Trans voices and experiences should be centred in all discussions about our lives and health care.
Yet last Monday the peak body for psychiatry, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), platformed an anti-trans lobby group at their annual conference. During their session the group promoted discredited studies and called on attendees to support their campaign to restrict access to gender-affirming care in Australia.
This is outrageous and a clear violation of RANZCP’s own commitments in support of the trans community and our access to gender-affirming care.
That’s why we are launching a campaign to demand that RANZCP explain why the session was allowed to go ahead, and make a public commitment to ban anti-trans lobby groups from any future events.
But to put real pressure on RANZCP we need your support. We need to raise $100,000 by June 30th to fund our work for the next year, so we can run urgent campaigns to fight for trans justice.
Will you help us get this urgent campaign off the ground by chipping into our crowdfunder? With the generous support of our donors we have already raised 10% of our total goal.
Over the coming weeks we will be mobilising and supporting members of the College, medical students, and community members to call on RANZCP to live up to their own values.
Together, we will protect trans health care from the influence of the anti-trans lobby.
The organisation that RANZCP platformed was the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM). SEGM supports pathologising theories about trans people that are not recognised by any major Australian medical organisation, do not have collaborative relationships with any major LGBTSBQIA+ representative body in Australia, and have been critical of protecting trans people under bans on conversion practices.
A number of SEGM members served as advisors on the UK’s flawed Cass Review, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis even appointed a past SEGM member, Patrick Hunter, to the Florida Board of Medicine – a state that has since banned gender-affirming care for minors and adults.
This is their game plan.
If we allow anti-trans organisations to build their power and influence they could weaponise health organisations like RANZCP against our community, banning our access to care and stripping away our right to bodily autonomy. We can’t let that happen.
That’s why we are asking for your support to help stop the anti-trans lobby. Chip into our crowdfunder now. All donations are tax-deductible.
Psychiatry has always had a tense relationship with the LGBTSBQIA+ community because of the ways in which sexual and gender diversity has been pathologised.
However, RANZCP has worked hard to rebuild trust. They have made statements in support of the trans community, supported non-discriminatory treatment of the LGBTSBQIA+ community, and even made a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission about the emerging threats to trans and gender diverse people.
That’ts why the choice to platform SEGM is so shockingly hypocritical.
Together, we will show RANZCP leadership that platforming groups like SEGM puts the credibility, integrity, and reputation of the College at risk.
We already have a lot of support. On the morning of the conference we organised a snap rally. Braving the -1ºc Canberra temperatures we handed out more than 400 flyers to attendees and had many great conversations. A number of RANZCP’s senior members also came out to talk with us and support the protest.
Prior to the conference a number of community groups, medical organisations, and experts raised grave concerns about SEGM’s involvement in the conference. This included a letter signed by 50 psychiatrists and registrars.
Now we are now preparing to turn up the heat. We will be putting pressure on RANZCP from both within the College and outside it, to get them to publicly commit to not platform anti-trans lobby groups at future events. But to make these plans a reality we need your support.
Help stop the anti-trans lobby by chipping in to support our work.
We know that times are tough so whatever you can contribute is much appreciated. Every little bit helps.
We will keep you updated as we push forward with this campaign.
Trans health belongs in trans hands and we will fight for our right to have power over the decisions that affect our lives and health care.
In solidarity for trans justice,
Jackie Turner
Director, Trans Justice Project
(she/her)
P.S. The Trans Justice Project was founded by our community, for our community. To remain independent we don’t seek out large government grants that could undermine our mission. That means that we rely on community support to continue our work. Whatever you can give is much appreciated and will go towards powering us in the year ahead.
