Worldwide Struggle

As we fight for our healthcare here in the U.S. we are not alone, around the world other trans people are battling for their healthcare.

'No Consideration': Death Of Transgender Woman In Georgia Prompts Health-Care Outcry From Activists
RFE/RL's Georgian Service
By Ron Synovitz
July 22, 2018

TBILISI – Gay rights activists in Tbilisi have taken up the case of a transgender woman who died on July 19 from complications of AIDS, saying the way she was treated by the country’s health-care system illustrates a gap between Georgia’s antidiscrimination laws and the realities faced by transgender patients.

Nino Bolkvadze, a lawyer from the Tbilisi-based rights group Identoba, says taboos against homosexuality cause many difficulties for lesbians, bisexuals, and gay men in the predominantly Orthodox Christian country.

But Bolkvadze told RFE/RL on July 20 that the 24-year-old who died of tuberculosis at the Batumi Center for AIDS and Tuberculosis, who has been identified only as Lika, faced even greater difficulties as a transgender woman with AIDS.

As a transgender patient, Bolkvadze argued, Lika required special treatment to ensure her “honor and dignity,” as required by Georgia’s law on patient rights, which forbids discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

This sounds so familiar.

We have laws and company polices banning discrimination but so many times it boils down to the staff and how they treat you. All it takes is for a doctor’s receptionist making our lives miserable or for lab tech to refuse to do their job because of their “religious freedom” or an emergency room staff who tells you that you are okay and see your doctor in the morning after you hear them calling you derogatory names.

We might have laws, insurance, the best company non-discrimination policies, done the training but it all boils down to the employees.

And I think that it is only going to get worst with today's political climate as it emboldens the bigots.