and have still not published basic standards of care for the UK (they're afraid their discriminatory protocols are unlawful)

Here is a blind acceptance of transgender and transsexual people being mentally ill. All the current NHS policies are unlawful so it would be more beneficial to insist they are all revised against the Mental Capacity Act, Sex Discrimination Act and Gender Recognition Act but starting from the position of declaring what is referred to as true transsexual is an irreversible neurological condition.

# demand to know why there is no published, peer reviewed research on the outcomes of trans care in the UK (and why less than 0.098% of articles recently searched in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsychINFO relate to UK research on LGB&T health as a whole.)

NIce to know but so what.

# Proactively audit EIA's on PCT commissioning policies at random and use judicial review to overturn cynical discriminatory practice predicated on the above lack of data – a locked in form of institutional discrimination if ever there was a case

I think we agree on this subject to the prior removal of the mental illness classification.

# Take up the case of the UK's backward practice on prescription of hormone blocking treatment of teenage trans people as the travesty of ethics and the Human Rights abuse that it represents

Now this I totally agree with providing it doesn’t enhance the role of the psychiatrist or psychologist or psychosexual therapists.

# Ensure that all police forces are monitoring transphobic hate crime.

Nice.

# Put transphobic bullying in schools into the educational vocabulary

Nice

# Actively investigate the reasons why trans people are living on benefits and why those in work are known to be paid several grades below their capability.

OK

# Criticise media organisations when their editors still persist in allowing transphobic language to air (especially from comics of dubious talent).

Hummmm censorship?

# Investigate and report on why the trans community's tiny support and advocacy organisations are close to collapse – their leaders physically and spiritually exhausted after nearly 20 years of voluntary work.

Well actually I think it’s time for a change of the guard as they say. A lot of the problems transgender and transsexual people face are a direct result of bad law and misrepresentation influenced by Press For Change and others who make a living from Trans politics.

You can read Ms Burn’s article at:

http://christineburns.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-equality-and-human-rights-commission.html

I predict no real change but possibly some nice expenses or a research commission to keep the Trans activists happy meanwhile the NHS and others will continue their abusive ways unless they are confronted by other gender guerrillas like myself who are prepared to use the law to achieve their aims.

Now here is the Equalities Human Rights Commission response to Ms Burns.

I¹m sorry to hear that there has sometimes been a delay in your being reimbursed for travel expenses incurred when contributing to Commission consultations. The Commission strives to provide genuine opportunities for stakeholders to engage with us on our developing strategies and policies. We recognise that many of our stakeholders are not well funded, so we try and balance that with our duty to consult. We are currently developing our policy on paying expenses for attending Commission events, which will be designed to ensure that people aren¹t excluded from contributing to the Commission¹s work on the grounds of cost. However, as a publicly funded organisation with limited resources, we unfortunately do not have the scope to offer payments for people¹s time.

Oh dear poor old Ms Burns isn't going to get paid for her support of the mental illness classification of transgender and transsexual people though she'll still get her expenses as an unaccountable self interest lobbyist.

Please support this petition...

2009-01-26T21:15:00.003Z

The General Teaching Council ruled in October 2008 that a former education, training and employment manager at Brighton & Hove City Council was guilty of discriminating against and victimising a teacher who is transgender and was ordered to pay £35000 in compensation.

The manager, Philip Morgan, had secretly sent a fax to an employment agency that revealed the teacher was transgender, which led to her being blacklisted.

Brighton & Hove Council spent over £100000 to fight the tribunal case. The public wants to know how much the council spent of public money.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/freedom-of-information-brighton-hove-council.html

Thank you

I’ve finished my time in the valley of the shadow of death…

2009-01-23T18:27:00.004Z

Yesterday I went to North Manchester Hospital to see the Consultant Rheumatologist to begin the process of diagnosing and treating my shoulder problem.

I must admit I was very apprehensive about this as there are long-term health implications dependent on the prognosis. The cause is almost certainly the direct result of the reactivation of my Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) from the stress I suffered from the discrimination by my former employer though I was also expected to lift heavy reels of packaging above my shoulder height. There was a machine to do it but it only ever worked on one day whilst I was there and despite the fact that it was listed in the risk assessment as severe risk and everyone was supposed to use the machine, as I was the only one that complained I was ignored. I don’t have to explain why I was ignored.

So it’s a process of elimination. We have started with a Cortisone injection direct into my shoulder joint. I should see a result within a few days and I have to ring in with my observations after two weeks.

I had x-rays and blood tests and the results will be reviewed by my Consultant. I will get those in two weeks and I will then have a MRI scan if needed dependent on the results.

There is a distinct possibility that the trapping of tendons is caused by bony spurs that will have to be removed by keyhole surgery and if I need that it may have to wait until my major surgery and recovery is completed.

The big news was that I qualify for TNF inhibitor treatment!

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are rationed by the NHS due to their expense but they have the ability to stop the progression of my AS. Phenylbutazone worked for me until it was withdrawn in 2002. That patients like myself that had no adverse reactions were not allowed to continue using the drug was a medical disgrace.

There are risks with TNF inhibitors the most serious that stops my immediate treatment being the adverse effects on immune system reaction particularly healing and blood clotting. My Consultant knows that I must complete and recover from my main surgery before we go down that route so we have booked a meeting six months from now to look to start the TNF treatment.

This is an amazing bonus I didn’t expect. I spent over 23 years suffering cyclic attacks from AS before diagnosis when it spread to my eyes as Iritis. Phenylbutazone together with a major exercise programme to strengthen my core muscle groups took me from being unable to bend and pick up a milk bottle to being able to ride a motorbike over the St Bernard Pass into Italy.

Whilst I can’t undo the skeletal damage I can reduce the effects and I’d happily swap ten years life expectancy with my AS in my current active worsening state for five years without the debilitating effects I live with every day. When I found out the risk of dying from the effects of Phenylbutazone were 1 in 100,000 I laughed as I’d have taken it even if the risk was 1 in 2 as it is all about quality of life. I admire in some ways disabled people who are able to just accept their fate but I’m not one of them.

I fought and beat AS from 1996 to 2002. I stayed in remission for approximately four years until it became active again due to stress at work. I’m really looking forward to doing battle again after my main surgery. My Consultant has no worries about me doing the physical exercise side so it’ll be money well spent by the NHS, as it will guarantee I work again even if it is just to demonstrate that you can fight and beat this disease.

I hope I’ve explained how much this news means to me. If I hadn’t moved to Manchester this would not be happening and I would not have such a positive view on my future life. I already owe this City so much and I will pay it back.

Manchester is about quality of life and all the people I encounter are doing the best they can despite the personal difficulties they face. It is inspiring compared to the indifference (at best) and negative attitudes of South Staffordshire.

Manchester is strength through diversity whereas Uttoxeter was misery through bigotry. I am now on the high road to salvation and I’ve finished my time in the valley of the shadow of death…

There’s lots of stuff on the net about cortisone, shoulder problems and Ankylosing Spondylitis here are three URLs if you are interested in the science behind it all:

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/paindrugs/a/cortisone.htm

http://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/article.asp?article=49

http://journal.medscape.com/viewarticle/556074_4

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans…

2009-01-21T12:30:00.000Z

I wish I’d written that but I must give credit to John Winston Lennon AKA Dr Winston O’Boogie.

Yesterday I went to my Job Centre Plus for an interview on Pathways to Work. I must admit I was very apprehensive about it and went armed with a raft of documents about my health. You hear such horror stories about unnecessary bullying at these places that you are on the defensive before you start.

I am on Employment Support Allowance that is designed to return you to the workplace at a pace you can cope with or not as the case may be. I have serious health issues some of which may eventually be resolved but not immediately and common sense needs to prevail. I am also now less than a year from retirement and soon to undergo major surgery that will leave me unable to work for six months or so.

I was pleasantly surprised by the sympathetic and pragmatic approach of the advisor I met. She can’t decide whether I’m put into the Support Group that exempts me from some of the more onerous elements but said she’d be surprised if I wasn’t put in it. I’ve filled in a massively complicated medical questionnaire and may or may not be asked to undertake a medical. I don’t fear that as my problems are easily identified to confirm existing diagnosis.

I see her again in early March after my examination at the Sussex Nuffield who should by then have given me an operation date. This meeting could well be cancelled once my case file is formally reviewed. Common sense dictates that no employer is going to take on a new employee awaiting major surgery and I need time to recover. I intend to convert “Diary of A Biscuit Making Transsexual” into a book during my recovery phase. I’ll try hard to get it printed but if I can’t I’ll give it away on the Internet as the story needs to be told even though it’s of course fiction (for legal reasons).

After this meeting I got back to find an email to say that the Sussex Nuffield anaesthetist wants to see me as well as the surgeon. I’m pleased as this vindicates my point that whilst I am a higher risk case for surgery this can be reduced by professional personalised care rather than the NHS conveyor belt approach.

I’m off to North Manchester Hospital tomorrow to start the process of assessment and possible treatment of my shoulders. If it’s the case that the reactivation of my Ankylosing Spondylitis (from the stress caused by my former employer) is the root cause then there are very few options other than to wait for it to go into remission accepting the damage. Surgery on calcified ligaments from Ankylosing Spondylitis can cause more problems than it solves. I hope I get a top consultant on this though I doubt anyone can accurately diagnose this problem with a complex unstable joint without a scan.

Next week I start my dental treatment and I’ve got appointments throughout February. It needs doing but I’m not looking forward to it. I’m also going to get a sight test as I think I need my prescription changed and I’ve not been to an optician for six years! (I don’t think I need to explain why.)

Once I’ve got all this medical stuff behind me then it will be time to return to work and I want to do something to repay the city of Manchester for taking me in when I was at the point of total collapse and removing the wall of prejudice that was engulfing me and destroying me. Manchester saved my life and as I recover from my ordeals I can start to contribute again.

An interesting Lunch in Manchester...

2009-01-18T12:45:00.003Z

I went out to lunch in Manchester yesterday to meet someone I’d chatted to on the web and who has managed something I couldn’t in terms of living socially as female whilst working and playing bass guitar in a band as a man.

We talked about the reconciliation of a female mind with a male body that has to be made and how this is divorced from sexuality. It was not all-serious stuff though as we talked music and mutual friends. It’s a small world in terms of the scene so inevitably you have mutual contacts and funny experiences to swap.

In the past I’ve met some people who live full time as female but have no intention of surgery and found the situation deeply disturbing whilst others in the same situation have caused me no concern at all. I think all this shows that there is a massive diversity of people and the labels we use of cross dresser, transvestite or transsexual are inadequate as are labels like pre-operative transsexual, post-operative transsexual.

The only issue that matters is do you feel you are talking to a man or a woman? Gay men who are not perceived as threatening by women inevitably confuse this issue even more. Predatory males are a danger full stop and the ones that matter in terms of risk of violence and most women are pre-conditioned to minimise this risk.

I felt comfortable and the conversation flowed easily over the food & wine in a restaurant on Deansgate (not the Village). It was a lovely experience to meet someone who is well known on the Manchester scene and see it all from a different perspective. My friend believes that making transgender mainstream will make it more acceptable and that’s probably true providing people on the male end don’t go to far and being men I fear they will.

Ooops getting political again on what was a lovely afternoon. Afterwards I did a mooch about the shops which were pretty full of young people looking but not buying much and then decided to head home but got caught in some very nasty weather.

It had been very windy but dry earlier but the sleet/rain that came on was very unpleasant. Where I live in Manchester I have masses of choice for buses though only two drop me at the end of my road and given the weather I went to the stop for those. One bus broke down and another didn’t turn up so I had a long wait and I got very cold.

I try to ignore and forget my disability but Ankylosing Spondylitis has a nasty way of reminding you of its presence in the cold & damp of England. The best place in the world to live with this condition is probably the southern side of Tenerife zero humidity and Sarara desert warmth. (I’ve been there over a dozen times) Anyway I got back to my lovely warm flat but it took lots of tea and rest to get back to my version of normal.

I’m looking forward to going to North Manchester Hospital next week to start the process of trying to get my shoulder functioning again as it’s causing me a lot of problems on top of the progressively worsening fused spine & ribs that I have had to cope with for a long time.

Someone asked me recently what I was looking forward to the most when I got my major surgery done and my answer was going back to the gym and getting on the machines where I can achieve more in a week than a 1,000 sessions of NHS physiotherapy providing I have strong enough pain killers and a shower afterwards.

That’s why I need my operation whilst I appreciate that some people can live without it I’m one that can’t. I need to be able to walk naked past another woman in a changing room and not care as I do the rest naturally. This is my big year of physical change and I’m more than ready so bring it on…

It’s my birthday…

2009-01-14T15:05:00.000Z

I’ve just completed 59 years on this planet. I don’t lie about my age anymore. It’s been an interesting life and I’d love another if such a thing were possible well maybe it is LOL

Anyway I don’t feel this one is used up and I look forward to my year ahead far more than I did this time last year. I may have less materially but I have rid myself of the attentions of the bigots of my former workplace in Uttoxeter.

I was reminded yesterday of how much better my new life is here in Manchester when I went out in the sunshine to do some food shopping. As opposed to a torrent of abuse I got teased by one of the local drunks who was determined to get a kiss off me. He settled for a kiss off an older lady before hopping on the bus. That was the only incident if you can call it one.

Anyway today I got a really funny card from my ex – Chris and a hamper of goodies. I also got a card and a cheque from her Mum & Dad. They have all been incredibility supportive and I owe them an awful lot.

I now bake my own bread and one item in the hamper was focaccia mix so that’s getting made as I have Italian olive oil. I’m getting well into using the bread making machine and nothing beats waking up to the smell of a new loaf it’s so therapeutic. Sometimes the simple pleasures are the best ones.

I did toy with the idea of a night out but as it’s midweek I don’t want the cost of a taxi when I can get a low cost late night bus on a Friday & Saturday. If there’d been a really good band on in the Northern Quarter then maybe I’d have changed my mind but it’s also TV night in the Village and I can do without aspects of that. I’ve instead got in some mussels and a fantastic bottle of Italian red wine. I’m going to an Italian restaurant on Saturday so I’ll make that my official birthday bash LOL

Notice the Italian theme here LOL Well I love Italy and could easily make it my home. Any offers?

Now where are those chocolates? – Well it is my birthday…

So onwards and upwards…

2009-01-11T21:28:00.003Z

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the direction I want my life to go as I can see the end of the beginning. I know I’ve got time to formulate a plan as my pre operation consultation in Brighton is not until early March but time has a nasty habit of slipping away from you especially as I have weekly trips to Manchester Dental Hospital in February.

I have also to be realistic as I am having major surgery and it takes a huge chunk of the year away in terms of recovery. I need to do something though as I must build a social network here in Manchester.

One of the worst aspects and results of the discrimination I endured at work in Uttoxeter was the consequential social exclusion from the suspension from work. I can understand it as my supporters were faced with bullying by both management and colleagues and keeping their distance from me made it easier for them.

I updated my CV the other day but when I read it I realised I’m describing the person I constructed not the person I really am now. I have no problems embracing or acknowledging my former identity and I don’t hide it. I’ve got on display a framed cartoon of myself on a motorbike that doesn’t look at all girly and it causes me no identity crisis.

What I’m trying to say is; that was then and has no relevance to now. I can’t see me as a Director in high profile customer facing work anymore doing huge deals. I know I could do it but that sort of success and earning huge salaries didn’t really do it for me then and won’t now.

I’ll never go back to factory work either as I’ve had my fill of that and middle management has changed beyond recognition from the days when I passed through it to more senior roles. I think that’s a consequence of the dumbing down of the whole commercial world and its consolidation into global inflexibility that is the characteristic of most commercial organisations though that was inevitable if you put accountants in charge and build a capitalist system that relies on growth to survive.

I’ve long toyed with turning “Diary of a Biscuit Making Transsexual” into a full book allowing me to expand the characters in it. Of course I’ll have to write it as a work of fiction or I’ll spend time in the courts and I’m not able like Peter Cook when sued by Maxwell to wave a chequebook and say I’ll print it again next week! I do like the discipline of writing though and that’s probably the most likely direction I’ll take.

I’ve been blessed with skills in both science and the arts and that’s probably the answer as I used the scientist side of my brain to build the male persona I cultivated whilst the softer artistic side was suppressed so my female brain wasn’t fully revealed.

I don’t have that constraint anymore.

Click here for “Diary of a Biscuit Making Transsexual”

I do love Auntie…

2009-01-10T17:20:00.003Z

That’s the British Broadcasting Corporation in case you don’t know. So named as they are very good at lecturing you in do as I say fitting in with the new labour philosophy of, do as I say not do as I do.

Anyway HM Government propaganda aside there is some interesting journalism on offer so I tend to dart about their site. Oh the power of selection it’s so good. That’s why I prefer the internet to television. Until television offers total programme on demand it isn’t there in my eyes though I can understand the reluctance to allow people to cut out advertising. Still it may happen, as there’s plenty of that (product placement) plus HM Government ideas in the soaps.

Anyway I digress, as the article that caught my eye was “Autism test could hit Maths skills”.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen warns caution is needed to ensure associated talents, like numerical abilities, are not lost if the test or a "cure" become available.

The good Professor states:

Males are much more likely to apply to university to study maths, and in 2007, three quarters of applicants to read maths at Cambridge were male, as were 90% of applicants for the computer sciences degree and why, in over 100 years of the existence of the Fields Medal, maths' Nobel Prize, have none of the winners have ever been a woman?

Similarly, people with autism are much more likely to be male. Among those with classic autism, which includes a developmental delay in language and a risk of learning difficulties, males outnumber females by four to one and among those with Asperger Syndrome, males outnumber females by nine to one.

Is just me, but I get the feeling some pretty wild assumptions and illogical steps are being made here. Not too male chauvinist a view is it?

The article went on to say that research published this year showed a link between higher levels of the male hormone testosterone in the amniotic fluid surrounding a foetus and autistic traits when the child was eight and animal studies have shown foetal testosterone levels influence brain development, masculinising it.

Yes well any true transsexual could tell you about the effects of testosterone on the brain whilst it’s developing in the womb!

The main concern seemed to be that if a test for autism were developed and foetuses aborted then would we also reduce the number of future great mathematicians?
Then came a classic:

"If reducing the testosterone in a foetus helped that baby's future social development, we would all be delighted."

Oh yes?

Now that smacks too much of State selection of good heterosexual social subservient people to me especially if you look at another BBC article a day later entitled “Should we not dress girls in pink?”

Interestingly the article claims in the 1900s, blue was for girls and pink for boys.

The Women's Journal at that time explained it thus: "That pink being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.”

Evidently some commentators now believe pink dominates the upbringing of little girls, and this may be damaging. Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, says the "total obsession" with pink stunts girls' personalities. "I am very worried about it. You can't find girls over the age of three who aren't obsessed with the colour. It's under their skin from a very early age and severely limits choices, and decisions.

But therapist and researcher Michael Gurian, who is based in the United States, says too much pink doesn't have a profound effect biologically - because it can't.

He says humans are programmed in a certain way and no amount of contact with external influences can change that.

"Everyone is hard-wired with four things - gender, a talent set, personality and differing ability to deal with trauma.”

“Scientists all argue the same thing - you cannot have a biological organism without having an environment for it to exist in, but that environment does not change the very basic make-up of that organism.”

Now that is logical LOL

That was rather pleasing as it acknowledges what true transsexuals have always known that our condition is nature not nurture.

I’m tempted now to research the effect of pink or even the preference for pink amongst transgender and transsexuals though I think I know the answer, the dominant colour is black.

Though the reason is that it’s more flattering if you are worried about your shape.

I think I can buy this final quote up to point.

“Girls are more aware of colour than boys - they put more colour in their drawings, for example, and learn colour names more quickly - it is no surprise that toy manufacturers have latched onto a certain shade to pitch at girls.”

I certainly did bright artwork at school LOL

The point however is that the grouping and creation of stereotypes is very dangerous. It’s wonderful for the State and the psychiatrists, psychologists and others they use to ensure conformity to society’s views of normality.

The strength of the human race is it’s diversity not it’s conformity. OK you can manipulate the masses as Hitler proved by propaganda but thankfully the freedoms and rights of the individual can still overcome the totalitarianism of the state.

The URL for the full articles are:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7736196.stm

and

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7817496.stm

There’s a hole punched in the dam…

2009-01-07T18:47:00.002Z

Now it’s time to make it breach and let the floodwaters of change free.

I don’t want to sound like I’m boasting but the fact I’m having my sex affirmation surgery paid for by the National Health Service without having to endure going through a Gender Identity Clinic and all the unscientific bogus nonsense they serve up has changed the rules for everyone.

I’m not going to repeat the legal arguments in this piece as they appear elsewhere in my blog but they are devastating and overwhelming.

What I’ve established is that there is absolutely no legal basis for any pathway to transition that is more onerous than that defined by the gender recognition act.

To get a gender recognition certificate all that is required is that you can prove two years living in the gender opposite to that defined in your birth certificate and get a report from your GP plus one from one of the HM Government approved Gender Specialists.

Once you have one then you have legally changed sex and the NHS must fund your surgery.

Now of course the psychiatrists in the National Health Service would have you believe that only they appear on the list but if you check there are gender specialists who are not psychiatrists. They may for example be endocrinologists. So take your pick!

I chose Dr Richard Curtis of the London Gender Clinic as in my opinion he has a qualification beyond any of the NHS psychiatrists in that he has changed gender himself.

I think this is important for the true transsexual, as I don’t believe anyone who has not directly experienced the sex of the brain being different to the body can remotely understand the condition.

NHS psychiatrists seem to understand the gender confused transvestite, in fact I am convinced they believe they are creating gay men without penises and that is no use to the true transsexual.

A true transsexual doesn’t need someone else to diagnose them or tell them how to become the opposite sex because they already are and soon realise that the psychiatric profession is just an obstruction to surgery with arbitrary rules that are not based on any science just their own personal opinion.

If you are true transsexual and got the bi-polar transvestite that works for the NHS then you really are in trouble assuming he doesn’t fancy you. LOL

Seriously though you can change sex without a long difficult experience controlled by someone else. It’s only made long and difficult so that the sex change industry can make a lot of money out of the true transsexual providing services that are neither relevant nor needed.

They say they do this to protect you but the reality is we need protection from them.

The State has been very good at denying the true transsexual their human rights but despite their friends from Press for Change conspiring with them to make things as difficult and unpleasant as possible there is now a way to turn the tables on them and use the laws they thought could control us to set ourselves free.

So if you are a true transsexual – just go do it…

There is a God - thank you

2009-01-05T11:01:00.003Z

I'm very emotional today so I can't write much other than I want to thank everyone who made this possible:

Further to our recent correspondence, I am writing to advise you that NHS Manchester has agreed to fund your patient outside of the Greater Manchester Gender Re-assignment pathway at the Sussex Nuffield Hospital.

A letter has been sent to you today confirming our agreement to fund this treatment.

This is a result not just for me but for all true transsexuals.

Love, Truth and Justice has triumphed over bigotry, prejudice and evil.

But then if you have faith that always happens...

Just a second…

2009-01-01T15:27:00.002Z

2008 gave us an extra second of measured time a global adjustment to ensure the sun shines during the day not the night. (Well we would eventually get to that point if no adjustments were made). They adjusted “Big Ben” by taking off some old style pennies they use to regulate time and the Atomic Clock run by someone nicknamed “The Time Lord” gave us an extra pip. I didn’t notice my own time signal controlled clock getting very excited but then I was watching fireworks from my living room window.

I can’t get too excited by New Year these days it’s just a number designated by Julius Caesar in 45 BC but it seems to give a lot of people pleasure so that can’t be all bad.

I don’t do resolutions either. I found an article by chance saying failing to keep New Year resolutions made people depressed. That’s the psychiatrist from the HM Government Department of the Blindingly Obvious at work again. They do so much good.

On the financial news I loved this statement about the economic downturn and the prospect of millions of unemployed from the Chairman of Citigroup who said his industry was "partly to blame" and some within it did feel "remorse". One of Citigroup's Wall Street rivals, Goldman Sachs, has cut its pay bill by half this year, although its 30,000 employees still earned an average of £250,000. So that’s OK then.

Elsewhere Slovakia has become the 16th member of the eurozone - the second former communist country to join the grouping but I’m pleased to say in England 71% of people would vote against Britain joining the euro if it was put to a referendum. There’s hope for us all yet.

Everyone has done their reviews of the year 2008 so I thought I’d do the same for mine: I’ve selected one article I wrote in each month. It’s all a bit arbitrary really as I can summarise the year as an on-going battle for truth and justice:

Here we go, all these are headings from articles in this blog:

January: Winning or Losing? Who knows? And do I care anymore?

February: I don’t understand what gender dysphoria is and I have no intention of finding out! Being transgender is not a mental illness.

March: The Gender Recognition Panel has reached a decision on your application. Your Gender Recognition Certificate numbered GRF ****** is enclosed.

April: Bit of a day and more to come… Contains my application for funding for surgery and the legal & medical case.

May: Protection for transsexual people in goods & services...

June: Onwards to the LBGT Trades Union Conference

July: I’m now a gender guerrilla…

August: Give children their rights…

September: How to get surgery from the NHS and avoid the charlatan gender psychiatrists.

October: I didn’t write in this blog but I moved to Manchester and got a P45 through the post from my now former employer. I can’t say more for legal reasons.

November: The world would be a better place if women were in charge…

December: Try Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity…

So where to in 2009?

I simply don’t know.

If I’m optimistic then a lot of issues could be resolved in my favour though I expect there will be plenty of twists and turns.

I’ll continue to do the little I can for the future transsexuals of this world though currently things look bleak as the bigoted charlatans of the world of psychiatry attempt to consolidate their financial interests.

Until we abolish the mental illness classification of what is a physical condition we cannot gain the recognition of the surgical correction of gender for what it is – a change of sex.

It is a shameful indictment of English society that a transsexual child born today faces the same bigotry and prejudice of 50 years ago when we have the puberty delaying drugs that could make life so much better for that individual.

So the fight goes on…

The meaning of life is between Zero & One…

2008-12-26T15:07:00.002Z

Computers work on the basis of “On” & “Off” a switch where you chose “On” to be 1 and “Off” to be 0. So you can count in what we call binary and replicate our written numbers.

Easy? Yes.

Well No actually because we are simplifying the state between Zero and One.

We can divide between numbers to create steps that we call fractions or decimals but the same problem occurs.

Stop and think when is Zero an absolute?

OK we can measure temperature and define an absolute zero as a point when everything freezes but how do we measure absolute mathematical zero?

And does it exist?

At the other end of the scale we say that numbers go to on to Infinity but that has a flaw in that we have not established Zero in the first place. I always smiled at University when the lecturer wrote a complex mathematical equation that was valid from Zero to Infinity.

Better still is a mathematical proof that is valid from Infinity to Infinity. Now that can really get your brain turning over.

Try True and False on the same basis.

You have to come back to defining Zero and One and deciding on the probability of it being nearer Zero or One to decide between one state and another.

But what if Zero doesn’t exist?

What differentiates mankind from machines is that we can recognise the limitations and the absurdity of a simplistic Zero and One state and it is that difference that defines life.

So when I say that Male and Female are not absolute states then I know there is no scientific proof that can dismiss this truth.

Yesterday On Christmas day I had a long telephone conversation with one of my true transsexual heroines. She rang me, which was a surprise as she is an atheist and also a Marxist compared to me being a Christian and an Anarchist.

The reality is we have an awful lot in common because both of us live in the world between Zero and One and understand that we do.

So next time you think in absolute terms about Sex, Gender, Sexuality, Nature or Nurture or any other matter remember the answer is not a tick box True or False, Yes or No or even “Prefer Not to Say” it’s all a lot more complex than that

And that is the beauty and meaning of life itself…

Watch out there’s a Nazi about…

2008-12-23T18:38:00.000Z

In this season of goodwill it is important for Catholics to be reminded that this goodwill only applies to heterosexual males and females.

The Nazi in a skirt (sorry robes) has just reminded his faithful that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour was as important as protecting the environment.

The former enthusiastic member of the Hitler Youth now known as Pope Benedict said it was not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman'", he said. It came from the "language of creation, despising which would mean self-destruction for humans".

Gender theories, he said, led to man's "auto-emancipation" from creation and Creator.

I suppose this is a slight improvement on the former Catholic Church views that the world is flat or that all the heavenly bodies resolve around the Earth but it is still a stunning example of religious bigotry ignoring science.

I find it incredible that this man can claim to be a Christian and spout such garbage and I say that as Christian.

Jesus Christ was no Nazi believing in the purity and superiority of a single race or group but the Catholic Church developed to enhance the power of the state over the individual has plenty in common with Nazism. But then history teaches us that, well the bits they’ve not spun into myths to protect their good name.

Creation was not as simple as male and female obviously with the superior male and the wife as a possession. Our muslim friends also need a strong reminder of that fact.

Evolution and the concept of God are not conflicts just a test of your ability to reason and deduce based on repeatable measurement. As a scientist you ignore the aspect of faith at your peril and without faith then some measurable results are meaningless. Whether you believe faith equals God is down to your interpretation of Relativity.

To define sex or gender as binary is a direct conflict with the evidence of the Laws of Nature.

The Pope is at best a fool at worse an unreformed Nazi…

Maggie Fiona Fox was baptised by total immersion at the age of18 but no longer subscribes to any organised chapel or church.

Some images from 2008

2008-12-21T14:07:00.008Z

As I hope not an unreasonable word-smith I have always believed the written word to be all powerful though perhaps I may be assuming the arrogance of education.

Anyway these images meant something to me in 2008 and I'll start with Merry Christmas.

I like that image as the Penguins look like they are about to escape the Santa suits.

I'm not a big one for keeping animals in captivity or training them as circus performers but the expression on this Walrus is a classic. I'm sure my hero the late great John Lennon would have approved Goo Goo A Choo!

This is what I consider the scariest picture of 2008 showing a muslim lady suicide bomber. It has a certain irony as she uses the technology of the infidel she so misunderstands. She is blind to the control and manipulation of men that brought her to this stage.

2008 was a year of change for me moving at last to Manchester I had no hesitation in moving as this is the view from my living room window.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled transsexuals yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your bigoted towns.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Thank you Manchester.

Apologies to Emma Lazarus.

I'll close this post with one of the most iconic images of all time, the one that inspired me to become an engineer 2009 will be the 150th anniversary of his passing. I think the picture is so cool even now with hands in pocket, dirt on shoes and an expression that says it all in terms of directing others. Genius never dies.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806 - 1859)

Some Progress…

2008-12-17T17:25:00.003Z

In a recent email from my GP the PCT stated:

“We wrote to South Staffordshire PCT last week and are awaiting a response from them due to the timescale of them agreeing funding and Ms. Fox transferring over the NHS Manchester.”

I asked my GP to get an explanation of this and today I got a response:

We have asked South Staffs PCT if they would be willing to honour their agreement to fund this request given that they only agreed to do so very recently. If not, and given the circumstances the request would be reviewed within our Effective Use of Resources process.

I’ll translate that for you:

It means that Manchester PCT are not disputing the authorisation of my surgery at Sussex Nuffield just who should pay.

If South Staffordshire PCT says we’re not paying to Manchester PCT then the issue becomes one of cost effectiveness.

This shows that we have overwhelming legal arguments in terms of provision of surgery and choice. We can also very simply show that the add on cost of Charring Cross GIC process is more expensive. Cost an unknown number of visits to two psychiatrists at the GIC compared to a one-hour session (with the former head of Charring Cross) to establish informed consent. Lets see our method £160 theirs £ thousands. Not really a contest is it?

I’m not breaking out the champagne yet but I will be in the New Year!

I’m not stopping my campaign though with my personal victory and I won’t rest until in Manchester at least we have a science based non-psychiatric approach to changing sex in place.

I didn’t run away from the issues of South Staffordshire I just made certain it didn’t cost me my life. If South Staffordshire PCT has any morals they will pay the bill but some members of the PCT there showed little other than extreme bigotry in the past.

Now on the subject of money I’ve had my GP confirm that she’s returned the report in support of my claim for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and I had a call from a nice lady at the Benefits Office saying I’d receive a decision by the end of February.

This non means tested financial support would help me enormously as I try to rebuild my life after the damage done in Uttoxeter. I want to work but reluctantly accept that for the time being that’s not easily achieved but I am determined to do something even with the added complication of recovering from major surgery.

Once the residual stress is out of the way then I know I can still play a useful role in society, I have a lot of skills and expert knowledge in many areas to offer an employer than can see past the unholy trinity of sex, disability and age discrimination.

I’m pleased to say that the respite from the core pain of Ankylosing Spondylitis continues with the antibiotics though my shoulders still give me discomfort. A friend of mine asked if I was worried this remission would affect my DLA claim but the answer is no as Ankylosing Spondylitis damage cannot be undone and it is the permanent disability that the claim is based on.

So I think I’d better thank my guardian Angel for looking after me again. It just goes to show that my belief in love, truth and justice is not misplaced though it’s often tested to its limit.

I’ve always believed two simple truths that God is Love and that the Kingdom of God is within you. As we approach Christmas I hope people realise that it is not the celebration of material worth that counts it is the celebration of the triumph of good over evil that matters.

It is up to all of us not to just to limit our activities to that which helps ourselves but to help others whenever we can.

Enjoy your build up to Christmas and do one little thing for someone else…

Oh this was the sign I got of friends in high places LOL

Side effects that I might want…

2008-12-16T11:11:00.002Z

Woke up yesterday doing a good impression of a hamster with food in its mouth pouch. My right jaw had swollen badly. It wasn’t a complete surprise as that’s where I need a crowned tooth extracted and the Consultant at the Dental hospital had probed it.

It has happened before and liberal applications of t-tree oil had sorted it so I wasn’t that concerned. I had planned to chase my dentist up over the provision of a false tooth and managed to get a cancelled appointment with another dentist at the practice as mine is off sick.

I got well told off about the swelling and not seeking treatment (like not going to A&E) including a lecture about how the swelling could block airways if it spreads down your neck. So I got a course of antibiotics prescribed there and then. The extraction is postponed until the swelling goes and I have an appointment booked to start the 4 week process of getting a false tooth.

The anti-biotic I’ve been prescribed is Metronidazole allegedly a strong one.

The dentist took ages checking drug interactions with the cocktail of drugs I live on!

When I looked it up I found it obviously used for dental infections but interestingly gynaecological infections, infected leg ulcers and pressure sores and Helicobacter pylori (a bacterium which causes inflammation and ulcers in the stomach).

But what caught my eye was this:

Anaerobic bacteria cause infections in areas of the body such as the gums, pelvic cavity, gut and bones because they do not need oxygen to grow and multiply. Metronidazole works by killing anaerobic bacteria in the body.

Now for the first time for nearly two years I awoke with no pain in the base of my spine and feeling less stiff. Coincidence or what?

It will be interesting to see if the symptoms I’ve suffered from return after I complete the course of antibiotics. Is this the catalyst I needed to put my Ankylosing Spondylitis back into remission? I pray it is.

I’m very cynical about the medical profession (in case you not noticed) in terms of treatment pathways that are regurgitated forever regardless of their clinical validity.

What I know about my body is that that I have an abnormal auto-immune system sending the wrong signal to my ligaments causing them to calcify and currently no drug other than the now banned Phenylbutazone worked for me.

But what if anaerobic bacteria carry the signal and Phenylbutazone unlike the other NASAIDs has the ability to kill anaerobic bacteria? Every one accepts Phenylbutazone works within the bone to stop inflammation but maybe in 1 in 1000,000 cases goes too far and destroys white blood cell production hence it’s withdrawal from human use.

All I know is that I am very sensitive to changes in my body and this side effect may be one I really want.

Oh by the way the swelling in my jaw has reduced as well LOL…

Bad and good news...

2008-12-14T14:48:00.002Z

I went to Manchester Dental Hospital yesterday, I know Saturday it wasn’t a mistake. LOL

I had a full dental x-ray and a long discussion with the Consultant in the Prosthodontics Department. He was very good.

I found the dental hospital OK though it’s not the most obvious place to spot in a steamed up bus but I’d memorised the number of roads past the elevated Mancunian Way from Google Earth. I didn’t rely on the images though as the pictures seem to be years out of date. Now there’s a thought for a new application (last pass) real time imaging from satellite to your mobile and a bleep when you are within 200m to tell you to stop the bus but never mind we have SatNav that did guide my best friend to parts of Manchester that I’ve never seen before when she set it for my postcode. But I digress.

The administration at the dental hospital was fast and pleasant and I was treated courteously. The full dental X-ray was an experience getting my head into it so that it could revolve was not easy. The assumption being that you can hold your back straight, something I can’t do but we got there, the light shining down my nose was essential to getting into position. Then I had to grip the film with my teeth and the nurse said imagine you’re sucking on something at which I had to laugh so we had to set up again. Still we got it done.

Then came the consultation and it was a mixture of bad and good news. The bone loss is massive such that having an implant could cause severe problems with my jaw. Quote the consultant “even if you win the lottery tonight and have unlimited funds I wouldn’t recommend it”. The severe peritonitis has taken its toll though some of the teeth whilst root exposed are as solid as a rock (that’s the good news).

Both my Ankylosing Spondylitis and my periodontal disease indicate problems with my immune system and are both most likely hereditary. Given the worsening effect of steroids I stood little chance not that that’s much consolation.

I need one tooth extracted and a further filling and he’s booked me two hospital hygienist appointments before he’ll see me again and probably discharge me back to my dentists care. We discussed the non-availability of sedation but there is no reason why the numbing injections used for general dental work can’t be used.

I must admit I felt much more comfortable and less anxious at the Hospital and the range of adjustment available in the chair made it a lot easier for me.

I went for a look at the Fender and Gibson guitars afterwards in the Piccadilly shop as I was in the City centre and then a quick drink in one of the pubs I know. I didn’t feel totally at ease though but I thought I’d use my all day travel card for a trip back later. So I went home and fed Tilley cat and myself.

I’d had to take my cross off for the x-ray and the radiologist had helped me put it back on but unfortunately the wrong way round (one side is diamond cut so it shines) so I though I’ll swap it around but try as I may I couldn’t do it and I ended up breaking the ring on the chain. That upset me a bit so I decided to hit the night out on the head.

I’ve lived in Manchester now over 10 weeks but I’ve not ventured out once for a night out. I’ve become a recluse and I can’t seem to break out of it. The damage done to me by the forced social exclusion of Uttoxeter has left me a shadow of my former self. OK losing the tooth hasn’t exactly helped my self esteem but I’ll get a false one now I know it’s the only option. I know however that doing that isn’t enough.

If you don’t have Ankylosing Spondylitis it’s very difficult to understand the total debilitating nature of the unrelenting pain when the disease is in an active phase as it is again with me. I know why it’s active and whilst I’ve “escaped” some of the stress that caused it to reactivate getting it to switch off again is not easy and the non-availability on the NHS of the drug (Phenylbutazone) that can stop it doesn’t help one bit.

I think I need more discussion with my GP …

More shit from the NHS…

2008-12-10T19:16:00.001Z

I was discussing the other day how the NHS had become a business run by administrators for the benefit of administrators and that any concept of patient care had evaporated when the Labour Government set waiting lists targets.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligence realises that the overall measure is quality of care and result. The concept of a waiting list is an English disease invented by beaurocrats for the simple reason that there are not enough quality clinical resources available in the NHS.

Little did I expect to become a victim again so soon?

My GP had asked me to go back under the care of a rheumatologist, I agreed though what I actually want is a scan of my shoulder to see if there is broken off calcified ligament as the only treatment for that is surgery.

I had dismissed rheumatology as useless after they withdrew my prescription for phenylbutazone in 2002 when another administrator in the NHS decided a chance of 1 in 100,000 was too high a risk of me dying from the medication even though I’d been on the drug for over 5 years with no side effects whatsoever.

They don’t have an effective alternative so I have to stick the constant pain.

As my GP said I’d be going to North Manchester General Hospital less than half an hour direct bus ride away I agreed (thinking though I bet I’ll have problems getting a scan).

Today I get a hospital appointment sent to me but no not for Manchester but for Rochdale Infirmary at 08:30 am on 31 December 2008. I had to look up where Rochdale is I’ve never been there!

To get there involves 3 buses and a 2-hour journey.

So to make an 8:30 appointment I need to leave at 6:30 latest and pray there are no delays or missed connections.

That would be all if I was not already suffering from Ankylosing Spondylitis which is at it’s worse in the mornings such that I need a minimum of 2 hours to get my body in a fit state to travel. So it’s get up at 4:30 am – no way!

I’ve sent a suitable get stuffed email to cancel the appointment and I’ve raised an immediate complaint to PALS.

This is my second complaint to PALS and I only registered as a patient in Manchester on 21 October!

No doubt I’ll get a load of administrative waffle about PCT catchments area and waiting times and capacity but whatever they say I’ll never go to Rochdale even if it costs me my treatment though they aren’t going to get off without a lot of stick from me.

Now on the subject of my first complaint to PALS regular readers may be aware that I complained about refusal of dental treatment by Manchester Dental Hospital.

Today I got an amazing phone call on my mobile from the Consultant to explain the reasons he turned me down. Essentially he says that the Hospital has no facilities for sedation / pain relief so if I want periodontal treatment there it is no different to having it at my dentist.

I find this utterly incredible as treatment for severe periodontal disease includes surgical augmentation treatments such as soft tissue and bone grafts.

Perhaps Manchester Dental Hospital doesn’t do any of this in which case what is the point of this NHS facility?

Or do they do it without anaesthetic? In which case they are a tough lot here in Manchester.

He rather over stressed the fact that I could not get implants on the NHS.

He said that I could have an appointment with him or a colleague for a consultation on treatment options but that he stood by his refusal to treat me.

I’ve taken the appointment option, as it will give me the chance to get an answer to what is the point of the facility and further argue my case for treatment.

Interestingly he totally dismissed a link with my Ankylosing Spondylitis but then he is an English doctor and burdened with a professional jealousy of American research that says there is direct link. I know whom I believe and it isn’t him.

I think it’s again a denial by our wonderful NHS to avoid treatment costs.

Amazingly after this conversation the post arrived with an appointment for me at the Manchester Dental Hospital with the Prosthodontics Department.

If that was the appointment he referred to this was a magic trick worthy of Paul Daniels.

Now Prosthodontics is aesthetic and reconstructive dentistry which includes implants!

But obviously not really in our wonderful NHS.

The appointment was for 9:15 this Saturday but I phoned in and got it changed to 14:15 because of my Ankylosing Spondylitis.

This could be interesting, as I’ve now no idea of what they propose for me?

I sometimes wonder whether there is something on my NHS file that is causing all these problems though maybe I’m seeing conspiracy in the place of good old-fashioned administrative incompetence – time will tell

Update on Manchester PCT

2008-12-09T13:22:00.002Z

The letter of 8 December in this blog has not been sent as my GP has received an email essentially saying that a standard pathway response letter was sent, as they hadn’t received the documents we submitted.

We had sent them the approval of surgery letter from South Staffordshire and the appeal letter that achieved it. Manchester PCT is now reviewing the documents.

I trust that common sense will prevail as I think it would be a gross waste of public funds to try to enforce the PCT current policy. I am confident that we have overwhelming legal arguments.

What I find surprising is that in the NHS that is always complaining about funding people can’t grasp that the transition method I advocate saves the Health Service money.

There is no clinical or financial reason not to move the care of transgender and transsexual people from the Gender Identity Clinics (that belong in the last century) and make it a GP managed condition with specialist services called in by agreement with the patient and only if the patient wants them.

A rigid psychiatrist controlled pathway is an affront to (if not a breach of) basic human rights and is now illegal but still the bigots argue it must continue.

It is an affront to a civilised society that an unaccountable, unelected Caucasian heterosexual group in the USA, with no personal experience of transition, can decide what or what isn’t a mental illness and we who are fortunate to live in the mother of democracy go along with it.

It is time make a major change in England starting in Manchester to abolish the mental illness classification and close the Gender Identity Clinics and consign both to the dustbin of history where they belong.

Letter to Manchester PCT

2008-12-08T19:56:00.001Z

To: XXXX Resources Utilisation Support Officer
Manchester NHS Primary Care Trust Wythenshawe Manchester M23 9LH

Dear Ms XXXX,

My GP, Dr ZZZZ has given me a copy of your letter dated 25 November 2008.

I was disappointed and upset by the PCT’s response and I wish to appeal against this decision, as I believe that the refusal may be unlawful.

Further, I am sure that your insistence that I should follow the PCT’s accepted pathway and the suggestion that I should start the process with a referral by my GP to Manchester Psychosexual Services are unlawful.

The legal environment for treatment and the policy framework of the NHS for transsexual people has moved on significantly. The Gender Recognition Act 2005 and the Mental Capacity Act 2004 are both relevant to the PCT’s accepted pathway and their requirements should be reviewed before a legal challenge is made.

Finally, the PCT’s accepted pathway appears to be discriminatory in breach of The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2008 No 963.

Please advise me how I may formally appeal against the PCT’s decision.

Yours sincerely,

Maggie Fiona Fox

Try Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity…

2008-12-07T16:23:00.006Z

I am indebted to my friends across the Atlantic for exposing the evil game that the Psychiatrists in charge of the revision of the Bible of Psychiatry the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders are playing.

Their latest wheeze is to prepare the addition into DSM V the Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID). The severely disturbed individuals who experience a strong desire for the removal of healthy limbs have hijacked the wording of Gender Dysphoria to justify their perversion.

I’ve never met someone with this condition so I have to take the psychiatrists word for it that they do exist and that many of them see their condition as a sexual fetish.

The Psychiatrists who believe that true transsexuals are driven by perverted sexual fetish have of course seized on this to explain the desire for genital surgery.

This is the most ridiculous perverted unscientific rubbish spouted by a predominately Caucasian group of heterosexual males. I think standing and chanting “You are mad and you know you are” might make more sense.

The problem with Psychiatrists is that they have no grasp of the fundamentals of science or scientific evidence based proof. I doubt any of them have anything but the most basic scientific qualification.

They all need to stop and think and understand this:

Einstein visualized gravity as a manifestation of the curvature of space-time - the three space dimensions and a fourth time dimension.

Most of us cannot visualize a curvature of four dimensional space-time, so visualize a curved two dimensional rubber sheet. Placing a mass on the rubber sheet curves it downward like space-time curves in the presence of a mass. On such a rubber sheet a small mass can circle around the curvature produced by a large mass, just as planets orbit the Sun. Or a mass can roll straight downward just as an object falls to the Earth.

General relativity is based on the principle of equivalence. The two statements of this principle are logically equivalent; either statement can be used to prove the other.

Got it?

Now lets start with:

There are no absolutes in nature

Sex and gender are ranges not absolutes.

Sexuality is not defined by sex or gender.

No type of sexuality is a mental illness.

People can make a fetish out of anything.

The sex of the brain is determined in the womb.

The sex of the body is determined in the womb.

At birth the child knows if the sex of the brain and the body are congruent.

Then relativity steps in:

Exposure to human society determines when any incongruence is manifested.

An individual with mild incongruence may just exhibit cross gender characteristics.

No matter how hard a true transsexual tries to live with the incongruence there comes a time when they must change sex.

Therefore:

True transsexual people accepting the appallingly low standards of surgical transformation do everything they can to bring their bodies a close as possible into alignment with the sex of their mind.

I nearly typed the word soul there but if you do not believe in God then mind is probably an easier concept.

There are no certainties or absolutes in nature or in life.

Try reading and understanding Chaos Theory and Randomness.

Chaotic systems are unstable since they tend not to resist any outside disturbances but instead react in significant ways. In other words, they do not shrug off external influences but are partly navigated by them.

The falling leaf or the flapping flag - should be allowed to qualify as chaos, as long as they would continue to appear random even if any true randomness could somehow be eliminated.

What this means is when we make slight changes to a system at one time, and the later behaviour of the system may soon become completely different.

Got it?

What this means is that:

Every human being is unique

There is no valid psychiatric theory for the true transsexual

No psychiatrist can change a true transsexual

If you have psychiatrists at gatekeepers to surgery they will be told what they want to hear to gain access.

I’m getting bored now!

The point I make is that no psychiatric mental illness classification will stand up to any scientific evaluation.

All DSM IV and DSM V will prove is that the world ordered by these medical charlatans is false and bears no resemblance to the real world or put in language these fools can understand.

We’re not mad and we know we’re not!

If you want to read the articles that lead to this it’s at

http://www.ts-si.org/private-matters/3643-psychiatric-politics-body-integrity-identity-disorder-biid.html

and

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200012/madness/4

Ms Maggie Fiona Fox has a B.Sc. (Eng) in Nuclear Engineering from Queen Mary College, University of London.

A victory for the people…

2008-12-04T17:39:00.001Z

Today the European Court of Human Rights voted unanimously to find HM Government guilty of another breach of human rights.

It is a sad reflection on today’s elected parliamentarians that this ever came about. Whatever happened to statesmen of principle? Oh I forgot the capitalists bought them.

Today’s victory for the people was to stop our state retaining the fingerprints and DNA records of people who have been arrested but not charged or convicted of any crime. The judges ruled that this retention of personal data could not be regarded as necessary in a democratic society.

Of course the Labour fascists who are in power couldn’t just accept this ruling.

Our Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, stated "The existing law will remain in place while we carefully consider the judgement." and amazingly claims the DNA profile from people who are not convicted may sometimes be linked to later offences, so storing the details on the database is a proportionate response to tackling crime.

She should resign for that!

There of course may be other Government resignations to come.

The absolute right of a constituent to secrecy in dealings with a Member of Parliament has been breached by the recent search of Damian Green’s office in the Houses of Parliament allowed by the Speaker of the House without warrant.

It is a major breach of our Parliamentary Democracy. Damian Green’s arrest by the Police is a political act no matter how much Gordon Brown and the Speaker denies it.

It is an attack by HM Government establishment against the ordinary citizen for “whistle blowing” and exposing the hypocrisy and deceit by the people we elect to represent us.

Any conversation or document passed by a citizen to a Member of Parliament must be considered privileged information and not available to the police.

I trust that all true parliamentarians of whatever political party expose the corruption and deceit behind the police decision to take action. This exploit smells of the evil Baron Mandelson of Foy and Hartlepool and his form of bullying political actions. I sincerely hope investigations lead back to him.

At a time when capitalism is being exposed for it’s greed it is vital that the citizen’s rights and the privileges of our parliamentary democracy stay intact. Capitalism, which needs growth to survive maybe dying as we speak, but that article is for another day.

Today we should celebrate a small victory for the rights of the individual over the state – POWER TO THE PEOPLE…

Congestion Charge – No thank you

2008-12-03T20:16:00.002Z

Well I cast my first vote in Manchester today against the congestion charge proposals. Yes I’m already on the electoral roll but I made sure I ticked the box not to reveal it to the mail marketers.

I’ve always had problems with grandiose schemes such as the one proposed.

Since the privatisation of the buses the term public transport just means mass transit but I think some people still think it means public owned and I simply don’t buy the concept of new Government investment fully benefiting the citizen when shareholders get a cut.

If the proposed investments are cost justified then the shareholder can fund them not the motorist.

I don’t drive anymore through choice but I object to anyone visiting me having to pay a charge and I can’t see a plus side to creating the world’s biggest charge zone for any one other than the revenue collectors.

I discussed it with the staff and customers at my hairdresser yesterday and no one supported the charge. A few weren’t going to bother to vote though so I gave them my women must always vote, people died to get us the vote speech. Seemed to go down OK LOL

Yesterday was my first snowy day in Manchester and I got caught out by thinking it’s sunny it’s not THAT cold but it was. I needed more layers. My flat is so warm and cosy that I forget the outside world may be in freeze your tits off mode.

Think I made a bit of progress today on some personal issues. We’ll do a new referral to Manchester Dental Hospital and it will be looked on favourably. I had my first positive conversation with people at Employment Support (evidently my records were at Hanley) and Manchester Housing Benefit.

Applied for NHS membership scheme at Manchester PCT I owe it to all transgender and transsexual people to do everything I can to stop current illegal practices. We simply cannot let the NHS think it’s above the law and treatment practices have to change as they are in breach of the Mental Capacity Act to say nothing of Sex Discrimination Act or Gender Recognition Act.

Lost my hot water supply to my taps yesterday evening due to a blockage in the pipe to the storage cylinder but after a sound resembling 100 toilets flushing at once it fixed itself. Unfortunately at 2:00 am from my sleep point of view.

Still as my friend and hairdresser says you must count your blessings and I do.

You know the world may seem a big place to some but the thought that both Joana and I sang "count your blessings" at Sunday School is a common memory between us. The only difference was she sang it in Ghana and I sang it in Wales!

For those of you who don’t share the inspiration of faith then here are the lyrics that inspired us both…

Lyrics for Count your Blessings Words by Johnson Oatman jr, 1897

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

When upon life's billows
You are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged
Thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the Lord has done

Are you ever burdened
With a load of care
Does the cross seem heavy
You are called to bear
Count your many blessings
Every doubt will fly
And you will be singing
As the days go by

When you look at others
With their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised
You His wealth untold
Count your many blessings
Money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven
Nor your home on high

So, amid the conflict
Whether great or small
Do not be discouraged
God is over all
Count your many blessings
Angels will attend
Help and comfort give you
To your journey's end

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

This expresses what I mean…

My Blessing Meaning by Lila* Star

~ A Blessing is the gift of connection

~ A blessing is a thought focused on the divine oneness of all people, animals, nature, creation

~ A blessing is an intentional moment taken out in time to be aware of unison to create a symbol in art word, prayer or thought, representing that unison with another

~ To bestow a blessing is to offer another the opening or opportunity to experience my awareness of him/her and therefore my awareness of all that is ~ Oneness

~ A blessing bestowed - its aim is to connect the receiver in awareness with the divine all that is, God, Higher Self, source or whatever you wish to call it with the giver of the blessing being the instrument of connection

~ A blessing is unconditional, often a random act of kindness inspired by an impulse from within ~ Divine Play Divine Connection expressed and shared

~ A blessing can be an artwork, blessing poem or simply a thought, a silent moment of reverence, a phone call spoken with intention to bless, seeing what is usually unseen, taking a moment out of time to focus on divine connection with another

And so here we go again…

2008-12-01T22:33:00.001Z

Before I moved to Manchester my gender specialist warned me that some of the Manchester PCT could be “difficult”.

So I wasn’t surprised when my new Manchester GP said something very similar.

What I didn’t expect was that my legal status would again be totally ignored and that Manchester PCT would have a policy that is even more prejudiced and discriminatory that South Staffordshire PCT and that takes some doing! LOL

My GP wrote a lovely letter about me outlining my case to the Contracting and Commissioning Support Officer and clearly making a request for funding for surgery and enclosing the appeal document and the approval for surgery from Staffordshire PCT.

However what did we get back from the Resource Utilisation Support Officer but a standard you must go to Charing Cross Hospital letter in the same vein as Staffordshire PCT first attempt to fob me off.

It outlined the Manchester PCT pathway that starts with a referral to the Psychosexual Service at Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust.

Now I have known for some time that a senior member of Press For Change has been advising Manchester but this total sacrifice of true transsexuals on the altar of sexual deviancy is beyond belief.

For those that don’t know Psychosexual Services deal with amongst other things Violent Sexual Dysfunction, Paedophiles, Bestiality, Necrophilia, and Sadomasochistic Disorder.

What has a true transsexual in common with these sexual deviancies you may well ask?

Well there are two other Psychosexual Conditions that are less well publicised they are Homosexual Disorder and Self Mutilation Disorder.

Yes you read right they still treat homosexuals as mentally ill and they believe gender reassignment is a form of body mutilation.

Manchester PCT should be utterly ashamed of holding such a bigoted prejudicial position and must be taken to task on this.

There is no justification whatsoever in sending any true transsexual to see a Psychosexual Service.

This is what comes from grouping true transsexuals in with transvestic fetishists who are after a bit of “mild” feminisation through hormones but have no intention whatsoever of ever having surgery.

You won’t find any of this on an NHS web site but here is an excerpt from one that has yet to be pulled but rather gives the game away.

Symptoms common: These define all psychosexual disorders.

Patient unable to experience sexual arousal in normal conditions with adult members of the opposite sex.
Patient able to experience sexual arousal in abnormal conditions not natural to the sexual urges of healthy humans.
Patient may frequently be in denial of need for treatment. This is a classic symptom.
Patient may have persecution complex, believing that treatment is persecution for his difference.
Patient may be easily offended by descriptions or questions regarding his condition or activities.
Patient may have little or no contact with family members.

Homosexual Disorder

Patient is aroused by others of patient's own gender.
Patient may have unnatural attachments to one parent.
Patient may have inability to maintain relationships with others.
Patient may have need for multiple partners.
Patient may be aroused by sexual contact with strangers.
Patient may be aroused by contact with other's body fluids, urine, or excrement.
Patient may be aroused by consumption of other's body fluids, urine, or excrement.
Patient may be aroused by thoughts of cannibalism.
Patient may have fantasies of sexual control of others of patient's gender.
Patient may be aroused by encounters that risk infection or injury.
Patients suffering homosexual disorder also commonly suffer from other psychosexual sexual disorders.
Patient may have record of criminal sexual involving children or sodomy.

Taken from http://members.rediff.com/cweber/symptoms.html

The biggest “joke” in the letter in Manchester PCT was saying that the Psychosexual Service has been suspended due to lack of staff! Don’t tell me they are having difficulty finding qualified bigots to perpetuate these obnoxious myths of Gender Dysphoria and Psychosexual deviancy?

I’ll pursue my personal case and win through the courts if necessary but now I know the obnoxious policy facing true transsexuals starting out in Manchester I intend to give Manchester PCT some serious grief via www.talkinghealth.net

It is time for all true transsexuals to say enough is enough to the NHS and force them to cease their obnoxious practices.

Welcome to the dual gendered world...

2008-11-23T21:42:00.006Z

When Press For Change sold out transsexuals for their MBE awards and right to marry they helped create a bad Act of Parliament in terms of the Gender Recognition Act enshrining into English Law the mental illness of gender dysphoria and the role of the gender psychiatrist.

Part of this appalling sell out was to legitimize the so-called Real Life Test into a two-year qualification for a gender recognition certificate.

They boasted ah but there is no requirement for surgery though the application form asks the medical referee if surgery has not taken place to explain why not?

Now with their friends in HM Government they have gone further and created a dual gender whilst a transsexual person waits for the clock to show two years living in their true gender.

This is utterly appalling when you compare it to now.

At present when you declare by statutory declaration your change of name and you obtain a preliminary diagnosis from your GP you can get all your documents changed except one your birth certificate. Everyone in HM Government treats you as belonging to your acquired (true) gender and your start date of living in your acquired (true) gender is defined.

You get your passport and driving license immediately in your acquired (true) gender.

Two years later with two reports one from your GP and another from a Gender Specialist who most importantly need not be a psychiatrist and you get your new birth certificate.

Simple everyone understands it and most importantly it gives you full status in your acquired (true) gender in your place of work and society at large from day one.

That will all change with the new Identity Card system

Here are the relevant extracts:

Applications from those living a Dual Gendered Life

2.33 The representation of identity is a particularly complex and difficult issue for those who are moving from living in their birth gender to an acquired gender. In particular, those who are seeking to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate need to be able to demonstrate that they are taking steps to live in their acquired gender as part of that process.

The Identity and Passport Service has engaged with a number of groups representing the transgender community before and after the passage of the Identity Cards Act. This has been helpful in understanding how we can best meet that community’s needs whilst ensuring the integrity of the National Identity Register.

2.34 Regulations 6,7,9,11,12 and 13 provide that those who are living a dual gendered life will, if they so choose, be able to apply for two identity cards relating to their unique entry in the National Identity Register. They can hold a National Identity Card which can be used for travel in one gender as well as an Identification Card which is not valid for travel but can be used to prove their identity in a second gender reliably and securely and reflects a different name, signature and photograph. This will be dependent on the provision of a recognized report from a registered medical practitioner or chartered psychologist confirming that the individual experiences gender dysphoria.

3.9 Where an individual has received a Gender Recognition Certificate, these provisions require this to be notified. Those individuals who had been issued with two cards as they were living a dual gendered life will be then be entitled to just one card in their acquired gender.

This notification will also ensure that the Identity and Passport Service can take appropriate steps to protect the gender history of the individual in accordance with the requirements of the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

Further in the actual Act we find the Register will record:

10.—(1) The following registrable facts about an individual are prescribed for the purposes of section 6(5)(b) of the 2006 Act (Issue etc. of ID cards) –
(a) the individual’s full name;
(b) the address of a place of residence of the individual;
(c) the individual’s birth gender and acquired gender;

1. In the case of all applicants –

(a) full name by which the applicant is commonly known for official purposes,

(b) any other names by which the applicant is or has been known for official purposes and details of the period during which the applicant is or has been so known ,

5. In the case of an application involving recording in the Register a change of gender that has been recognised by the Gender Recognition Panel, a gender recognition certificate or a birth or adoption certificate which records the new gender, in a form which contains details of the parents, or, as the case may be, adoptive parents.

6. In the case of an application by an individual who is dual gendered, involving recording in the Register a second gender, a report containing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a registered medical practitioner or a chartered psychologist practicing in the field of gender dysphoria.

Let me translate this for you in simple terms. HM Government considers your birth sex record to be absolute and will not ever allow a correction.

Your birth sex record and that you have changed sex is now easily available to all HM Government enforcement officers, Police, Security Services, and Army etc.

Worse this information will be shared with commercial organizations such as credit reference agencies and any European country you visit and the United States of America who started all this by insisting on biometric identification for visitors.

Prior to your acquisition of a Gender Recognition Certificate even if you change your name to a new one more appropriate to your acquired/true gender you get a passport and ID card in your birth gender.

This is a bigot’s charter for discrimination and will dramatically increase the persecution of true transsexual people.

I not sure where this dual gender idea has originated from but I suspect the transvestic fetish obsessed psychiatrists in the NHS had a big say and given the way some members of Press for Change boast about their Queer politics they had ready supporters.

This dual gender idea reeks of prejudice. HM Government think it’s OK to dress up at night to pursue your perversion in the gay bars but keep it away from work, families and children.

This is what comes from taking HM Government to the European Court of Human Rights winning the case but then accepting a compromise.

Press for Change and those others responsible for this should drop their 30 pieces of silver in the poor box and go find a suitable tree.

Fancy a good myth…

2008-11-21T13:55:00.002Z

In recent years the Establishment has become very adept at spin weaving lies into believable myths.

HM Government loves to announce a problem in the morning and solve it in the afternoon hoping that this sort of distraction politics makes us all feel good about them.

Capitalism (or better called greed) by the Establishment continues to exploit ordinary people on a daily basis fed by a diet of myth and lie.

Here are some examples from just this week:

THE MYTH OF COMMON CAUSE

For the past eight years, the so-called Religious Right (Mainly white, "born again" evangelical Protestants, who adhere to a literal interpretation of the Bible) has enjoyed a warm reception at the centre of White House policy-making, and with the Republican coalition on Capitol Hill.

You are meant to believe that liberal America exists as a unified block, workers and academics, politicians and voters, the salt of the earth, keepers of the true flame, if not the grail.

Unfortunately seventy percent of President-Elect Barack Obama’s Black Support in California voted to ban gay marriage. Raised in the fundamental Protestantism of the black community churches, almost three quarters of the black voters in California indicated their hypocritical opposition to equal rights for all America.

The religious right looks pretty strong to me whilst equality for all is a long way off.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7731609.stm

http://www.ts-si.org/global-warning/3587-queers-transsexuals-and-black-america.html

THE MYTH OF RECORD DEBT

Examples of meaningless statistics:

In 17 years of power up to 1997, the Conservatives made net debt repayments in four years, totalling nearly £17bn. Since coming to power in 1997, Labour made net repayments in three years, totalling about £41bn. (A record!)

Praise be to Labour prudence, the Conservatives were rubbish.

In 1993, during the last recession, the Conservative government borrowed about £51bn. This year, Labour is expected to borrow about £64bn. (A record!)

All hail Conservative prudence, Labour are rubbish.

The riles of spin are:

Don't try to inform or enlighten - just generate as much heat as possible (with extra points at a time of public anxiety)

Ignore inflation - this makes it impossible to say how any quantity of pounds genuinely compares with another some years apart, but does allow many absurd, baseless comparisons

Assume that wealth doesn't matter, as if £10,000 owed by someone earning £5,000 a year is as serious a debt as it would be to Roman Abramovich

If we updated the 1993 deficit to a 2008-sized economy after 15 years of inflation, it would be over £110bn, compared with this year's projected deficit of about £64bn.

So lets just stop panicking please and get back to normal..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7733794.stm

THE MYTH THAT THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE IS A CARING SERVICE AND NOT A COMMERCIAL ORGANISATION

The privacy of millions of NHS patients will be critically undermined by a government plan to let medical researchers have access to personal files.

The prime minister and Department of Health want to give Britain's research institutes an advantage against overseas competitors by opening up more than 50m records, to identify patients who might be willing to take part in trials of new drugs and treatments.

They are consulting on a proposal that is buried in the small print of the NHS constitution that would permit researchers for the first time to write to patients who share a particular set of medical conditions to seek their participation in trials.

It would result in patients receiving a letter from a stranger who knew their most intimate medical secrets, which would be regarded by many as a breach of trust by doctors who are supposed to keep information confidential. It raises the prospect of a letter being opened by a relative, which could cause embarrassment.

This of course is not driven by any commercial considerations is it?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/17/nhs-patient-privacy-medical-research

Calderdale PCT have asked that individual enquires about accessing GID services in Calderdale in the first instance be directed not to the PCT but to Jonny Glenn who is a mental health worker and liaison between the PCT and the local trans community.

The designation of a full time liaison worker is just one on the reforms of GID care in Calderdale. His remit is to advise on access to local services and referrals to consultants also to report to the PCT problems relating to the quality and access to care both pre and post op.

Now Calderdale PCT has been guilty of some of the most appalling abuse of transsexual people and this is a classic piece of establishment spin.

My former PCT introduced the requirement of two extra psychiatric assessments before you could be considered for a Gender Identity Clinic but Calderdale don’t even let you start with your own GP!

The problem is whilst the NHS thinks all transsexual people start as transvestic fetishists who one day enquire whether they can have some mild feminisation or possibly bring their cross dressing into the public area we will not get the changes we demand as true transsexuals in terms of changing our sex not just changing our gender!

I can’t close off this composite article without mentioning one on NHS pain relief.

People want to see tougher action taken against the NHS when it fails to help patients in pain, a poll suggests.

A Help the Aged survey of more than 1,000 people found nearly two-thirds thought hospitals should be penalised for poor "pain management".

I’m surprised it was so low in this sample. I saw my mother suffer from acute pain from stomach cancer that her indifferent GP failed to diagnose until it was inoperable.

I myself live with the debilitating pain of Ankylosing Spondylitis and no one cares when you say the painkillers don’t work so I know this to be institutionalised. Someone once said to me the best Doctor you can get is one who shares your condition because they wouldn’t put up with the second rate care our Health Service dishes out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7727168.stm

Go away take this it won’t do much but I’ve got my NHS fee and commission from the drug company so I don’t care seems to be the order of the day for most of the NHS.

Unless of course you believe the myths…

Back to a Consultant Rheumatologist…

2008-11-19T18:56:00.002Z

I was discharged from Burton Hospital care when phenylbutazone was withdrawn from human use. Horses can still take it!

In many ways the withdrawal in 2002 of this the original NASAID specifically developed for the treatment of those diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis is more a symptom of the NICE/NHS no risk policy than a valid science based decision..

It is alleged it causes aplastic anaemia though the evidence and statistics for this are kept confidential.

My research found a BMA article quoting an estimated risk of 2 deaths per 100,000 patients. This was done on a trace back from death certificates

“With phenylbutazone the rates varied from under 1 death per 100 000 for men aged under 65 years to 6 per 100 000 for women aged 65 and over. Small numbers precluded estimates for oxyphenbutazone in these subgroups, although a similar trend was suggested. No particular indication for treatment seems to carry a higher risk, the main concern being the use of these two drugs in elderly patients. WH Inman 1997”

Whilst on phenylbutazone I experienced no side effects and all my blood tests were clear so the major health gain in my view outweighed the risk.

When I started on phenylbutazone I couldn’t bend to pick up a milk bottle of the doorstep but 2 years later I’d passed my motorbike test and had ridden over the Alps much to the horror of my Consultant.

I managed to avoid the worst visual effects and whilst I have a hunched back I’ve not “set” in a position that makes me dependent on sticks or a Zimmer.

From 2002 to date I’ve taken Meloxicam that is not as effective and after the stress from my workplace my GP increased my dosage by 50%. Continued stress from my exclusion from work reactivated this chronic autoimmune disease that was in remission and my condition has worsened.

I’ve now lost over 50% movement in my right shoulder and as I’m now getting pain from my left shoulder I decided I really had to reveal the full extent of the problem to my new GP who is now referring me to a consultant rheumatologist at North Manchester Hospital. It’s just a half hour journey by bus so it’s not a problem to get there.

I’m dreading going back into Hospital again. If as my GP suspects it is detached calcified tissue that is the main problem in my right shoulder then only surgery can correct it and then not necessarily fully. I’ll be having a scan to see the cause but I fear I’m one of the rare cases where Ankylosing Spondylitis can spread away from the spine & ribs (both of them are totally fused in my case).

It is somewhat ironic that the evil people I encountered in my former workplace have undone the relief I got from changing gender as a result of controlling my AS.

Still I’ll do my best to fight it again.

Phenylbutazone is not banned on a global basis though if I go back on it I suspect I’ll feel the full wrath of our nanny NHS that always knows better than the patient but then I’m used to the NHS telling me I can’t do things.

My answer is always the same – YES I CAN – I think someone more famous than me uses that that mantra.

God Bless America…

The world would be a better place if women were in charge…

2008-11-18T11:39:00.003Z

That was one of my Mum’s regular sayings when news of some war or atrocity came through. My Mum was a Christian feminist though she’d have never used that description of herself. She remains the most generous person I’ve ever met. I used to be embarrassed delivering my Mum’s home made rice pudding to ill people in our neighbourhood. I’d hang my head and mumble “my Mum sent you this” but what more can you give another human being than love and something to help them recover?

So today when I saw this picture of a girl from the Democratic Republic of Congo I remembered her words.

This picture symbolises the exploitation of the young female by men driven by greed.

The DR Congo has the third-largest population and the second-largest land area in sub-Saharan Africa. Life expectancy is just 43 years.

National child mortality rate at 205 per 1,000 live births; infant mortality at 109 per 1,000 live births (much higher in the eastern part of the country.

Despite the abundance of raw materials, the country's formal economy has virtually collapsed in the past few decades due to mismanagement, conflict, and instability.

Women remain marginalised in the DRC.

Amnesty International has shown that there is a direct link between discrimination against women in general and the violence inflicted on women in times of war.

Originally used as a weapon of war by soldiers to humiliate the enemy, sexual and gender-based violence is also perpetrated by civilians. The reason is twofold: sexual and gender-based violence is shrouded in silence and the perpetrators are seldom tried because of the prevailing climate of impunity.

Widows and rape survivors fare worse than the rest of the female population.

Women are also underrepresented in leadership positions, while customary law is generally highly discriminatory against women.

The 17,000-strong UN peacekeeping force - its largest mission anywhere - has so far failed to contain the self-inflicted calamities that periodically engulf Congo.

Much more must be done, and urgently too by the wealthier, stronger nations.

And as my Mum would say “put the women in charge”…

Will the real Maggie Fox please stand up…

2008-11-17T17:43:00.002Z

When I first moved into my new flat I found an envelope addressed to me opened with a message “sorry – opened in error as we have same surname”. A bit later a guy knocked on the door to say his partner asked him to pop up and apologise regarding the letter.

That’s OK I said and by the way my first name is Maggie at which he burst out laughing and then told me his partners nickname was Maggie.

I got invited in for coffee a few days later and my disabled neighbour explained her second name was Margaret but she’d always been known as Maggie and then she told me there was another living in the district and they at first thought it was her but my accent proved otherwise. So that makes three Maggie Fox in this district of Manchester!

Anyway about 11:00 pm on Friday my door buzzer sounded and it was my neighbour Maggie. Her partner managed to lose their keys whilst visiting friends so as he was despatched to get them and she came in for coffee.

We got chatting and then realised it was now 1:00 am so we deduced he had stayed for a drink assuming her daughter would rescue her. Only snag was her mobile and therefore all telephone numbers were locked in the flat.

Maggie and I had had a pretty deep conversation none of which I’ll repeat here, as it is too personal so Maggie took the couch and I went to bed thinking we’ll sort all this out in morning.

At about 6:00 am Maggie’s partner is tapping on their front door and I hear him as the door is immediately below my bedroom window so I lean out of the window and tell him she is with me. He steps back and trips the security light from my next door neighbour

“Bloody Hell” he says “there’s a body under the (low privet) hedge”. I stare but can’t see anything, except maybe some feet, without my glasses. By the time I’ve got them on I see a young guy, just in his underpants, wrapped in a duvet staggering about. Maggie’s partner takes him into my neighbours as they had woken up with the security light tripping.

It turned out the lad in the duvet is the gay son of a lady that lives in the next street he’d had a row with his Mum and decided to go to his boyfriend’s flat in this street but never quite made it!

So we all had coffee and agreed the best option was to ring the Council to get them to drill out & replace the lock. It took nearly four hours for a council workman to turn up and then only after three reminders, which wasn’t very sensible as Maggie is disabled, and her medication was inside her flat.

We’ve agreed to both get a spare set of keys and hold them for each other.

So I’ve made a new friend with the same name living in the same block. Oh I’m now referred to as Maggs so everyone knows whom they are gossiping about! Fiona was rejected as too posh LOL

I feel I’ve arrived in this community now and I’ll take up the invite to the local community club when some live music is on but I’ll pass on the bingo…

The name’s Bond, Jeminah Bond…

2008-11-16T21:08:00.003Z

On Friday I spoke to JobCentre Plus to register for Employment and Support allowance. I had tried a week ago but their systems were down and so they insisted on posting me a claim form.

A photocopied form arrived Friday after I had chased them mid-week the first line of which read “the best way to make a claim is by phone”!

So I rang and the lady said it’d take roughly an hour. Now the previous week I’d telephoned in and my name & national insurance number did not match. I wasn’t totally surprised as whilst I’d informed most Government departments of my transition I knew there would be databases that weren’t updated and I’d only find them if I used that Department. So I had my records changed well so I thought.

Anyway we start the process name, address and date of birth and bang each time we hit an error message on the new software it would not allow her to proceed. So I disclose my transition and we try again with my former name still won’t move on.

National Insurance numbers are not unique due to the way they were issued so HM Government rely on a combination of NI number and birthday to create a unique identity but that still may not be unique. She gets a new error message so we break off with the promise of a call back.

I get a call back to say my record is classified as a National Sensitive Record used for “HM Government Spies and Famous People” (her words) so that curious staff can’t browse their records. You exist but are only visible to people with the necessary authorisation. So I have to fill in the form and mark it “National Sensitive Record” to get my benefit.

Now I did know about this National Sensitive Record system. It was used when I first transitioned to protect me until I got a Gender Recognition Certificate so all my records appeared as my new gender but my former records were still kept, as the change might not be judged permanent.

When I got my Gender Recognition Certificate I got a letter from the Inland Revenue giving me notification of a special department that would hold my records. Perhaps foolishly I thought OK that’s for old stuff for the future calculation of pension but maybe it’s not like that in reality. I’m going to do a fair bit of digging now as the Gender Recognition Act is meant to recognise and treat you as your acquired gender not the one allocated at birth.

I was asked in the first conversation if I objected to “full gender recognition certificate” being put on my records which I did object to as we are not a third gender and even HM Government is legally obliged to treat me as my new gender even I acquired it differently to just a physical examination at birth.

I mentioned this sequence to a friend of mine who had a copy of an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check that mentioned her former name twice. There is a special section for transgender people a Confidential Checking Process for Transgender Applicants who do not wish to reveal details of their previous identity to the person who asked them to complete an application form for a CRB Disclosure.

http://www.crb.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=2319

Problem is that by definition this breaches the Gender Recognition Act still never mind eh?

Well yes actually, in the enthusiasm shown by transsexual people for the right to legal marriage and protected identity we let a lot of things slip.

We had HM Government beaten by the European Court of Human Rights but we conceded too much to a Caucasian male dominated Parliament concerned to protect the heterosexual male and what is laughingly called family values.

Personally I’d have made of list of those MPs who had sex with prostitutes especially the transsexual type ones and done a Cromwell “Gentlemen (after Army marches into Parliament) I believe now I have the majority.” LOL

Human Rights in England is the new Civil War.

It is important to remember that until the infamous judgement in the April Ashley case in 1970 you could get your original birth record altered and the old record destroyed but now we have a list as both your old record and the new one co-exist.

OK the list is protected now as a National Sensitive Record…

First thoughts as a new Mancunian…

2008-11-10T21:46:00.002Z

Regular readers will know how much I love the city of Manchester and it’s people. It’s been my release valve since 2005 from the persecution and bigotry of Uttoxeter.

Let me say straight away there are some great people in Uttoxeter after all I moved there over 10 years ago to live with one of them.

Unfortunately there are a few determined bigots mostly from my former place of work who along with their friends and family sought to destroy me.

The wanted me to leave Uttoxeter, preferably in a wooden box, because of the affront to their sensibilities of my change of gender. They ensured I was daily reminded of this terrible crime against humanity by vicious verbal abuse and “missiles” thrown from passing cars. It was incessant and I was unable to walk the length of the High Street without some incident.

I was clever enough by not reacting, varying my routes and itinerary to avoid a major incident. It helped living right in the centre of the town within CCTV surveillance but enough of them as at the end of day they are still there living their squalid little lives – I’m not!

Quite a few people have asked me how I managed to get a secure tenancy City Of Manchester Council flat and the answer is know the law and tell the truth.

I applied in 2007 after my exclusion from work but just got the lowest priority however undeterred I bid for homes. A month or so ago I judged the situation in Uttoxeter to be getting too dangerous. I think some of the factory bigots blamed me for its future closure and were stoking up further resentment as I was on paid suspension including attendance bonus. The price for that being a good kicking that with my Ankylosing Spondylitis I probably wouldn’t have survived.

So I rang Northwood Housing and explained that when I first applied they could legally discriminate against me by not giving me the housing points for living under threat of violence but as of April 2008 HM Government had made it illegal to discriminate against someone who intended to undergo gender reassignment as regards Goods & Services so I now wanted those points.

I was close to a complete physical & mental breakdown as a result of the combined discrimination of my employer and it’s employees so delay was not an option. I’d not been able to bid on some flats because of a no pets rule and the rest were for over 60s. Suddenly one of the over 60s flats was a mistake it should have been over 50s and with cats allowed (but no dogs) I was invited to bid. I did so there and then and the following day I was offered it. Just coincidence of course.

A week later I viewed it. It’s a one bedroom flat in a block of modern terraced houses. I walked in took one look at the newly fitted galley kitchen and said I’ll take it but then it was oh dear for the bedroom and living room. Four layers of wallpaper painted lurid vinyl silk cream (it was too sickly to be magnolia). But two weeks later I moved in anyway!

Still the kitchen is brilliant and the bedroom almost exactly a month later is a lovely deep lilac thanks to the help of some good friends. As I write the living room is wallpaper stripped and looking a bit sad but in a few weeks it will be a lovely neutral beige.

I love my flat it’s in North East Manchester just a short bus ride up the Oldham Road from the city centre. My flat is first floor (common secure entrance with buzzer for 4 flats) with its own private secure entrance inside. It’s a cul-de-sac so there’s hardly any traffic and opposite me is a park so I wake up and look at trees and an open space – wonderful! The living room has a huge picture window so it’s light and airy and that too looks onto the park. The view from the kitchen at the back is like looking on to the back of Coronation Street – pure Manchester I love it.

I’ve got a Netto and an Iceland as my corner shops and a Lidl at the end of the high street but the real discovery was a Morrison’s supermarket at the end of my cul-de-sac and a few hundred yards up the canal towpath. So I can enjoy the ducks and geese on my shopping trips and if I’m lucky watch a canal boat navigate the locks. I just love the place and this was a move that didn’t just save my life but gives me hope of recovery.

I’ve got an NHS dentist at the end of my road so I went in mumbling I’ve not been for six years and now I’m on the Manchester Dental Hospital waiting list for some extensive dental work. That’s sort of good & bad really as I’m a scaredy cat as regards dentistry.

Best of all on the health side I’ve got a new young female GP and of course the relationship is now governed by my female birth certificate. I’ve got to wait for the Exceptional Funding Committee again but as South Staffordshire approved my surgery it’s just a formality really as it would be illegal now to disrupt my clinical pathway. I don’t anticipate problems like I had in Staffordshire but if we do we can use the same legal arguments to defeat any prejudiced bureaucrat.

My GP made me laugh today when she said the exceptional funding committee was exceptionally slow so I expect my surgery will be in the New Year. She had no hesitation though in supplying me the requisite sick notes to be able to claim Employment Support (that’s the new name for Incapacity Benefit). I’m going to have another go at Disability Living Allowance too as my medical condition has significantly worsened since my last application.

Finally though the greatest part of this move is the people of Manchester who just simply treat me as what I am a disabled old lady. I get no abuse and I get lots of smiles and I even got seriously chatted up the other day by a rather handsome mixed race Asian man. I’ve got a long way to go on the road to recovery from the damage done to my health by the bigots of my former workplace but here everyone without exception has made me feel welcome and I’m very proud to say I’m now a Mancunian too.

WARNING GIRES information is not always legally sound

2008-11-09T21:06:00.003Z

The Department of Health has authorised the publication of "A guide to trans service users' rights", the sixth in the series of booklets that it has commissioned the Gender Identity Research and Education (GIRES) to develop.

The new booklet is available online at:

http://www.gires.org.uk/dohpublications.php

GIRES is currently working on the next two booklets, which provide guidance on surgery for trans men and for trans women.

Readers need to be aware that these booklets are produced against a background of how the Department of Health want to protect the National Health Service discriminatory practices as regards true transsexuals.

Firstly none of them mention the Mental Capacity Act that renders all current procedures and processes illegal.

Secondly the Department of Health has continually tried to undermine the Gender Recognition Act.

I have letters from the Department of Health that illustrate the depth of the prejudice against transsexual people who they believe to be mentally ill sexual deviants.

This is from the new publication with my comments:

GIRES Booklet in italics:

1.3 Would having a Gender Recognition Certificate make any difference to my treatment?

This may make staff more aware of using correct names and titles and more willing to give you appropriate accommodation in a hospital ward.

This is an incredibly condescending sentence as if the law doesn’t exist!

It entitles you to special protection against information about your trans status or history being passed on to others (see Privacy versus disclosure at section

1.4) but it should not make any difference to your medical treatment.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

In medical terms you, as a trans service user, may well have mixed sex characteristics. Your ongoing medical care must be provided in accordance with these, REGARDLESS of your legal gender status, e.g. trans women may still need prostate gland checks, while trans men do not. Both trans men and trans women may benefit from breast checks as they get older.

Now this is classic Department of Health spin the second part is correct in the sense that medical science isn’t good enough to remove and change every part of your body BUT a Gender Recognition Certificate means that you cannot legally be forced into psychiatric assessments or attending a Gender Identity Clinic.

Most importantly it gives you the absolute legal right to the surgeon of your choice at the hospital of your choice.

The Department of Health lawyers know all this they just don’t want you have the same rights as “normal” people.

When dealing with any part of the Department of Health or Health Service never lose sight of the fact that they don’t want to treat you as they consider it all self inflicted lifestyle changes brought about by mental illness through sexual deviancy.

Think that’s an exaggeration then look at DSM IV the American Psychiatrists manual that sets the diagnosis and treatment for transsexuals here in England!

The problem is that too many people in the medical establishment think that’s correct and cling to it. Remember they hated giving up the mental illness classification for homosexual people and would love to have it back.

It would be so much better if people like GIRES who are genuinely trying to improve things for transsexuals stopped accepting the status quo and became a militant organisation demanding real change.

Perhaps they should become gender guerrilla girls too…

Think you're above the law - think again...

2008-11-08T17:14:00.005Z

This story caught my attention for a variety of reasons.

The General Teaching Council for England has ruled that a former Education, Training and Employment Manager at Brighton & Hove City Council was guilty of discriminating against a teacher because she was transgender.

The important message to all true transsexual or transgender people is never give up and never accept defeat.

This lady has demonstrated no matter how much an employer tries to use it's substantial resources to justify discrimination the truth will come out.

I'm proud she decided to stand up and show that bigotry is evil and that transphobia can be defeated.

Well done Natasha Thoday you are a real woman...

Here are the links:

http://www.gscene.com/blog/2008/11/guilty-on-6-counts.html

http://www.gscene.com/blog/2008/11/natasha-thoday-talks-to-richard-smith_10.html

http://www.gscene.com/blog/2008/11/natasha-thoday-claims-tribunal-victory.html

I trust some of my readers will learn the lesson from this story...

Progress? You be the judge...

2008-11-05T12:54:00.003Z

Christine Burns formerly of Press For Change has produced a document for the NHS that tries to justify illegal treatment regimes on the basis of care.

The Mental Capacity Act implications are ignored which is no surprise and the crucial Gender Recognition Act that changes the legal basis of the recipient in terms of their entitlement to surgery without preconditions is glossed over.

See my blog entry of 1 November 2008 for a simple pathway that removes the prejudicial treatment by NHS psychiatrists.

http://foxstales.blogspot.com/2008/11/pct-is-pleased-to-be-able-to-confirm.html

It would be so much better if the NHS she describes were real not spin.

There are some good things in the document but it implies throughout that you are transsexual for life, which is not the legal case.

Here is an example from this work:

Much of the sensitivity about terms and who is applying them is rooted in past tensions between trans people and previous generations of clinicians. In the UK, clinical involvement for people expressing gender identities at variance from their physical sex has been led for more than 40 years by psychiatrists, with approaches that were originally grounded in theories about sexual deviancy and mental disorder.

In other countries clinical involvement has been led from different disciplines such as endocrinology or by gynecologists and urologists.

Nowadays even psychiatrists are at pains to stress that the inclusion of transsexual terminology in mental health categories reflects the historical demand for a formal diagnosis on which to base treatment, and the widely appreciated need for talking therapies to support people through taking an immense step in their lives, often in the face of disapproval among those they know.

It cannot be overemphasised that being trans is not a mental illness.

The problem is that this is not in the past this is NHS spin.

The reality is the same Gender Identity Clinics and the same abusive, demeaning, degrading practices exist today.

You can get a copy of Christine Burns work for the NHS at this link:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_089941

I am sure Christine Burns means well with her work but it ignores the rather obvious need to abolish the Gender Identity Clinics and remove the mental illness classification for ever.

Transition for the true transsexual is a process that any GP could assist in managing simply by calling down the services the person transitioning requests.

That appears to be too simple for the medical professionals to grasp, as they cannot seem to accept that being a true transsexual is a self diagnosed condition.

It is a birth defect where the brain sex is different to the anatomical sex.

Notice I deliberately use the word sex not gender as talking about gender is not the same issue.

Fine words are not enough…

2008-11-05T12:13:00.004Z

Transgender Europe now headed by good King Stephen thinks with the American Psychiatric Association based on a fair unbiased review of current knowledge can result in a DSM-V that can move society toward a more rational and humane understanding of transgender people.

HA, HA you can’t negotiate with psychiatrists that make a good living out of the bogus mental illness classification of the true transsexual.

They acknowledge that the review process will go on for several years and the APA welcomes suggestions from laypersons as well as mental health professionals in this process.

HA, HA,HA.

It is an infringement of Human Rights to declare someone mentally ill and force him or her into psychiatric treatments because they have a birth defect.

What Transgender Europe should do is take the Department of Health to the European Court of Human Rights to force the National Health Service to cease it’s current unscientific demeaning and degrading practices. It is a sick joke by Caucasian males heterosexuals to invent a “real life test” that requires someone to spend months in drag before an effective body changing hormone regime can be obtained.

It is obscene that children who know they have the birth defect of a true transsexual have to go through body changing puberty before they get treatment when safe puberty delaying drugs are available.

This is Transgender Europe Press Release that good King Stephen must be pleased with…

Despite much scientific controversy, forms of transgender continue to be listed in the DSM IV of the American Psychological Association (APA), just as homosexuality once was, and in the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization (WHO) as psychological disorders. DSM and ICD are guideline manuals used in healthcare to standardise the definitions of what constitutes mental illness. Transgender Europe (TGEU) emphatically refuses this pathologisation and will assist the next reformulation of the DSM in a critical manner.”

We, the Steering Committee, are firmly of the conviction that the stigmatization, which in part is grounded in the mistaken assumption that gender variance is prima facie a medical disorder, is discriminatory. Furthermore, we cite the Yogyakarta Principles, Article 18:

No person may be forced to undergo any form of medical or psychological treatment, procedure, testing or be confined to a medical facility, based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Notwithstanding any classifications to the contrary, a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity are not, in and of themselves, medical conditions and are not to be treated, cured or suppressed.

A number of national governments and international bodies have passed resolutions in support of these principles: the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, Organization of American States.

Any revision of the DSM and the ICD must be carried out with full compliance to the Yogyakarta Principles.

Vienna, Nov 1st 2008 The Steering Committee of Transgender Europe

Sorry guys that’s not good enough you know it’s illegal get us an unreserved court judgment now as resolutions are not law but then good King Stephen knows that…

“The PCT is pleased to be able to confirm that you may proceed with surgery at the Sussex Nuffield Hospital.”

2008-11-01T10:36:00.000Z

A simple sentence that has transformed my life and will make it easier for every true transsexual to obtain the treatment of his or her choice in the future.

This is a major result achieved without having to resort to the courts that confirms some vital legal and medical facts.

It has been achieved against a culture of prejudice that regrettably still permeates the National Health Service and the Department of Health.

There is still a lot of work to be done before the war to remove the bogus mental illness classification is won but this is a victory so as Montgomery said after Al-Alamein “Ring out the Bells”!

These are the important points I’ve established:

#1 You do not need anyone’s permission or approval to change gender. You just do it.

#2 Change your name by statutory declaration immediately you transition. This is vital as it is the start date to get a gender recognition certificate.

#3 See your GP on the same day who must confirm an initial diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” and arrange an appointment with a local psychiatrist.

#4 One and only one single hour appointment is all that is required with a general clinical psychiatrist to establish proof that you have no mental illnesses. Get yourself discharged back to GP care not an NHS Gender Clinic.

#5 Via your GP ask your PCT to fund your referral to the London Gender Clinic run by Dr Richard Curtis. If they refuse then fund this your self. Believe me it’s worth it, as you will avoid all problems of the NHS system that is designed for gender confused transvestic fetishists.

#6 Obtain NHS prescription for hormone and anti-androgen therapy from your GP on a joint care basis with Dr Richard Curtis of the London Gender Clinic.

#7 As soon as it is 24 months from your statutory declaration of change of name apply for a gender recognition certificate.

#8 As soon as you have a gender recognition certificate and a new birth certificate in your true gender apply for NHS funding for surgery for correction of birth defect by a surgeon of your choice in a hospital of your choice. Warning do not pick Charing Cross as they will insist on you going to their Gender Identity Clinic who ignore #1 to #7.

#9 Be prepared to use the law to get your funding. The Sex Discrimination Act, The Gender Recognition Act, The Mental Capacity Act and the Human Rights Act are now in your favour as you are legally of the gender that you have transitioned to and the NHS cannot apply their arbitrary unscientific prejudiced rules that they get away with those who accept referral to the Gender Identity Clinics prior to transition.

#10 Enjoy the fact that that you have the surgeon of your choice at the hospital of your choice and the fact that you are not and never were mentally ill.

Of course none of this will protect you from the evil prejudice you will encounter from some members of the public whilst they either know your former gender or guess it. After three years of hormone therapy I have no problems other than the determined bigots of my workplace and I have the law on my side on that one too.

In earlier entries I’ve reproduced the letters and legal arguments we’ve used to get this result. They are valid for everyone with a gender recognition certificate.

I don’t feel the need to write much more in blog form on this subject as I ceased to be a transsexual the day I got my gender recognition certificate so I will bow out and let others fight on for our rights.

Unless of course I’m persuaded otherwise…. LOL

The lesson here is keep your faith and justice will prevail.

God bless you all.

Go disrupt the evil Dr Zuker...

2008-09-22T22:17:00.004+01:00

Personally I don't think this is strong enough as the way homosexuals removed their mental illness categorization was by direct action and disruption. This man is evil and deserves to be thrown out of England.

Do what you can...

Demonstration against Ken Zucker (the man who proposes reparative therapy for gender variant kids)

October 1st, 8.30am, The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street,London W1G 0AE

The demo is organised in cooperation with the Metropolitan Police and will take place outside the Royal Society of Medicine

(Just behind Debenhams/House of Fraser, Nearest tubes are Bond Street and Oxford Circus)

Please come if you can.

Natacha Kennedy (Official Organiser)

This is an important demonstration and it is vital that you attend if you are able. As it is on a Wednesday at 8.30am there are quite a few people who would like to come but are unable to make it because of work commitments.

It is important to come for two reasons;

1.to show opposition to Ken Zucker's 'treatments' being used on children and

2.to oppose the nature of the Royal Society of Medicine's highly political conference on trans identified adolescents.

Ken Zucker is a psychologist (not a psychiatrist) at the Clarke Institute in Toronto. He promotes his so-called "reparative therapy" which is little more than torture for gender variant(GV) children and trans identified adolescents. It is suggested by research that around 75% of born male bodied children who manifest GV behaviour (sissy boys) do not become trans adults, but it is worth noting that this research has never considered born female bodied GV children (tomboys). Yet he promotes his 'therapy' for all GV children and trans identified adolescents.

Ken Zucker also proposes to use "reparative therapy" on these young people, regardless of their parents' wish or the young person's legal right to access this treatment.

In the UK, a young person (YP) has a variety of ways in which they can request treatment and give full consent to it; with their parent's approval, and if required, regardless of their parents' wishes i.e. when the YP is 16 (under the Family law Act) or even younger when they are 'Gillick Competent 'which requires far greater competence than is every required of an adult accessing treatment, i.e. they understand the nature of the treatment, what it does, what it doesn't do, all the side effects and other consequences, and the health risks they are taking.

For the 25% who will become trans identified (and the unknown proportion of the rest who are actually suppressing it or hiding it as a result of bullying, parental pressure etc.), the results of treatments like Zucker's can be catastrophic.

Victims of this therapy are left traumatised for a very long time afterwards. They experience frequent feelings of depression and suicidal tendencies. This is not surprising since this treatment involves constantly telling these YPs that they are
wrong, everything they do, are or feel is bad, and clothes, toys and other possessions relating to their preferred gender are taken away and they are punished for engaging in activities which reflect their own true identities. They are also rewarded for any behaviour which reflects the gender their parents wish them to be.

This is just crude psychological and emotional bullying and exertion of power over those unable to defend themselves.

This treatment is not just wrong, but has no basis in psychological theory and is considered by many psychologists and psychiatrists to be the equivalent of voodoo or unproven 'alternative' medicine.

It is also wrong because it is a response to the wishes of the many homo & trans phobic parents who demand their child is 'normal', rather than to the needs of the YP. Although parental wishes may be taken into account, when a YP is under 16, the YP is the patient and any doctor is bound by ethics to consider the YP's needs as paramount. We do not believe this is happening in Zucker's clinic.

It would also appear that this therapy is related to some of the ideas of the extreme Christian right-wing political lobby in the United States which has sponsored this type of therapy to "treat" homosexuality.

This therapy is designed to pander to parents who would like to have a 'normal' child. Children are, however, not a fashion accessory.

We believe that this therapy violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Secondly, the Royal Society of Medicine describes itself as an "apolitical organisation", yet this conference seems to have been set up by its organisers in the most political way possible. By inviting Zucker to contribute regarding his 'therapies' and not allowing any representation from anyone to oppose him this is clearly a political move. Even Mermaids, the organisation for trans children & young people,and their parents has not been allowed to contribute.

Given Zucker's highly controversial place on the DSM-5 committee on GID this alone is
an extremely political act.

The only likely opposition is from Professor Peggy Cohen-Kettenis, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam but she is on the same DSM-5 committee as Zucker - can they really give a fair view point between them. And there is no legal overview given, Professor of Law, at Manchester Metropolitan University; Dr Stephen Whittle from Press for Change who has written on the legal issues (see *** below) has not been invited.

Furthermore, the welcome address is being given by Dr John Scadding,Dean of the Royal Society of Medicine and Professor Philip Steer,President Elect, Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, RSM is reviewing questions of prognosis and long term follow up.

However it appears to go further than this. The conference seems to have been set up to push a UK-based treatment protocol for GV children and trans identified adolescents.

This protocol will not involve the use of hormone blockers to delay the onset of puberty.

Puberty can not only be extremely distressing for some GV YP's particularly those that grow up to be trans adults. Furthermore, as legal research has shown the refusal to consider this treatment means that trans adolescents develop secondary sexual characteristics, such as beard or breast growth that ultimately lead to major health interventions, in the future, which could have been avoided.

In this sense it seems that it is also particularly politically motivated and as such as large presence outside is vital to make our feelings known and to distribute leaflets to delegates to make sure they understand the other side of the story.

It is rather ironic, but Professor Melissa Hines, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Cambridge will be contributing information on Endocrine influences. She is the wife of Professor Richard Green, who has himself been so perturbed by this conference that he has arranged an alternative conference; Conference on Medical Care for Gender Variant Teenagers, on September 28th at Imperial College in London, to challenge it. For further details go to:

http://www.gendertrust.org.uk/n2/temp/conf.html

Demonstration against Ken Zucker (the man who proposes reparative therapy for gender variant kids)

October 1st, 8.30am, The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street,London W1G 0AE

Please Join Us

Natacha Kennedy

How to get surgery from the NHS and avoid the charlatan gender psychiatrists.

2008-09-21T16:37:00.002+01:00

The problem with the National Health Service is that it is at best designed to accommodate the gender confused or appease the transvestite.

For the true transsexual it is a a no go area unless of course you are happy to play the game handing your destiny over to someone else and enduring a long slow difficult and frustrating process.

If you’ve read this blog you’ll realise I advocate going private for everything if you can afford it. If you can then the cheapest and quickest option is to go to the Private London Gender Clinic run By Dr Richard Curtis after you have changed your name and gender presentation. You will get a joint care (with your GP)prescription for hormone therapy and once you have your gender recognition certificate you can insist on surgery by the NHS if you want to.

Most National Health Service Primary Care Trusts will try to frustrate you as they are in the cost avoidance game. The National Health Service long ago ceased to be a caring service and some of the most bigoted bureaucrats can be found within the Department of Health.

They are of course not above the law so this is the case you make to get treatment when you have a gender recognition certificate:

1.1 Treatment Option Unlawful

The proposed treatment for psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross Hospital gender clinic prior to GRS is considered unlawful under the Mental Capacity Act 2004 and the amended Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

1.1.1 Mental Capacity Act 2004

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers this issue. A person cannot be forced to accept a treatment if the patient’s mental disorder does not justify detention in hospital, or the patient needs treatment only for a physical illness or disability. The successful treatment of gender dysphoria requires a surgical intervention (GRS) so must relate to a physical disability. Psychiatric interventions have never been successful on their own in addressing gender dysphoria.

Alternatively, it cannot be claimed that a psychiatric evaluation is required to have GRS. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 affirms that a person must be assumed to have the capacity to make a decision about their life/treatment unless there is evidence that they do not have such capacity. That a decision may appear to be foolish or unwise to someone, such as the PCT, is not evidence of this.

Any DH or PCT policy that contradicts the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is unlawful and invalid.

1.1.2 Sex Discrimination Act

The decision to refuse treatment at the preferred hospital appears to be due, at least in part, to sex discrimination by reason of gender reassignment contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 as modified by The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2008 No 963.
1.1.2.1 Gender Certificate

XXX is legally female and has a gender certificate and a female birth certificate.

The requirement for XXX to attend psychological evaluation will require duplication of the criteria for which she was issued with a gender certificate. To require this is sex discrimination by reason of gender reassignment contrary to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 as modified by The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2008 No 963.

Most patients in XXX’s peer group are presenting as males considering future GRS at the beginning of their treatment and are legally male. In these circumstances, a psychological assessment may be appropriate. However, this situation where a patient is legally female at the time of their referral for GRS represents a new circumstance that has not been addressed.

1.1.2.2 Illogical Arguments

The arguments presented by the PCT are so illogical that it is difficult to see that there is a coherent argument behind them and if pursued one would be led to conclude that it is an attempt to justify prejudice. Such dogmatic prejudice would be unlawful discrimination against XXX by reason of her gender reassignment.

The PCT has proposed that XXX be referred for psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross when her GP referred her to have GRS with Mr ZZZ at Sussex Nuffield. A psychiatric assessment as part of the treatment is to lead the patient into making a decision as to whether they wish to make a permanent change of gender to their preferred gender. XXX has already made such a commitment and has acquired a gender certificate and a female birth certificate. This makes any psychiatric assessment redundant as well as illogical.

Finally, XXX appears to meet the PCT’s criteria for GRS as described in section 2.3.
1.1.2.3 Mental Health

From April 2008 Primary Care Trusts are expected to offer a free choice of where to go for hospital treatment. Exceptions are for mental health services and maternity services. Patients referred by their GP for hospital treatment can now choose to be treated in any hospital anywhere in the country, which meets the standards set by the NHS. The DH document Choice of Hospital: Guidance for PCTs, NHS Trusts and SHAs on offering patients choice of where they are treated published in July 2003 states that all patients who have to wait more than 6 months for a surgical intervention should be offered choice. Further, the document states: “The Department of Health does not believe there is any justification for the blanket exclusion of any category of patient.” Individual PCTs were to have implemented surgery choice with up to 5 hospitals by 2004.

Typical waiting times after a referral to an NHS Gender Identity Clinic have been typically 6 months but there is pressure to reduce this to 18 weeks as required for psychiatric services (NHS funding processes and waiting times for adult service-users: Trans wellbeing and healthcare GIRES for DH Feb 2008). Referral for surgery is a separate referral process and again an 18 week response time applies.
This can be contrasted with the current time to wait for surgery with Mr ZZZ at Sussex Nuffield of 13 weeks. Thus the referral for surgery via a referral to Charing Cross GIC will lead to a delay in surgery. This delay is unfavourable treatment and is thus sex discrimination by reason of gender reassignment.

2 MRSA Rates

No specific rates are available for Charing Cross so we have to infer from PCT rates. The DH published statistics for Imperial College Healthcare was for 967 reported episodes of MRSA at hospitals in the group, including Charing Cross, in the period April 2001 to Mar 2008. This represents an average rate of 2.68 MRSA episodes per 10,000 bed days with the minimum half year rate of 1.46.
Applying these rates to the 433 GRC patients, for an average 5 bed days (Mr UUU 3, Mr ZZZ 7), at Charing Cross the MSRA incidence would, for example, generate 0.32 to 0.58 occurrences. Therefore, it is not surprising that there were no reported incidents of MRSA in the Charing Cross GRC patients but there remains a significant risk of infection. This compares unfavourably with the Sussex Nuffield Hospital rate of zero episodes of MRSA.

2.1.1 Surgeon

This is not the case. Mr ZZZ has advised XXX, in an email, that Charing Cross hospital does not allow external selection of the surgeon for this procedure. Upon patient referral, either Mr ZZZ or his colleague, Mr UUU, is assigned to perform the procedure by hospital administration.

2.1.2 Specialised Service and the Choice agenda

“Choose & Book” – Patient’s Choice of Hospital and Booked Appointment Policy Framework for Choice and Booking at the Point of Referral (DH ref 3467 23 August 2004) identifies the exclusions referred to above in paragraph 19:
“19. Choice of hospital may not be appropriate for all services. The services that will not be required to offer a choice of 4-5 hospitals (or suitable alternative providers) by December 2005 are:”
...
· Services where other choices are more likely to improve the patient experience:
o maternity services
o mental health”

The GP referral was for GRS which although more commonly following a mental health element is a surgical procedure and does not fall within either excluded category. GRS has a near 100% success rate in relieving gender dysphoria.

Gender Identity Disorder is recognised as a specialised service in Specialised Mental Health Services (adult) - Definition No 22 (DH 2nd edition). This states that:
“The programme requires patients to complete a minimum of two years of real life tests before they are accepted for transgender surgery. For men seeking female identity, this includes exclusive adoption of female dress, a female name, and full-time employment as a female. Initial treatment is with hormone therapy, usually for a period of two years. The principal reasons for patients leaving the programme are psychiatric disorders, personality disorder and dysmorphophobia. The drop out rate is less than 1%. After this period of real life testing and treatment with hormone therapy (which averages 3-4 years) a proportion of the patients still in the programme are assessed as appropriate for surgical therapy. Patients will not be accepted for surgery unless at least 2 specialist consultant psychiatrists support the referral. Once the surgical option has been agreed, the patient is referred to one of the very few surgical units that provide this highly specialised service.”

XXX meets all these criteria and will have achieved “K” years living as a woman so there is no requirement for further psychiatric assessment.

The PCT is insisting that the referral should be to Charing Cross GIC for a psychiatric assessment. Presumably this is the PCT’s justification for pretending that a surgical intervention might fall under mental health services.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (see legal section below) covers this issue. A person cannot be forced to accept a treatment if the patient’s mental disorder does not justify detention in hospital, or the patient needs treatment only for a physical illness or disability. The successful treatment of gender dysphoria requires a surgical intervention (GRS) so this relates to a physical disability. Psychiatric interventions have never been successful on their own.

Alternatively, it cannot be claimed that a psychiatric evaluation is required to have GRS. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 affirms that a person must be assumed to have the capacity to make a decision about their life/treatment unless there is evidence that they do not have such capacity. That a decision may appear to be foolish or unwise to someone (the PCT?) is not evidence of this. The PCT have not offered any such evidence.

Any DH or PCT policy that contradicts the Mental Capacity Act 2005 is unlawful and invalid.

From April 2008 patient choice of hospital should be implemented by GP referral, as in this case.

2.1.3 Quality of Clinical Care:

2.1.3.1 Is the intervention offered effective? Evidence to be put forward to support the intervention.

The request was to use Mr ZZZ, one of 2 surgeons at Charing Cross, who also works at Nuffield Sussex. The other surgeon, Mr UUU, uses a different technique.
GRS is well established as being nearly 100% effective in relieving gender dysphoria and was not disputed by the PCT.

2.1.3.2 Is the intervention being undertaken by a known provider with an established reputation for treatment i.e. is the provider competent or there other potential providers?
Mr ZZZ is one of two surgeons at Charing Cross that would undertake surgery via the PCT preferred treatment pathway. Therefore there is no dispute that he is competent.

2.1.4 Quality of Life:

2.1.4.1 What is the patient’s quality of life? E.g. is the condition life threatening/is the patient in permanent chronic pain?
The patient’s gender dysphoria represents a disabling condition that can be remedied by GRS.

2.1.5 Health Gain:

2.1.5.1 What is the extent of the health gain?

There is no difference in the health gain from GRS with either path. However, psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross will only extend the delay until GRS.

2.1.5.2 Is the treatment meeting the patient’s needs?

The GRS will relieve her gender dysphoria. The patient does not want, and there is no evidence that she needs, psychiatric assessment at Charing Cross (ref Mental Capacity Act 2005).

2.1.6 View of Stakeholders:

2.1.6.1 Has appropriate clinical advice been taken?

There is no disagreement with all involved that GRS is the correct end result. The dispute has been on choice of hospital for GRS and a PCT insistence on a psychiatric assessment.

2.1.6.2 Are the patient’s requirement’s reasonable?

No party has disputed that GRS is a reasonable end result. This appeal document addresses whether the treatment path constraints the PCT has tried to impose are reasonable or even lawful.

2.1.6.3 GP approval sought.

The patient has the full support of her GP.

2.1.7 Equity:

2.1.7.1 Does the patient fit the agreed patient selection criteria e.g. NICE guidance? If not, what is the case for expanding the selection criteria?

NICE guidance is not available. Not applicable as the dispute is in respect of patient choice in the treatment pathway.

2.1.7.2 What is the priority of this in relation to potential opportunity costs? i.e. is funding the intervention reasonable in relation to the needs of the overall population?

Not applicable as the dispute is in respect of patient choice in the treatment pathway.

2.1.7.3 What precedence for funding is there?

The PCT have offered XXX a treatment path at Charing Cross hospital which includes the same surgical procedure as a treatment component.

2.1.8 Cost Effectiveness and Affordability

2.1.8.1 Are alternative treatments available?

There are no effective alternatives to GRS in relieving gender dysphoria.

2.1.8.2 Are there comparable less expensive alternative and comparable interventions available?

XXX’s efforts to get visibility or clarification for cost comparisons have not succeeded due to the PCT’s failure to disclose cost information.
The PCT are proposing a treatment path of psychiatric assessment with Charing Cross GIC prior to GRS at Charing Cross Hospital, XXX’s GP requested she have GRS with the same surgeon at Brighton Nuffield Hospital.

2.1.8.3 Is the intervention currently available under contract?

Yes, at Charing Cross Hospital but it appears that this contract requires GIC psychiatric assessment prior to surgery.

2.1.8.4 Is this good use of public funds?

This is not disputed. The dispute is in respect of the treatment path.

2.1.8.5 Can the PCT afford this treatment?

Yes, in that the PCT are insisting that XXX must undertake treatment at Charing Cross if she is to receive PCT funding.

2.1.9 Human Rights

2.1.9.1 Is there a victim?

Yes, it is claimed that XXX has been the subject of sex discrimination by the PCT – see section below.

2.1.9.2 Is the PCT pursuing a legitimate aim?

No, it is claimed that XXX has been the subject of sex discrimination by the PCT – see section below.

2.1.9.3 Is the request/decision proportionate?

No, significant PCT resources appear to have been used to try to force XXX to submit to the PCT’s preferred treatment path.

2.1.9.4 Are there relevant and sufficient reasons for the decision?

No, the arguments presented in the letter in favour of the decision are flawed, see section 2.1.

2.2 PCT Criteria for GRS

The criteria for accepting a patient referral for GRS is stated in the PCT’s Policy Statement No. 1 – Commissioning Policy and Referral Guidelines for Gender Dysphoria Services and Gender Reassignment Surgery in Adults. The relevant section is 6.3 which list the criteria for the PCT commissioning GRS. The criteria (annotated with whether criteria is met) are:

· Patient aged 18 or over;

Yes, XXX is over 18

· The patient must be registered on the list of NHS patients of a GP practise with which SSPCT holds a contract or, where the patient is not registered with a GP practise, he or she must be “usually resident” in the geographic area covered by SSPCT, except where paragraph 80 of the Department of Health guidance “Who Pays Establishing the Responsible Commissioner” (September 2007) applies

Yes, XXX is registered with Dr LLL, Northgate Surgery in Uttoxeter

· The transsexual identity must have persisted for at least two years.

Yes, XXX has proof of this is in having a gender certificate.

· The disorder must not be a symptom of any other mental disorder or chromosomal disorder

Yes, Dr RRR, a consultant psychiatrist who assessed XXX at The Balance Street Medical Centre, Uttoxeter, confirmed that XXX did not have any other mental disorder. There is no suggestion that XXX has a genetic disorder.

· Patients should complete two years’ successful continuous full-time real life experience in their chosen gender role. Periods of returning to their original gender may indicate ambivalence about proceeding and should be excluded when calculating the two year continuum.

Yes, XXX has lived exclusively as a female since she changed her name to XXX and this is proved by her gender certificate.

· Patients should have found employment, or have been in education or training, in their desired gender role for a minimum period of one year, including employment in the voluntary sector.

Yes, XXX has been continuously employed by GGG, Uttoxeter in a female role since 18 November 2005.

· Patients should have continued with an established course of hormone reassignment therapy.

Yes, XXX is continuing her hormone reassignment therapy prescribed by her GP.

· Patients should have changed their name legally to one appropriate to the transgendered self.

Yes, ‘XXX’ changed her name to XXX on dd/mm/yyyy.

· Patients should have a demonstrable knowledge of the cost, required length of hospitalisations, likely complications and post surgical rehabilitation requirements of the various surgical interventions.

Yes, XXX has shown her understanding in correspondence with the PCT and is willing to have a short ( 1 hour) assessment by a psychiatrist to confirm that she is giving informed consent to the GRS procedure.

Thus, XXX meets the PCT criteria for referral for GRS which makes the PCT decision to refer her for psychiatric assessment under a claimed standard treatment is both illogical and a misuse of clinical resources in offering unnecessary and unlawful (psychiatric) assessment or treatment.

3 The legal environment

For convenience general legal information from the legislation quoted is presented here.

3.1 Mental Capacity Act 2005

The five statutory principles are:

1. A person must be assumed to have capacity unless it is established that they lack capacity.
2. A person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision unless all practicable steps to help him to do so have been taken without success.
3. A person is not to be treated as unable to make a decision merely because he makes an unwise decision.
4. An act done, or decision made, under this Act for or on behalf of a person who lacks capacity must be done, or made, in his best interests.
5. Before the act is done, or the decision is made, regard must be had to whether the purpose for which it is needed can be as effectively achieved in a way that is less restrictive of the person’s rights and freedom of action.
In particular regarding XXX, she must be assumed to have the capacity to make the decision to have GRS unless there is medical evidence that she does not [MCA 2005 Section 1 (3) below]
A lack of capacity cannot be established merely by reference to—
(a) a person’s age or appearance, or
(b) a condition of his, or an aspect of his behaviour, which might lead others to make unjustified assumptions about his capacity.

Compulsory treatment under the MHA is not an option if: the patient’s mental disorder does not justify detention in hospital, or the patient needs treatment only for a physical illness or disability MCA 2005 Section

3.2 Sex Discrimination Act 1975

A section of the notes from the “EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM TO THE SEX DISCRIMINATION (AMENDMENT OF LEGISLATION) REGULATIONS 2008” 2008 No. 963 are presented below.

(a) Section 1 SDA, (direct and indirect discrimination against women)
Schedule 1, paragraph 2 of the 2008 Regulations amends section 2A SDA (discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment) to extend protection from direct discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment in the provision of goods, facilities, services or premises.

Schedule 1, paragraph 13 of the 2008 Regulations provides how the SDA operates in relation to gender reassignment discrimination in respect of contracts entered into which relates to differences in premiums and benefits.
(a) Article 3 SDO, (direct and indirect discrimination against women)
Schedule 2, paragraph 2 of the 2008 Regulations amends Article 4A of the SDO (discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment) to extend protection from direct discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment in the provision of goods, facilities, services or premises.

Schedule 2, paragraph 13 of the 2008 Regulations provides how the SDO operates in relation to gender reassignment discrimination in respect of contracts entered into which relates to differences in premiums and benefits.

(b) Section 1(2) SDA.
Schedule 1, paragraph 1 of the 2008 Regulations applies the Directive-based definition of indirect discrimination in section 1(2) SDA to those areas of the SDA with which the Directive is concerned, namely sections 29-31, except in so far as they relate to an excluded matter.

(b) Article 3(2) of the SDO.
Schedule 2, paragraph 1 of the 2008 Regulations applies the Directive-based definition of indirect discrimination in Article 3(2) of the SDO to those areas of the SDO with which the Directive is concerned, namely Article 30-32, except in so far as they relate to an excluded matter.

3.3 R v North West Lancashire HA ex p A, D and G (1999) 53 BMLR 148, [2000] 1 WLR 977

This precedent appears relevant to XXX’s case.

The Court of Appeal said that a decision regarding the provision of treatment must be taken within a proper framework.
Although it is appropriate for a Health Authority to have a policy for establishing certain priorities in funding different treatments, in establishing priorities - comparing the respective needs of patients suffering from different illnesses and determining the respective strengths of their claims to treatment - it is vital for the Health Authority to:
· accurately assess the nature and seriousness of each type of illness
· determine the effectiveness of various forms of treatment for it, AND
· give proper effect to that assessment and that determination in the formulation and individual application of its policy

Meeting the gender duty for transsexual staff

2008-09-12T17:28:00.001+01:00

I’ve managed to get my hands on a copy of the Equal Opportunities Commission 2007 Guidance for GB public authorities .

Don’t ask how - us gender guerrillas have our secret ways! LOL

One interesting paragraph struck me it stated:

“Individual rights under the Disability Discrimination Act must be considered where the individual has been diagnosed, as having ‘gender dysphoria’ or ‘gender identity disorder’ and the condition is likely to last more than twelve months, has lasted for more than 12 months or will remain with the individual for the rest of their life.”

Now that could have some interesting connotations for transsexual people unable to gain employment.

Otherwise it was pretty standard stuff. I was delighted to read “Many trans people consider the very term 'gender identity disorder' to be discriminatory as it suggests a mental illness, which it is not.”

The National Health Service of course ignore this in breach of their Gender Duty but then since when have the gender psychiatrists worried about operating outside the law. They should though as us gender guerrillas will hold them to account

So if you want a full copy of this confidential report just get in touch.

Here are the definitions they used in the report I think they are rather good.

Gender

Gender consists of two related aspects: gender identity, which is a person’s internal perception and experience of their gender; and gender role, which is the way that the person lives in society and interacts with others, based on their gender identity.

Gender is less clearly defined than anatomical sex, and does not necessarily represent a simple ‘one or the other’ choice. Some people have a gender identity that is neither clearly female nor clearly male. For the purpose of the law, however, people can only be male or female. The overwhelming majority of people have a gender that accords with their anatomical sex.

Gender dysphoria / gender identity disorder

Gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder is the medical term for the condition with which a person who has been assigned one gender (usually at birth on the basis of their sex), but identifies as belonging to another gender, or does not conform with the gender role their respective society prescribes to them. It is a psychiatric term for what is widely termed 'transsexuality'.

Many trans people consider the very term 'gender identity disorder' to be discriminatory as it suggests a mental illness, which it is not.

Gender dysphoria is not a form of sexual deviancy or a sexual orientation.

This feeling is usually reported as "having always been there", although in some cases, it seems to appear in adolescence or even in adulthood, and it has been reported by some as intensifying over time.

Since many cultures strongly disapprove of cross-gender behaviour, it often results in significant problems for those affected, and sometimes for their close friends and family members as well. In many cases, discomfort is also reported as stemming from the feeling that one's body is "wrong" or meant to be different.

Gender presentation / gender expression

While gender identity is subjective and internal to the individual, the presentation of one's self either through personality or clothing is what is perceived by others. Typically, transsexual people seek to make their gender expression or presentation match their gender identity, rather than their birth sex.

Gender reassignment / transitioning

Altering one's birth sex is not a one-step procedure — it is a complex process that takes place over a long period of time. Gender reassignment or transition includes some or all of the following cultural, legal, and medical adjustments: telling one's family, friends, and/or co-workers; changing one's name and/or sex on legal documents; hormone therapy; and possibly (though not always) some form of chest and/or genital alteration.

Gender Recognition Certificate

A full Gender Recognition Certificate shows that a person has satisfied the criteria for legal recognition in the acquired gender.

It makes the recipient of the certificate, for all intents and purposes, the sex listed on the certificate from that moment onward, not their birth sex.

The legal basis for creating a Gender Recognition Certificate is found in the Gender Recognition Act 2004

Transgender

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from their birth sex. The term may include but is not limited to: transsexual people and others who define as gender-variant.

Many transgender people can identify as female-to-male (FtM) or male-to-female (MtF). Transgender people may or may not choose to alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically.

Some people have not, and do not intend to, undergo gender reassignment, and are not covered by the gender reassignment provisions in the SDA. However, they are still protected from discrimination on the basis of their birth sex by the SDA.

This term should only be used as an adjective; individuals should be referred to as "transgender people", not "transgendereds".

Transsexual

In this guidance, this term is used to describe a person who intends to undergo, is undergoing or has in the past undergone gender reassignment (which may or may not involve hormone therapy or surgery).

Transsexual people feel the deep conviction to present themselves in the appearance of the opposite sex.

They may change their name and identity to live in the acquired gender.

Some take hormones and cosmetic treatments to alter their appearance and physical characteristics.

Some undergo surgery to change their bodies to approximate more closely to their acquired gender.

This term should only be used as an adjective; individuals should be referred to as "transsexual people", not "transsexuals".

Oh for educatshun...

2008-09-11T11:04:00.001+01:00

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

Maybe I am maybe I'm not…

2008-09-10T23:24:00.002+01:00

Unsure of your gender? Not feeling you belong to either? Or let’s make it more powerful:

Unsure of your sex? But want to change to neither?

Well then there may be an option for you? Well that’s if Christie Elan-Cane is successful in her campaign and Simon Hughes MP draft legislation becomes law.

Christine nailed per colours to the mast in her speech "The Fallacy of the Myth of Gender" at the Gendys Conference, 2000. Yes that long ago but now per reappeared with a non-gender specific option.

See http://www.gender.org.uk/conf/2000/elancane.htm for the speech

and per website at http://elancane.livejournal.com/

I used “per” as not gender specific like his/her.

Having read her arguments I can easily buy the Human Rights one of choosing not to declare a gender as being as valid a Human Right as being able to chose male or female.

I’ve long argued that a simple legal declaration of permanent change should be sufficient to effect a legal change of sex.

Note I use sex not gender here as transsexual people change their sex whereas transgender people change their gender presentation on a permanent or temporary basis but keep their sex unchanged.

Of course this is where the confusion lies with the public and the medical establishment.

Being a transsexual person is a transitory thing once you have a gender recognition certificate you have legally changed sex regardless of whether you had surgical modifications.

I worry about the third option, as it requires an understanding of gender as a social construct and an acceptance that the fundamental choice of sex belongs to the individual.

I worry that whilst the mental illness qualification remains changing your sex would become harder to do when it should be made simpler.

Still despite that I support Christie in the sense I would do nothing to hinder her campaign.

I still however believe the real Human Rights abuse is the mental illness classification of anyone who temporarily or permanently changes their gender and most importantly those who permanently change their sex.

But then to misquote Mandy “she would say that wouldn’t she” LOL

Make your own mind up and support Christie if you can…

6 to 8 tops - make my day LOL

2008-09-06T17:26:00.004+01:00

It’s been an interesting week really though the amount of things I can reveal in this blog is still limited for legal reasons. Anyway that stuff aside I managed to get to Manchester on Tuesday and avoided the torrential downpours. God smiles on the righteous LOL

At the moment my life is full of ups & downs step forwards and step backs though I have an unexplainable faith in my future that keeps me going. I was a bit down in the dumps when I set off. Where I live is a seriously depressing place if you can see through the veneer of respectability but as soon as I got to Piccadilly the Manchester buzz hit me.

I didn’t really know before what it was but my Ex Chris described Uttoxeter as a town split by a serious lack of tolerance and that’s probably as good an explanation as any. Manchester has a lot more tolerance and that “we’re in this together lets make the best of it” attitude compared to Uttoxeter petty jealousies.

Joana and I had a good long conversation whilst she weaved her magic. Her view was that my strength is that I can talk to anyone and not care how they might perceive me because the message I give off is look this is me, this is how I am, take it or leave it and that’s very powerful. I can see prejudice and I can simply ignore it as I can’t be goaded into a reaction no matter what the provocation.

Joana and I fundamentally get on as she knows there’s not a prejudiced bone in my body and I am delighted when I see Black people storm the gates of Caucasian bigotry. That’s a woman thing as men are fundamentally elitist. Oops are my feminist tendencies showing LOL

Anyway after an enjoyable and relaxing time and with my hair looking great it was off to Primark. It must have been the last day of the school holidays as it was packed with trendy dressed 14 to 16 year olds desperately trying to look 18 to 20 but not quite pulling it off. Nice selection of boots there but I just wanted a couple of autumn weight tops. I don’t do cardigans, OK I do sweaters and hoodies but it takes a lot to get me in a cardi LOL Didn’t find anything that said buy me in a shop full of new stock.

So back to Piccadilly and coffee and muffins on the train. Quick aside here I just love Virgin pendalino trains they are just so cool. Got back dropped into Tesco and Lidl. I just love putting their stuff in free Tesco bags and yes I do recycle I use them for cat poo LOL. I missed the rain again.

Next few days rain, rain, rain still I got lots of admin cleared up and then today I went to Peacocks (again missing the rain) and had a good browse until I spotted exactly what I’d failed to find in Primark two rouched fronted mid sleeve two in one thicker material T shirt type tops. Exactly what I wanted and the size 6 to 8 fitted perfectly. Oh how I love that store size 10 jeans and size 8 tops fit me just right. Psychologically that is wonderful for someone with my background. It’s put me in a good mood and I know it’s silly as my wardrobe has sizes from 8 to 12 in it but I thought what a perfect end to a testing week and things can only get better from here…

PS

Click here for the best hairdresser in Manchester.

http://www.joanashairelite.co.uk/

Enjoy!

Most Cheerful Places

2008-08-28T10:29:00.006+01:00

1. Powys
2. Manchester
3. West Lothian
4. Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and Monklands
5. Macclesfield

Source: British Household Panel Survey

Using data from the British Household Panel Survey, where people were asked about their sense of wellbeing, the researchers were able to draw up a map of happiness down to district level across England, Scotland and Wales.

But the team from the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester stress that happiness is more a product of personal circumstances than physical location.

Do I disagree? Well yes, Powys is just full of smiling sheep LOL

SOCIAL FACTORS - RATHER THAN GENETICS - ARE TO BLAME FOR HUGE VARIATIONS IN ILL HEALTH AND LIFE EXPECTANCY AROUND THE WORLD, A REPORT CONCLUDES.

The report concludes "social injustice is killing people on a grand scale".

The average life expectancy in London's wealthy Hampstead was 11 years longer than in nearby St Pancras.

"A more effective way of increasing life expectancy and improving health would be for every government policy and programme to be assessed for its impact on health and health equity; to make health and health equity a marker for government performance."

"People need the opportunity, the possibility, to take control of their lives - but the conditions need to be right to allow them to do that." Sir Michael Marmot WHO's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health

Our wonderful Government says it is doing that but then they lie and the citizens of Manchester smile because they know they do. The lesson of Peterloo is not lost.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterloo_Massacre

Real trans bigotry...

2008-08-25T12:22:00.001+01:00

"I didn’t “learn” how to act like a woman or think like one, all I had to do was stop actively trying to not do these things. I suffered almost none of the transphobia in the greater world they (transgender) constantly are complaining about. Transition for me was literally the easiest thing in the world other than the fallout most of us get from those who knew us pre-transition. It was a coming home, not an act.”

I wish I’d written that but credit to Rev. Cathryn Platine the lady that did.

My problems relate to the bunch of bigots that cannot accept that you can be born with a female brain and a male body and that at some stage it becomes transition or die.

This is a far too simple a truth for both society and the medical establishment to accept.

The NHS for example has built a model of transition to female that is for gay men. It excludes transsexual people because transsexual people know it’s not a hierarchical game of gaining points by telling the gender psychiatrist what he wants to hear in the correct sequence.

Real life is not a controlled psychiatric test no matter what some charlatan medics believe.

One of the biggest problems transsexual women face is now effectively separating us from the medical and legal politics of the Trans movement dominated by the male or female transvestic fetishist.

For too long we’ve played the game driven by our overriding desire to get surgery. Attempts at negotiation flounder because of the vested financial interests and control the medical establishment has backed by a discriminatory Government excused by meaningless apologists.

More radical and legal action is needed and I intend to be one of those helping it happen and I don’t fight on my own…

See:

http://radicalbitch.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/real-transbigotry/

One of the best and easiest to grasp articles from “Riding the Second Wave (post -modern second wave feminist thoughts from a post-trans perspective)”

Congratulations good king Stephen…

2008-08-24T11:57:00.002+01:00

Well now I spotted this headline to a press release “EQUALITY EXPERTS, BUSINESS AND UNIONS TO HELP MAKE BRITAIN FAIRER” now there is a bit of a contradiction there.
Since when has business (capitalism) had anything to do with human rights and fairness?

As soon as we got close to an educated skilled well-paid manufacturing based economy along comes globalisation to export the jobs to low wage economies where business can exploit the workers more effectively than one with a minimum wage. Business equals as close as possible to slave labour it has nothing to do with fairness.

This press release is from HM Government Equalities Office set up to nullify the effects of the Human Rights Act so that our Government can continue to do the minimum it has to as regards worker and welfare rights.

They say: “The Government Equalities Office (GEO) today announced a new senior stakeholder group to support development of a new equality framework which will help make Britain a fairer and more equal place.

The group will provide advice to the GEO and its Ministers on how to further strengthen equality protection and to streamline the law. This will include both those measures to be included in the Equality Bill and accompanying non-legislative measures.”

Just a quick translation of that is HM Government intend to have as much as they can as non-legally enforceable guidelines and we now have a talking shop to satisfy the expenses claims of the people we know will sell out the people they may represent or even better don’t actually represent the people they claim to.

So it came as no surprise to find on this sell out the people list none other than Prof. Stephen Whittle OBE of Press for Change.

Here is the biography that HM Government would want you to believe.

I’ve translated it for you. My translation in italics:

Founder and Vice-President of Press for Change.

Lets not say that here that PFC is an unelected self interest group.

The OBE recognised his outstanding and long term contribution to the development of social and legal recognition for transsexual people over the course of more than 30 years.

HM Government was delighted that he helped enshrine the bogus mental illness classification into English Law thereby protecting the financial interests of the gender psychiatrists.

HM Government was delighted that this appalling abuse of Human Rights allows an inherently transphobic society to continue its abuses.

During that time Stephen had not only become recognised throughout the world as a leading academic legal expert in this field (one of the foremost authorities to whom lawyers turn for advice), but he had also helped to lead a revolution in the organisation and self-awareness of transsexual people throughout the world, inspiring others to come together to form an international community through lecturing, writing, media appearances and mentoring a new generation of campaigners.

That is a myth. We can however credit him with inventing the Trans word thereby creating a grouping of Drag Queen entertainers, Gay men and Transvestites with people who have a neurological birth defect.

Stephen Whittle is now Professor of Equalities Law at Manchester Metropolitan University where he taught for many years in the areas of Contemporary Social Law, Gender, Sexual Orientation and the Law, and Human Rights.

He’s well paid and as such has no experience of the realities of the majority of transsexual women who are forced into prostitution, as no employer will take them.

He is a founder and vice-president of Press For Change, which campaigns for respect and equality for all trans people.

No Press For Change has abandoned fighting for the human rights of transsexual people not to be classified as being mentally ill in their determination to represent a larger section of the population.

He is also co-ordinator of the UK’s support network for ’female to male’ trans people.

He transitioned from female to male himself in the mid-1970s, having come from a background of Women’s Liberation and Gay Liberation politics at that time, and he has very much retained his feminist and queer political views that were developed then.

I stop my translation here for legal reasons LOL

Now this last paragraph is probably the most revealing of this person’s core motivation.

It may get interesting for the great professor when the psychiatrists consolidate their position in DSM V, where I have little doubt they will classify transsexual women as gay men without penises and transsexual men as bearded women without breasts, but on the other hand if you were proud of your feminist and queer political views would you actually care?

The issue that every female transsexual knows is that lesbians simply do not accept the female brain & male body neurological explanation of transsexual women. A lot of the problems transsexual women face are directly a result of the over representation of lesbians in LBGT union politics. Not that we want to be there anyway and would prefer they dropped the T and just used LBG.

So lets summarise.

HM Government and particularly the Department of Health can continue to exploit male to female transsexuals, as they are mentally ill. What sane man would want to reject his penis?

HM Government will be a lot nicer to female to male transsexuals as all heterosexual males understand lesbian female penis envy.

HM Government will continue to provide legislation to enable capitalists to create and exploit a low wage service economy.

HM Government will continue to create meaningless talking shops and avoid primary human rights affecting their friends in business.

Or put another way:

Sod you workers and drop outs we’re OK and we don’t care.

I just wish I was 18 again as then I’d lead the revolution in the streets as I fear the only way to stop this evil is direct action against the source.

God save us all…

http://www.equalities.gov.uk/news/prpage13.htm

Give children their rights…

2008-08-15T11:52:00.001+01:00

One of the things I believe passionately in is allowing children the right to delay their puberty if they believe they have the wrong body.

We have the drugs and there is no evidence of harm to the child in their administration and the results from delaying puberty and then applying cross gender hormones are spectacular.

The problem as usual is the psychiatrist not the endocrinologist and this is why the bogus mental illness classification of transsexualism must go.

The psychiatrists are consolidating their bigotry by appointing the lead persecutor to head the review of DSM V that’s the man that believes all transsexuals are gay men without penises and being transsexual is a bad outcome for a gay child.

Those of us who are transsexual know this is rubbish. I knew I should not grow up into a man in early childhood. It was the 50s the heyday of electric shock therapy guess what I didn’t articulate it – just stopped eating for a while.

The situation here in the United Kingdom is a disgrace with as usual the small group of bogus gender specialists pretty much refusing treatment except in the most extreme cases. This is resulting in people having to take their children overseas not that’s dissimilar to the adult situation where the majority of transsexuals go private or overseas to remove themselves from the transvestic fetishist obsession within Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic.

So as usual we need law changes to get transsexual children their rights. The Mental Capacity Act needs to be extended to include children over eight years of age and the mental illness classification abolished and replaced by neurological condition.

The NHS could do a lot better by recruiting transsexual people to act as scrutinisers of endocrinologists. The psychiatric gender specialists need to be exiled. There’s an unused former leper colony just off Crete that seems the best place for them to me.

I was prompted to write this article by one in Guardian entitled 'My body is wrong'.

Now in terms of the detail of the article I take great exception to Dr Domenico di Ceglie who is promoting his book trying to make a credible scientific theory out of one exceptional case. It illustrates all that is wrong in terms of the "observers of transsexualism" and is not a valid scientific argument.

The unpalatable facts for the medical establishment is that transsexualism is a self diagnosed condition and only the individual knows the truth and can decide what to do about it. The important thing is to (without bias) inform the individual child and let them decide. A psychiatrist must never, never, never tell someone their “diagnosis” as that does more damage than anything else.

Transsexualism is a birth defect and it is the absolute human right of the child and no one else to decide what to do.

This is the article – enjoy!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/aug/14/children.youngpeople

Germany: Forced divorce of trans people declared unconstitutional...

2008-08-15T11:10:00.002+01:00

Spotted this it's another move forward and something for the bigots to scream unfair at LOL

From Justus Eisfeld:

On 23 July 2008, the German Constitutional Court declared the provision in the German Transsexual Law (Transsexuellengesetz TSG) which requires forced divorce of transsexuals unconstitutional.

The TSG requires that transsexuals who legally want to change their gender marker on their birth certificates have to be unmarried (though a registered partnership was no hindrance). This part of the law has just been declared unconstitutional and may not be used until the German government proposes a new solution. The German government has a deadline of 1 August 2009 to come up with a new law.

Earlier the Constitutional Court declared that a retrieval of a legal change of names in the case of a marriage after the name change was also unconstitutional.

This is a major victory for the trans community in Germany and abroad – as well as for the broader LGBT community. After Austria in 2006, Germany is the second country without same-sex marriage that abolishes the forced divorce rule for transsexuals.

Press release in German:

http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/pressemitteilungen/bvg08-077.html

Confuse and pathologise after all it is mental illness…

2008-08-12T16:15:00.005+01:00

Had a bit of a rambling convo with “J” today essentially he was trying to get me to kiss & make up with the union LBGT forum – fat chance of that LOL

The way the conversation went reminded me that politicians and mental health practitioners have an awful lot in common really – both want to maintain the status quo to protect their financial interests and Human Rights don’t enter into it.

I think every LBGT member of Unite should recite this until they understand it.

There is no valid medical evidence that being transgender or transsexual is a mental illness.

There was no evidence for homosexuality either and that mental illness classification was abolished in the 1970s.

T is such a broad category in LBGT that it is meaningless.

For example a gay drag queen has nothing in common with a transsexual woman other than they can both be abused and discriminated against for “daring to be different”.

Transsexual people have no choice but to transition or die.

Transgender people do not share the same issues as transsexual people as transgender people are not making a permanent change.

The law has changed and the medical establishment must acknowledge the Gender Recognition Act and the Mental Capacity Act in its treatment of both transgender and transsexual people’s medical needs.

Neither transgender or transsexual people should be subject to the Mental Health Act and risk being sectioned by a transphobic society.

No medical professional that allows or supports a person being subjected to an electric convulsive charge belongs in this century’s medical establishment.

It really is this simple - it is an infringement of a transgender or transsexual person’s human rights to consider them mentally ill.

Here are some examples from the web of the way transsexual people are being excluded within the transgender umbrella.

Press Releases

The British Psychological Society’s Division of Clinical Psychology’s Northern Ireland Branch

Psychologists reject claim that gay people require psychiatric counselling

The Professional body for Clinical Psychology in Northern Ireland* rejects the call made by Iris Robinson, Chair of the Stormont Health Committee, that gay people should seek psychiatric counselling in an attempt to help them be "turned around".

Clinical psychologists and other health professionals recognise and value the full range of heterosexual, lesbian, gay and transgender sexual orientations. Clinical psychologists do not view these forms of sexual preferences as ‘disorders’ and do not see an individual’s sexual orientations as something that can or should be changed. We know of no recognised or accredited forms of ‘psychiatric counselling’ that can help people ‘turn round’.

Of course, it is recognised that, especially in a homophobic society many people, whether gay or straight, have emotional problems associated with their sexuality. If a person is experiencing psychological problems because of their sexual orientation clinical psychologists work to promote a positive view of their sexual identity and to help resolve any difficulties.

Dr Nicola Rooney, Chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology’s Northern Ireland Branch said:

"Personally, I see my role as a clinical psychologist as being one where I help people achieve the maximum possible sense of personal well-being, whatever their sexuality.

If there is a role for ‘psychiatric counselling’ in this area, perhaps it might be better used in helping people develop a more tolerant and well-informed view of their fellow citizens".

Now notice the words transgender sexual orientations that’s a new one but then I suppose it was inevitable LGB are sexual orientations but the T is not when T= transsexual though it might or might not be for T= transgender.

Here’s another quote:

From the Letters section of The Psychologist:

The trans community is split in their appreciation of the diagnosis of gender identity disorder (GID) in the DSM IV-TR or its equivalent; transsexualism in the ICD 10.

The split occurs because pre-operative people require diagnosis in order to gain access to medical interventions, whereas post-operative people quite rightly do not wish to be regarded as mentally ill as they are not incapacitated by being trans people.

Note that this writer thinks that pre-operative you are mentally ill but once you have the operation Hallelujah you are cured!

It is all just part of the global industry of transgender where transsexual people are a commodity to be exploited.

This is a case for gender guerrilla girl LOL…

Anyone know Arthur?

2008-07-30T10:07:00.000+01:00

After two days of sweltering heat in Uttoxeter it was great to head off to Manchester. It was quite a day…

East Midlands trains were 40 minutes late due to a door problem on the train at Derby. The nice conductor man told me that. They do have lovely courteous staff in that company. Anyway I thought oh no connection missed long wait at Stoke but no the Cross Country train was late too so instead of a 30 min wait for a connection it was just 3 minutes so I arrived in Manchester just 5 minutes behind schedule. Manchester Piccadilly seemed unusually busy but I thought no more of it and caught the first bus to Cheetham Hill.

Joana was busy as usual weaving her magic and transforming people but she’d figured out a slot to get me through quickly. Well that’s quickly by Afro-Caribbean time. Visiting Joana is not a rushed experience but then I suppose to look good it shouldn’t be.

As usual it was fun and a reminder of how inspirational some people can be.

“I’m getting married,” said one of Joana’s clients.
Who to?”
“Arthur” “
Arthur Who?”
“Arthur Rightist”.
“Do I know him? Does he walk past the salon?”
“No he’s here now”

LOL

The lady had bad arthritis but made everyone laugh as the penny dropped.

“You’ve got to make the best of things haven’t you?” was her final comment before smiling and leaving.

That says it all really in terms of why I love Manchester and admire its people.

Poor, black, arthritic but not broken or down. God bless her.

Anyway after that I met Chris my Ex who I hadn’t seen for months face to face though we speak most weeks. I got treated to a muffin and a coffee and then we hit the shops. It’s the first time we’ve chatted and shopped together since my transition. It was just great. We have pretty much the same tastes in clothes although Chris says I’m girlier than her, but we know what works for us fashion wise. It was a great girly afternoon not that our Chris really does them LOL

I bought a cool jacket from Peacocks and two tops from Primark. Chris had already bought a pair of shoes and a top before I arrived but she did find a great Marks & Spencer top though the for work trousers she tried there were too long.

Anyway back to Piccadilly total chaos with departure board and announcements so I just walked along platform found the London train and thought they’ll get this one away. Evidently there were points problems but we got away on time but didn’t get any speed up until Macclesfield. Twenty minutes late at Stoke. Had I missed the connection? No a two-minute wait and I’m back on East Midlands trains. So despite the delays both outward and return journeys took no longer than scheduled LOL

I got back tired but totally de-stressed. This is what my transition is all about. No matter the bigots at the factory and the Primary Care Trust attempts to frustrate and destroy me this was the real world. A simple day to live for in the company of your best friend with no discrimination or hassle all day – it doesn’t come any better than that.

This is what the white heterosexual male with their vested interest can’t understand.

Their blind prejudices of how their superiority must be preserved at all costs is a myth and their greed will destroy them.

You don’t need the permission of a psychiatrist to have a female brain.

It’s just a case of go out and enjoy it…

Enjoying life...

2008-07-23T22:47:00.003+01:00

This is my ex doing what she does best!

Can she ride it - you bet she can!

I followed her to Italy (twice) and Spain (once) on my Ducati so I should know.

The real objective is brainwashing…

2008-07-22T22:34:00.002+01:00

I’m often asked to talk about why I want to see the mental illness classification of transgender & transsexual people removed.

There are many answers I can give but the simple truth is that it’s only a mental illness because we say so. We of course are the charlatan psychiatrists and their made up theories.

It doesn’t take much research to find that gender theory as we know it is an invention of the sixties and the seventies reflecting the desire to control anyone who posed a threat to society’s norms. In many ways gender theory was a backlash to the promiscuous cultural changes of the era.

It was after all bad enough to let women have their freedom by simple and effective birth control without letting the evil gender benders confuse the heterosexual male and threaten the very fabric of family values.

I love that phrase and similar ones like good working class families that are used by male exploiters the world over to keep women in their place (submissive to men).

After all poor men with all their perceived (actually mostly real) inadequacies have enough to cope with in terms of their fear of rejection by women and the humiliation of being perceived as gay without having to cope with feminist women who were once men.

This is of course not fair on men as these people (transgender and transsexual) have been let into the male club exposed to its rules and know the secrets. God forbid they work with others (women) to bring down the artificial social construct of a male dominated society.

So transsexual and transgender people face made up arbitrary rules if they have to face the medical profession to get hormones or surgery. Of course the closer you are to state control the worse the arbitrary and draconian nature of the laughingly described “standards of care”.

In the NHS Gender Identity Clinics there is no care just a series of barriers and rules that must be obeyed or you will be denied treatment.

Why?

The NHS psychiatrists are charged by the Department of Health with producing a subservient passive “female” entity and the whole process is designed to wear down and break the spirit of the transsexual or transgender person so they know their place in society. (For HM Government that is somewhere below the long term incapacity benefit "scroungers" that they delight in persecuting rather than providing an attractive minimum wage).

My research shows that you can easily divide postoperative transsexuals or rather women, as they should be called, into two distinct types. Those that have been through the NHS Gender Identity Clinics and have become brainwashed into zombie like beings that can’t seem to function without the permission of the medical establishment and those who said “F**k you” to the system and went private and have retained unique interesting personalities.

Perhaps I’m being too simplistic as within the NHS patients there are a few who just lied and played the game and suffered less psychological damage but they are a rarity. The majority have been deeply and permanently damaged.

How do I know this because I’m an expert at analysing people, their motivations and getting them to do something they normally wouldn’t? I’ve studied the techniques of manipulation, mind games if you like and I used them very successfully as a sales consultant (I love that phrase it conjures up so much scheming and subterfuge).

I’ve also studied manipulation of the masses, yes I’ve done my marketing diploma too LOL

What we have in terms of NHS treatment paths copies classic brainwashing techniques and dresses everything up in pseudo-science after all they do it in your "best interest".

The reality is no such thing as treatment paths are just there to protect male supremacy after all who could possibly want to reject their penis unless they were mad!

In the final analysis all this comes down to individual responsibility and decision making versus state control.

I will not allow the State to control my destiny, it is mine to control and no one will brainwash me into believing differently…

I’m now a gender guerrilla…

2008-07-17T17:28:00.003+01:00

Think I'll trade mark the T shirt! LOL

I’ve been advised that in view of the potential legal case against South Staffordshire PCT I should refrain from comments, ridicule, satire etc in this blog in terms of my personal case.

I’ll just say one thing I am a woman.

I have to curtail my comments on my employer too for the same reason still never mind as one day there will be an almighty catch up! LOL

I feel however I must pay tribute to my supporters and one lady in particular- “Dr LR” you are an incredible friend and I’m so glad you’re on my side girl.

One thing I know, whether I win, lose or draw my personal cases, is that eventually the combined power of love and truth will prevail.

I am prepared to sacrifice myself for the greater good of all transsexual and transgender people. My biggest heroes all went to their death because of their beliefs but left a legacy of truth and love that changed the world.

That doesn’t mean as a gender guerrilla I’m intending to become a terrorist or suicide bomber LOL. Everyone who knows me understands that I abhor violence of any sort and whilst I support (and encourage) non-violent direct action that is my limit.

The fight to free all transsexual and transgender people from the stigma and pathologization of a bogus mental illness will never stop and total victory will come.

God bless you all…

Italian state uses mental illness to disguise homophobia...

2008-07-13T11:05:00.000+01:00

Now this story is one of the best illustrations as to why the mental illness classification of transsexual or transgender people must be legally removed on a global basis though we must start here in England.

It is now over 30 years since homosexuality was removed from the list of mental illnesses but if organised religion has it’s way it would be returned to the list of mental illnesses.

It is important to note that if this man (or the Italian state) had declared himself to be transgender or transsexual then the blatant state discrimination would be legal.

Being transgender or transsexual is also a fundamental human right and deserves the same protection from discrimination as homosexuality. This cannot be achieved whilst a bunch of American Caucasian heterosexual males decide what does or doesn’t constitute a mental illness.

An Italian court has ordered the government to pay 100,000 euros (£79,919) to a man who had to retake his driving test because he was gay.

Danilo Giuffrida, now 26, told doctors he was homosexual during a medical examination for military service.

The information was passed to the defence and transport ministries.

Mr Giuffrida was told to repeat his driving test or have his licence suspended because of his "sexual identity disturbance".

Mr Giuffrida passed his test for the second time but his licence was renewed for just one year rather than the usual 10 years because of his homosexuality.

A court in Catania, Sicily, ordered the ministries to pay damages on the basis that Mr Giuffrida's constitutional rights had been breached and that homosexuality could not be considered a "mental illness".

The judge said the actions of the ministries showed "evident sexual discrimination".

Mr Giuffrida welcomed the sentence as "a step forwards for civil rights."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7503861.stm

Observations from the Trades Union Congress LBGT conference…

2008-07-11T14:35:00.005+01:00

I suppose I should start with a positive as the Park Inn Hotel in Southampton Row was lovely and just a stroll from TUC headquarters.

After the excellent fringe meeting with Peter Tatchell (see separate blog entry) and a good pre-conference breakfast things though started to go downhill.

I found Kate & Ina that I had met from our Unite LBGT conference and finally got to see my regional LBGT delegate and our glorious leader.

Why do lesbians assume transsexual women can’t read body language and all the other subtle signals that all women read to survive?

Probably because they can’t understand that whilst you might have been unfortunate to be born with a male body your brain is firmly female.

I don’t really want to get into the nature versus nurture argument here but the fact is transsexual women have no choice but to transition and there is no cure other than permanent change.

So did I believe the false surprise about only just finding out the amendment to the motion was being dismissed by Angela Clayton –nah!

A few words here on that women, I managed to squeeze in 10 minutes of her holding court in the lunchtime transgender meeting, it was not a pleasant experience with her boasting she had gender recognition certificate no 3.

I would have been there for all of it if my delegate had actually done her job properly by preparing a speech based on the two documents I personally emailed her.

Anyway Angela Clayton & Tamsin Piper are the unopposed “elected” members of the TUC LBGT Committee. They offer the same intellectual contribution to transsexual & transgender human rights as Yogi Bear & Boo Boo. Actually I’m being unfair to Yogi & Boo Boo here LOL.

Press for Change of which Angela Clayton is a vice-president have a vested financial interest in the maintenance of the mental illness classification supporting the psychiatric control of transition.

She has an MBE from a grateful government for helping produce a shameful piece of legislation enshrining the role of gender specialists (almost exclusively psychiatrists) into English law.

I noted some delegates appeared to be in awe of her MBE going along with her 20th century reactionary thinking even though what she says is reminiscent of the anti-gay establishment arguments of the 1970s.

I also noted some of her “semi-stealth” supporters exhibiting the attitude that I had a long hard difficult time transitioning so why shouldn’t you.

I abhor this viewpoint and it deserves nothing less than ridicule, as does the transsexual people worry about access to surgery if it’s not a mental illness statement.

There was more but I’m getting bored with repeating their stupidity.

My conclusion is that Press For Change has hijacked the TUC in an attempt to give them a legitimacy that they do not deserve. The whole Union process of LBGT Union politics is a distraction and a waste of my time.

These are the truths that are self-evident:

You do not need permission to change gender.

You do not need approval to change gender.

Changing gender is not a mental illness.

What I’ve learnt on my personal journey is that being female is in the mind whether it is, as I believe, a pre-birth neurological condition or a life style choice doesn’t matter.

The state must acknowledge a permanent change of gender and minus the medical requirement the Gender Recognition Act it does this.

The Sex Discrimination Act definition of intends to undergo gender reassignment is wrong it is the intent to live permanently in the gender opposite to that classified at birth that counts.

It is a fundamental human right of each individual to decide which of the two legal genders they belong to.

It is not wrong to temporarily switch between genders for any reason lifestyle, sexual or other.

If someone wants to live as a “third gender” maybe modifying secondary sexual characteristics by surgery or hormones they have the right to do so.

If someone wants to modify or remove their primary sexual organs they have an absolute right to do so.

At the end of the day all this boils down to individual responsibility and each person accepting that no one else can define or know who/what you are.

Transsexual or Transgender is a Human Rights issue it has nothing to do with psychiatry.

Kate & Ina gave their permission for this image to be used in my blog.

Unite the Union is institutionally transphobic…

2008-07-09T10:37:00.002+01:00

When I transitioned at the biscuit factory Unite then known as the Transport & General Workers Union had already issued a Transgender Policy Guide detailing Union policy for the support of transsexuals in the work place.

My local branch and in particular the union convenor decided this was a policy they could ignore and instead supported a small group of female bigots to drive me out of the business on the basis of not wanting me using female toilet facilities whilst pre-operative.

Management separately adopted a policy of direct harassment of me as an individual that has led to my suspension and that situation continues.

As the Union has provided free legal assistance I let the matter of the breach of Union rules to the paid officials to sort out and instead concentrated on doing my bit to ensure no one else in the union would experience my abuse and persecution.

I prepared a summary and detailed report highlighting the legal employment rights of transgender and transsexual people in the workplace. Both have disappeared into the Union beaurocracy so that should another branch take the same prejudicial approach to a transsexual in transition they can without fear of any sanction.

The core reason for this is the bigots one of you chose to do this so you must expect the consequences and anyway you are mentally ill so you must expect normal men and women not to understand.

Still undeterred I joined the regional LBGT forum and went to the Unite LBGT Conference.

At the conference I got Trevor Phillips the head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to declare that transgender people are not mentally ill.

At the time I was talked out of writing in my blog that the Conference leadership was transphobic but I will declare that now.

Still determined I lobbied my Union to put forward a motion to the TUC LBGT conference declaring that transsexual and transgender people were not mentally ill. I got the support of Region 1 LBGT forum so the executive officers got that twice.

The executive decided this wasn’t the motion T&GW Unite should put forward preferring a meaningless one of physical abuse of each other by gays and lesbians.

Instead an amendment to one put forward by Angela Clayton of Press for Change and Prospect on Trans Equality was submitted.

Angela Clayton who supports the continuation of psychiatric control of transition wrote to my Union twice rejecting the amendment.

At the conference she argued and just won the floor vote by saying that it confused her motion.

My LBGT leadership claimed it only found out her objection on the day of the conference and that they would vote against the main motion if the amendment were not accepted.

They didn’t the statement was as hollow as their support for Trans people in the workplace.

What was worst was that in advance of the conference I had prepared two documents, one in support of our amendment and a second one countering the apologists as I expected Angela Clayton to speak against.

I was deliberately obstructed by a paid union official from speaking to the Unite LBGT leader before the conference.

At the conference the delegate nominated to present the amendment had not read my documents nor prepared a speech.

I had to cobble together a few words for her that she delivered with the conviction of someone embarrassed by having to speak words they didn’t believe.

The delegate that proposed the amendment then waived the right to respond after Angela Clayton had wheeled out someone to actually say transgender people accepted the mental illness classification, as they feared losing treatment!

This is the ultimate stupid argument from Press for Change that have a vested financial interest in the continuing abuse of transsexual & transgender people by the charlatan psychiatrists.

Waving the right to respond added incompetence to transphobia.

It was an embarrassment and a disaster for all transsexual and transgender people in my Union.

Given the appointment of Zuker and Blanchard to review DSM V there was good reason for an emergency motion but there was fat chance of that from my Union because they only pay lip service to the T in LBGT and chose not to understand the Trans issues.

So I walked out of the TUC conference. My LBGT national leader stating Unite would put forward a motion on the mental illness issue next year.

It was meaningless gesture as I have no confidence in Unite T&GWU LBGT group, in particular its leadership, to reverse the institutional transphobia that exists in my Union.

I’ve been betrayed twice by my Union and I won’t let it happen a third time so I’ve quit the LBGT forum and I’ll not return.

Beyond the fringe...

2008-07-07T07:47:00.003+01:00

Last week I went to the TUC LBGT conference. I was supposed to be there two days but I walked out in protest mid-afternoon on the first day. I won't be going back my days in Unite LBGT Forum are over. A full report on that to follow...

The highlight of my visit was however listening to Peter Tatchell speak at a fringe meeting. I admire Peter for his conviction politics and wanted him to support my campaign. He has been too influenced by Press For Change establishment thinking in the past.

Anyway his speech on the abuse of LBGT asylum seekers by our own Government was excellent. It’s clearly case of select your weakest most vulnerable people to achieve your deportation targets. He campaigns well with realism that there are no votes in defending Human rights in this area.

He did however make a very important point that the Unions would never have a better time to change Labour Party policy than now by withholding funding. I don’t think it’ll happen though as the leaders of the Unions are as much a part of New Labour apparatus as the MPs.

That New Labour has replaced consulting Unions with consulting faith groups and the consequential compromising of Human Rights was well made.

There is very little tolerance in either Christian or muslim organised faiths for women, gays or transsexuals.

Afterwards I spoke directly to Peter about the need to remove the mental health stigma for transsexual and transgender people as like gay & lesbian this is something you are born with rather than chose.

“But what does it matter if is a lifestyle choice?” asked Peter.

“It doesn’t at all providing you keep the psychiatrists out!” was my reply.

If you believe as I do in Human Rights then you have to be totally inclusive...

http://www.petertatchell.net/

No T please in LBGT

2008-07-07T07:41:00.001+01:00

At the London Pride event on 5th July 2008 official stewards who were running the toilets at Trafalgar Square announced that transgender or transsexual women had to use the disabled toilets and were not allowed to use the regular women's toilets.

A policeman, who was a LGBT liaison officer, claimed that trans women had to be able to show a Gender Recognition Certificate if they wanted to use the women's toilets.

Now are gay & lesbian people prejudiced?

YES

Countering the apologists…

2008-06-29T23:15:00.002+01:00

One of the things you learn when you transition is that some people who are seemingly supportive are in reality nothing of the sort. I call them the smiling apologists and I think there may be at least one on the TUC LBGT committee.

There are several arguments that they believe are sincerely in your best interest to justify the continuation of the mental illness pathologization of transgender and transsexual people.

Their real interest is self-interest (often financial sometimes political).

Here are the more common ones, what they mean and how to counter the argument.

“You might regret it” (It meaning genital surgery.)

First point a transsexual never does by definition.

A transgender might if they are convinced by a psychiatrist to transition and “go all the way”!

This of course illustrates the person who makes the statement believes you are not capable of making the decision because you are mentally ill.

Fact:

The Mental Capacity Act of 2005 is ignored by NHS psychiatrists as regards transgender & transsexual people.

The Act makes a presumption of capacity - every adult has the right to make his or her own decisions and must be assumed to have capacity to do so unless it is proved otherwise.

Individuals must retain the right to make what might be seen as eccentric or unwise decisions.

“Some people have regretted the decision and sought to have the surgery reversed.”

Yes a tiny vocal minority have. These people’s stories appear time & time again as a justification for the need for multiple assessments over many years. The common factor is that someone else told them they were transsexual rather than transgender.

The reality of transsexualism is that it is a self-diagnosed condition. Only the individual can know the truth. There is a lot of evidence of transsexuals pooling knowledge to fit particular psychiatrists stereotypical views on what constitutes male or female. So you can con any psychiatrist if you want to.

Fact:

The single biggest cause of “regret” or rather dissatisfaction is poor surgical outcome.

For transsexual and transgender people the main symptom is a unique type of depression, Gender Dysphoria.

My team wins I’m euphoric. They lose I’m pissed off, fed up but never dysphoric. Ah but the psychiatrists say Dysphoria is usually experienced during depressive episodes, but in people with bipolar disorder it may also be experienced during manic or hypomanic episodes. Dysphoria in the context of a mood disorder indicates a heightened risk of suicide.

Yes well that’s clear then!

Fact:

Gender Dysphoria, if it did exist, is not caused by being transsexual or transgender. What is being pathologised is the reaction to abuse & rejection by society, friends, family and workmates.

It is the same as coming out if you are gay for transgender people making a temporary change. The difference for transsexual people is that they have no choice other than permanent change.

Transsexuals denied treatment could experience clinical depression and emotional problems, and an increased risk of suicide.

Transition takes years and must be medically supervised for a successful outcome.

It takes two years for legal recognition of a permanent change of gender presentation. Unless you are over 50 and go to Thailand it takes one-year post transition living to qualify for surgery. A psychiatrist’s report is needed but this can be obtained in a one-hour consultation.

Most GPs will not currently prescribe hormone therapy other than on a shared care with a gender specialist luckily not all gender specialists are psychiatrists.

Fact:

Scare stories about the dangers of hormones are not based on valid scientific data. Cross sex hormone therapy has as many benefits as disadvantages.

Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic is the gold standard/global leader in the care of transgender and transsexual people.

This is untrue. They don’t even accept the NHS "Guidance for GPs, other clinicians and health professionals on the care of gender variant people".

No other comments here for fear of a libel/slander case but ask a small cross section of transsexuals and you will many who discharged themselves and went private.

Fact:

NHS Guidance for GPs, other clinicians and health professionals on the care of gender variant people can be downloaded from:

http://www.gires.org.uk/assets/doh-guidelines-for-clinicians.pdf

The transition process can be highly traumatic and may involve the person being off work for a long period of time.

Gender reassignment or rather gender affirmation surgery is not classed as major surgery but there are restrictions on lifting, bathing & sex for three months. After six months most people are fully recovered.

Fact:

Incapacity benefit can be claimed for any period off work.

The Real-Life Test minimises risk of a mistake.

There is no such thing as a test you might be living in male, female or androgynous role but you either alive or dead. The “test” is to ensure maximisation of psychiatrist’s fees.

Fact:

There is no valid statistical medical data to support this invention by psychiatrists.

It is important to demonstrate readiness for surgery.

Another meaningless psychiatric invention to justify delay and therefore more fees. NHS psychiatrists are known to use deliberate delay as a proof of determination to undergo surgery.

Fact:

Delay in surgery has been shown to have no medical benefit rather the reverse.

Transsexualism is a trait, disease, behaviour, desire, mental illness, perversion, paraphilia (sexual perversion), political identity, lifestyle or sin.

Yes please pick one to reveal your particular brand of bigotry. The selection of any of these will reveal your support for heterosexual Caucasian male supremacy.

Most psychiatrists are heterosexual Caucasian males so by definition they can’t understand or chose not to understand anyone other than another heterosexual Caucasian male.

Fact.

There are almost as many conflicting explanations of transsexualism as there are transsexuals. Surprisingly no one states the obvious that each individual is unique. Too dangerous that as it undermines social theory.

There are lots more ridiculous statements used to justify the mental illness pathologization but here are a selection of quotes that show the problems we face.

All these are from original letters in my possession so can be used without fear of libel or slander LOL

Quote Rosie Winterton Minister of State August 2006

The Department of Health is not responsible for deciding what is considered a mental disorder.

Surgeons are reluctant to commit to surgery in the absence of reassurance that the psychological impact of surgery will not be a negative one.

Quote Mrs S E Price Interim Chief Executive East Staffordshire Primary Care Trust September 2006

The recommendation of the Department of Health is that no gender dysphoria work is undertaken in the private sector because of the lack of certainty that standard protocols will be followed.

The NHS does not carryout cosmetic surgery. If this condition was not defined as a mental disorder, surgery would not be considered for funding by the NHS.

Evidence shows that there area large proportion of people who having had surgery regret the decision and some seek reversal.

Quote Rosie Winterton Minister of State October 2006

The majority of transgender people support the Benjamin Association’s Standards of Care.

The issues facing the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Department for Health are rather different.

The Department for Constitutional Affairs had declared transsexualism is NOT a mental illness.

Quote Stuart Poyner Chief Executive South Staffordshire PCT December 2006

The inclusion of Dr Richard Curtis of the London Gender Clinic on a list of approved specialists issued by the Gender Recognition Panel does not make him an appropriate person for the PCT to refer your constituent to in respect of our clinical pathway.

Quote Rosie Winterton Minister of State January 2007

There is no specific exclusion in the Mental Health Bill for gender dysphoria and the position regarding gender identity disorders remains unchanged.

We acknowledge that gender dysphoria is clinically recognised as a mental disorder.

Quote Rosie Winterton Minister of State February 2007

We do acknowledge that those who have successfully made the transition from one gender to another may no longer have a mental health issue.

Quote Rosie Winterton Minister of State May 2007

It is not a matter for the Department of Health to define or differentiate between gender dysphoria & transsexualism.

The Department for Health does not see how transsexualism could reasonably be classed as sexual deviancy.

So there you have it.

The Department of Health is a law unto itself.

Psychiatrists will always support the mental illness classification.

The Human Rights issue of declaring someone mentally ill without any statistically valid scientific evidence is ignored.

We took HM Government to the European Court of Human Rights to get the Gender Recognition Act and now it is time to go back and rid ourselves of the curse of the mental illness classification.

I know what faith is…

2008-06-22T15:53:00.001+01:00

Last night I went to bed mentally & physically shattered. Emotionally whilst I’d resolved in my heart to fight on my head said I would lose. I’d deduced the arguments and tactics that my PCT plan to use against me and couldn’t see a counter.

As usual I said a little prayer and surprisingly fell into a very deep sleep.

Today I awoke with the solution and the tactics clear in my mind. My guardian angel (if you like) had planted it firmly in my mind.

I don’t remember any dreams (not like me that), which is why I’ve said guardian angel, but all I know is that I didn’t consciously think the solution through.

I now know that I can beat this evil PCT & Charing Cross who think they are so clever as people underestimate me time & time again.

I’m not going to spell things out at this stage but I have faith that I can win this battle both for myself and for all transsexual people.

Truth and justice are based on love and faith.

Moving close to legal confrontation…

2008-06-21T14:00:00.002+01:00

I’ve just received a letter from my PCT turning down my application for surgery with Mr Phil Thomas at the Sussex Nuffield.

Now I have to be careful what I say in this blog as the Chief Executive of the PCT has in the past accused me of being a bully by criticising NHS employees. To be specific it was a criticism of an NHS gender specialist that I could back up with evidence but then my PCT yet again likes to ignore or distort evidence.

As far as I can tell the PCT (maybe backed by the Department of Health) is determined not to let me establish the legal precedent that having obtained a gender recognition certificate I am entitled to be placed directly on the surgical waiting list without having to submit to the vagaries of Charing Cross psychiatrists.

This is my initial response to my GP before I prepare a report for her that if the Chief Executive of the PCT rejects will move us to a judicial review at the very least.

Happy days LOL

Dear Dr XXX,

Individual Treatment Panel Response for funding for surgery with Mr Phil Thomas at Sussex Nuffield

This is to advise you that I will require you to make a formal appeal.

I will be producing a full report for you to submit to the PCT.

However to be frank I am utterly staggered by both the ignorance of current best practice and the misinformation given to the people considering my case.

For example in the latest letter they acknowledge that Sussex Nuffield has zero rates of MRSA etc. but don’t state the Charing Cross rates. As they know that Charing Cross rates are not zero they know that I am at higher risk.

Most importantly the PCT alleges that as the Sussex Nuffield does not provide follow up for patients beyond three months then the cost of the five years of follow up provided by Charing Cross for any gender reassignment repair surgery must be topped up making the true cost of Sussex Nuffield considerably greater than that of Charing Cross. This is misinformation.

Any physical re-examinations of a patient’s surgery over five years can be conducted by any GP it does not require a visit to Charing Cross.

They are deliberately confusing five years of gender specialist follow up with physical examination. As I pay for this with my gender specialist the cost of top up in my case is zero.

I have a gender specialist recognised by HM Government and who is a co-author of the “NHS Guidance for GPs, other clinicians and health professionals on the care of gender variant people” a document that the PCT should be aware of. I have no intention of changing my specialist and I will bear the cost myself until such time as this PCT recognises his worth.

Additionally they ignore the most important exceptional circumstance in my case in that I have a female birth certificate having met the strict medical conditions for granting a gender recognition certificate. This is proof absolute of having met the globally recognised criteria for access to surgery.

The PCT is not offering me direct access to surgery it is asking me to get in an eighteen month to two year queue to see a Charing Cross Psychiatrist who will ignore the Gender Recognition Act & the Mental Capacity Act and insist on numerous appointments with himself and/or colleagues before on average a further two to three years later allowing me access to surgery providing I meet his stereotypical views of what being female entails.

My advice is that the PCT / Charing Cross policy could be shown to be illegal as regards people with gender recognition certificates.

Additionally the British Medical Association policy that states:

“Patients who are entitled to NHS funded treatment may opt into or out of NHS care at any stage. Patients who have had private consultation for investigations and diagnosis may transfer to the NHS for any subsequent treatment. They should be placed directly on the waiting list at the same position as if their original consultation had been within the NHS.”

My position is that as I am legally female, have completed consultations, investigations and diagnosis and therefore entitled to be placed directly on the waiting list for surgery something the PCT is refusing by the selective use of a single inflexible supplier and their letter is a poor attempt to hide their unreasonable refusal.

I will not give up on this battle with the PCT whatever the cost to myself.

I have been obstructed over the past three years by members/employees of the PCT such that any reasonable person would conclude this is prejudice.

I would however like to thank you personally for supporting my case.

Yours sincerely,

Maggie Fiona Fox

Copies to Janet Dean MP and Dr Richard Curtis http://www.transhealth.co.uk/

NHS Guidance for GPs, other clinicians and health professionals on the care of gender variant people can be downloaded from:

http://www.gires.org.uk/assets/doh-guidelines-for-clinicians.pdf

Watch this space!

Onwards to the LBGT Trades Union Conference

2008-06-18T12:10:00.002+01:00

THE CASE FOR TUC UNITE AMENDMENT

Prospect motion:

Conference calls on the TUC to lobby the Government to introduce protections for trans people equal to those for persons protected on sexual orientation grounds.

Unite amendment

Delete full stop and add including:

I. Immediate exclusion of transsexual and transgender people from the Mental Health Act and abolishing the mental illness classification
II. Removal of the medical qualification from the Gender Recognition act and
III. Extending the new proposal to make incitement of homophobic hatred illegal to cover transgender and transsexual people

In February 2008 at the Unite LBGT conference I challenged Trevor Phillips Head of the UK Equality Human Rights Commission to respond to my question:

Can transsexual people count on the Equality Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to remove the mental illness classification?

Will EHRC see that “gender dysphoria” is confined to the dustbin of history and that laws are amended to bring transsexual people the same human rights as the rest of the LGB community?

His response was I don’t understand what gender dysphoria is and I have no intention of finding out! Being transgender is not a mental illness.

So this amendment from my Union is a continuation of the campaign.

The words transsexual and transgender are used, as whilst transsexual has an accepted medical & legal definition transgender doesn’t.

It is important that whatever label an individual chooses the law protects them.

THE ARGUMENT FOR IMMEDIATE EXCLUSION OF TRANSSEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH ACT AND ABOLISHING THE MENTAL ILLNESS CLASSIFICATION

In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association under pressure & direct action from Gay activists removed homosexuality as a listed mental illness from their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

However a new diagnosis, "ego-dystonic homosexuality," was created for the DSM's third edition in 1980. This meant someone who had "distress" about their sexual orientation.

So this was a “slight of hand”!

In 1986, the diagnosis was removed from the DSM but the vestige of "ego-dystonic homosexuality" in the revised DSM-III reoccurred under "Sexual Disorders Not Otherwise Specified," which included persistent and marked distress about one's sexual orientation.

So it was still there!

The DSM 4th Edition (DSM-IV) was published in 1994, followed in 2000 by the DSM IV, Text Revision, or DSM-IV-TR. included "transvestic fetishism" and "gender identity disorder" (GID) as disorders.

So homosexuality was traded for transsexual and transgender!

Recent revisions of the DSM have made these diagnostic categories increasingly ambiguous, conflicted and over inclusive.

They reinforce false, negative stereotypes of gender variant people and at the same time fail to legitimize the medical necessity of sex reassignment surgeries (SRS) and procedures for transsexual women and men who urgently need them.

The result was that widening segments of gender non-conforming youth and adults being subject to diagnosis of psychosexual disorder, stigma and loss of civil liberty.

But it now gets worse!

Dr Kenneth Zucker will head the review of gender dysphoria at the American Psychiatric Association for DSM V.

Dr Ray Blanchard will help Dr Zucker.

This pair is famous for believing that transsexual women are gay men without penises (Blanchard) and that gender dysphoric children can be cured by conversion therapy (Zucker).

That translates as gender affirmation surgery is not justified and beat the shit out of children if they seem gender variant.

Zucker & Blanchard ignore the fact that there is no valid empirical evidence for their perverted theories. Their theories are based on selected feedback from selected subjects many of whom were desperate to gain access to medical treatment such they would say and feedback whatever their interrogator wanted to hear.

Professional norms simply do not support the idea that being “transgender or transsexual” is a form of mental illness or is inherently linked to psychopathology.

It is time for the medical professions to affirm that difference is not disease, nonconformity is not pathology, and uniqueness is not illness.

Scientists now accept the evidence that sexual orientation is set in the womb but dither about gender because of the influence of heterosexual male dominated organised religion’s powerful political lobby.

For the LBGT community there is now no option other than forcing psychiatrists by law to accept that the same set in the womb evidence that applies to homosexuality also applies to transsexual & transgender people.

The time for negotiation is long past!

The UK Mental Health Act of 2007 widened the application of the provisions of the 1983 Act to cover all mental disorders, not just those which fell within one of the four original categories.

The Act covers disorders that were forms of personality disorder which would not be considered legally to be "mental illness" and which do not fall within the current definition of psychopathic disorder because they do not result in abnormally aggressive or seriously irresponsible conduct on the part of the person concerned.

That translates as anyone who has Gender Dysphoria or Gender Identity Disorder is subject to the Mental Health Act that could result in their sectioning, for example, by refusing to accept the mental illness classification!

This is the most appalling State intervention and denial of individual Human Rights and must not be allowed to continue.

This can only be achieved by the abolition of the mental illness classification for transsexual & transgender people.

THE ARGUMENT FOR REMOVAL OF THE MEDICAL QUALIFICATION FROM THE GENDER RECOGNITION ACT

The Gender Recognition Act sets out a procedure for applying to a Gender Recognition Panel for a Gender Recognition Certificate.

You can apply if:

You are at least 18 years of age

Have or have had gender dysphoria

Have fully lived in the acquired gender for at least two years

Intend to continue to live in your acquired gender for the rest of your life.

The Act is bad law as it confuses law and medicine enshrining the diagnosis of gender dysphoria and psychiatric treatment when all that is required is recognition of permanent change.

The medical questions include

Has your patient undergone surgical treatment for the purpose of modifying sexual characteristics?

Yes. If you are able to, please list the surgical procedures undergone.

No. Please explain why no surgery has been undertaken for this purpose!

Whilst these questions do not require primary surgical intervention to have taken place they indicate that it should be intended.

This of course is the same basis as the qualification for transsexual people to have employment protection under the Sex Discrimination Act.

Intention to undertake gender reassignment must be replaced with intention to live permanently in a gender different to that assigned at birth in that Act.

The existing act fails to recognise that diagnosis can only be determined by the individual concerned.

There are no tests that provide a definitive diagnosis and that surgery is a personal decision and has no bearing on identity.

THE ARGUMENT FOR EXTENDING THE NEW PROPOSAL TO MAKE INCITEMENT OF HOMOPHOBIC HATRED ILLEGAL TO COVER TRANSGENDER AND TRANSSEXUAL PEOPLE

Transsexualism is neither a ‘lifestyle’ choice nor a mental disorder, but a condition that is now widely recognised to be largely innate and somatic.

It has been shown that the condition cannot be cured by any conventional psychiatric interventions, psychoanalytic, eclectic, aversion treatment, or by any standard psychiatric drugs, it is not responsive to psychiatric treatments.

The diagnosis of this condition can only be derived from the self-reports of those experiencing it; and research indicates that neurodevelopment of the brain before birth is implicated in severe gender dissonance.

Transgenderism may or may not be a permanent change of gender and may even be no more than a temporary androgynous presentation.

Regrettably society contains elements that will unchecked by the rule of law take it that they have a divine right to abuse or punish anyone who fails to conform to what they consider their binary heterosexual norms.

Transsexual & transgender people live in constant fear of confrontation and physical attack based on bigotry and prejudice.

Whilst existing laws can be used to prosecute those that inflict physical injury or harassment the people that incite these actions are left immune from prosecution.

For example any transsexual who has transitioned in a shop floor environment can testify that it is not the bullies themselves that are the problem it is the people behind them inciting the hatred. Existing laws are inadequate in this area.

In Trevor Phillips address to the Unite LBGT Conference he stated that no religious group should be exempt from incitement to hatred and this must be made law in terms of transphobia.

Most transsexual people and some transgender people see their gender presentation in terms of expression of their core identity rather than their sexuality but the general public simply cannot grasp this distinction.

That means that primary legislation is required so that this lack of distinction is not exploited to exclude any transsexual or transgender people from the protection of the law.

These amendments aren’t about evolution they are about revolution.

The TUC must be a leader in the battle that replaces sin and disease with pride and strength, and these amendments are only the beginning.

You do not need anyone’s permission to change gender.

You do not need anyone’s approval to change gender.

Changing gender is NOT a mental illness.

Acknowledgements to:

http://www.tsroadmap.com/

http://www.gires.org.uk/assets/doh-guidelines-for-clinicians.pdf

The problem with Transgender is too many Mollies…

2008-06-13T23:44:00.004+01:00

Now I’ve always been a person of many layers a bit like those Russian Dolls. I’ve always resisted the layers being completely peeled back as a sort of protection of the inner me. I let people get close but never that close probably fearing that while the four outer ones would be male the innermost one would be female – my terrible secret.

That is my definition of transsexual because it is your innermost and true identity that eventually will out. Then of course the issue becomes what do you do about it and the political debate starts...

One thing I know is that peeling back the layers of your mind can be a very emotional process but it’s not a mental illness. The realisation of the sex of your soul is a challenge no matter how strong your spirit.

In my case I resisted the inevitable too long & too hard though subsequent events have shown I had good reason. The euphoria of transition soon put to the test by society’s prejudice & intolerance. Sometimes I think the institutionalised prejudicial attitude displayed towards transsexual and transgender people illustrates the distance we still have to go to get equality between men & women.

Now in there lies the ethical dilemma as the politics of transgender raises huge fundamental questions of balance of human rights and even the definition of male & female. It can all get very complicated, if you want it, by labels and definitions but essentially the debate comes down to conflicting rights of those who make a permanent change and those who don’t.

Those who make a permanent changer of gender presentation mostly see this as a change of sex regardless of whether they undergo surgical changes to primary sexual characteristics. Permanent change of gender presentation equals rights to a new legal status, birth certificates and marriage. English Law allows this without a requirement for surgery though it does require you to admit to a bogus mental illness.

In the UK legal protection is given to those “who intend to undergo gender reassignment” and here in lies the crux of the transgender argument between those who say that means surgical changes to primary sexual characteristics and those who say no it doesn’t or that a third gender/sex or range of genders/sexes applies.

Confused? You should be!

Now pile into that the issue of sexuality and group together all Trans people within LBGT and the confusion is total for the general public especially the men who like their cyber Lady Boy fantasies.

So where do we go from here?

Well one thing for certain is that we must abolish the mental illness classification no matter what you call yourself as until we do we give the world an underlying excuse for their prejudice.

It is undoubtedly true that the worst examples of prejudice any Trans person In the UK will face is in the medical establishment and the way things are heading then gay & lesbian people will be dragged back into mental illness pathologization if they display the slightest non-binary gender presentation.

The problem is that LBGT appears to have adopted the transvestic fetishist agenda making demands for “equal rights” for men who temporarily change or modify their gender presentation. OK they’ll hate me for using transvestic fetishist, which is why they have grabbed and confused the transgender identity with their hierarchical pre-operative and post-operative transsexual approach.

But then what’s new there, these are men after all and they can’t cope with recognising women as equals so how can they understand those who make permanent change to primary sexual organs.

So why can’t the transvestites use the original name of Mollies then we can have LBGM so Transgender can separate, as M would indicate a sexual preference whereas T certainly doesn’t.

Far too simple!

That’s the problem with Transgender really it just contains too many Mollies…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molly_house

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transwomen

On the outside looking in…

2008-06-06T11:02:00.001+01:00

I’ve just had a mini holiday at Gravesend; yes Gravesend I know that’s not everyone’s idea of a holiday destination. I suppose it’s a scaled up market town with a history of river Thames commerce and a famous death – Pocahontas. Still it was a nice break from Uttoxeter.

I stayed with “L” and yet again learnt a lot more about myself. “L” has a unique ability to get into the deepest recesses of my mind, the bit I keep the rest of the world out of. It can be scary and emotional but each time I emerge stronger and refreshed or is it purged?

So “L” and I shared some laughs and some tears but I wouldn’t have missed the experience for anything. I’m incredibly stressed at the moment and this mini break gave me the strength to fight on in terms of the important stuff but not be afraid to let go the rest.

There were lots of fun times, as well as the serious stuff. The highlights included seeing the new Harrison Ford film, a walk by the Thames and visits to the retail cathedral that is Bluewater.

The South East is now incredibly cosmopolitan but I worry about the social extremes the Caucasian haves in their retail temples whilst the Caucasian have-nots scurry about in their hoodies amongst an ethnically diverse underclass.

In my best dreams the haves and have-nots merge but in my nightmares the evil of capitalism destroys any hope of social cohesion denying a rebellion by the dumbing down of education. Never confuse quantity with quality a lesson our political masters ignore.

So I had a week observing society rather than participating but then that’s a holiday isn’t it regardless of whether it’s Torremolinos or Gravesend…

Just two more law changes & job is done...

2008-05-25T22:00:00.004+01:00

I don't care about the politics of temporary change in gender presentation but I passionately care about the rights of people who make a permanent change of gender.

This is a copy of my letter to my MP Janet Dean on the issue of incitement to hatred.

Dear Janet,

I’ve now discovered that without fanfare the changes to Discrimination for Goods & Services in terms of protection for transsexual people have passed into law.

The regulations rightly only cover people who intend to undergo or have undergone gender reassignment.

I found an excellent HM Government Factsheet available at http://www.equalities.gov.uk/legislation/index.htm see the last paragraph link - 080408_factsheet.doc.

So I have no more issues with HM Government on that.

I think I confused you at our last meeting though as my concern is not quite what you put in your letter to Jack Straw.

What I actually meant was that incitement to hatred on the grounds of intended or actual gender reassignment needed to be an offence in the same way as incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.

I am concerned that with the emphasis on incitement to hatred on sexual orientation transsexual people may be overlooked.

I found no mention at all of incitement to hatred against transsexual people in the Hansard copies you kindly sent me hence my continuing concern.

Finally thank you for your support regarding my personal case. I await the imminent decision of South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust with some optimism now.

Kind regards,

Maggie Fiona Fox

Protection for transsexual people in goods & services...

2008-05-24T14:28:00.004+01:00

Amending the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 to implement the Gender Directive – goods, facilities, services and premises

Introduction

The Gender Directive implements the principle of equal treatment between men and women in relation to the access to and supply of goods and services. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA) and the Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 (SDO), which apply to both women and men, are the main pieces of legislation in Great Britain and Northern Ireland which prohibit certain kinds of discrimination on the ground of sex, including intention to undergo, undergoing or having undergone gender reassignment.

Scope – excluded matters

The Directive does not cover:

(a) Education (including vocational training);
(b) The content of media and advertisements;
(c) The provision of goods, facilities or services (not normally provided on a commercial basis) at a place (permanently or for the time being) occupied or used for the purposes of an organised religion.”.

That means that the SDA and SDO have not been amended so far as they relate to these areas.

Indirect discrimination

The Regulations have extended the Directive-based definition of indirect discrimination that already applies in the employment field to goods, facilities, services and premises other than in relation to the excluded matters.

Harassment

The Regulations apply the freestanding definition of sex harassment, sexual harassment and gender reassignment harassment that applies in the employment field to goods, facilities, services and premises other than in relation to the excluded matters.

Gender reassignment

The Regulations extend the protection against direct discrimination and harassment, in the employment field to also apply to goods, facilities, services and premises other than in relation to the excluded matters. This is because European case law means that sex includes gender reassignment for these purposes

Single-sex exceptions

The Regulations also amend the single-sex provisions in the SDA and SDO, other than in relation to the excluded matters, to allow for different treatment of transsexual people on the ground of gender reassignment where such treatment is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Insurance

The premiums and benefits for a transsexual person should only be based on that person’s acquired gender if they hold a Gender Recognition Certificate and have therefore legally changed their gender from their birth sex; in all other cases premiums and benefits will be based on birth gender.

Burden of proof

The Regulations amend the SDA and SDO so that as is already the case in the employment field, in goods, facilities, services and premises other than in relation to the excluded matters, it is first up to the claimant to establish facts which could, in the absence of an adequate explanation from the respondent, lead to a conclusion that there had been discrimination. The burden of proof then shifts from the claimant to the respondent to show that there is a non-discriminatory reason for their actions.

Making a claim – the questionnaire procedure

With a view to helping a person who considers they may have been wronged under the SDA or SDO decide whether to bring a claim to a tribunal or court, whichever applies, a questionnaire is provided – the SD74. The Regulations now require that in respect of claims under the goods, facilities, services and premises provisions other than in relation to the excluded matters, once the questionnaire is served on a respondent, the respondent must reply within eight weeks beginning on the day when the questionnaire was served on them, which is already the case in the employment field.
Further information and advice

Equality and Human Rights Commission

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) champions equality and human rights for all, working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and build good relations. The EHRC can also advise individuals who consider that their rights have been breached.

Addresses and phone numbers

England

Equality and Human Rights Commission Helpline England
Freepost RRLL-GHUX-CTRX
Arndale House
Arndale Centre
Manchester
M4 3EQ
0845 604 6610 - England main number 0845 604 6620 - England textphone
0845 604 6630 - England fax
9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday to Friday (an out-of-hours service will start running soon)

Wales

Equality and Human Rights Commission Helpline Wales
Freepost RRLR-UEYB-UYZL
1st Floor
3 Callaghan Square
Cardiff
CF10 5BT
0845 604 8810 - Wales main number 0845 604 8820 - Wales textphone
0845 604 8830 - Wales fax
9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday to Friday (an out-of-hours service will start running soon)

Scotland

Equality and Human Rights Commission Helpline Scotland
Freepost RRLL-GYLB-UJTA
The Optima Building
58 Robertson Street
Glasgow
G2 8DU
0845 604 5510 - Scotland Main 0845 604 5520 - Scotland Textphone
0845 604 5530 - Scotland – Fax
9:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday to Friday (an out-of-hours service will start running soon)

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
Equality House
7 - 9 Shaftesbury Square
Belfast
BT2 7DP

Telephone : 028 90 500 600 Textphone : 028 90 500 589
Enquiry Line : 028 90 890 890
Fax : 028 90 248 687
Email : information@equalityni.org

You must chose one or the other one but neither of them will be what they claim…

2008-05-23T22:51:00.000+01:00

In case you’ve not noticed I’m a bit of a fan of Manchester, now that’s the City not the football teams. So yesterday’s trip to my hairdresser was a real pleasure. It was great to look out of the train and see the white thorn bushes & trees in full bloom.

I think the English thorn is very underrated. The Japanese get dead misty eyed about cherry blossom time and they are nice but the English red thorn sort of sums up our nation. Hey you Japs you do wishy-washy pink but we do real red!

I just love the splash of red amongst the hedgerows of white – magnificent!

When I got To Piccadilly I had to smile at the number of men still in their ManU shirts in the bars or walking towards the station looking a tad worse for wear. Still it had been a party and the free copy of the Manchester Evening News was dominated by United success.

On about page 8 of the newspaper one article however caught my eye (and the girls at my hairdressers) as it described how a woman with her partner were refused the morning after contraceptive pill as a muslim chemist refused to supply and how the royal college of pharmacists thought this OK in their guidelines!

I mean what is going on here. A fundamental human right for a woman in England is to choose when and if to get pregnant and if pregnant have the right to terminate. This obviously includes suspicion and the morning after pill.

No religious group, especially a male dominated one, has the right to say ah but I don’t approve so you can’t. If a pharmacist or a doctor has an issue with this fundamental woman’s right to choose then they should not be in medicine.

Now talking of human rights the more I think about transgender rights the less I understand exactly what it is Press For Change and others think they are missing.

I think transgender can be divided into two simple categories permanent change and temporary change. In my earlier article I argued that the same rights for someone changing gender presentation at whim is nonsense. Today I am dressed as a woman so I am female; today I am dressed as a man so I am male. No it doesn’t work does it!

OK next we have those who intend to have gender reassignment and those that don’t. Well the keyword is intend, as the law actually doesn’t insist you do have a surgical sex change.

Therefore someone who has had no surgery can change sex legally after 2 years given proof of living in their chosen gender, committing to a lifelong change and convincing a HM Government approved gender specialist that this a permanent change and then enjoy the full protection of the law for the gender they have transitioned to.

This is the most liberal gender recognition policy in the world and if you can’t do that then you remain the sex you were allocated at birth. I fail to see how this is a problem for non-operative people. I have a friend who is in this category and will never change and so what!

There simply is no issue here unless you switch back and forth and dislike the two-gender system that underpins our society.

“You must chose one or the other one but neither of them will be what they claim” Bob Dylan. OK he didn’t have transgender people in mind but it’s a great summary. (Actually he was singing about fortune or fame.)

So that’s where we inevitably end up with transsexual people or rather the permanent changers now well protected by law and able to be their true sex whereas the transvestites or temporary transgender can’t.

That is only right and proper.

Remember a transgender is for life not just for Manchester Gay Village on a Wednesday night LOL

Trouble with him is he’s got bloke syndrome…

2008-05-19T16:31:00.005+01:00

I was talking to a girlfriend about a guy we both know and how stuck in his ways he was even though he’d done a lot of travelling about in his youth as he’s now in his 40s he won’t go anywhere he doesn’t know. “Has he got social anxiety disorder?” I asked. The reply was “Nah he’s just got bloke syndrome!” LOL

There then followed a giggly conversation about defining bloke syndrome and we concluded the symptoms were:

#1 inability to accept science based fact

#2 stubbornness

#3 arrogance

#4 a belief that women are inferior to men

#5 no dress sense

#6 being unnecessarily noisy

#7 rating women by the size of their tits

#8 believing sexuality defines the person

#9 making football a religion

#10 thinking they are irresistible to women when they are drunk

There are more symptoms of bloke syndrome but we got bored at this stage LOL

It did make me think though about the Trans agenda and how only men could say that transgender people need the same rights as transsexual people!

Lets see for transgender:

Drag Queens obviously feel victimised by their parody of women being disbelieved.

Hairy panty wearers have to be protected from the embarrassment of discovery.

Cross dressers need headless photographs made acceptable on ID cards.

Gay or bisexual Transvestic fetishists need protection from admitting their sexuality.

Transvestites need to have full legal rights dependent on how they are dressed that day. So dual birth certificates etc. please?

That’s bloke syndrome isn’t it?

Lets be clear the idea that people need additional protection of their legal rights simply because of a temporary change in gender presentation is ridiculous.

But of course if you say that the majority of transgender people don’t want gender reassignment you are telling the truth though better still no transgender person wants gender reassignment!

I found this in Hansard:

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many gender reassignment operations were carried out by NHS trusts between January 2007 and January 2008; and at what cost. [196798]?

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not yet held by the Department. However, the amount of transgender procedures carried out in the national health service in previous years, from 2002 to 2006, are shown in the following table.

Male to Female / Female to Male
2002-03 79 / 2
2003-04 83 / 1
2004-05 99 / 0
2005-06 97 / 4

Note: Data for 2006-07 and 2007-08 is not yet available. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics data.

Now that just shows you how few we are in terms of numbers OK multiply that by what 2 or 3 for private surgery and you get a correlation to the number of gender recognition certificates issued.

So you should get the picture by now?

Transsexual people are far too small in number to justify the gender confusion industry that has grown out of the false assumption by heterosexual or gay males that we must be mad to want to have our penises turned inside out.

But with transgender boy do we have a different picture, all those poor men confused by their sexual desires into believing that there is a hierarchy with hairy panty wearers at the base and post operative transsexuals at the pyramid.

This is what Zucker & Blanchard believe and they will establish in DSM V thereby preserving the income of the gender confusion psychiatric specialists.

Ably supported by Press for Change I can at best see a third gender emerging to catch all these men.

Transsexual people are a sacrificial part of the process of capitalist gain from treating bloke syndrome or gender dysphoria - pick your preferred condition.

That’s why the only way to protect the human rights of those who make a permanent change of gender is to declare the mental illness pathologisation illegal.

We now have protection from harassment & discrimination in employment and goods and services, we have the right to new birth certificates and a legal right to surgery. It would be nice to add additional protection from incitement to hatred whilst in transition but the only major right we demand is to be free of the mental health industry.

These are our human rights:

No transsexual person requires the permission of anyone to make a permanent change of gender.

No transsexual person needs the approval of anyone to make a permanent change of gender.

A permanent change of gender is not a mental illness.

A permanent change of gender is recognised as a change of sex in a binary sex world.

Transsexual representation at TUC & other issues...

2008-05-18T12:05:00.001+01:00

Hello LLL,

I'm troubled by some of things that are being said or not said in terms of protecting transsexual people's interests in the TUC & Unite.

I've got involved with the T in LBGT despite huge personal reservations about grouping cross dressers, drag queens and transvestic fetishists with transsexual people.

I try my best to explain that transsexual people are not motivated by any sexual orientation or practice and that our issue is acceptance of our identity in terms of a binary sex society. We are not a third sex we transition to the sex our brain dictates but that seems too simple for the majority to accept.

Most importantly we are not prepared to accept any more the pathologisation of a bogus mental illness.

I also try my best to ensure that no one ever has to endure the promotion of bigotry by their own branch officials ever again.

So OK I was more than a little disappointed by the rejection of the Unite TUC motion I proposed but having had time to read and reflect on both the Unite and TUC LBGT minutes & newsletter I am even more concerned and would like some answers to these questions please.

#1 Why is there no transsexual representative on the Unite LBGT national forum on a reserved place basis obviously put to the vote if there are multiple nominations?

#2 What is the situation as regards transsexual representation at the TUC LBGT Committee and again is there a reserved place for a transsexual person basis obviously put to the vote if there are multiple nominations?

#3 What does "It was agreed to amend a motion on transgender & transsexuals to take into account R1 & R5 motions" actually mean? What is the motion & who is presenting it?

#4 Why in the TUC newsletter does it say under EHRC "TUC was invited to a stakeholder LGB meeting In Manchester on 10 April. Trans issues are being covered separately although there are issues about how far equivalent weight is given to this, which the TUC has taken up" but gave no details?

#5 Who from the TUC is talking to the EHRC on behalf of transsexual union members?

#6 Under TUC trans goods & services regulations it says that a trans activist is centrally involved in the production of Guidance promised by Government but who is this person & who are they accountable to?

My conclusion so far is that transsexual people's rights have been compromised in the great "Trans" political agenda promoted by the self interest group Press For Change and that Unite & the TUC is playing along to this agenda. I trust that your answers will convince me this is not the case.

LLL, I am a human rights activist with a rather obvious interest in transsexual people's human rights. I don't seek personal gain or advancement but I do seek access to lobby those who have power and influence and win their hearts & minds through logical science based argument. So far I get the impression I'm trying to lobby a sponge!

I look forward to your reply.

Regards and Solidarity,

Maggie

The trouble with working with gay people is that they are gay…

2008-05-17T23:33:00.001+01:00

I went to the Unite Regional LBGT Forum on Friday with “J” my gay friend & fellow Human Rights Activist. Met “J” at the pub and squeezed into his office (that’s his car) paperwork everywhere but then “J” consumes copious amounts of Hansard & other documents. He’s very well read you know…

Anyway I’m not going to attempt minutes of the meeting that’s someone else’s role but I will give you my take on it.

“J” and I had lunch at Weatherspoons. Why is it so hard to get a healthy option on a menu? I asked the bar lady how hot the three bean chilli was and she said mild & it was. It was nice except they had lobbed in some full fat soft cheese on top and there were chilli crisps with the rice. I suppose they were there to placate the fatties who don’t think anything tastes right under 20% fat content? I only ate the healthy bits. Then we walked to Regional HQ “J” said I was a hit with a guy walking towards us until he thought “J” & I were together LOL

Right to the meeting:

Region 1 had submitted a very similar motion to mine calling on HM Government to declare that the USA DSM IV classification of transsexual people being mentally ill must not apply to United Kingdom citizens. Both my motion and theirs were rejected for one on homophobic crime & domestic violence.

I worry about this issue being used by the psychiatrists, you know gay people are so full of self-loathing they beat each other up.

Interestingly it was also agreed to amend a motion on transgender and transsexuals to take into account R1 and my motion.

There were no specifics so I probably won’t get to hear them before the TUC LBGT Conference on 3rd & 4th July

I made the point that there is no transgender or transsexual person on the National LBGT forum and that given we were a minority within a minority there should be a reserved place with elections if there were more than 1 nomination.

I’m not sure about transgender or transsexual representation on the TUC LBGT but I’ll find out as I discovered that the TUC was invited to a stakeholder LGB meeting In Manchester on 10 April. It stated Trans issues are being covered separately but gave no details.

I’ll send a suitable email next week.

I had to laugh at a slight moan by the L or B author of the TUC LGBT newsletter who wrote “in the area of the new European directive on legal protection against discrimination in non employment areas trans people are meant to benefit from existing gender laws”. The piece was headed “Stop the Euro Retreat” essentially flagging up that new proposed directives are becoming “recommendations” to appease the fascists and religious bigots that we’ve recently included in the extended European Community.

Equality for all? Well only in those states that believe in equality. It is reported that Germany took the lead in saying that disability should be the only discriminatory offence covered by statute. We worry about Neo-Nazi – we haven’t rid ourselves of the old Nazi yet!

I’m finding hard to resist Hitler Youth and organised religion jokes here!

Under Developments in UK Law the TUC reported that the prohibition of discrimination on goods and services on grounds of gender reassignment had been enacted since 6 April 2008. That passed by without a fanfare at Press For Change! (Or anywhere else for that matter)

There are the usual exemptions for religious reasons when there should be none especially for religions that consider women deficient and the property of men.

Most worryingly it says there is a trans activist involved centrally with HM Government in the production of Guidance for the Discrimination Law Review now I guess that’ll be an unaccountable member of Press For Change making sure their vested interests are maintained. More on this to follow…

Looking on the web for the Sex Discrimination (amendment of Legislation) Regulations 2008 I couldn’t find a good write up of the implications of the legislation just a .pdf of the act.

Still it does explicitly state that sexual harassment, harassment on the grounds of sex and gender reassignment and harassment in the provision of goods, facilities, services or premises is unlawful.

It seems to reverse the burden of proof so that it is the same as the test currently being used in relation to employment and vocational training.

Effectively, the burden of proof will shift to the supplier if the claimant has established a basic case.

I’m not an expert on the law so I’ve sent the .pdf of the Act to Dr “LR” and then she’ll translate it for me so that I can get something on the Union intranet and here.

Other stuff we discussed at the LBGT forum were International Day Against Homophobia IDAHO and Pride events and finally a yawn inducing look at the merger rules relating to Equalities, Youth and Retired Members. Amicus & T&GW were very different so the new Unite has a lot of merging still to do. T&GWU essentially being from members upwards Amicus being centralist downwards though that’s a gross simplification of the actuality if not the philosophy.

So after the meeting we adjourned to Weatherspoons for more general chat and then “J” and I headed off to Lion at Walsall a major gay & lesbian pub/club.

On the way “J” and I discussed the guilt aspect of homosexuality that permeates throughout the scene. It’s a sad reflection on the intolerance of society that the shame & embarrassment that others claim is directed back at the gay or lesbian family member even where the embarrassed party is bisexual themselves.

Religion has a lot to answer for as well in making gay & lesbian people ashamed by a ludicrous combination of fear and loathing.

I must admit I’ve observed it but never fully understood it probably because my sexuality is not remotely an issue to me. OK I had a recent phase when I became a bit too binary and even celibate but that wasn’t through guilt just reconciliation that sexuality has nothing to do with being a transsexual person.

I like the label pansexual best if I have to have a label and I don’t!

“J” delighted in pointing out gay people on the drive through the West Midlands. “How do you know?” I said. “It’s the twinkle in the eyes” was his reply and yes the eyes of the dishy male barman at the Lion did sparkle but not so the cute blonde lesbian who flashed me a lovely smile.

“What do my eyes tell you then?” I asked “J” “Do I look Gay?” “No” he replied “your eyes say you’re not gay but that you are sexy & up for some fun!” LOL. So there you have it - I’m just a sexy old tart LOL

Still it left me thinking that the problem we have is that the T in LBGT does send the wrong message about transsexual people and this journey of mine within the politics of LBGT will probably end with an almighty row & split. But then I have been warned I won’t like certain aspects of TUC LBGT conference though I could have said that. For Gay & Lesbian people it’s about sex & sexuality often with a lot of promiscuity.

For transsexual people it’s about core identity so nothing in common there…

I’m an activist not a politician…

2008-05-13T15:30:00.003+01:00

I never set out to an activist it’s just been thrust on me by the inherent prejudice of a white male dominated society in England.

I realise that a heterosexual or gay male greatest possession is his penis or “crown jewels” and therefore it is impossible for them to understand why someone would not want one but they do understand why lesbians are obviously guilty of penis envy.

Those attitudes with a pathological heterosexual fear of being found guilty of inadvertently sleeping with a woman that was once a man shape our society.

Now add to that the fact that there are just a few thousand transsexual people in England and you might begin to see why the Human Rights Act is the cornerstone of legal protection for those who have or intend to have gender reassignment.

This is where it began:

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2004/113/EC. of 13 December 2004

One interesting aspect of this Directive is that as a consequence of the P v Cornwall, heard before the European Court of Justice in 1996, sex discrimination must also include discrimination on the grounds of actual or proposed gender reassignment. As a consequence member states will, by December 2007 have to implement protections on the ground of gender reassignment in the provision of goods and services (though article 3 excludes education from its scope).

Now that’s pretty simple isn’t it? However our politicians run scared of the claims that transsexual people will raise.

Intention to undertake gender reassignment has always been a simple legal definition of a transsexual person as opposed to a transgender person and I 100% agree with it.

However if you earn a living by being an expert on gender that isn’t good enough as it excludes cross dressers or transvestites who prefer to be called transgender. Of course if they admit to being gay or lesbian the law protects them but let’s not confuse ourselves shall we.

In the numbers game that is vital to being a political lobby group or perhaps more importantly a nice little earner just representing transsexual people isn’t enough after all 10% of the male population enjoy some sort of cross dressing experience.

Last year I berated the European Transgender Council for not stating in simple words that being either transgender or transsexual is not a mental illness so I was pleased to see this in their latest press release:

Despite much scientific controversy, forms of transgender continue to be listed in the DSM IV of the American Psychological Association APA), just as homosexuality once was, and in the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization (WHO) as psychological disorders. DSM and ICD are guideline manuals used in healthcare to standardise the definitions of what constitutes mental illness. Transgender Europe (TGEU) emphatically refuses this pathologisation and will assist the next reformulation of the DSM in a critical manner, when this is carried out in 2011.

Great eh?

But it then says:

At the plenary meeting of Transgender Europe (TGEU) on 4.5. a new Executive Board and a new Steering Committee were elected, with
representatives from Denmark, Germany, England, Ireland and Italy. The new President of the Organisation is Stephen Whittle, PhD, Professor of Equalities Law, Manchester Metropolitan University, President of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH, USA)and Vice President of Press for Change (PfC, UK).

That of course totally negates the first, as it is in good King Stephen’s political interest is to make sure that his psychiatrist paymasters keep the mental illness classification for transsexual people.

Are we sold out?

Yes.

Will we activists accept it?

No.

Will we fight?

Yes.

Will we win?

Yes.

A transsexual person is not mentally ill and their strength is they know their identity and do something about it.

Transgender/transvestite/cross dressing people may be troubled by the stress of deception but they aren’t mentally ill either.

Have a nice day…