Today was exciting - I woke up early (6am) as today I had my first ever appointment at the NHS Gender Identity Clinic in Edinburgh. I didn't really know what to expect, it was an introduction meeting for about an hour where the nurse practitioner talked to me about my expectations, my experiences and what I had done so far and what I planned to do.
Honestly, it was terrifying going in - did I need to wear a skirt to "prove" that I was trans? There are many horror stories of trans people being told they're not trans enough or needing to jump through hoops before they are given treatment. While I can somewhat understand the need to be sure before beginning on life changing decisions, I also recognise that requiring patients to undergo ritual humiliation in order to receive treatment is barbaric.
Thankfully, none of that is true in Scotland. In the space of an hour I was approved for laser hair removal (a service I'm currently paying £90 / month for) and voice coaching with only a 6 week waiting time which will be a lot more convenient than regularly driving to Manchester, a 500 mile roundtrip which is the current solution!
Next appointment is in October where we will take over my hormone regime into the NHS system so I can stop paying for them (£50 / month) but for now, no real complaints and continuing to move forward. Hopefully by then the Gender Services will have received approval for facial feminisation surgery as well though I'm still holding the private treatment options in reserve for that.
Today was a good day, tonight I tell some of my best friends who I've known for over a decade - the champagne is on ice
