NHS and GIRES Trans Workshop

A workshop covering 'Sexual orientation, Trans and the NHS' has been announced. The conference, which will cover the latest legislation on trans rights and involves the Government Equalities Office and GIRES, will be held in London on April 18th.

Time: Monday 18th April
Date: 10:30am-3:30pm
Location: Avonmouth House, London, SE1 6NX
For more information and to reserve a place please contact healthylives@stonewall.org.uk

Click on the image for more details.

New Website for Immigrants Goes Live

The Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK largest HIV and AIDS charity, has launched a new website in an attempt to reach the large migrant part of the LGBT community. In addition to sexual health advice, the site features advice on the gay scene in the UK, how to get visas, work, accommodation and other tips for a successful time in the UK.

The site also offers downloadable leaflet in 6 European languages: English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Polish

The website can be view at www.gaybritain.chapsonline.org.uk

Find out more here.

Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Health Survey

The largest ever European survey into lesbian and bisexual women’s health, has just been released. The report, carried out by Stonewall and De Montfort University, reveals deeply disturbing levels of self-harm, substance abuse and exclusion from routine testing for cervical cancer.

Prescription for Change, a survey of 6,000 lesbian and bisexual respondents, suggests that health services are failing to identify specific healthcare needs among Britain's 1.8 million lesbian population. They are also failing to address specific mental health needs that many women still experience as a result of discrimination. The survey, the biggest of its kind ever conducted outside America, provides unique new statistics on the mental health, drinking and drug use of lesbian and bisexual women. Find out more here.

BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour discusses the findings with Ruth Hunt, co-author of the report and Head of Policy and Research at Stonewall and Dr Sarah Jarvis, spokesperson for women's health at the Royal College of GPs. You can listen to the programme here.

Copies of the full report and the accompanying case studies are available at www.stonewall.org.uk/lesbianhealth.

Trans Marches in Paris and Barcelona

The European trans community is mobilising this week-end with demonstrations in Paris and Barcelona.

The French demonstrators on Saturday will rally under the slogan "Resis'Trans!". This will be the latest edition of ExisTrans', a day of action organised by a collection of activist organisations, which has been taking place in Paris every first week-end of October for the past 11 years.

The organisation Guerrilla Travolaka is behind the Spanish event which includes an arts festival on Saturday. The Spanish rallying cry on Sunday will be "No More Gender Disphoria".

Both marches however will focus on demanding that the World Health Organisation remove "Gender Identity Disorder" from the International Classification of Illnesses (Homosexuality was removed from this list in 1992) and the complete depathologisation of trans identities.

The demonstrators have great hopes that the upcoming summit of the World Health Organisation scheduled for June 2008 will make the requested changes.

Other demands include better financial support from health services for hormones and surgery, better administrative and legal processes for the change of identity, the continuation of parental rights over children born before the transition, and the recognision of the rights and needs of Trans asylum seekers. This changes need to take place at the national level.

The UK seems more advanced in this respect with some financial support from the NHS and the Gender Recognition Act 2004. As of September 2007, more than 2220 people have applied for legal recognition under the Act, 97.5% of which have been successfully approved.

See Also:
Unfortunately, no website in English about the events seems to be available.
ExisTrans 2007 (French)
Guerrilla Travolaka (Catalan)
Existrans organisers forum (French)
About Existrans (French)
World Health Organisation
Press for Change

LGBT History Month Celebrates Our Health

We are dedicating a page on our website to LGBT health issues, health history, health resources and current health campaigns.We want this page to be as inclusive and comprehensive as possible. This space will contain biographies, timelines, current issues and links to all those organisations working in the field, with their logo and a brief summary of what they do.

If you are part of a LGBT health organisation, we are looking for your organisation's logo and a brief summary of who you are and the services you provide.

Do you have an account of the history of your organisation?
Do you have a piece of LGBT health history that you might share or some research that you can provide?
Do you have any issues which you would like to raise or comments you would like to make?

If you do, please contact:
Jacob Breslow
lgbthmhealth@gmail.com