Naya Taylor’s request was straightforward: she wanted hormone replacement therapy as part of her transition. But her doctor, Aja Lystila, first claimed that she didn’t know how to administer such treatment; and then the clinic just flat-out refused treatment. Lystila wouldn’t even perform blood work as preparation for a hormone replacement regimen.
But they can’t do that. One of the conditions of Obamacare is that any health care provider who receives federal funding isn’t allowed to discriminate based on sex.
According to Taylor, the clinic regularly provides hormone treatment to cisgender patients. And the way that the clinic turned her down is the worst part of all: “we don’t have to treat people like you,” they said, citing religious beliefs. Ugh. Even if they weren’t required by law to provide Taylor with equal access to health care, this is just a rotten, loathsome thing to say.
Get ready for a backlash from uninformed conservative commentators who say that Taylor doesn’t really need HRT, and that hormones are just an elective cosmetic choice. That’s bullshit, of course. For one thing, it’s a decision that only a patient and a proper physician can make; and for another, treatment for gender dysphoria is a real, necessary, lifesaving thing. And Taylor didn’t just seek treatment on a whim — she did it after long consideration, as part of a larger transition plan, and after consultation with a social worker and a physician specialist.
How about we take this to the next level?
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At worst, Dr. Lystila should have said that she didn’t feel qualified to offer the treatment, and provided a referral to a physician who could. In fact, the Clarke Group clinic has doctors specializing in endocrinology on staff!
Lambda Legal is leading the charge on Taylor’s behalf. They’re asking for a declaration that the clinic can no longer discriminate, as well as compensatory damages and attorney’s fees. Go get ’em!
Billy Budd
I hope it will cost them a fortune on damages. That is the only way they will learn how to behave. You have to force civilization into these people.
sweetbrandigirl2004
I hope they suit this Dr out of business the ONLY way these F%cking bigots are going to learn is for the word to get around that Dr so and so refused treatment and they suit them out of business, then this Sh*t will stop when it starts costing people money
ChiChi Man
Bessie Smith died from injuries after a car accident – and after being refused treatment at a Whites Only hospital. The religious nuts would love to have the right to do the same LGBT people.
gskorich
this story is really confusing. it sounds like the person being denied service was acting as her own doctor or hired a doctor who had no clue what transition was. there has to be more to the story than just being denied service.
DonW
Wasn’t there once some hippie dude who was all about healing anyone who asked and hanging around with lepers and not judging people and stuff? Guess he wasn’t a Christian like the good doctor.