Omg, This is soooooo needed. Please help and share everyone.
Goto:
http://www.lambdalegal.org/petition/transgender-vets (http://www.lambdalegal.org/petition/transgender-vets)
Thank you!
Signed, I also wish that they made the transgender services a bit easier to find. I had to dig around the net, call a different, yet still close facility that actually offered help openly, get transferred to another facility that didn't openly offer the service, who finally put me in touch with someone in the facility I use who does specialize in this service. Simple having a contact number/person listed on their website for transgender services would really help people like me, rather than having to jump through hoops just to get the ball rolling.
I am in the process of starting HRT. It has so far been pretty straight forward. I initially made a appointment with my P.A. at the clinic and came out to her. She then referred me to a therapist (wonderful woman who specializes in transgender dysphoria) we met and she has now set up a return appointment with my P.A. to start the treatment process. This has all happened in a matter of weeks so they have been everything I had hoped for. Hope this helps you identify what their protocol typically is. Hugs
Thank you all for your support. :)
I signed also. I am getting ready to start this journey and I dread the run around from the VA. I wish there was more uniformity in the VA system. They have specific gender clinics in certain areas but none are close to where I'm moving to. One would think they would list a contact at each facility for gender specific issues. Especially since they have taken a progressive role lately in transgender topics.
Quote from: Daniellek74 on June 01, 2016, 11:16:40 PM
I signed also. I am getting ready to start this journey and I dread the run around from the VA. I wish there was more uniformity in the VA system. They have specific gender clinics in certain areas but none are close to where I'm moving to. One would think they would list a contact at each facility for gender specific issues. Especially since they have taken a progressive role lately in transgender topics.
I called The center nearest to my actual facility. They told me that most facilities now have a representative, and called the central location for my network, who then called the rep at my facility.
The Therapist I am working with says that I should have started with a Social Worker. Long story short, contact the Social Worker at your usual clinic, and see if they know who you should contact next, be it at your clinic, or another nearby clinic.
Hey, if anyone here has TRICARE due to disability or retirement, in addition to VA, it will cover the pharmacy costs of HRT ($0 copay with mail order or $10 copay without). Unfortunately, at present it will not cover the endocrinologist.
Sapere Aude
Signed and here's a tidbit:
The first trans* (?) American vet, Deborah Samson/Robert Shurtlieff, who was one of only a few "passing women" to ever successfully collect a military pension from the US gov't.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Sampson
The wiki article is great as it describes the steps Samson took to pass which many of us will recognize. Note that it's not clear what her gender identity was (or that of many of history's other "passing women") but historians use she/her pronouns.
I set up my first appointment to see a therapist for Friday at my local VA. I didn't specify when I set the appointment up why I was coming in, was going to wait till I saw Therapist to open up. I am skeptical on VA care as I have had issues in the past from them (my only source of medical care).
Also I signed the petition as well.