On 13 July, we hosted a gathering to advance our collective advocacy toward a better future for trans healthcare in Ireland and to discuss our ongoing efforts to transform access to care. We gathered input from the community to steer our vision and work. Here's an overview of what we shared and heard:
Current state of trans healthcare
We shared that our system adheres to a de facto centralised “gender clinic” model, which has a decade-long waitlist for the primary public service, no youth services, and limited access to surgeries. Trans people face the denial of services in primary care, invasive psychiatric assessments, discrimination, and stereotyping, with no inclusion in policy development.
Community Feedback:
Through Slido, we gathered the community's thoughts on the current state of trans healthcare:
Common descriptors included: "degrading," "pathologising," "slow," "discriminatory," "gatekeeping," and "non-existent."
There was a strong sentiment of frustration, with words like "stinky," "crap," "abysmal," and "trauma" frequently mentioned.
Vision for the future
We discussed our aspirations for the future, wherein trans healthcare would be based on the informed consent model for gender-affirming care, delivered in community and primary care settings, developed in co-production with the trans community, and aligned with an affirming approach to care for youth.
Community Feedback:
When asked about hopes for the future, the community expressed desires for trans healthcare that is:
Accessible: Free, easy to access, integrated, informed consent-based care, with hormone therapy available over-the-counter.
Self-determined: A compassionate and inclusive healthcare system that is patient-led, affirming, intersectional, equitable, and decoupled from mandatory psychiatric assessments.
Decentralised: Available in a variety of care settings including primary care, paediatrics, sexual health clinics, and pharmacies.
Realising that vision for the future
Each of the organisations shared their ongoing efforts to progress trans healthcare and ways to get involved:
Belong To is looking for youth engagement volunteers to support their weekly groups for young people. You can find out more and apply on their website. You should also keep an eye on their social media for opportunities to engage with their research.
LGBT Ireland is looking for volunteers to support the National LGBT+ Helpline and Transgender Family Support Line. You’ll be given training for this role, including training specifically around trans healthcare. You can find out more and apply on their website.
Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre wants you to get involved in their peer support and social groups, including the T-Time: Café Social for Trans and Non-Binary Folk. Outhouse also has a new peer support group for intersex folks, which you can email info@outhouse.ie to learn more about. Outhouse also encourages you to take advantage of their support services, which offer help with accessing trans healthcare, legal support, housing resources, and beyond.
Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) wants you to reach out to them whenever you need support regarding trans healthcare by emailing office@teni.ie. You can also become a member of TENI.
Transgress the NGS Campaign is looking for volunteers to support their direct action and street theatre work. You can volunteer by emailing transgresscampaign@gmail.com or by sending them a message on Instagram @transgress.ie. They are also looking for you to sign and share their open letter to the Minister for Health.
Trans Healthcare Action is looking for volunteers to support our medical, political, and community advocacy work. No matter your skills, background, or experience, there’s a place for you at THA. You can volunteer by emailing action@transhealthcare.ie or by sending us a message on Instagram @transhealthie. We also call on you to talk to your TD about trans healthcare by using our guide and the associated policy brief.
Community Feedback:
The community also shared the work you want to see done to progress trans healthcare:
Education: Developing guidelines and training for healthcare providers, particularly primary care GPs and nurses and sexual health clinicians. Pushing the ICGP and INMO to develop these through community co-production.
Advocacy: Lobbying the government to take action for depathologisation and decentralisation, ensuring the inclusion of trans people in health policy development and the design of the model of care.
Access: Ensuring reimbursement for private or abroad care, access to surgeries, and access to a wide range of administration methods. Greater support, access, and resources for self-medication, including a safe self-injection workshop/clinic. Advocating for the inclusion of gender-affirming care in private insurance coverage.
Collaboration: Building stronger collective advocacy and collaboration between the community, grassroots orgs, and NGOs, and engaging more with folks in rural areas. NGOs must also look to divest from the HSE so that they are untethered and able to fully advocate for this model alongside the community.
Inclusion: Centring the voices of Black, disabled, neurodivergent, intersex, and self-medicating people as well as youth in our advocacy efforts.
Abolition: Putting an end to the established systems that serve to control our bodies and lives, and instead funding community-led care, clinics, and research.
Help us turn these ideas into reality by volunteering to support our work. Email us at outreach@transhealthcare.ie!
Together, we can create a future that upholds the bodily autonomy and self-determination of trans people in Ireland.