VIDEO: ‘Stand with Rainbows in Gastro’ against transgender bathroom laws
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In a Healio video exclusive, Laura Targownik, MD, FRCPC, urged gastroenterology societies to limit hosting conferences or events in states that have passed “bathroom laws” and other laws targeting transgender and gender nonconforming people.
Targownik is a member of the steering committee for Rainbows in Gastro, a group of gastroenterologists and GI trainees seeking to improve care for members of the LGBTQ+ community living with gastrointestinal and liver diseases and symptoms.
On May 6, Rainbows in Gastro issued a call-to-action imploring all GI societies to focus their attention on state-level legislation currently being passed that explicitly targets the transgender and gender nonconforming community.
As of this writing, 17 states have enacted laws restricting or banning access to gender-affirming care, while several others have established laws expressly prohibiting transgender people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. Many of these states – including Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee – have recently held or plan to hold major or regional GI society events.
“We at Rainbows in Gastro have called upon our organizing societies to limit the scheduling of upcoming events in states and other jurisdictions hostile to transgender and gender nonconforming people, and to create a safety plan for transgender and gender non-conforming delegates who do wish to attend,” Targownik, division director for gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Toronto, told Healio. “We ask our members to stand united against this campaign of hate directed against your transgender and gender nonconforming colleagues, patients, family members and friends.”
Targownik, a transwoman herself, noted the laws in these states would prohibit someone like her from using the washrooms at conference centers where GI events are being held.
These laws seek to “criminalize the use of washrooms which are consistent with their lived gender as transgender people, or limit the access to hormonal and surgical interventions, as well as with gender affirming mental health support,” she said.
She also noted that these laws limit competitiveness of medical programs as it provides a significant obstacle for LGBTQ+ physicians and trainees to relocate for fellowship commitments as well as maintaining a practice in those states.
“These laws and state actions also compromise the wellbeing of our transgender and gender nonconforming patients,” she said. “Actions like this make it much less likely that transgender people with GI diseases or those with concerning GI symptoms will seek medical care.”
As part of their call to action, Rainbows in Gastro have petitioned GI societies to:
issue a statement stating the societies support their transgender and gender nonconforming members;
make an affirmative declaration that societies will not hold conferences in the states in which the laws were passed;
create a support plan for transgender and gender nonconforming members attending conferences in the states that may cause them harm; and
commit to working with other organizations to present a united front.
Targownik noted that many GIs may not be aware of the environment transgender and gender nonconforming patients may face and could be “susceptible to the negative impact of the anti-trans trend and anti-trans falsehoods that are being shown in social media.”
GIs may show their support by hanging a pride flag in their office or a poster demonstrating they are part of an inclusive practice. Additionally, if GIs live in a state impacted by the recent laws, they are encouraged to reach out to their transgender and gender nonconforming colleagues.
“Remember that while human rights are frequently politicized, supporting human rights should never be a political position but a righteous one,” she said. “We hope you will stand with Rainbows in Gastro in supporting the LGBTQ+ GI community.”
Reference:
- Rainbows in Gastro [@RainbowsinGastro]. (2023, May 8). An open letter from Rainbows in Gastro to all GI and Hepatology societies to support the safety and well-being of transgender and gender non-conforming members. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/RainbowinGastro/status/1655593371665149955
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