Subject : FW: another Trans Event this weekend
Next weekend also sees another Trans event - Sparkle in Manchester from the
22 - 24 June
For more details go to
http://www.sparkle.org.uk/
Stephen
-----Original Message-----
From: Christine Burns [mailto:c_burns@btinternet.com]
Sent: 18 June 2007 22:51
To: 'Press for Change News Distribution'
Subject: UK: UEA hosts transgender conference [BBC Norfolk]
Britain had two trans conferences in quick succession this weekend --
the Trans With Pride event in London's Bethnall Green, hosted by
Transfabulous, was an outstanding success and drew glowing praise from
the many international activists who came along to speak and contribute
to the workshops. Some interviews with well known figures whom I was
able to corner with a microphone will be appearing in due course on the
web site in the usual place --
www.pfc.org.uk/node/1028
On Saturday and Sunday attention then moved to the University of East
Anglia (UEA) at Norwich, where a second conference, organised by Barbara
Ross and her associates, drew an equally interesting array of national
and international speakers, including Professor Joan Roughgarden and
facial surgery specialist Doug Ousterhout, both from San Francisco.
Interviews with these and Richard Curtis will also appear in the next
week or so.
During the Norfolk event a reporter from BBC Norfolk appeared on the
scene and recorded interviews for a local radio feature, and the report
below...
- Christine
==================================
UEA hosts transgender conference
By Jenny Kumah - BBC Radio Norfolk
==================================
http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/articles/2007/06/18/radionorfolk_tr
ansgender_20070618_feature.shtml
Sex change surgery, gender identity and legal rights were just some of
the topics discussed at Norfolk's fourth transgender conference. It's
believed to be the country's only event looking at the issues affecting
transexuals.
A transgender conference, held at the University of East Anglia, tackled
a range of issues affecting people with gender dysphoria.
The event, held on the 16 and 17 June, 2007, attracted speakers from
around the world.
According to the Department of Health, there are currently around 5000
transexuals living in the UK and NHS figures show that men are more
likely to seek to change their sex than women.
First Transexual GP
Dr Richard Curtis, the first post-operative transexual to be recognised
by the General Medical Council, was one of the guest speakers at the
conference.
The 40-year-old changed from being a woman to becoming a man around two
years ago. Still working as a GP when he was going through the change,
he found support from both colleagues and patients.
"I had a hysterectomy first, started hormones, then had chest surgery
and then transitioned full time," said Dr Curtis.
"The most comment I got from a patient was that I'd had my hair cut. I
think that's got a lot to do with British reserve actually."
Dr Curtis found that it was difficult to get a new job once he'd gone
through the change.
"When I actually left what was a semi-permanent position with a GP
practice, I couldn't get locum work for love or money.
"Being on the front page of the local newspaper didn't do my general
practice career an awful lot of good, I have to say."
A New Start
Dr Curtis now runs TransHealth, a gender specialist clinic in London.
It provides a range of services for people with gender dysphoria, like
counselling, cosmetic treatments and speech therapy.
Dr Curtis feels he can offer a better service to patients because he
knows exactly where they're coming from.
"There are few areas in medicine where it's an advantage to be in that
position but I think this is probably one of them," said Dr Curtis.
"Trying to understand the deep psychological, emotional impact that
gender dysphoria has on a person, you can pay lip service to trying to
put yourself in the patient's shoes, but clearly I've been there."
The General Medical Council now recognises Dr Curtis as a male GP,
following a recent change to the law.
The Gender Recognition Act came into force in 2005 and means that a
person's acquired gender is accepted for all legal purposes.
Legal rights campaigner
Christine Burns MBE, a transexual woman, belongs to the lobby group
Press For Change and has been instrumental in bringing about legal
changes for trans-people.
Christine spoke at the UEA conference about the current state of the law
in terms of the trans-community.
"Back in 1992, when Press For Change was started, transexuals had no
employment rights, they couldn't marry, they had no right to privacy and
all of those things have been achieved by changes in the law," said
Christine.
"I'm a transexual woman, I'm now regarded as being a woman in the eyes
of the law, it means that affects my retirement age, it means that I can
marry a man and it also provides me with considerable protection of my
privacy.
"So, for instance, if I disclose my transexual background to someone in
an official capacity and that person then goes off and blabs to somebody
else - then that's a criminal offence."
Finding help
Christine first sought help for her gender dysphoria back in the 1970s.
She says she spent many years fighting her nature, but eventually
realised that the only way she was going to get the full experience of
her life was through transition.
She went on to become secretary of her local Conservative association
and came out in 1995 within her community.
Christine has been campaigning with Press For Change for the past 15
years, but she feels there is still more to achieve.
"The Government's committed to legislating to protect people against
discrimination in the supply of goods and services, before the end of
this year," said Christine.
"And that's really important, because people are turned away from pubs,
they are refused services and obviously if we want to create a society
that's inclusive of everybody then we can't have that happening."
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