Chapter Eleven – Section 3: Gender-Affirming Care
Practical Application: Book Activity
Practical Application
Setting the Scene
The City of San Francisco has distinguished itself as a national leader in addressing the needs of the transgender community. Under the leadership of executive director Theresa Sparks, who is transgender, The San Francisco Human Rights Commission has led various groundbreaking efforts to prevent anti-transgender violence and reduce the vast disparities faced by members of the transgender community.
One of the city’s flagship initiatives has been trans-inclusive universal healthcare for all residents of San Francisco, which includes all medically necessary transition-related care free of cost to transgender people, care that has a limited-to-no impact on the city’s budget but would be prohibitively expensive for many individuals.
In the last year alone, San Francisco has also allocated $2 million in funding to local service providers for programs working specifically with transgender residents. These programs include an employment program that has provided training and job placement for 200 transgender people in the last couple of years, the creation of a Trans Advisory Council for the city, and an HIV prevention program aimed at eliminating HIV transmission in the transgender community by the year 2020.
The city also has programs to support transgender women of color in prison and help facilitate their reentry into society following incarceration, which, according to Sparks, has cut the recidivism rate among those who have participated in the program to about 20%, compared to a statewide average of more than 50%. San Francisco is also taking direct aim at the issues of anti-transgender street violence and domestic violence. Earlier this year, the Human Rights Commission published an LGBTQIA+ Community Violence Assessment report along with 15 other community organizations and has allocated funding for implementing and tracking the report’s recommendations. The city has also started a violence prevention program for transgender Latinas, one of the city’s most marginalized groups (Human Rights Campaign, 2015).
Think About It
- Does your area offer similar programs to support the health and well-being of trans people in employment, healthcare, or safety? How did you locate these programs?
- As a nurse, what actions can you take to ensure you provide safe and supportive care for trans patients?
- In your health care practice, you have a colleague misgendering a patient. How do you react?
Practical Application: Additional Guidance
Exercise Title
Exploring Local and Personal Strategies for Supporting Transgender Patients
Objectives
- Compare local transgender support programs with those in San Francisco.
- Develop strategies to ensure safe and supportive care for transgender patients.
- Learn how to address and correct misgendering in a professional setting.
Preparing for the Exercise
- Review the Chapter Material:
- Review the