The Human Rights Campaign, a U.S.-based GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) lobbying group, estimates that one in 12 transgender Americans face the probability of being murdered during their lifetime. In comparison, the average person in the U.S. has about a one in 18,000 chance of being murdered during their lifetime. These statistics are likely to be similar in Canada, given the commonality of our two societies, generally and regarding out transgender populations. [See also: transgender-related statistics (PDF file)]
Description: Are you HIV+ and Trans? Join us at AmBigYouUs, on the first Wednesday of the month. AmBigYouUs is a monthly mingling and networking event specifically for the HIV+ Trans community. For more information, please call 604-893-2258. [Victoria: I have additional contact information, if needed.]
Victoria: The Centre is very trans-inclusive, and offers on-going and limited-duration trans-specific programs, including the "Trans Coming Out" support group for questioning or newly transitioning trans, the Trans Partner / Family support group, and other support programs, as well as GLBT talks and programs that are trans-inclusive. The Centre also sponsors initiatives specifically for (or including) transpersons (e.g. violence directed against transpersons, forums and surveys in this regard in conjunction with the Vancouver Police Department, etc.
MSP covers some but not all of the medical costs associated with gender transition. The document above is dated (Jan. 2006); hence, the information below may not be current; and there may be some exemptions that are allowed; contact Vancouver Coastal Health's Transgender Health Program and / or the Medical Services Plan of B.C., if you queries regarding coverage, including that not covered below.
Female-to-male (FTM):
Also not covered under the B.C. MSP are MTF orchiectomies, MTF hair removal, or travel to and post-surgical convalescent / recovery costs at the Gender Reassignment Surgery in Montreal - a private GRS clinic, to which B.C. GRS patients are referred.
Phone: 250-860-8555
Toll free: 1-866-844-3444
Web: www.gayokanagan.com
E-mail: orc.centre@gmail.com (Heather)
The Centre (Okanagan Rainbow Coalition, Kelowna B.C.) hosts a transgender support group meeting, facilitated by Heather (orc.centre@gmail.com):
"The Okanagan Rainbow Coalition is proud to announce the formation of a peer support & discussion group for transgender, transsexual, two-spirit and intersex people in the Greater Kelowna area. The group is open to all who are exploring their own gender identity issues and their partners. The group meets every Sunday at 2 pm at the ORC Center (1476 Water Street, near the downtown bus terminal). Drop-ins are welcome. For further information, please contact orc.center@gmail.com."
You need to assemble a package that includes the Name Change Form (notarized), and have everything ready prior to being fingerprinted (for background / criminal checks ...) - as indicated in the VSA documentation. Once you are fingerprinted, that agency is required to submit the package on your behalf (it is no longer in your possession), so be prepared and have everything completed, at that time!
The name change form can be notarized at a Notary Public of your choice; this can be done inexpensively (~$17) at the B.C. Vital Statistics Agency Office. I was fingerprinted (January 2009) at International Fingerprinting Services Canada (IFSC) Ltd. (Suite 619 - 470 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC; 604-708-3315), which was the cheapest at ~$25 (in descending cost: Vancouver Police Department > RCMP > International Fingerprinting Services).
In my case (my package was forwarded to the Vital Statistics agency in Nova Scotia), my name change took less than three weeks (from submission to receipt of new documentation - in my case, updated Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate). Much to my annoyance / irritation, I am unable to obtain a sex marker change on my N.S. Birth Certificate without gender reassignment surgery.
Regarding the fees associated with the B.C. Vital Statistics office, if you have limited or no income, you can petition for a waiver to reduce this expense: see Appendix E11 in Social and Medical Advocacy with Transgender People and Loved Ones: Recommendations for BC Clinicians (January 2006). Here is a facsimile:
[current date]
Regional Manager
British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency
PO Box 9657, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9P3
Greetings,
I am writing on behalf of my patient, [name(s) here], to request a waiver of fees for a change of name. [name(s) here] has been under my care for [length of time] and is currently undergoing medically assisted gender transition as treatment for gender dysphoria.
People undergoing gender transition are medically required to cross-live full-time in the gender they are transitioning to as a prerequisite to surgery. For my patient, having identification that is incongruous with [her/his] [name/gender] makes it impossible to cross-live full-time, breaching [her/his] privacy when applying for services that require [her/him] to show identification (CareCard, SIN card, etc.) and also causing [her/him] difficulties at [work/school] as outlined in [her/his] letter.
Without a [legal change of name certificate/change to the legal sex designation on the birth certificate], a person undergoing gender transition is not able to change their social insurance card, bank records, employment records, or other necessary documents to facilitate their process of cross-living. [If applying for name change: A legal change of name is also expected by the Medical Services Plan as proof of fulfillment of the cross-living requirement that is a prerequisite to surgery.] For these reasons, I consider change of [name/legal sex designation] a medical necessity in this patient's care.
I hope this information will be helpful in you considering [name(s) here]'s request for a fee waiver.
Please feel free to contact me at [phone number] if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
[physician's name and signature]
Regarding your passport, in most cases (like the Neanderthals who set such policy in my birth province, Nova Scotia) you need to have undergone gender reassignment surgery (GRS: however they choose define that: e.g., is FTM top surgery sufficient? MTF orchiectomy?) to get the sex marker changed on your Birth Certificate, which is a prerequisite for getting the same change on your passport. Update (Jan. 2011; pers. comm. from a B.C-based FTM): "Yes, top surgery is sufficient to get gender ID marker changed." However, I don't think (I'm pretty sure) that for us MTF, that simply having an orchiectomy would qualify us to have our sex marker changed. However, I do believe that if you are actually going to have GRS, you can get a temporary (2-year) passport, with the appropriate / preferred sex marker. This is a one-time thing, though.
My eHealth (myehealth.ca - your medical records, test results, online): I absolutely object - in the strongest possible terms - against all persons, agencies, institutions, organizations, governments and other agencies determining my sex and / or gender. I know that I am female, and I fully expect to have that preference honored and respected. Furthermore, I regard my medical information as my personal property, and as such, it should reflect my wishes.
In this regard, in the Fall of 2010 when accessing my blood laboratory work results online (tested at LifeLabs, Vancouver), despite the nurse checking off F (female) on my blood testing script, the results indicated that I was M (male), likely based on my BC Care Card information. I challenged LifeLabs on this, and they were initially dismissive. I escalated my complaint, and this issue was resolved in my favor, as summarized here, to a trans acquaintance:
The person I dealt with at LifeLabs to resolve this issue was:
Robbie Bowers, MLT
Manager, Analytical Services
Privacy Officer, LifeLabs BC
LifeLabs | 3680 Gilmore Way | Burnaby, BC V5G 4V8
tel: 604-412-4527 | fax: 604-412-4485
email: robbie.bowers@lifelabs.com | web: www.lifelabs.com
The way I got this resolved was to complain first to LifeLabs, but most significantly, to also file a complaint with the Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC). Tina Doehnel was the OIPC Portfolio Officer assigned to my complaint, and she assisted me, interacting between me and LifeLabs:
Tina Doehnel
Early Resolution Officer
Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner for BC
Tel. 250-387-6886, or toll-free by calling 604)-660-2421 (Vancouver area only) or 1-800-663-7867.
The replies from OIPC had a privacy / confidentiality signature, that asked that they not be copied to anyone else. But, the two main persons, that I dealt with, are named above. Feel free to mention my name, if you need to cite a precedent for your request.
I'll append, below, the summary of my complaint, to the OIPC, for your reference.
Take care, Victoria :-)
-------------------------------------------------------
"Executive Summary"
Hello, my name is Victoria A. Stuart. I am a male-to-female transsexual, I have been prescribed the female hormone estrogen and two anti-androgens (that reduce testosterone) for well over three years, and have been living full-time as a female for over well over two years. Endocrinologically (and hence, physically - as much as possible), I am female.
My name was legally changed to Victoria Stuart in January 2009, and all of my personal documentation (driver's licence, which indicates that I am female, by the way), birth certificate, marriage certificate, BC Care card, federal Social Insurance Number card, etc. reflects my new name / gender (the latter as much as possible).
I will be having Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) this June (2011); until that happens, the Province of Nova Scotia refuses to issue my birth certificate - upon which most other ID (passport, etc.) is based - with a female sex marker. Accordingly, I have refused to get a new passport, since the only one that I can obtain - based on my N.S. birth certificate - would state that I am "male." Many persons are unable to have SRS surgery, thus they (if they were born in Nova Scotia) will never have the opportunity to obtain a revised birth certificate, and hence, other desired documentation, that reflects their gender identity.
In my opinion:
1. No governmental organization, or any other public or private agency, institution, entity or person has the right to decide and/or determine my sex / gender. Again, in my opinion, there is no need for any such document (passport; drivers licence; etc.) to have any sex / gender marker, whatsoever on most documents, whatsoever.
2. Following on this, my health is my responsibility, and - significantly - I regard my health information as my personal property: It does not belong to any physician, clinic, hospital, insurance agency, or clinical testing laboratory. Accordingly, any health documentation should reflect my gender identity, as per my wishes.
With regard to the item 2 above, following a recent visit with the physician (Dr. Trevor Corneil - Three Bridges Community Health Centre, Vancouver) who handles my transgender-related health issues (endocrinology; etc.), I recently had my blood work done by LifeLabs, here in Vancouver (as detailed below). When I accessed my blood work test results, the LifeLabs report listed my sex / gender as Male. I complained about this to various persons at LifeLabs - as described below - currently to no avail.
I did receive a sincere response from a LifeLabs physician, who is currently investigating this issue: however, beyond the summary below, I have received no further updates.
At that time, following an internet search, I found and lodged a complaint against LifeLabs concerning this issue, with you, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC: http://oipc.bc.ca/). Given the initial, dismissive response from LifeLabs, I decided to press this issue further, with outside agencies, such as the OIPC.
Your response (attached) and the physician's response from LifeLabs is where I stand, at this time, in getting LifeLabs to change my sex / gender marker from Male to Female.
If you can help to resolve this issue, that would be very much appreciated!
Sincerely,
Victoria Stuart
Vancouver, B.C.
E-mail: mail@VictoriasJourney.com
Website: VictoriasJourney.com