Not Begging. Just Explaining (June 17, 2016)

Why are people

So surprised

When they heard

About the transitioning costs

The trans-community faces.

Even

The limited financial support

Only happens

Due to court challenges

After provinces tried

And failed

To delist SRS coverage,

Never mind

The long waiting lists

That grow

With each passing month

For us.

Hoping

We find other means

To cover
Our basic surgeries.

As the provinces

And territorial governments

Rubbing their hands

In financial glee.

At the mere thought

Of removing us

From their welfare rolls

(Either

General welfare

Or disability support programs.)

For any money.

Whether

Generated by

Crowd sourcing

Inheritance

Or a gift.

It's counted

As income

We have available

To support ourselves.

Thus

Clawed back

From our monthly cheques.

The little fuckers.

Never mind

Being on disability

My monthly support cheque

Is half of the income level

Of the Canadian

Poverty line

For a single person.

And that's

With a special allowance

For being diabetic.

Which is

More than 10%

Of the base amount

I receive

Monthly.

Do you

Still think

It's a passing fad

For me?

Given

The financial mountain

I have to climb

Without societal support

Or understanding.

Therisa © 2016

Author note: Many people may not realize, but, if a person, is receiving social assistance, in Canada, they're allowed, a limited amount (determined by their province/territory that they live in), in their bank accounts, before, this is clawed back, too, out of their support cheque. Under Ontario Disability Support Program, I'm allowed to have $6 000, before I am penalized. Never mind, the more money, I can save up, in a bank account, will raise my monthly rent and remove/or limit my rent subsidiary, I get. Never mind, most trans-Canadians live below the poverty line, in Canada, which no one speaks out on.

 A twisted sense of logic, if you ask me.

Below, is a link, that will explain the further hurdles that trans-Canadians face, as part of our transitioning expenses:

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/insight/the-surprising-costs-of-transitioning-can-put-some-transgender-people-in-danger-202146371.html

Not Another Word (June 6, 2016)

Generation gap

noun

1. a lack of communication between one generation and another, especially between young people and their parents, brought about by differences of tastes, values, outlook, etc.

source: www.dictionary.com

You don't realize

How tired

I am.

Of hearing

People saying

This.

Who have

Never experienced

Such hatred

Or violence

Against them.

Been more than

Two generations

Since Ms. Jorgesen's

Had her SRS.

And yet

We're still

Making excuses

For these bigots'

Transphobic behaviour.

At what point

Are these intellectual giants

Stopped given

A free pass

For their ignorance based

Hatred?

Does

Another 60 years

Need to pass.

Before

Any real change

Occurs?

As more dead

And injured bodies

Are tossed

To the curbside

By society.

Destroying

Another generation

Of trans-people

In the process.

Therisa © 2016

Author's note: This year, 64 years ago, that Christine Jorgensen had her SRS preformed, in Norway. Making international headlines, for doing so. And yet, there are no longitudinal studies, on trans-women health, like the W.H.O. did ,on menopausal women, with hormonal replacement therapy, in 2007. Stopping it earlier, due to higher than expected health risks (heart attacks and strokes) among the study cohort. Instead, the medical community is treating trans-women, on the basis, of what menopausal women are reporting, to their doctors.

Given recent studies that find most prescribed medication, isn't tested on women, during the clinical trail stage, women are suffering unexpected side-effects, from these meds.  Just so, the trans-women are being used, as Guinea pigs.

Never mind, no major medical school offers any courses, on trans-medicine. And only, a 2-4 hour seminar, for gay and lesbian health issues.

You Don't Say (May 2, 2016)

Honestly

Don't understand

What

All this fuss

Is about.

As if

It's groundbreaking news

Trans-people are

Being denied

Access to medical service.

Come on

Get with the program

Folks.

It's the 19th century

And not

The 21st century.

Where ignorance

And fear

Are the buzzwords

Of the day.

Regardless

Of one's

Level of education

Or station

In life.

To think

They'll demand

The same equal rights

Like you and I have.

What's the world

Coming to?

Utter ruins.

Therisa © 2016

Author's note: Earlier, in April, I caught the tail end of a story, on CBC Radio1's morning national newscast, about a researcher's find, which he published, in a journal that the Trans-community is still facing discrimination, from British doctors, who used, a variety of excuses, ranging from religion, lack of time, outright ignorance, to transphobia. Not surprising, if the British medical school spend, as little time, as the North American ones do, which is, zero. And yes, these same problems are alive and well, in Canada, too. As I am sad, to admit, having faced my own share of transphobic medical personnel.

My doctor's office is, part of the satellite network of clinics, that belonging to one of Toronto's largest teaching hospital, as a result of this, am usually, the first trans-patient that they have seen, as part of their internship, as a family doctor. Thus, have to educate the interns, what it means, to be trans. And, the various problems, we face, as a community.


Must admit, it has taken me, until now, to find the right approach, in writing this poem and the tone, that I wanted to did it. Know, this tone of mine, will piss off some people, but really, I don't care. As I am so sick of hearing, people saying, it's a "generational gap". Freaking bull shit. It's ignorance and fear, pure and simple.

Down The Garden Path (March 10, 2016)

It has been 8 years

Since

I received confirmation

Of my acceptance

By the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

A program

Notoriously known

For rejecting

All possible candidates

On general principles.

Although

They will never

Admit to this.

And then

There's me

Less than 3 months

After applying.

The letter came

Saying

"Yes".

During

The psychological assessment

For ODSP

I attempted suicide.

Only stopped

By my inability

To cover over

Guard barrier.

To jump

Before

The northbound traffic

Of the Don Valley Expressway.

Damn you

My fear of heights

For stopping me.

As for

My assessment

It was done

By a transphobic psychiatrist.

(A fact

My housing worker

Confirmed

At the last meeting

With the psychiatrist.

(As the psychiatrist

Did an 180 change

In her attitude

Towards me.)

Despite

All of this

I have 5 years

Before having

To do this

Again.

And that

Deadline past

Three years ago.

As I await

A new package

To arrival

In the mail.

Oh

Lucky me.

Therisa © 2016