Evan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️Jun 17, 2023

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
Show threadTheoJun 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.
Show threadlolonurseJun 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.
Show threadEvan Urquhart 🏳️‍⚧️

@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.

Jun 18, 2023 at 10:27pmWeb
Show threadlolonurseJun 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. 🩵
Show threadTheoJun 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.
Show threadlolonurseJun 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.
Show threadTheoJun 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!