GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality’s Post

Extremely disappointed that Nakeenya Wilson will no longer be serving on the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) in her role as a community advocate. Here is why you should be concerned by this latest development 👇 Political maneuvering by policymakers led to the amendment of language in Health and Safety Code Chapter 34. This language change effectively led to reposting of Nakeenya's position before her term expired and new appointees have been announced. Soon, she will no longer be serving on the MMMRC. Ensuring maternal mortality review committees (committees) include community and survivor voices, particularly those that are disproportionately impacted by severe maternal morbidity and mortality, is essential to the maternal mortality review process. Members of the committee review pregnancy-related deaths and make recommendations to prevent future deaths. Community and survivor voice enhances: 1. Cultural Insight and Relevance: Community members provide insights into cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions that may influence maternal health outcomes. Understanding these factors ensures that the recommendations committees publish are culturally congruent and more likely to be accepted by the community. 2. Identification of Barriers: Those directly affected by maternal health issues can identify barriers to care that may not be obvious to healthcare providers or policymakers. In particular, healthcare providers have limited interactions with their patients during the postpartum period, a time when a majority of pregnancy-related deaths occur. 3. Enhanced Trust and Community Engagement: Involving the community and survivors in the review process builds trust between healthcare systems, providers, and the community. This trust can lead to increased community engagement in the review process and empowers groups to advocate for their needs and priorities. When community members are involved in the review process, they are more likely to take ownership of the interventions and initiatives that result from the review. This ownership is key to the effectiveness and sustainability of maternal health improvement initiatives. Texas continues to fail women. As a proud Texas woman and maternal health community advocate, I'll continue to fight for our right to be heard and not silenced, our right to have full autonomy over our bodies, and our right to safer pregnancies and births. As a Texas mom, with a Texas daughter, I'm not going anywhere.

Wyoming has joined the states denying medical treatments to trans youth. Really, it is their attempt to deny the existence of trans youth. These laws present families with a dilemma - stay in increasingly hostile locations or uproot the whole family to the safety of states and communities that are welcoming and provide protective laws for ALL of their children. A MoveIndigo link in the comment section below highlights the states and communities that both welcome these families AND where they can have impactful votes, helping to prevent any federal laws from being passed and shoring up votes in toss-up districts. For those leaving Wyoming, Colorado and Washington are the nearest states with strong protections for trans youth. #transrights #lgbtqrights #moveindigo #elections2024 https://lnkd.in/eRdBBjx4

https://lnkd.in/e_BYmi5p The UK has banned the use of puberty blockers on minors “dealing with transgenderism,” on the grounds that there is not enough “evidence on the procedure’s safety or clinical effectiveness.” J.K. Rowling, who has herself been victim of abuse for speaking out against the most aggressive elements of the trans lobby, discussed the vulnerability of children and how they are being used by the system. Despite this ban, UK children will be used as lab rats: The hormones will be only available for children with gender dysphoria through clinical trials intended to fill gaps in medical knowledge, though provision is expected to be made in exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis. In America, puberty blockers continue to be allowed by the Food and Drug Administration, and thousands of kids are taking these risky drugs, with many more lined up for them, even against the wishes of parents in many cases. They are referred to by some in the woke system as “estranged parents.” At least 121,882 children ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria from 2017 through 2021. In America, puberty blockers along with gender transitioning for kids is supported “at the highest levels” of the Biden administration, with psychological and physical risks dismissed.

The skyrocketing demand for gender-affirming care as more and more states attack our rights is heartbreaking and infuriating. The waiting lists and lack of providers available are keeping so many trans youth from getting the life-saving care they desperately need. We've got trans siblings sitting on those 18-month waitlists right now. Hearing the stats about how access to treatment like puberty blockers drastically reduces suicide risk for us...it's just gut-wrenching to think about the harm being done to these kids as they're forced to wait endlessly. So I'm really glad to see Minnesota stepping up as a refuge state and taking action. This doctor training program funded by the new bill sounds like exactly what's needed. Getting more providers up to speed so they can care for the huge influx of trans folx coming in from banned states. Making sure people don't have to travel across the entire state just to see someone competent. It's a good start, but it's not enough, as referenced in the article. Gender-affirming healthcare is essential, basic care that every trans person deserves easy access to. No kid should have to consider ending their life because they feel trapped with no way out. I really hope other states follow Minnesota's lead here and do whatever it takes to protect trans lives. We need action, not attacks. Our existence is not negotiable. Our existence is not negotiable. Our existence is not negotiable. #TransLivesMatters #TransRights #ProtectTransYouth #GenderAffirmingCare #Healthcare

Canadian provinces are attempting to remove rights from children that are protected under international treaties with the UN. Convention on the Rights of the Child ADOPTED 20 November 1989 BY General Assembly resolution 44/25 Ratified into the Canadian Carter of rights and freedoms on December 13 1991. The laws that Alberta has put forward and the laws that are in affect in Saskatchewan violates articles 2 & 16 of the convention of the rights of the child. Which is an international treaty. So yes the prime minister has the authority and the requirement to quash these rules or Canada is in violation of international law that Canada is a part of. Article 2 1. States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status. 2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents, legal guardians, or family members. Article 16 1. No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation. 2. The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks. https://lnkd.in/g2RfjmUM

Canadian lawmakers have made it clear that they don't believe children under 18 are responsible and mature enough to vote, drink alcohol, or smoke cigarettes/cannabis. But if that's the case, how can they be mature enough to make decisions that could have irreparable implications on their lives and bodies? It's an important question to consider. #CanadianLawmakers #VotingAge #YouthDecisions #MatureEnough

I cannot understand why the law-makers, policy-makers and regulators in this country are treating trans people wishing to undertake medical care differently to any other medical intervention. Trans youth have the right to be able to give informed consent and they can consent to their own medical treatment, just like any other youngster undertaking medical care. Supportive parents are a bonus but not a necessity, that is the law - that is Gillick Competence. If families in the UK wait for the NHS gender identity clinics to provide care to today’s trans youth, then life-changing, irreversible, stigmatising, significant body changes will happen that could have been avoided. We must starting listening to the trans youngsters themselves and not the people who are trying to prevent the care they need. https://lnkd.in/ega9C66G

Despite its modest budget, Title X's impact on young, low-income individuals is profound, offering essential health care services at low or no cost. In the Network Insight article, “Balancing Program Integrity and Access to Reproductive Health Services: The Battle Over Title X In Tennessee and Oklahoma,” Joanna Suder, J.D., looks at recent shifts in legal and political landscapes, particularly post-Dobbs decision, and how they have significantly impacted Title X's operational framework and its ability to serve communities effectively.  The loss of Title X grants in states like Oklahoma and Tennessee, due to non-compliance with the requirement for nondirective options counseling, underscores a pressing challenge: balancing federal program requirements with varying state laws on abortion. This situation not only affects the states’ public health infrastructure but also poses severe limitations on patients’ access to crucial health services. Read the full article with review by Kathleen Hoke, J.D., for an analysis and reflection on the future of Title X in a politically evolving landscape.  🔗: https://lnkd.in/ejsZmjBQ #PublicHealthLaw #TitleX #ReproductiveHealth #PolicyAnalysis 

Useful Article Here is a great article from the Catholic Medical Association at The Ideology of Gender Harms Children - Catholic Medical Association : Catholic Medical Association (cathmed.org) #gender #ideology #catholicmedical #children bevilbramwell.com

Hi everyone!  I'm one again reaching out to my network in regards to some info I received from TransOhio, trans advocacy group in Ohio, below. Please share this info and get involved any way you can!  URGENT! URGENT! EMERGENCY! THIS IS NOT A TEST!Two votes on Wednesday?! Trans students in Ohio may soon lose their rights to participate in school sports, use restrooms and locker rooms at school, and receive appropriate medical treatment -- including mental health care -- regardless of school policies, doctors' orders, or parental consent.Wednesday, December 6 at the Ohio Statehouse - two hearings, two bills, one goal: discrimination.Let's be clear: this proposed legislation is not about safety or fairness; it's about cutting off support systems for gender nonconforming youth in Ohio. But you can help:Contact committee members urging them to vote no on HB183;Contact committee members urging them to vote no HB68;Contact the governor urging support of all children who call Ohio home;Add your name to the Ohio is Home letter;Tell us why you're thankful for the trans community; and most importantly,SHOW UP AT THE STATEHOUSE TO SUPPORT TRANS YOUTH!Find Out More