Transgender and Disability Intersections: A Discussion
Workshop Description
We are offering a discussion-based presentation as a panel discussing some of the ways being transgender intersects with, and interferes with, being disabled and accessing health care. The three of us vary in age (20's, 40's, and 60's), type and severity of disability, income, level of function, the time at which we transitioned, and the places at which we receive medical care. We encourage audience questions about transgender or Queer individuals with disabilities, discussions about barriers to healthcare access in the trans-community, and discussion about providing trans-friendly healthcare. We will provide an interactive education, which is a vital step towards alleviating the fears around differences between people. According to the 2015 US Transgender Survey, 39% of respondents have one or more disabilities (compared to 15% of the general population) and 28% identified as persons with disabilities—that’s a lot of us with disabilities!
Conference Track
Professional
Primary Contact
Solomon Michaels
Workshop Presenters
Hawk Brandon
Presenter Bio
Hawk Brandon, 61, is a transgender/transmasculine elder from a multiculturally and multiracially diverse family; adopted into the Swinomish tribe, he has in turn adopted a daughter with developmental disabilities. Raised in the motorcycle/leather community, and a member of the CSPC, he has been on SSI Disability since he was 31. He's a care provider and hospice care provider for his family, and advocates and educates for and about the transgender community.
Andrew Pratt
Presenter Bio
Andrew Pratt, 20, is GenderQueer and advocates for transgender individuals. He particularly enjoys advocating at medical facilities. He was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as a child and has been disabled for two years. He has been homeless three times in the last five years, and is a passionately sex-positive individual with roots in the Seattle Leather scene. He loves all things chemistry, and is currently a student at Shoreline Community College.
Solomon Michaels
Presenter Bio
Solomon Michaels, 42, is an AFAB transgender gay man, parent, and advocate for disabled LGBTQ folks. He’s a disabled Army veteran and client of the VA. He has a fairly mild form of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Hypermobility type, nerve damage, PTSD, and other challenges. He’s had chronic pain for over 20 years, survived domestic violence, poverty, and homelessness—his last bout of homelessness ended in 2016. He tries not to let it define him.