Op-Ed: Trouble in our Village

We have trouble in our village, local to global. Our village state leaders have gone to great extremes to prohibit life-saving health care for less than 0.5% of our family.  Why is that so?

For decades, our medical community has provided testosterone and estrogen as well as plastic surgery upon request, and hormones for premature puberty. Suddenly providing these medical services to a select group is criminal in Texas!

The National Geographic January 2017 devoted the entire issue to the situation of transgender persons around the world.  We learn that some countries murder anyone who realizes that their physical sex does not match their gender sexuality.  In some countries, such persons stay in hiding.  We also learn that many medical communities around the globe have developed scientific medical gender affirming care that is life-saving and results in trans persons being able to experience relief from their gender dysphoria where their body sex is not consistent with their brain sex.

The Scientific American September 2017 provided an in depth scientific analysis of how each of us becomes the unique person that we are.  We do not get to choose the color of our hair or skin, our blood type, our sexuality and gender, or even how many toes we have. Most of who we are is determined between conception and birth, with further personal evolution over the rest of our lives.

Our village, that is Texas, is about to have a special session during which the legislature is capable of making the necessary law changes to recognize the needs of the 0.5% of the population that is trans, so that they can once again receive the medical care they need and deserve. Let your legislators and our governor know that you support the care for these members of our family.

Lolly Lockhart PhD RN