Homophobia and Discrimination on

<strong>Homophobia</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Discrimination</strong> on Grounds of Sexual Orientation <strong>and</strong> Gender Identity in the EU Member States
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of the transgender respondents’ General Practitioners refused their requests for help in
finding treatment for gender identity issues <strong>and</strong> a further 13.4 per cent did not appear to
want to help. While 80 per cent did want to help, only 20 per cent actually could help
because they had the relevant knowledge. Sixty percent wanted to help but lacked
information.
It is rare that healthcare professionals have sufficient knowledge of transgender issues
to be of effective help. For example, finding a healthcare provider in Hungary who is
willing (<strong>and</strong> able) to help is so difficult that only the most persistent individuals are able to
get through the system. Cases of corruption have been reported regarding medical
assistance in relation to transgender issues. 440 In situations where there are few medical
professionals willing, <strong>and</strong> less actually able, to assist in undertaking the medical
procedures necessary for gender alteration, there is a high likelihood that the methods of
operation will be dangerous for the patient.
In Pol<strong>and</strong> a decree by the Minister of Health (2003) defined sex reassignment surgery as
‘non-st<strong>and</strong>ard health service’ <strong>and</strong> therefore excluded it from the National Health Fund. 441
Photos posted on the internet, as well as anecdotal evidence suggests that surgery
results are generally poor, with few well-trained surgeons who have the level of
experience required to perform adequately this level of surgery. In Hungary researchers
go so far as to say ‘transphobia <strong>and</strong> lack of experience make safe treatment unlikely.’ 442
Waiting times for transgender-specific healthcare services can be very long: in the
United Kingdom it is two years on average. 443
In the United Kingdom, the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme Survey among all
health professionals found that treatment by health professionals, especially
psychiatrists, often appears to be biased, <strong>and</strong> carried out in the absence of sufficient
knowledge in the area. 444 In Hungary, research found that (hetero)sexist attitudes
439 Whittle, S, Turner, L, Al-Alami M (2007) Engendered Penalties: Transgender <strong>and</strong> Transsexual People’s
Experiences of Inequality <strong>and</strong> <strong>Discrimination</strong>, Wetherby: The Equalities Review, p. 44
440 Solymár, Bence (2005) The Situation of Transgender People in the Hungarian Social <strong>and</strong> Health Care
System in: Takács J. (ed.): A lélek műtétei [Surgery of the Soul], Budapest: Új M<strong>and</strong>átum Kiadó; Solymár,
B, Takács, J (2007) Wrong Bodies <strong>and</strong> Real Selves: Transsexual People in the Hungarian Social <strong>and</strong>
Health Care System, in: Kuhar, R, Takács, J (eds.) (2007) Beyond the Pink Curtain; Everyday Life of
LGBT People in Eastern Europe, Ljubljana: Mirovni Institut
441 Whittle, S, Turner, L, Combs, R, Rhodes, S (2008) Transgender EuroStudy: Legal Survey <strong>and</strong> Focus on
the Transgender Experience of Health Care, Brussels: ILGA-Europe, p. 34
442 Solymár, Bence (2005) The Situation of Transgender People in the Hungarian Social <strong>and</strong> Health Care
System in: Takács J. (ed.): A lélek műtétei [Surgery of the Soul], Budapest: Új M<strong>and</strong>átum Kiadó
443 Whittle, S, Turner, L, Al-Alami M (2007) Engendered Penalties: Transgender <strong>and</strong> Transsexual People’s
Experiences of Inequality <strong>and</strong> <strong>Discrimination</strong>, Wetherby: The Equalities Review, p. 47
444 Scottish Needs Assessment Program (2001) Transsexualism <strong>and</strong> Gender Dysphoria in Scotl<strong>and</strong>,
Scottish Executive