Transsexual suffered Entire Life

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

There is an interesting article about a 73 year old Transsexual that has created quite a stir in New Zealand. In NZ they have a public health care system that does not seem to be held in high esteem by the public. Out of all the Transsexuals seeking Sex reassignment Surgery (SRS) only three per year are allowed to have surgery in their own country. That hardly seems excessive.

"73 year old transsexual Vicki Harvey has lashed out at the public after being denied her sex change surgery, blaming “bigoted correspondents” to the Taranaki Daily News using her case as a “political weapon”.
If approved as a suitable candidate for sex change surgery, her $30,000 operation would have been funded by the public health system. After assessment, she has been declined public funded surgery".

The surgery provoked a public outcry against it stating that its unfair to allow such an expense because other people have to wait for the simplest surgeries. It almost seems that people are objecting to her getting help before they do. One thing they haven't considered is that Vicki has waited in line for 73 years. I'd say she deserves to go to the head of the line.

Ever noticed how the media seems to pay special attention to Transsexuals, Gays and Lesbians in the news. Many of these stories would never see print if the subjects were White Anglo Saxon Portestant Straight people (WASPS). The press loves labels. Whenever it gets to point the nodding finger and yell Transsexual or Gay it does so knowing that the public will be outraged. It SELLS newspapers. If Vicki were simply a woman who needed a $30,000 operation noone would even be reporting it. Finger wagging! Maybe someone should just cut it off.

http://www.gaynz.com/news/default.asp?dismode=article&artid=2769

Laura

Posted at 07:35 pm by lamato

Name Jendar
October 4, 2007 11:44 PM PDT

Update...Since your blog six transwomen have had government funded surgery [myself being one of them...the second of the first 'batch' of three]. The quoter is for three M2F's and one F2M over a two year period. Vicki Harvey's case was a bit more involved than just her age there were also health concerns and the reason why she went public was she already knew that her chances of recieving government funding were slim. Anyway the surgery costs come out of the Special High Cost Treatment Funding Pool.. which had set aside $170.000 for transgender surgery out of a pool of around six million. A funding pool specially developed for surgeries that can't or are not covered by the public health system... If a New Zealand trans-woman wishes to have surgery performed in NZ [and she has the money] Then like everybody else she will have to fullfill the gender clinics criteria...two years RLE psychiatric assessments and counselling etc. However most head for Thailand where the criteria for surgery is less stringent...many have not completed the RLE nor have they had psych assessments. I personally have nothing but praise for the NZ government whom I believe to be in the forefront when it comes to accepting the difference in it's diverse population...legalising Homosexuality back in the 1980's and more recently the civil union bill that was past. And on top of all this they fund surgery for Benjamin's Syndrome sufferers. What more could a queer Kiwi ask for ? Jendar

Leave a Comment:

Name

Homepage (optional)

Comments