"Trans*Health @ UIC" was the topic brought under the microscope at the community discussion the University of Illinois at Chicago's ( UIC's ) Gender and Sexuality Center ( GSC ) and the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy's ( IRRPP ) Race, Sexuality and Violence Series hosted April 9 on campus.
The purpose of "Trans*Health @ UIC" was to educate, create alliances and celebrate as gender identity, race and the right to medical access, while discussing the importance of the new trans*-inclusive health policy at UIC. ( Note: The term "trans*" includes the transgender and gender non-conforming communities. )
"I was really thrilled by the turnout," said GSC Director Megan Carney. "It was great to see so many people here and people really invested in wanting more information and that's exciting. I think it was a good, layered discussion, very rich, a lot of different perspectives and that's exactly what we were going for. We know we have work to do and I think we heard a lot of suggestions, we heard very specific recommendations and questions and think it's really going to help us plant some next steps."
In May 2013, the board of trustees at UIC expanded health-care benefits for students. The CampusCare student health plan allows for students identifying as transgender to go through the medical process covering gender-affirming surgeries [an alternative culturally sensitive term used instead of sexual reassignment surgery], hormones, pre-op/post-op medical services and mental care services related to gender affirming health care for all students who are actively enrolled as well as their registered spouses/partners and dependents.
"This policy is a really important part of the change we want to see at UIC, but on its own it's not enough," said Carney. "In order to fully implement the policy, we need to get together like today, we need to continue to tell our stories, and change the system to be more inclusive for trans-identified and gender non-conforming people and that's what really brings us here today."
The community forum's panel consisted of: Aja Blalark, a UIC student in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs and community advisory board member of Chicago House and its Trans Life Center Program; Abbas Hyderi, MD, MPH, associate dean for curriculum and associate professor of clinical family medicine at the UIC College of Medicine; and Mariah Sciacero, an Army veteran and UIC student pursuing a bioengineering degree while involved with the LGBT community through the GSC Chancellor's committee on the status of LGBTQ people and allies, and a founding member of the Gender Umbrella Society.
UIC alum Jae Szeszycki-Truesdell, MA, MPH—a health promotion specialist for Transgender Services at Asian and Pacific Islander ( A&PI ) Wellness Center in San Francisco—was originally slated to be on the panel. In his absence, Sciacero showed Szeszycki-Truesdell's PowerPoint presentation on his behalf and shared her own experiences being transgender. Sciacero worked closely with Szeszycki-Truesdell on revising the former Certificate of Coverage from CampusCare that eventually led to the policy revision regarding transgender health care inclusion at UIC.
"I just think pretty much everything that was talked about today was a general consensus of the entire community in regards to the things that need to be addressed," said Blalark, who shared her experiences being disrespected at the doctor's office with odd looks and the refusal to use preferred pronouns and acknowledgement of her trans* identity. "With this policy in place, I expect to be able to come to my provider and be welcomed and have a sense of dignity when I come in and leave and I want to be able to return. I don't want to have to bounce around from physician to physician to physician who understands what I need as a trans* woman; not just medically, but as an individual."
The event, which was open to the public, offered a table of informational brochures and resources, including an FAQ sheet on coverage and transitioning at UIC, which can also be found on GSC's website, in the "support" section under "Transgender, Genderqueer, and Gender Non-Conforming at UIC."
The event also served as a premiere screening of GSC's new video about bringing trans* health coverage to UIC. Featuring interviews conducted across UIC's campus from students to administrators, who directly participated in moving this through the process, and medical practitioners, the video, Carney described, is a method for organizing and transmitting information.
Shown in three portions, the film was used as a tool to answer questions surrounding the new CampusCare trans* inclusive healthcare policy and to lead the event's conversation. The first part of the film detailed the initial idea and actions taken to implement the policy, the second part was how the healthcare policy is being put into place along with the medical standpoint, and the third part features a number of voices explaining the impact and why it matters.
"To Aja's point, I think it's completely crazy she received that care and it upsets me she went to that kind of care where someone would not respect her preferred pronouns," said Hyderi. "To me that's infuriating. I feel like I need to channel that infuriation into provider improvement. We can improve our department, family medicine, but my goal is to also improve not just family medicine, but to improve medical school and my educational role with the resident training and also my attending colleagues because Aja shouldn't have to feel like she cant get comfortable care."
Hyderi, a member of the LGBT community, said when graduating from medical school at UIC in 2001, "transgender" was not even in the curriculum. Representing the medical and education field at the event, Hyderi said his point in the video was to emphasize sensitivity, cultural humility and cultural competence that should be exhibited among students and providers.
Adding an interactive component, attendees were encouraged to ask questions, share thoughts and personal experiences and offer suggestions on how to further address being trans* at UIC and making things more LGBT-friendly in certain aspects.
"I think the big take away from today is it's going to be a couple different channels," said Carney on the forum. "I think it's going to be [that] we got to do some work, we have to build alliances off campus right now to make sure we have avenues to provide the care that we've said we'll provide, while we make changes inside. I think that's what I'm taking away. I think those two things need to be happening simultaneously."
To see the full featured video and for more information, visit: gsc.iu.edu, www.facebook.com/UICGSC, or GSC's Youtube channel GSC UIC.
