Just shy of 20 months on T and schtufff

[kestin]

Posted on ftmvanity up at livejournal




We recently had a transgender hui in Wellington New Zealand (hui is roughly translated, maori for meeting/conference) run by the HRC Human Rights Commission. This was the last part of their funding for the Transgender Enquiry 'To Be Who I Am'. You can download the entirety from their website --->

http://www.hrc.co.nz/home/hrc/humanrightsenvironment/actiononthetransgenderinquiry/actiononthetransgenderinquiry.php

http://www.hrc.co.nz/hrc_new/hrc/cms/files/documents/15-Jan-2008_14-56-48_HRC_Transgender_FINAL.pdf

38 transpeople from around the country attended the Hui and we had a few workshops focusing on what still needed to be improved upon/changed since the enquiry came out. Things ranging from access funding for counselling, hormones, laser treatment and surgery to sensitivity training of frontline staff in government agencies and making it easier to change our birth details.

Once we'd formulated our questions, on the final day of the hui we were able to all go to the Ministry of Justice and bring our issues directly to officials from said Ministry as well as representatives from the Department of Internal Affairs, Customs, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Health.

Further on from that, we learnt that Manukau DHB will be spearheading a year long report on how the health sector supports and serves transgendered people, where at the end it will make its suggestions.

This is off from the top of my head so its probably not exactly right but, its the general sitch at the moment in New Zealand The Inquiry may be an interesting read for those not familiar with asia/pacific culture relating to gender (fa'fa'fine, whakawahine)

On a slightly different topic, I met an 83 year old transman by the name of John Thorp the other night who's been in NZ for about 50 odd years and transitioned back in England in the 50's! He wrote an autobiography 'A Change for Good' back in 06 which was the first time anyone had heard his story and because of that, enabled him to meet other transpeople for the first time in his whole life!

http://www.capecatleybooks.co.nz/books/changeforgood.htm

Such a cute little old man! He seemed so overwhelmed with what opportunities are available nowadays.

[Arch]

Wow, you're looking good, Kestin. I have no hope of looking so masculine after twenty months.

Cool book reference. I'll have to see if it's in my uni library system. Funny that he was at Guy's Hospital Medical School...

[kestin]

I doubt its available overseas at this point, but you should be able to request your library to get it?

[Arch]

I doubt its available overseas at this point, but you should be able to request your library to get it?

I just did. The Library of Congress has a copy. And if they're unwilling to lend it, I still have Level 1 borrowing privileges and might be able to get a copy from an Enzed library.

I'm going to miss those borrowing privileges if they go away this fall...one of the drawbacks of being laid off. But with any luck, I'll be reading the book in a week.