Everyone deserves to be supported to live as their authentic and best self.
For trans and gender diverse people this often means getting help from health professionals to medically affirm who they are, for example through hormones, affirming therapy and other supports.
But trans and gender diverse South Australians currently face a health system that lacks the training, clinical expertise, funding and resources to provide life-saving gender affirming care.
Over the last year and a half the government have consulted deeply with trans and gender diverse South Australians to understand their healthcare needs.
Now, with a Labor Government recently elected to establish a health system that everyone can benefit from, we need to take action to deliver timely, appropriate and evidence-based care for trans and gender diverse South Australians.
Political leaders must act to fund and implement a well resourced Statewide model of care for gender diversity services in South Australia.
Will you sign our petition and stand with South Australian trans and gender diverse people to call for timely, appropriate and evidence-based care gender affirming healthcare?
To: Hon. Chris Picton MP, Minister for Health and Wellbeing
As LGBTIQA+ community members and allies, we call on the South Australian government to support trans and gender diverse people to access the vital gender affirming healthcare they need, when they need it.
The South Australian Labor Government was elected to establish a health system for the future that everyone can benefit from. This can and must include trans and gender diverse South Australians, no matter their age.
We need our government to:
- Increase funding for existing gender affirming health services to address long-waiting times for trans and gender diverse South Australians currently accessing them.
- Provide ongoing, appropriate and sustainable funding and resourcing for gender affirming health services across the State from the 2022/23 financial year.
- Promote evidence-based practice in line with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care.
- Update the community on SA Health’s progress over the last 6 months to develop a Statewide gender diversity model of care, and outline the plan to implement it. The better informed our community is, the more we can help ensure the model meets the needs of our communities.
What's happened on this issue?
Over the last 3 years, our communities have repeatedly called on the South Australian Government to improve gender affirming health services for trans and gender diverse people across our State.
This includes increased funding for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s Gender Diversity Service that provides vital support for trans and gender diverse young people.
Check out the below timeline of key events.
Nov 2019
Commissioner for Children and Young People SA released the First Port of Call Report calling for gender affirming health services to be made available when children need them, along with greater visibility, training and information about gender diversity in healthcare.
May 2020
SARAA wrote to then Minister for Health advocating for increased funding for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s Gender Diversity Service.
We received no response.
Aug 2020
SA Health makes public statements indicating it was 'reviewing a business case for an "enhanced" gender service'.
Nov 2020
2020-21 State Budget released which once again fails to address the needs of trans and gender diverse young people.
Dec 2020
SARAA wrote again to then Minister for Health expressing our disappointment in the lack of action in regards to healthcare for trans and gender diverse young people.
Yet again, we received no response.
May 2021
SA Health hosted a Statewide Gender Diversity model of care workshop attended by representatives from SARAA and the trans and gender diverse community discussing their healthcare needs.
July 2021
SARAA delivered its LGBTIQA+ Community Advisory Group report to government identifying key priorities for action. This included recommendations to implement a Statewide Gender Diversity Model of Care and to adequately resource existing services until the new model is implemented.
Sept 2021
SA Health published an update on consultation outcomes from their Statewide Gender Diversity model of care workshop.
Oct 2021
SARAA released it's Vision for SA Pride, a unified vision of LGBTIQA+ inclusion and equality for South Australia informed by voices of over 600 LGBTIQA+ South Australians and their allies.
80% of respondents rated gender affirming healthcare as an extremely or very important priority.
March 2022
July 2022
SARAA wrote to political parties in the lead up to the SA Election seeking a commitment on improving access to gender affirming healthcare. Both major parties made partial committments to do so.
"Labor supports improved access to healthcare for trans and gender diverse South Australians. We condemn the Marshall Liberal Government's inaction in repose to SARAA and Transcend SA's continued advocacy to improve awareness of and access to these services in South Australia - despite the clear recommendation of doctors." - Peter Malinauskas writing to SARAA, 8 February 2022
Trans community advocates and SARAA met with Health Minister Chris Picton MP requesting an update on the Gender Diversity Model of Care.
SA Health released their draft State-wide Gender Diversity Model of Care later that day.
Proposed funding and resourcing for gender affirming health services is yet to be confirmed.
We stand with our South Australian trans and gender diverse community and we will not stop fighting for your access to healthcare.
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