November is a month of remembrance. November 20th is an important day in the transgender community. It is a day to remember members of the community who have been murdered in hate crimes. As an ally of the trans community, I will be attending the local ceremony. As a member of the queer community and a healthcare professional, I feel it’s important that I be there. Being supportive to a community that must self-organize a day of remembrance as an act of solidarity and resistance in response to countless unsolved murders (and complete and utter cis-apathy) seems quite necessary to me. As I am in attendance, I plan on listening to what is said so I can learn how to better support the most vulnerable members of the queer community. I think that it is important that healthcare professionals start listening. We need to find out what it is like to navigate a system that has a limited understanding of how cis-privilege shapes the medical space. The barriers must be countless.
For those healthcare professionals who have yet to be reflexive on the impact of their heteronormative cis-exclusive practice, use today as an invitation to start listening. You can then join those of us who have already begun the process of informing our practice to be more inclusive. It promises to be a life-long and humbling learning experience.
To those who have lost and for those who continue to experience both micro and macro-aggressions on a daily basis: please know that there are healthcare professionals who are listening with the goal to hold space with you and advocate for trans-accessible healthcare.
I share the following links in the spirit of continuing the conversation:
My favorite gender justice center is South House.
Lavender Health - LGBTQ Resource Center 