Corvus (he/him)

Your health has been a big concern for a long time right? You had significant health challenges as a young person. What was that like?

Yes, I’ve had a few chronic health problems since I was a kid. I had thyroid cancer twice but that’s currently stable. I was diagnosed with breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma stage one and was positive for everything including HER2. I’m currently on a two week break from chemo because they keep testing neutrophils, and they are not going up so it’s too dangerous for me to continue. So, I don’t feel very awesome, but I’m getting the care I need so that’s good and more than a lot of people can say.

With all your health challenges, what about paying for those services? What has your experience with health insurance been like?

There’s been this barrier of coverage. One office [I went to] didn’t see trans people as having any priority. I ended up going to another surgeon, who advertised as accepting Medicare, but the day before my appointment, which I waited six months for, they told me they weren’t in-network. I asked her for clarification, but she wouldn’t tell me. I was about to give up, but found a third surgeon. They were 45 minutes away, but they were like, “We’ll get it covered.” They wanted me to get a mammogram first, because my mom had breast cancer and then they found a mass that I had to get removed. Ultimately, I didn’t get to have the exact type of top surgery I wanted, but I didn’t want to deal with the extra healing. I just was not feeling good. I feel way happier with having that part of me gone, but at the same time I haven’t gotten to enjoy it.

Sounds like you had to go through a lot of hoops to get the care you needed.

I had to navigate not being able to feel like myself in order to get healthy. The hormone aspect of my care was really hard for me, because they tanked my T level to one third of what it was before. I already didn’t feel well, and I can tell how different that makes me feel. Also, I go to a women’s cancer center. There are people of all genders who get seen in women’s hospitals, so it’s not like it never happens, but people especially notice me, which just sucks. I don’t expect them to rush me through a door and hide me somewhere, but there’s a lot that can’t be avoided when I go, so I’m outed at times. Really, it depends on how much people know trans-masculine people exist, but I’m more likely to be outed without trying.

I understand that Pennsylvania is generally seen as a safer state for trans people. What legislative and policy efforts have been helpful in ensuring residents are able to get some kind of care?

Pennsylvania explicitly has medicaid coverage for trans people’s health needs, which is important. That helps a lot of people get some form of care at least.

Are there specific entities in Pennsylvania that have been beneficial locally?

UPNC, [health systems] is listing LGBTQ+ affirming under a lot of providers names which means they’ve had a certain amount of training and education. They help identify providers for the community that go through LGBTQ+ affirming training.

Even though organizations are making changes, what further obstacles would you like to overcome?

It is difficult to structurally change a health-care system that is this broken, especially in a wealthy country. I would say the health care system at a federal and state level doesn’t do enough to protect people from losing everything because they get sick. Even many people who are cisgender, white, heterosexual, and otherwise privileged people who get cancer can go bankrupt, so the system needs to be strengthened. We need to make sure as legislation expands the system, it doesn’t do so at the cost of denying trans people the care they need. Trans people deserve to have their needs met and to feel safe just like everyone else.

What are some of your hopes going forward?

I hope access to healthcare and healthcare coverage is protected and increased in this country, so people can get the health care they need no matter who they are. I also want cisgender people to stop trying to have these good faith conversations with these fascists trying to get into people’s heads. Really, cisgender people need to start sticking up for trans people more because I think one of the reasons trans people are targeted by the far right is because we’re often isolated, and we’re a small population in comparison to the rest of the world. They get away with ramping up very authoritarian policies without anybody paying that much attention because not enough people, especially cis LGB people are challenging them. These laws won’t stop at attacking trans people. You have some assimilationist cis LGB folks that don’t accept trans people as being a part of the same community, which does no one any good. In the end, they will always come for you too, which is what we’re seeing with drag show bans and Don’t Say Gay laws being proposed across the country.

What would you like to see come out of the movement?

I want to see more solidarity, including at the very least people not agreeing to argue with bigots just looking for a platform. People should stand up against this hatred, but they don’t need to hand an extra platform for bigots to speak from. And I would like to see people realize that we’re all connected to each other, and our liberation is connected. When you take any marginalized group out of your advocacy, you hurt yourself too. I’m not asking people to give up their lives, be completely altruistic, and only care about me, but to see how we’re connected to each other, and how we can best stay connected. In addition, I want to see people in the healthcare system ensure that they’re being genuinely inclusive and staying educated on intersecting health issues like trans healthcare. There’s more than just learning to ask “What pronouns do you use?” People need to learn how to make spaces safer for trans people and not expect trans people to give an hour-long lecture at an appointment they’re paying for to get that education. We need to find ways and the resources to make sure care is covered and provided for people, even if it’s going to take a few more steps for a trans person.