{"id":25569,"date":"2015-09-22T06:15:18","date_gmt":"2015-09-22T10:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/how-i-was-locked-out-of-healthcare-as-a-trans-immigrant\/"},"modified":"2015-09-22T06:15:18","modified_gmt":"2015-09-22T10:15:18","slug":"how-i-was-locked-out-of-healthcare-as-a-trans-immigrant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/how-i-was-locked-out-of-healthcare-as-a-trans-immigrant\/","title":{"rendered":"How I was locked out of healthcare as a trans immigrant"},"content":{"rendered":"

How I was locked out of healthcare as a trans<\/a> immigrant<\/b><\/p>\n

When I was 13 years old, my family settled in California. Like most teenagers<\/a>, I was quick to assert my gender identity: A shy Mexican girl<\/a> who rejected her quinceanera and French tip manicures, I proudly wore my older brother’s hand-me-downs. In a secretly trained, deep bass voice I would whisper to myself, ‘boy<\/a>’.<\/p>\n

I am a female<\/a>-to-male<\/a> transgender man<\/a>. Growing up I experienced gender dysphoria – the condition of experiencing a gender different from the one assigned at birth. I knew I would never experience my teenage<\/a> years as a young man<\/a> unless I had access to gender-affirming medical care such as hormone replacement therapy and surgery.<\/p>\n

To get transition-related care, you need health coverage. But my family was unable to receive health coverage, because we were undocumented, or unauthorized, immigrants.<\/p>\n

Like many undocumented transgender people, I was locked out – unable to get the care transgender people like me need to live<\/a> happy, healthy lives.<\/p>\n

The lack of access extended to all aspects of my health care. For 15 years, I was denied doctor-recommended cervical cancer screenings, blood pressure tests, chlamydia tests, cholesterol tests, and more. I was denied access to the diagnosis and treatment of preventable diseases.<\/p>\n

When my mother, a cancer survivor, was first diagnosed with the disease, she had to give up her weekends to work additional hours as a housekeeper so she could afford the out-of-pocket fees.<\/p>\n

My personal struggles echo those of hundreds of thousands of Californians. 1.4 million people are excluded from access to health coverage due to their immigration status. A study<\/a> by the DREAM Resource Center, a program of UCLA Center for Labor Research and Education, found that 96% of the uninsured immigrant youth who delay medical care do so due to cost or lack of insurance.<\/p>\n

In the words of Covered California: ‘It doesn’t make sense to take the gamble of going without health insurance.’ I agree. Transgender people who are undocumented shouldn’t be denied access to gender-affirming care due to their immigration status. Undocumented Californians shouldn’t be denied access to health coverage.<\/p>\n

I was 26 years old when, for the first time, I saw my reflection in the mirror. I had just undergone gender-affirming surgery. My body matched my mind: I saw the reflection of a man<\/a> in his late 20s.<\/p>\n

But the funds required for examination fees, the hospital fees, and other surgery-related costs were not covered by a health insurance plan. It was all paid out-of-pocket with the support of strangers, friends, and family.<\/p>\n

Today I’m happy with my body and with my choice to medically transition from female<\/a> to male<\/a>, and I’m a healthier person as a result. But, as is the case with any person, my health needs go far beyond a single diagnosis or treatment. I need access to affordable and adequate preventive care.<\/p>\n

California needs to give all Californians a fair chance at buying their own health insurance plans, including undocumented Californians.<\/p>\n

The State of Massachusetts, where I now reside, understands that expanding health care access to uninsured undocumented immigrants is the only reasonable solution to this public health problem. I’m proud to be a resident of Massachusetts, a state where undocumented immigrants may be eligible for health coverage under certain state programs.<\/p>\n

Our health care system works best when everyone participates. We must stand in solidarity with transgender and all other LGBTI immigrants by supporting access to health care for all.<\/p>\n

Julián Cancino is the co-founder of FAMILIA: Trans Queer Liberation Movement<\/a>, the leading national LGBT Latino organization. His projects include developing family acceptance training ​and ​ending the immigration detention of trans<\/a> people. A first generation student, he is a UC Berkeley graduate. You can find FAMILIA on Facebook here<\/a> and on Twitter here<\/a>.
<\/em><\/p>\n

The post How I was locked out of healthcare as a trans immigrant<\/a> appeared first on Gay Star News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Juli\u00e1n Cancino<\/p>\n

www.gaystarnews.com\/article\/how-i-was-locked-out-of-healthcare-as-a-trans-immigrant\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How I was locked out of healthcare as a trans<\/a> immigrant When I was 13 years old, my family settled in California. Like most teenagers<\/a>, I was quick to assert my gender identity: A shy Mexican girl<\/a> who rejected her quinceanera and French tip manicures, I proudly wore my older brother’s hand-me-downs. In a secretly … Continue reading How I was locked out of healthcare as a trans immigrant<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nHow I was locked out of healthcare as a trans immigrant - GAYFRIENDSCHAT.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/how-i-was-locked-out-of-healthcare-as-a-trans-immigrant\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How I was locked out of healthcare as a trans immigrant - GAYFRIENDSCHAT.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How I was locked out of healthcare as a trans immigrant When I was 13 years old, my family settled in California. Like most teenagers, I was quick to assert my gender identity: A shy Mexican girl who rejected her quinceanera and French tip manicures, I proudly wore my older brother’s hand-me-downs. 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