Quote from: Devlyn on October 11, 2018, 10:10:15 AM
I wanted my burger now, but the darn gatekeeper made me wait in line behind the other cars at the drive-through window. 
Oh, I get it, believe me. People do tend to throw around the "gatekeeper" term indiscriminately. But there's a difference between waiting your turn in line versus, "sorry we can't give you your burgers until you come back in a red car." Yes, they may not serve anyone in a red car, but where's the logic in it?
Maybe it would be helpful to work together to actually define what "gatekeeping" means. I suggest it means "An entity that sets limits and requirements that appear to be arbitrary and non-logical, and prevents meaningful progress toward a person's goals."
Case in point: I have no choice in what insurance is available to me. Others are getting GCS with letters from their doctors after 12 months of therapy. My insurance requires 18 months. They say they're following the WPATH guidelines, but here is specifically what the WPATH v7 SOC says:
QuoteAlthough not an explicit criterion, it is recommended that these patients also have regular visits with a mental health or other medical professional.
The 18 months is arbitrary, picked by someone - likely a lawyer - at the insurance company. I'd switch companies, but here in Florida it's BCBS or nobody. What's more, BCBS will actually cover FFS, hair removal, BA, and all kinds of other things in other states, while Florida Blue considers them cosmetic and doesn't cover them.
I don't know whether that meets your definition of "gatekeeping," but it kinda feels like it to me.
Stephanie
