LOGIC Sept 2018 Vol 17 Vol 3 | Page 23

https://www.health.govt.nz/ou r-work/hospitals-and-specialist- care/high-cost-treatment-pool ). Each DHB has own local guidelines and these can be found on Health Pathways. Most transgender people seek to make their gender expression (how they look) match their gender identity (who they are) rather than their sex assigned at birth. The transition process includes ID, social, medical, and legal, as well as physical change. This can be a really difficult sea to navigate and these folk need tools to help them get through this including; recognition of their place on the journey; support to access information; respect. Trans individuals are twice as likely to be unable to access healthcare, possibly due to lack of anonymity in smaller communities; possibly because an individual does not identify with the gender choices available, e.g. provision of toilets, choices on forms, etc. Awareness of gender diversity is the key to providing holistic healthcare. So, heteronormative is the norm, but healthcare needs to consider its place in supporting and providing for the Rainbow community. I was left thinking about the following: • • • • What do we need to do as an organisation to support these patients? What do we need to do as individuals? Need to be doubly alert for restrictive culture, e.g. white, middle class, binary, older narrow language Include them, e.g. which pronoun do they prefer, preferred name, what • • • • • does it mean for them, etc. How to do this in 15 minutes. Does it matter to me what gender identity someone has, when we are providing care it shouldn’t matter. Some health issues directly relate to the sex of the individual. Where does our environment place blocks for this community? Does society provide choices for all genders, or is it restrictive and obstructive? I haven’t quite immersed myself in the stormy sea, but I think I’ve definitely got my foot in it now. Here are some useful links to information which may help you have a greater understanding of gender diversity: https://insideout.ry.org.nz/ - videos with people speaking their own words. We all belong. https://www.ry.org.nz/education/ http://www.ianz.org.nz/ - intersex awareness NZ http://www.tiwhanawhana.com/ - Takatāpui, in modern terminology is a Māori individual that identifies as Queer, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans. http://transstudent.org/ - Canadian website with many resources. https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/delivering-health- services-transgender-people September 2018 L.O.G.I.C 22