FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2009

Alberta Government Targets Transsexuals in Cuts to Health Care

Edmonton: —Transsexual and transgender people across the country were shocked this week when the Alberta Government announced that it will no longer fund Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS) denying many of the most marginalized in society access to health care coverage for these medically necessary procedures.

“Once again the trans community is being discriminated against and denigrated,” says Mickey Wilson, Chair of Egale Canada’s Trans Committee. “First, gender identity was excluded from proposed amendments to the Alberta Human Rights, Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Act, and now sex reassignment surgery is de-listed from Alberta Health Care coverage. This announcement came with no warning or consultation with the community and has left many people scrambling to look for alternatives,” said Wilson.

The announcement comes at a time when other provinces have re-listed the medically necessary service making the Alberta Government’s decision even more confusing. In June of 2008, Ontario relisted the surgery after a ten year freeze.

Wilson said that the medical needs of trans people must be met and that the Alberta Government has a responsibility to ensure that appropriate and necessary health services are available to them. SRS is internationally recognized as a medically necessary procedure and access to health care should be a fundamental human right for vulnerable populations. He went on to say that Egale would do everything it could to ensure that the decision is overturned.

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For more information: Mickey Wilson, 403-593-5923

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Advancing equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified people and their families across Canada