Mastodawn

J ‘Pirate Rabbits’ Turner Jun 18, 2023

Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️

This one's been a bit under the radar, but the US Conference of Catholic Bishops are moving ahead with plans to force Catholic hospitals to refuse any sort of gender affirming care, which would include maintenance doses of hormone therapy for emergency patients such as stroke victims who were unlucky enough to be brought to a Catholic hospital.

https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/qgqzzx44bmfatwh70u4n5b4rfs7bar

Catholic Hospitals May Forcibly Detransition Patients — Assigned

No trans person should seek treatment for any condition at a Catholic hospital.

Assigned

Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 17, 2023

I've been meaning to look in to whether a medical info bracelet might work here.

Not sure if ambulance techs would even understand or honor one directing them not to take us to Catholic hospitals.

At any rate, something to have on your radar. The rule isn't written, but the smart money is on them banning any continuing prescription for HRT in any circumstances, which would mean forced medical detransition in cases where one of us is stuck in one of their facilities for an extended period.

Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 17, 2023

A follower on another platform (a cis woman) said that she's been in an emergency situation where she specifically asked not to be taken to a Catholic hospital and the paramedic didn't honor that, said they had to take her to the closest even with another option almost as close.

Bill, organizer of stuff Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq I'm inclined to think that a medical institution that breaks with medical consensus because of a religious belief is not a hospital (it's a church with doctors) and should therefore be removed from the "closest hospital" list.

Michelle Hughes Jun 17, 2023

One time, one of our city council members thought they were saying something pro choice when they said "abortion should be a decision between a woman and her doctor" and I was like bro, you wanna leave this up to those frikkin Catholic hospitals?

Faith, Purple haired feminist 🧋

@e_urq Thanks for the heads up. That's not something anyone should have to think about but I guess we do now. 😫

Charlotte Hunter Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq I have a MedicAlert bracelet that I wear for health reasons. My guess is that request can't be printed on a bracelet/pendant, but maybe. Mine does say "Call for Info" and refer to wallet card. And my wallet card has space for "NEED:"s and "RECOMMENDATION:"s. Whether a paramedic would go through that many steps I think is more relevant than whether they would actually honour the request. Here in Canada I know some people have "no blood transfusions" for religious reasons and it's honoured.

@CharleneTeglia Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq In rural areas that is often the only choice.

queercrip epi Jun 19, 2023

@e_urq I wonder if it's possible and/or effective to write something about avoiding Catholic hospitals into a medical advanced directive.

nadezhda Jun 19, 2023

@science_enby Sure it can be included in an advance directive. But effectiveness would depend on whether whoever is legally responsible for overseeing the implementation of the directive has reasonable choice re hospitals available. The problem would always be with timing - by the time the questions re ongoing treatment arise, the person may already be in a Catholic hospital w/o their consent due to an emergency admittance & moving might not be feasible

Esther Roth-Colson Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq

In my area, this has been pretty much the policy over the last couple of years. First, they prohibited their doctors from any under-18 transgender care, then they pushed out the one doctor providing it to adults as well. Complete with nastygram sent out telling people that it wasn't acceptable at all. The only saving grace is that we have an unaffiliated major hospital network that, at least for now, is still providing it (let's see if Missouri tries to ban it again for adults).

Susan Lewis Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq Perhaps people should wear a bracelet saying "Take me to a heathen hospital"

DeterioratedStucco Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq
So is the key word here "Catholic" or "US"? (Brit speaking.)

Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 17, 2023

@SoftwareTheron US- not sure what the deal is elsewhere but they won't be covered by these rules at the very least.

Celebrate Billionaire Pain Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq fucking crazy that I am a member of a species which can simultaneously understand how hormones can be synthesized and exploited for our benefit and also believe that invisible spirits will be very angry at us if we do it wrong so we better listen to the man with the giant hat in the throne because he can talk to the spirits and tell us what they want. Fucking pick a lane humans.

@e_urq IMHO denial of medical service should get doctors' and providers' licenses revoked and further penalized with jailtime no less than 5 years per case.

Just like it is in several juristictions...

Trashfirekitten Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq I swear someone's going to engrave a copy of the Hippocratic oath on a brick and beat them over the head with it until they're dragged out in cuffs.

Evelyn C. Leeper Jun 17, 2023

@nbtentaclekitten @e_urq You do realize that the Hippocratic Oath includes a vow not to perform abortions, right? Insisting doctors follow it literally is probably *not* what you want, and certainly not what most women want.

Iris Young (he/they/she) (PhD)Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq oof, relevant to the UC/Dignity affiliation. Are you familiar with that saga?

AlisonW (⚾🏟️🏔️🏏)Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq
Despicable.

Nicola Elle 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq One of the main reasons why I use the word "was" when I describe my religious affiliation.

RC Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq Catholics need to get out of the hospital buisness if they aren't going to provide all legally available medical remidies.

pacanukeha❌ (seasonally appropriate remix)Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq someone needs to excommunicate those fuckers

Pete Jun 17, 2023

@e_urq Pro-Life my ass.

Ω 🌍 Gus Posey Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq All I'm saying is that I'm glad the Catholic Church doesn't have a Death Star.

Bill D Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq I wonder if any colleges outsourcing student health services to Harness (Catholic) have had to terminate the relationship due to their refusal to provide trans-related care or reproductive healthcare.

Melissa BearTrix 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq shit like this is already happening in Australia ... I had to have my testicles removed due to a medical fuck up ... A endo crushed an oestrogen pellet into little bits and caused problems ... Not that I like my testicles ... So anyway, my surgeon got hauled over the coals because he removed unhealthy testicles from a trans woman ... This was 2020, and a private religious hospital in Sydney attached to the best public hospital.

This is one of the many reason doctors and surgeons are hesitant to take on trans patience

Hugz & xXx

It's Just Jenn 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq In my experience catholic hospitals are just generally bottom of the barrel. I hope I don't ever have to go to one for any reason.

chef 😎Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq
F*ck religion and f*ck churches. 🤬

#atheism #laicism #noReligion

John Caveney woke is me🛠️Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq fuck, how very Christian…..

rob Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq @tismark here, Bon Secours doesn't provide HIV medication to patients who've been admitted for emergent care.

John Quentin Heywood Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq The Catholic Church needs to be taken out of the health care business if they have objections to providing basic health care

errg Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq Maybe first they should concentrate on not molesting children

🍸Pooka🥕Boo🍸Jun 18, 2023

Again, Christianity is evil.

Kris Samsel Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq Eliminate all tax dollars. Tax the evildoers. They can go down with the ship!

Theo Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq ugh. I'm in Seattle, and there are only 2 non-Catholic hospitals. One is Kaiser and you have to have their insurance. Which means there's effectively one (which has 2 locations). Guess I'm finding all new doctors again.

lolonurse Jun 18, 2023

@ericawrites @e_urq
Hi. I'm curious why you dismiss Catholic hospitals. I'm Jewish, & our local hospital is a Catholic hospital. They service anyone, most are not-for-profit, & these days, most are affiliated with large healthcare systems, making access to sophisticated care possible. But yes...Kaiser is a nightmare.

Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 18, 2023

@lolonurse @ericawrites If I had an emergency and was taken to ta Catholic hospital and, god forbid, my condition was serious and I had to stay there for several weeks, I would be denied access to my regular medication because their religious views come before my welfare.

Now, that would probably not be life threatening. For a woman who is miscarrying the situation is 1000x more dire. Women in Europe have died bc Catholic hospitals wouldn't follow the normal recommended treatment.

lolonurse Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq @ericawrites
I'm appalled to hear this. Probably because there haven't been any nuns in the hospital for several decades, & the doctors & nurses would probably leave if people were denied care. I'm so sorry. Hopefully you'll find a wonderful provider, & have few needs for hospitalization anyway. 🩵

Theo Jun 18, 2023

@lolonurse @e_urq Thanks. Evan nicely laid out the bigger issues and the individual emergency situation issues.

My PCP who specialized in trans healthcare did quit when the hospital I go to was bought by a Catholic org. She also had not nice things to say about their "nonprofit generosity" to low income patients.

My personal medical transition has been impacted as my new PCP is very supportive but not knowledgeable so I've been delayed getting access to hrt, which I've been unraveling. I finally have an appt with a specialist but because it's still in the Catholic org.... It's very upsetting, frustrating, and harmful, and I'm a very privileged person in a major city in a "blue" state with lots of protections for trans people. But that doesn't account for what access really looks like.

lolonurse Jun 19, 2023

@ericawrites @e_urq
I was wondering about that (the blueness of the state)...I'm in NY, and we lived for 23 years in SoCal (a dear college friend made regular trips from Canada to LA for several years for various surgeries - what a trooper she was back then!) And despite what it looks like, NM is also blue. But within blue states, there are a lot of insane & nasty wackos. More power to you.

Theo Jun 19, 2023

@lolonurse @e_urq
Your friend's story is certainly one of access, and I know so many people are being forced to travel again for healthcare (at least those with the privilege and wherewithal to do so).

I'm grateful to not worry about anti-trans legislation at the state, county, or city level and make sure to support pro-trans legislation, but that doesn't mean the awful authoritarians aren't digging in where they can. Thanks!

Winfried is Anti Fascism 🏳️‍🌈Jun 18, 2023

@e_urq exactly over this, in the Netherlands, The Raboud Catholic academic hospital and Catholic university had a big fight with the Catholic church. The church had to give in.

VirtualRook Jun 19, 2023

@e_urq what the F is a catholic hospital?! How can a religion practice medicine? Am I insane for thinking that Is insane?

Deb4+ aka Deborah DT 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️Jun 19, 2023

AND the Catholic hospitals have been buying up and merging with other hospitals at a frightening pace.

They're all trying to take over our country

Martha Howell Jul 23, 2023

@e_urq https://www.channel3000.com/news/investigates/ssm-health-discontinues-gender-affirming-surgeries-in-the-madison-area-amid-pressure-from-the-catholic/article_84fcff98-27f1-11ee-ae74-c7c9c9401e3a.html

Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️Jul 23, 2023

@MHowell Hate to see it but thank you so much for sharing.

Martha Howell Jul 23, 2023

@e_urq
It's vile, even more so since I have SSM for my insurance.

Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️Jul 23, 2023

@MHowell ughhhh