oii Australia

Human Rights Watch report on trans people in Netherlands mashes intersex up with trans, misunderstands intersex

by admin on Wednesday, 28 September, 2011

http://oiiaustralia.com/14494/human-rights-watch-report-netherlands-intersex-trans-misunderstand/



OII Australia congratulates Human Rights Watch (HRW)  on the release of the organization's report on the situation of trans people in the Netherlands, Controlling Bodies, Denying Identities Human Rights Violations against Trans People in the Netherlands.

However, we are very disappointed indeed that the report does not fully include the situation of intersex people in the Netherlands – we were given to understand that this report would be the very first by HRW that would be intersex-inclusive. It is not, at least not in a way that indicates a detailed, sophisticated understanding of intersex.

Funny, I was present at the presentation of this report in Amsterdam a few weeks back where it was specifically remarked that this report does not involve people born intersex.

Wow, what else can you tell us Venus from your attendance at the report presentation? I also find it strange, even alarming about the Government's attitude towards  TG/TS's, and wasn't this the same country where they discovered  that Transsexualism was an actual physical condition? It sounds like they see it as a contagious disease !

Have you seen Maya Posch's site? She's intersexed and battling with the Neth. gov., actually trying to get a sponsor to Germany.
http://mayaposch.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

SJ

Thank you for the link to Maya Poch's blog. I have read it with great interest as this is the first time I have read such a story. Several friends of me are born intersex and all recieve treatment from the gender clinic. As with all stories, I think it would be of value to try to find the other side of it.

The case in The Netherlands was caused by the law lagging decades behind the society. Transgender healthcare is of a high level with the only downside being the terribly long waiting lists at the gender clinics (after registration you have to wait 1 year before the diagnostic traject can be started because of understaffing). These waiting lists are a reason for some people to seek help in Belgium or Germany.

As far as healthcare goes I think The Netherlands isn't a bad country to live in as transsexual. The entire medical transition including therapy, hrt, facial hair removal and srs is paid for by the compulsary public health insurance. Exceptions are breast augmentation and most cases of ffs. Children can be treated with puberty suppressants so they won't develop their biological secondary sex characteristics. I know of 2 parents who moved from the UK to The Netherlands to seek treatment for their daughter.

A recent change is that people who don't wish a complete transition including srs are also treated by the gender clinics. For these people the change in law was needed.
Untill now one must have had srs in order to legally change his or her sex, which poses a problem for those who don't wish an srs.

Although plans to change this have been subject of discussion in the government for years, action was only taken when The Human Rights Watch announced their plans to write a report.
The interviews made to write the report focussed on the problems that arise when the sex on your ID is different from the way you present yourself.

At the presentation it was remarked that this report was made by collecting the experiences of transgenders. Intersex people were despite their larger number underrepresented because they somehow keep silent. "If you want to change the law you must open your mouth and act" was said as a closing comment on the subject.

But what about the requirement for Sterilization?  Of course the SRS will do that, does that mean the TG/TS seeking treatment and SRS in the Netherlands is not allowed to "bank sperm" prior to starting HRT? Over here in the US its recommended. But we do not have a Government/Public Healthcare system or Insurance, and only a few employers have Health Ins. policies that cover HRT and SRS.

SJ

At the moment transsexuals are adviced to ger sperm or eggs frozen should they desire biological children later on. It is one of the strange things in the old law that one must be sterilized but may still be able to get children by banked sperm 
The proposition for the new law is that the requirement of sterilization will be dropped completely. The new requirement will be a confirmation of diagnosed and lasting gender dysphoria signed by 2 gender therapists.