[Intro Music]
Chase: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Trans 101. Today we are talking about Medical Transition.
and what is that?
Very simply, medical transition is when a Trans person or a Non-Binary individual will choose to medically transition via...
[scoff]
...medicine.
Usually this encompasses Hormone Replacement Therapy and/or surgery.
I would like to make it a point to everyone, Disclaimer: Not every Trans/Non-Binary/Non-Conforming person
chooses to medically transition.
Okay. Some people don't want to do it, some people can't afford it, and some people are not able to physically
do it because there is something with their body that does not allow them, like they have a medical condition
and they're not able to transition medically.
So keep in mind that no matter where the Trans person is in their life, in their type of transition that they're doing,
they are still valid as Trans people.
Not everyone can or wants to go on hormones.
And not everyone can and wants to have different type of surgeries.
I have known people personally who have gotten surgery on top and who have never been on hormones,
and that's how they like it, and that's how they want to keep it.
I know other people who have been on hormones for years but never want to have surgery.
And I also know people who have gone through Hormone Replacement Therapy, have had top surgery,
have had a hysterectomy and have had bottom surgery.
It's everyone is on this spectrum, and it's okay to be where ever you are.
The Trans person that you know, or you as a Trans person,
Non-Gendered Conforming person, Gender Non-Conforming person, Non-Binary person, et cetera
is still valid. You are still 100 percent valid as Trans.
And I am trying to..
really like disclaimer this and and put out this this a lot.
put out this. Explain this a lot and really reiterate this because this is a huge problem in this community
where a lot- and and outside
where a lot of family members will never take the person that they know, their Trans chid, their partner,
their sibling, their co-worker, they won't take them seriously unless they medically transition.
This is very very very problematic discourse that we have in this society, that needs to be switched around.
So when people start to understand that you don't need to medically transition in order to be Trans, um that is
can- we all will live a better life.
Now most people medically transition, especially go on Hormone Replacement Therapy because they would like
to pass better.
The concept of "passing" alright- can be somewhat problematic because it implies that you need to pass as
the gender that you are, in order to be that gender.
Even if you don't pass, you are that gender.
But, it brings more "legitimacy" to your transition. And I am saying that in the biggest quotation marks that have ever existed.
Because the legitimacy of your transition is how you define your transition.
[inhales] So,
people usually go on hormones in order to pass.
I personally went on hormones because I felt like the body that I had on the outside did not match who
who I was on the inside. And I wanted my outside to finally reflect my inside. So I went on hormones.
I finally got facial hair, my voice got deeper, my body started changing, I got more body hair, and I felt
way more comfortable with myself.
This is the same reason why I also had top surgery. I always had dysphoria um, with my top area. And I
always wanted to have surgery. I binded for years and I suffered, and I had issues with breathing, and the day
I got surgery, it was like my life finally started.
So yes, I have chosen to medically transition in order to alleviate my dysphoria.
Some people choose not to medically transition because they don't need to alleviate their dysphoria with medical intervention.
They either can do a social transition, which will be talked about in a later episode, or they can just do a legal
transition, which will also be talked about in a later episode.
Now, I know what I'm talking about is beautiful and we all should respect each other,
There is one thing that we need to talk about that is very important, there are some places in the world, there are
some states, there are some countries in the world, some type of government that require a Trans person to have medical intervention
in order for them to change their legal documents.
And by "legal documents" I mean getting your name changed, or and/or getting your gender marker changed.
So if your gender on your papers, on your birth certificate says female, and you identify as male, and you would like it to say male,
Some places in the world, and some states in America, will require you to have some type of surgery in order to change that.
Up until recently, this is what had happened in Québec, which is where I live.
You needed to have a hysterectomy in order to change your gender marker. Now this is ridiculous because
not everyone wants a hysterectomy. And this is a big problem in a lot of countries that I have seen in Europe.
They're basically forcing Trans people to sterilize themself, because you are getting a hysterectomy, you're
removing all of those parts. Now this is a huge problem,
and this is something that a lot a lot of people are trying to change.
And the reason why I'm making these videos, especially this one here, it's it's, yes it's good for Trans people
to know about this but- or people who are questioning, and like "oh I didn't really-" or like beginning their
transition, and didn't really know about this stuff. But I think this video is really important for people who are
allies, and friends, family, spouse, et cetera of Trans people.
Because once you understand that oh, not everyone transitions the same way. Not everyone decides to
go on hormones. Not everyone decides to have certain types of surgery. I think that you're able to understand
the person, that you, that is in your life that is Trans, or Trans people in general, and understand that
everyone is different. Not everyone is the same. There is not one "cookie-cutter" medical transition way to transition.
Um, example: I do not want to have a hysterectomy. That makes me no less Trans than somebody
who has had a hysterectomy and bottom surgery.
Zero percent. I am still "as much" Trans as the other person, because I identify as Male, I identify as Trans, and this is who I am.
Anyways, just wanted to give you a little [snap fingers] social stuff in there in that medical transition episode.
So hopefully you were able to learn a little bit. The next episode I will talk about Social Transition, Natural Transition, and Legal Transition.
Please take a look at those videos, and don't forget to look at the previous videos in this playlist because
there's a lot of information geared for family and friends and for a lot of Trans people.
Thank you for joining me, and have a great day. Bye!
[Outro music]