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Transgenders 'valid' with or without transition - experts

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Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News

Transgender woman Mitch Palmero always knew she wanted to be seen as a woman.That&#x27;s why she had no second thoughts when she decided to take pills to block testosterone and produce more estrogen way back in high school.&quot;May mga kapitbahay po kasi ako mga gay before na nagpu-pursue sa&#x27;kin bakit di raw ako mag-take ng pills, kung tawagin natin. First time ko kasi, una kong tinake na pills is iyong galing sa center. Siyempre, ako po na bata na wala pong masyadong tamang pag-iisip pagdating sa pag-take ng hormones and pagdating ng transitioning, kung ano iyong binibigay nila sa akin iyon iyong tine-take ko,&quot; Palmero told ABS-CBN News.(I have neighbors who are gay who kept asking why I didn&#x27;t take pills. My first time to take the pills, I got them from the center. I was a kid who didn&#x27;t know enough about taking hormones and transitioning. Whatever they gave me, I took.)Taking pills made her chest bigger and gave her mood swings.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Transgender woman Mitch Palmero is a volunteer of Decent Image of South Signal Association, a community health center specializing on transgender health and HIV/AIDS. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/06/30/06302023-trans-1.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Transgender woman Mitch Palmero is a volunteer of Decent Image of South Signal Association, a community health center specializing on transgender health and HIV/AIDS. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>Now in her mid-20s, Palmero has undergone surgical transition, particularly breast augmentation, through a licensed cosmetic surgeon after a series of consultations with a doctor.She still continues to take injectable bioidentical hormones, which help keep her female hormones dominant.&quot;Mas safe po kasi siya. Kasi iyong contraceptive po, sabi nga po ng doctor na nakausap ko, hindi po siya safe for six months kang nagte-take ng contraceptive na pills... Mas nasusuot ko kasi iyong gusto kong suotin. Mas feeling ko lang sa sarili ko na babae na ako,&quot; she explained.(It&#x27;s safer. The doctor I consulted said it&#x27;s unsafe to take contraceptives for six months...Now I can wear what I want. I feel like a woman.)Palmero has no regrets about the choices she made for her body and her gender identity.&quot;Aside from my family na medyo kontra sila, but for now nakikita naman po nila kung ano iyong meron po ako ngayon, and nakikita naman po nila na masaya ako kung ano iyong pinagawa ko sa sarili ko. And of course, I&#x27;m happy kasi kahit papaano merong lalaki na tumanggap para mahalin ako as a transgender woman,&quot; Palmero shared.(My family was against it a little but for now, they see what I have and they see that I am happy with what I did to my body. And of course I am happy because there&#x27;s a man who is willing to love me, a transgender woman.)<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Elle identifies as transgender but opted not to go through any medical transition. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/06/30/06302023-trans-2.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Elle identifies as transgender but opted not to go through any medical transition. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>Elle also identifies as a transgender woman but opted not to go through any medical transition.Elle still has male hormones and does not wear female clothes in public.&quot;One main reason is the community kasi hindi pa rin natatanggal iyong discrimination na kapag lumabas ka, kumekendeng ka, andoon pa rin iyong catcalling, iyong panlalait ng iba,&quot; Elle said.(One main reason is the community because there is still discrimination that if you go out and walk feminine, there is catcalling and insults.)&quot;Hindi po kailangan ng iba para masabi kung ano ka. Kasi kung paano mo i-identify iyong sarili mo, iyon iyong mas nagma-matter, and iyon ay valid... Hindi kailangan na kinantiyawan ka lang ng kaibigan na dapat maganda ka, dapat long hair-ada ka, dapat umiinom ka ng pills para masabing ikaw ay transgender,&quot; they added.(You don&#x27;t need other people to tell you who you are. How you identify yourself is what matters, is what&#x27;s valid. You don&#x27;t need to be goaded by friends that you have to be pretty, have long hair and take pills to be identified as transgender.)Elle has no doubt: they are a woman, and do not need any of the physical traits of a female just so they could call themselves as one.&quot;Ito lang ako, ito lang. Masaya ako sa ngayon, sa ganito... Hindi ko kailangan ng ibang tao para tanggapin ako. Unang-una, iyong sarili ko, tanggap ko na... And I am proud na transgender ako by heart,&quot; they said.(It&#x27;s just me, I am happy with what I am. I don&#x27;t need other people to be accepted. First of all, I accept myself.)&quot;Hanapin natin kung saan tayo mas komportable. Hinding-hindi tayo dapat makinig sa sasabihin ng iba... Kung ano ka, kung saan ka, kung ano iyong magpapaligaya sa&#x27;yo, iyon ang sundin mo. Hinding-hindi ka balewala,&quot; they added.(We should find where we are comfortable. Don&#x27;t listen to what other people are saying. What you are, where you are and what makes you happy, follow that. You are not nothing.)Palmero and Elle are volunteers of Lily by LoveYourself and DIOSSA or the Decent Image of South Signal Association, a community health center specializing on transgender health and HIV/AIDS.The health center, located in Parañaque City and open from 12 pm to 7 pm Wednesdays to Sundays, offers free consultations for members of the LGBTQIA+ and heterosexuals.<div>Understanding trans health</div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Dr. Angel Arroyo Sergio Batongbuhay is a medical clinic coordinator of Lily by LoveYourself. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/06/30/06302023-trans-3.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Dr. Angel Arroyo Sergio Batongbuhay is a medical clinic coordinator of Lily by LoveYourself. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>Dr. Angel Arroyo Sergio Batongbuhay, Lily&#x27;s medical clinic coordinator and an Emergency Medicine specialist, explained transgender health is &quot;not really a unique kind of health service&quot; but merely a health service that is &quot;as part of a right of anyone, specific for transgender.&quot;&quot;It&#x27;s a human right. But most transgender people, because of their identity, might find it difficult to seek that service to the general service of like in a government [hospital] because they may be discriminated against or misgendered,&quot; she explained.For example, she said transgender women who go to the emergency room may be forced to give their birth name, and be called a man.&quot;So it&#x27;s misgendering actually. And then a doctor or a nurse who is not really oriented on how to manage or accommodate like transgender people might actually classify them into the gender of birth. Like a transgender woman being treated for a condition na naka-fit for the male population,&quot; she added.Batongbuhay, who identifies as a transgender woman, believes this is the reason why transgenders may prefer to consult community health centers like Lily, where they can confide and be real about their medical concerns.&quot;They don&#x27;t know where to go - basically ganoon. I cannot really speak for the other members of the LGBTQ+ community like mga lesbian (and so on), but I&#x27;m pretty sure they probably have the same situation... They might not get the specific service that they want,&quot; she said.Batongbuhay explained there are three types of transition: medical transition, which involves taking gender affirming hormones to have a &quot;physical transition that will be more aligned to the gender that they are identifying with&quot;; surgical transition pertains to gender reassignment; and psychological transition, when trans people educate, build, and accept their gender identity.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/06/30/06302023-trans-0x0.jpg" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/06/30/06302023-trans-0x0.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/></figure></div>She admitted gender affirming hormones have become more accessible due to so many ads on social media. She reminded those going through physical transition to always consult an expert and make sure to purchase hormones approved by the Food and Drug Administration and bought from legitimate sellers.&quot;Don&#x27;t just rely sa mga influencers who would promote this. They would really have to read on it more... Just find the legit source of that information, otherwise baka kasi mas mapasama (it could go wrong.),&quot; she said.Batongbuhay said transgender health is now being discussed more openly, with trans advocates being invited to discuss the topic in conventions and seminars.Her &quot;dream&quot; is for trans health to be included in the curriculum for Nursing and Medicine courses.&quot;Kasi hindi naman ito tinuro sa amin noong (This was never taught in) medical school. So if it can be incorporated in a curriculum para (so that) from the start pa lang, iyong ating mga (our) future doctors and nurses, they have this idea na ito iyong population na ica-cater mo once you get to practice your chosen career. Hindi lang babae, lalake, may members of this community, na not really like separate community, but it&#x27;s identified from what the general population has classified like male or female... Iyon naman iyong oath naming mga doktor, mga medical practitioner, dapat wala kaming judgment,&quot; she explained.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2659474" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>Whether a transgender woman or man goes through transition or not, the expert assured transitioning is a &quot;personal journey&quot;.&quot;Transitioning is not really kailangang magmukha kang babae or something... It starts when you realize that you are different from what your parents are telling you or from birth certificate mo. Babae ka pala. And it might probably start from the very start, like you start wearing female outfits or makeup. Or for the trans men, they would start not wearing skirts, mas gusto nila na pants or shorts, or shorter hair,&quot; Batongbuhay said.(Transitioning is not really abou looking like a woman or something. It starts when you realize that you are different from what your parents are telling you or what&#x27;s in your birth certificate. You are a woman.)&quot;Maraming factors, like ano ba iyong acceptance niya sa sarili niya. Gaano siya ka-confident, na no matter what other people would say, okay na siya. Maski mukha siyang maton, pag sinabing, &#x27;Babae ako,&#x27; e &#x27;di period. Wala akong pakialam sa sasabihin niyo... Hindi naman required na kailangan mag-hormones ka or magpa-gender affirming surgery ka para ma-identify ka as bilang ganoon. So it&#x27;s an individual journey para ma-realize niya na, &#x27;Okay na pala ako kung anuman ako,&#x27;&quot; she added.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2674260" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div>&#x27;Normalizing&#x27; trans health</div>Tanya Laguing, president of DIOSSA and manager of Lily by LoveYourself, believes it is high time to talk about transgender health to educate the public, as the lack of information poses risks.&quot;Ang pinaka-danger niyan, talagang mapapasama sa sarili nila. Sasama ang kalusugan or - sabihin na nating worse - baka maaaring ikamatay nila. Iyon ang pinakanakakatakot. So since nandito kami, igu-guide sila sa journey na gusto nila,&quot; explained Laguing, who advocates health, well-being, and human rights for members of the LGBQIA+ community.(The danger there is it could all go bad. They could get sick or worse, even die. That is what frightens us. So since we are here, we will guide them in the journey they want to take.)<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Tanya Laguing is president of DIOSSA and manager of Lily by LoveYourself. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/06/30/06302023-trans-4.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Tanya Laguing is president of DIOSSA and manager of Lily by LoveYourself. Photo by Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>She also called on the Department of Health to develop a &quot;trans health module&quot;.&quot;Lagyan natin ng guidelines, lagyan natin ng protocol. Ilabas na natin iyong mga pwede nating ilabas na guidelines for trans health, na para kahit papaano, ang mga LGUs and even the private sector, and even the private organization is meron na silang mantra, meron na silang - sabihin na nating - libro kung paano sisimulan at paano gagawin ang gender affirming services o iyong sinasabi nating trans health,&quot; she explained.(Let&#x27;s set guidelines, protocol. Let&#x27;s set guidelines for trans health so that local government units and even the private sector will have a mantra, a book that would teach us about gender affirming services and trans health.)Even the youth is aware and agrees with &quot;normalizing&quot; transgender health, as explained by Jose Elwin Andal, secretary of the Far Eastern Unversity (FEU) Sexuality and Gender Alliance.Andal, who identifies as gay but enjoys drag as a self-expression, said openly conversing about trans health is already a significant step.&quot;I think that medical transition is still a taboo... We stigmatize those conversations. And sobrang nakakalungkot kasi hindi natin nino-normalize iyong ganoong conversations and discussions. And if we are able to just look at it in a bigger picture and also as it is, mare-realize natin na there&#x27;s no wrong accepting these people,&quot; they explained.&quot;We actually plan on establishing educational talks that cater to all encompassing topics... I think doon pa lang, when it comes to creating those kinds of programs, we create a society that normalizes these discussions,&quot; they added.<div>&#x27;A leap of faith&#x27;</div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Dr. Leilanie Apostol-Nicodemus, director of the UP Manila Center for Gender and Women Studies. Photo by the UP Manila Center for Gender and Women Studies" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/06/30/06302023-trans-5.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>Dr. Leilanie Apostol-Nicodemus, director of the UP Manila Center for Gender and Women Studies. Photo by the UP Manila Center for Gender and Women Studies</figcaption></figure></div>Dr. Leilanie Apostol-Nicodemus, director of the UP Manila Center for Gender and Women Studies, said the younger generation and social media have become significant in spreading the word about gender identity and transgender health, which can be considered a fairly new aspect of health service.Apostol-Nicodemus said, in general, gender identity is already accepted in the society, but there is not much deeper understanding.This is also the case when it comes to gender affirmation.&quot;It depends on the family or the community. Siguro sa urban area baka it&#x27;s something that it can be easily accepted, but not in the rural area. Kasi they look different. Kasi nakilala na ganito siya tapos biglang nagbago. It will create talaga wonder, curiosity,&quot; Apostol-Nicodemus explained.The gender expert also shared how transgenders arrive at a decision to transition or not.&quot;It will start with a discomfort... Nalilito ka e, and people go through those processes. So kaya nagkakaroon siya ng discussion kasi nga may iba that they dysphoria is so severe that they have to transition. Or else kasi it will become psychological problem within themselves kasi mayroong dissonance. Ibig sabihin, ang tingin ko sa sarili ko, hindi ko nakikita physically. But there are people who are so comfortable with who they are so they don&#x27;t need to change,&quot; Apostol-Nicodemus said.&quot;If you change from one phase in your life, it really takes guts and confidence. So it&#x27;s a leap of faith. And that leap of faith is dependent on the source of your support system, your monetary, financial aspect,&quot; she added.According to her, discussions in medical schools have also been elevated, as &quot;students are asking that they encounter patients asking them how to take hormonal treatment&quot;, which prompts conversations on transgender health.In the end, the LGBTQIA+ community only wants support and continuous conversations so that they will see the day when they will feel that their right to health is also part of human rights.

Transgender woman Mitch Palmero says she has always known that she wanted to be seen as a woman.

Transgenders 'valid' with or without transition - experts

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Transgenders 'valid' with or without transition - experts

Arra Perez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 30, 2023 08:39 PM PHT

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Updated Oct 28, 2024 10:48 PM PHT

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