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I saw a piece on our local news tonight about someone convicted of murder who was transgender and transitioning. They interviewed the family of the victim about the story. I feel sorry for them for what happened, of course I do, and I feel no sympathy for the murderer at all. But what made me boil was the fact that the family used this to basically say that all transgender people are “selfish” and “messed-up”, that us seeking transition is “a waste of people’s money” and we should never receive funding from local hospitals for our hormones and surgery. All on local television, broadcast across several counties in my area. How many people were watching? How many might have had their views on trans people negatively influenced because of these people’s understandably angry, but ultimately ignorant, opinion?
I need the funding for my hormones and surgery. I’m very lucky and privileged to have my local care trust and our National Health Service; without these, there’s no way in hell I would be able to afford either, working practically a minimum wage job and barely affording to pay my bills and feed myself as it is. I would be condemned to living appearing as a female, in this body I want to rip to shreds, my entire life. It’s like a living hell for me. If people can get cosmetic surgery for broken noses on the NHS on the basis that their self-esteem and mental health are suffering, why should it be any different for me? My mental health is broken and my confidence is non-existent because of the way I am. And these people would take away the only thing that could help me, leaving me to suffer, just because one trans person did something unacceptable. And the worst thing is, lots of other people believe they’re right, perhaps more than half of everyone who lives in my country.
Our Prime Minister has said that he wants to make things better for trans people here and will work towards acceptance for us. With our peoples’ attitude like it is, I don’t know if I believe it’s true or that it will ever come to pass.
Theo submitted this to 