While certain parts of Evan's life are going really well, a recent executive order leaves him feeling up in the air about aspects of his transition.
Original music by Evan James White
(“In the Ether” keyboard musical intro)
Evan: Well, hello, hello, hello. Welcome to Just Another Guy (Who Happens to Be Trans). I'm your host, Evan James White.
Life is going really great right now. And I know that is so interesting for me to say because there's so many fucked up things that are happening (laughs), you know? I mean. it's like, do I start with the good or the bad? (laughs) I guess I'll start with the good.
I'm in love y'all. Like I am so happy right now. I have met someone that I am just head over heels for, you know? We've been dating for about a month now and we met each other through someone close to me, and at first we started talking online a little bit and then we met in person and wow, just fireworks. Like I wrote in my journal a couple of months ago, I wrote about the person that I wanted to be with. I described her and this person that I've met, this woman that I've met is exactly what I wrote about, exactly what I asked the stars for, like to the T (laughs).
She is kind, she is nurturing, she is so loving. I feel so cared for. She is beautiful, she is smart, she is a poet, she is emotionally available and also emotionally intelligent, she communicates. Literally everything that I want in a partner she is. We're on the same page about a lot of the things we want for the future and I feel like the love that I give, I'm getting back. Like I know how well I treat the people that I love and she matches that. I feel like I finally have someone that I deserve. And it feels like life is great. Like it feels like everything is falling into place. It feels like it's as it should be.
And at the same time, the reality is there was just this inauguration where Trump immediately signed these executive orders that are going to take away rights for a lot of people. There is the executive order on gender that basically says, “The federal government won't be using the word gender anymore to describe people. Instead, it will be using the word sex. And there are only two sexes – male and female – and sex is not something that can be changed and is determined at the time of the baby's conception.” Which is completely ridiculous because scientifically, sex isn't determined in the fetus at conception.
With this executive order on gender, the federal government will no longer be providing gender affirming health care to trans people. So for folks on Medicaid and Medicare, they may not have access to gender affirming care in the way they used to because the federal government funds Medicaid and Medicare. So that means hormone replacement therapy may no longer happen for some folks. Surgeries may not happen for some folks. Also outside of healthcare, passport documents – because the federal government will now only recognize two genders, people whose passport documents show a third gender, or gender X, I'm wondering what's going to happen with them. They may have to change or update their documents to reflect a gender that is not theirs, the gender that they were assigned at birth.
And fortunately for me, I got my documents updated last year. I had this feeling that I just needed to do it last year. So I did, and just in the nick of time. Even with me having taken care of what I needed to take care of, I'm wondering if somehow there could be some kind of a flag on my passport. I'm wondering if they're going to make me change it back. In terms of health care, I'm not on Medicaid or Medicare though I do receive health insurance through the California marketplace – because the federal government mandated that each state have a marketplace for healthcare, the federal government does subsidize or pay for some of the costs of the health care in the marketplace – so I am wondering if I'll also be impacted by this. Will my premiums increase, specifically for my testosterone gel? I'm also wondering if I'll be able to get the surgeries that I need to get. Will they be covered by my health insurance over the next four years?
And even with all of this, even as I am being vulnerable and open and honest about my fears, I'm also realizing how, how fortunate I am because I do have access to health care. I do make enough money to be able to afford my testosterone gel even if my health premiums do go up. I was fortunate that I was able to get my documents updated last year. Some people can't do that because of finances, because they don't have a ride to the courthouse, because they don't have time to go to the courthouse because they're working. Some people don't understand the documents. Some people need attorneys to help them figure it out and some people don't have access to attorneys. I was very fortunate to be able to have gotten this done.
I'm also fortunate that I have a support system. I have family and friends who love me and are here for me and have my back. I'm also really lucky because I have her, the woman I mentioned. I mentioned to her that I was nervous about the possibility of losing access to my gender affirming care, my hormone replacement therapy, my testosterone. And I asked her, I said, ”Hey, if for whatever reason I can no longer be on testosterone, would you still wanna be with me?” And she said, “Yes, of course. I like you, I want to be with you.”
Thank you for listening. This is Just Another Guy (Who Happens to Be Trans). I'm your host, Evan James White. Peace.
(“In the Ether” keyboard musical outro)