Gender- Ask a Pro Live with Kai and Olivia July 25th 2019

Hello everyone and welcome to our Ask a Pro:Live event on the topic of Gender! We will be starting with the first question right at 7pm!

A huge warm welcome to our special guests @KaiRoe  and @Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital who are joining us tonight!

Before we start at 7pm, just a few important messages we would like to share:

The first is some important information about language:

Language is very important as it conveys respect and inclusion of all people. We acknowledge the many First Nation language words across the world to describe diverse gender identity before the word Transgender or Trans existed. These words go beyond the western terms and when using the phrase ‘Trans and Gender Diverse’ or the acronym ‘TGD’ in this webchat we include people who identify as Two spirit, third gender, SisterGirl, BrotherBoy, Fa’afafine, Fakaleiti, whakawahine, fafatama, non-binary, gender queer, trans and more.  

The second key message is about seeking support:

If at all you find this conversation distressing or you feel like you need to talk to someone then it's time to get some help! You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or use their webchat and email services found on their respective sites. The links can be found here. If you are new here then welcome! Have a quick peek at our community guidelines you can find them here!

We will also be referring to a number of awesome LGBTIQA+ services across Australia that you can access. A key one if you need support tonight is Qlife who offer support from 3pm-midnight.

Our first question is coming soon so stay tuned! 

Just tagging all the members who liked this initial blog post @Hozzles @Ladybug @recharging_introvert @Bananatime04 @Esperanza67 @ecla34 @WheresMySquishy @Tiny_leaf  Look forward to speaking with you soon!

Here we go!

Our first question for tonight for @Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital and @KaiRoe is to help us get to know you a bit better:

Tell us a little bit about yourself and three fun facts!

So we have a question here for Olivia! @Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital  What's been the most rewarding aspect of working in this field? 🙂

I have an awesome job - I meet incredible young people and families every day. I am often impressed with the strength and resilience they bring to some pretty tough situations in life. I enjoy watching families grow together and supporting young people and parents to get on the same page and make plans to create their own life story

Hi Im Olivia (she/her) cis, Trans ally. I’m a psychologist and coordinate the QLD Children’s Gender Service in Brisvegas . 3 fun things

1. My doggies light up my life
2. Im a Bushranger… a basketball player in a queer team called the Bushrangers
3. I’m wearing sock slippers with dogs on them

Huge welcome @Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital and @KaiRoe! I have noticed you both mentioned your pets- our community love our pets, in fact we have entire sections of the forums dedicated to cats and dogs!

@Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital that's so wonderful that you get to work with people and their families as part of a journey they take together! That sounds so rewarding

(PUPPIES!!!!! :D)

This next question is for @KaiRoe 🙂

Do you plan on working with trans people/ in the trans community in your future career?

I do, that's the ultimate goal, I've gotta work out how to get into it, and which organization I want to work for, there's like  twenty10 and minus18 and all those good places but it's something that I'd really love to be able to do!

So many great services doing a lot of amazing work supporting our trans community- we also look forward to seeing where your career takes you! 

So agree with @WheresMySquishy, @KaiRoe is definitely a role model 

Our next question for @KaiRoe is: 

Olivia, how did you get involved in working with trans and gender diverse young people?

Hmmm… a long time ago I co-facilitated a youth support group called 2QT2BSTR8 in Logan, south of Brisbane (15 years ago!) I met two amazing resilient and strong trans young people who were doing it tough and found out there were no services or clinics that could provide trans youth informed support or medical care. I spoke to Trans friends who told me more about the struggle to access trans informed healthcare and that many psychologists and doctors would turn them away as they didnt know much about Trans healthcare

I figured I needed to learn more about this so I could do a better job and so I started learning and then more trans adults and young people came to see me 

@Jess1-RO @WheresMySquishy You are too sweet! 

Kai, when and how did you realise that you were Trans Non-Binary?

I kind of always knew that i wasn’t female and was always uncomfortable with my chest being feminine  but i never had the words to put to what i felt, because i also knew that i wasnt male, and when i was about 14 or so, i found the term non-binary on tumblr of all places and realised that there was an entire spectrum of gender that was in between male and female, I also started to realise that my very feminine deadname and she/her pronouns mad me really uncomfortable and after finding the non-binary label, it fit really well and i just stuck with it.

@KaiRoe thank you for sharing your story! I feel the current age of the internet is allowing more young people to discover their identities/ labels that fit them earlier than before and really find community. I love that! 

@Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital your job sounds amazing and so inspiring! I really want to work with children as a psychologist some day.

Had to head out for a bit but I'm back now, loving this chat! Funny how @Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital seems like a dog person and @KaiRoe a cat person! 

Our next question is for both @KaiRoe and @Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital:

What are your top three things/pieces of advice you have for those questioning their gender?

We are also going to ask this question to the community, so please feel free to share your top three tips too!

What are your top three things/pieces of advice you have for those questioning their gender?

1. Be your authentic self - you are perfect how you are and the world is brighter because you exist within it
2. Stay strong and keep reaching out for support until you get to the right people - they are out there
3. Connect with the LGBTIQAP+ community to see yourself reflected and celebrated

@Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital Be your authentic self - love this

Here is our next question:

What is the process for starting HRT in Australia? And which medical professionals are involved in the prescription of hormones?

What is the process for starting HRT in Australia? And which medical professionals are involved in the prescription of hormones?

Gender affirming hormones are prescribed by medical specialists with experience in this such as gender specialist GP’s, endocrinologists and sexual health physicians. 

If you have not finished puberty yet or are are younger adolescent you would probably start with pubertal suppression first (before hormones)

For young people we have the Australian Standards of Care which outline the process for young people under 18 years, you can read them here: 

https://www.rch.org.au/adolescent-medicine/gender-service/

The guidelines for adults are the World Professional Association of Transgender health (WPATH) Standards of Care

https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc

@KaiRoe @Jess1-RO thanks.

And it'd be great if there was some more support around social transitioning in gender centres, but that's pretty hard to find offline.. 

@Tiny_leaf "more support around social transitioning"

What would the community like to see with this suggestion?

What comes to mind for me at the QLD Children's gender service :

- counselling and information with families to help them support their child's social transition 

- letters to support change of gender marker on medicare cards, passport forms

- advocacy at schools, phoning them etc to explain why change in uniform important and how changing names and pronouns supports a young person to feel safe, validated and learn at school

...

@Olivia_QLDchildrensHospital exactly the sort of stuff you listened there!

I'm in WA though, I don't think that the hospital I mentioned really helps with that kind of stuff..