Transsexuals in EMS

[Tristan14578]

Um…. Ok. So I IM in paramedic school (Already have a B.S. in Biology.) My question is in EMS how understanding are people who are different, as in gay or transsexual. My dad is trying to talk me out of going the paramedic route and doing Respiratory Therapist. But I really want to be a paramedic for at least 4 years before I go to Physician Assistant school. Im just kind of scared that my day is right. And that in the Jacksonville Florida area I will be an outcast. I really don’t want who I am to effect me in such a poor way it will cost me a career.

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[viostorm]

Um…. Ok. So I IM in paramedic school (Already have a B.S. in Biology.) My question is in EMS how understanding are people who are different, as in gay or transsexual. My dad is trying to talk me out of going the paramedic route and doing Respiratory Therapist. But I really want to be a paramedic for at least 4 years before I go to Physician Assistant school. Im just kind of scared that my day is right. And that in the Jacksonville Florida area I will be an outcast. I really don't want who I am to effect me in such a poor way it will cost me a career.

I am assuming you are a male.

I think overall your co-workers are just a slice of life with more of a type A personality, so I suspect you will encouter the same issues you would in any job.

I'm sure there will be some jeers and behind the back snide remarks, so just be prepared and handle it maturely. It is not uncommon to have homosexual paramedics. As far as how patients will handle it I'm sure you will be ok. But obviously the more "flamboyant" and feminine your behavior the more comments and problems might occur, often EMS patients are not the most progressive thinking folks.

The transsexual thing is perhaps a little different from the perspective of not jeopardizing the trust between the paramedic and patient. I do not think society is as accepting of men dressing as women as they are of homosexuality. There is a huge trust factor when a woman gives her injured son to a total stranger to take to the hospital. I suspect you will find parents uncomfortable letting you take care of their children. Men uncomfortable with you cutting off all their close.

The thing about EMS is patients can't choose their paramedic like they can choose their doctor, you have to adapt to them not vice versa.

I think it honestly depends on you, can you keep your job and gender issues and sexuality out of it so that it won't cause problems? Perhaps even so patients can't tell. If so, I think you will be fine. If not, if you desire to wear makeup and dress as a female and push the issue I think you will be doing your patients a disservice. People who use EMS are not uncommonly "lowest of the low" on the ethics scale (drug dealers, insurance fraud).

What happens when some jerk patient makes up a story you touched inappropriately him to get money from the ambualnce company? Who will the jury believe? Realize you won't have anyone to back you up as you will be in the ambulance by yourself. Not to mention if the jury believes them you can and WILL go to jail and subsequently be labeled a sex offender (this happened at a service I worked for). You can't believe the stuff patients have made up about paramedics. If you are in a hospital setting a nurse or CNA can back you up.

On top of it, if you work as a paid paramedic you will be stuck with a partner. If that person is not accepting of you, it can be a long shift.

I sort of agree with you father, I think people will be more accepting of your care if you are in a supervised environment like a hospital (that is if you expect to fully live a transgender lifestyle with wigs/make-up/breast augmentation).

We have a transgender firefighter here, it is always weird because they never talk for fear of causing problems because of the deep voice.

 

[Dienekes]

I can speak as someone who has been in EMS for over a decade- and a respiratory therapist for the past 6 years- neither field is going to be the most receptive to someone who is blatantly transgender. EMS probably less so, particularly in those areas that are dual service (meaning that it is not separate from the fire department). Keep in mind that regardless of affiliation, you will still be working alongside firefighters and cops who tend to be less than supportive of alternative lifestyles. Also keep in mind that you will also run into problems with patients' opinions of you. One of my friends who is effeminately gay, despite being one of the best medics I have ever seen, quit the field because he got tired of the patients referring to him as a (and I quote) "fairy ******" among other things.

Just out of curiosity: why even bring up your personal life at work? I mean unless you are in the process of going through a sex change, how would anyone know unless you were openly displaying it.

Respiratory therapy, keep in mind in the event you don't move on (which can happen), is a dead end job (why do you think I am getting out of the field?). Honestly, the atmosphere in the hospital is not any less hostile to gays and transgenders than any other. You've never seen a rumor mill like one run by nurses and CNAs.

If you are in a hospital setting a nurse or CNA can back you up.

95% of the time when an RT is doing rounds, we are by ourselves and there is no one else in the room so the claims could still be made.

 

[aaj117]

it definitely depends on where you live. Where I'm from, a very large proportion of EMS personel are LGBT compared to the general population. I know quite a few paramedics who are gay men, a couple of lesbians, and at my ambulance corps it's perfectly accepted. However, the ones near me that are affiliated with fire depts do have a harder time and many choose to stay closeted at those. I don't actually know any trans people in EMS, but to be fair i don't know many trans people in general outside of my LGBT activism groups. Unfortunately, this is why there is still more of a stigma with it; it is still less understood. At this point almost eveyrone knows or is related to someone who identifies as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, but few people still have someone in their life who is trans and so have never had to become comfortable with it. Depending on where you live, though, i have found in NY EMS is one of the more accepting places to work.

 

[Tristan14578]

Thank you for the replies. I pass very well in public its just that my drivers licenses still says well you know and when I apply for a job will they be reluctant not to hire me or tel my co workers? Im already nervous ciz im on 21 and will be working with people a lot older than me. Just wanted to know where I would stand.

 

[aaj117]

Thank you for the replies. I pass very well in public its just that my drivers licenses still says well you know and when I apply for a job will they be reluctant not to hire me or tel my co workers? Im already nervous ciz im on 21 and will be working with people a lot older than me. Just wanted to know where I would stand.

Well hopefully, they won't be legally allowed to not hire you over that soon...you may be interested in this; right now the federal employment non-discrimination act (ENDA) is being hotly debated as to whether or not it should be renewed with gender identity included. there are tons of petitions to representatives that you can get involved with, just look on the HRC website.

 

[deleted92121]

Talk about weird timing...

We have a Medic who used to be a Male but has since become a Female (at least, name change and makeup and so forth...the REAL surgery has not occurred yet so we are told).

Anywho, if you want the honest truth and not sugar-coated BS...it will be tough. You can be a damn fine EMT/Medic but people will still say nasty things and make it one hell of a tough environment to work in. Either develop tough skin and let it be water off a duck's back or find something else.

Not trying to be rude, but considering the fact I have seen this where I work I think it best to give you a heads up.

Good luck in all you do!

dxu

 

[33Tchica]

Tristan, go for it. We need people like us to pave the wave for a better future.

Also, "the surgery" should not be a factor in accepting a person as male or female, because at least for now, not everyone has access to that surgery. Unlike in more progressive countries like Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands, SRS is still uncovered in the gool ol' USA. And since insurance companies/Medicaid don't pay a dime, a lot of us, especially poor college students, can't shell out the cash. By the way the UK health system still manages to cost about 40% as much per capita as ours...

And to those who say it's experimental:
A 75 year old procedure considered experimental....
Sad huh?
And to people who say it's elective:
At what point does preventing a lifetime of suffering become necessary?

Good luck, Tristan.
Soon this country will be a better place for us, I just know it.

 

[viostorm]

Tristan, go for it. We need people like us to pave the wave for a better future.

Also, "the surgery" should not be a factor in accepting a person as male or female, because at least for now, not everyone has access to that surgery. Unlike in more progressive countries like Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands, SRS is still uncovered in the gool ol' USA. And since insurance companies/Medicaid don't pay a dime, a lot of us, especially poor college students, can't shell out the cash. By the way the UK health system still manages to cost about 40% as much per capita as ours...

And to those who say it's experimental:
A 75 year old procedure considered experimental....
Sad huh?
And to people who say it's elective:
At what point does preventing a lifetime of suffering become necessary?

Good luck, Tristan.
Soon this country will be a better place for us, I just know it.

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Basically you want taxpayers/insurance subscribers to pay for sex reassignment surgery? Take someone with a perfectly healthy body and perform cosmetic surgery at other peoples expense? I'm about as sympathetic to this argument as a house wife in orange county who doesn't have breasts as big as her friends and would feel more comfortable as a size D.

How about we prioritize people who are dying first ... or AIDS medicine for people in africa, or vaccines for 3rd world, or actually preventing people from starving to death.

What you are suggesting is insulting in my opinion ...

 

[leviathan]

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Basically you want taxpayers/insurance subscribers to pay for sex reassignment surgery? Take someone with a perfectly healthy body and perform cosmetic surgery at other peoples expense? I'm about as sympathetic to this argument as a house wife in orange county who doesn't have breasts as big as her friends and would feel more comfortable as a size D.

How about we prioritize people who are dying first ... or AIDS medicine for people in africa, or vaccines for 3rd world, or actually preventing people from starving to death.

What you are suggesting is insulting in my opinion ...

So which is your beef: you don't recognize gender identity disorder as a true psychiatric condition, or you don't consider significant psychological distress something that needs treatment, or is it something else?

Just to be clear, I'm not being sarcastic/patronizing here, I'm just trying to understand why you think it's a bad idea.

 

[viostorm]

So which is your beef: you don't recognize gender identity disorder as a true psychiatric condition, or you don't consider significant psychological distress something that needs treatment, or is it something else?

Just to be clear, I'm not being sarcastic/patronizing here, I'm just trying to understand why you think it's a bad idea.

I think there are more important medical conditions to spend public money on. People are dying every day because of lack of health care, or even basic things like nutrition.

It obviously sucks for people who believe they are a different gender, and they may be unhappy, but I place higher priority on life threating diseases versus someone who has a perfectly healthy body.

 

[Yourmother]

So which is your beef: you don't recognize gender identity disorder as a true psychiatric condition, or you don't consider significant psychological distress something that needs treatment, or is it something else?

Just to be clear, I'm not being sarcastic/patronizing here, I'm just trying to understand why you think it's a bad idea.

is that Hobbes of Calvin and Hobbes in your avatar? If so, I caught the "levitathan" link between the 2. -PO

 

[leviathan]

I think there are more important medical conditions to spend public money on. People are dying every day because of lack of health care, or even basic things like nutrition.

It obviously sucks for people who believe they are a different gender, and they may be unhappy, but I place higher priority on life threating diseases versus someone who has a perfectly healthy body.

I respect that. At the same time, should we start refusing to pay for cosmetic surgery for burn victims, or other people who will be psychologically damaged for whatever reason? I personally see burn victims taking a much higher precedence over helping someone with gender identity issues, but at the same time, maybe I (and you) are not affording them the recognition because we can't identify with their problem. *shrugs* This is just me being Mr. Idealistic.

 

[leviathan]

is that Hobbes of Calvin and Hobbes in your avatar? If so, I caught the "levitathan" link between the 2. -PO

Brilliant! You are the first one to point that out.

 

[Dienekes]

This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Basically you want taxpayers/insurance subscribers to pay for sex reassignment surgery? Take someone with a perfectly healthy body and perform cosmetic surgery at other peoples expense? I'm about as sympathetic to this argument as a house wife in orange county who doesn't have breasts as big as her friends and would feel more comfortable as a size D.

How about we prioritize people who are dying first ... or AIDS medicine for people in africa, or vaccines for 3rd world, or actually preventing people from starving to death.

What you are suggesting is insulting in my opinion ...

Damn.....beat me to it, but well said. I think it's ridiculous for someone to believe that we should be expected to pay for what amounts (if you stop being PC and think about it for a bloody minute) to some bizzare form of delusion. What's next? Paying for exploratory brain surgery to find the miniature speakers that the CIA puts in the heads of paranoid schizophrenics?

 

[Dienekes]

you don't recognize gender identity disorder as a true psychiatric condition

It's a true psychiatric condition, but not in the manner the people with it claim.

At what point does preventing a lifetime of suffering become necessary?

Here's the cheaper alternative method of preventing suffering, assuming you are referring to that which stems from ridicule, humiliation, etc: act like the gender you actually belong to.

If you're referring to the "suffering" that comes from the delusion of believing you're really the opposite gender...well, let's use an analogy. I would really love to be able to sing in a stage production of The Producers but I don't have the vocal talent to do that, nor can I seem to develop it despite lessons. I could suffer because of my own anatomical issues (in this case, my crappy vocal cords) and delude myself into believing that the delusion is completely healthy. This is what most of the "gender identity crisis" sufferers seem to be doing. It is an utter load of crap. If you want to play dress up and pretend to be something you are not then more power to you, but don't you dare act offended by the refusal of rational people to buy into your bizzare perception of yourself, let alone pay for someone to mutilate you.

 

[howelljolly]

It's a true psychiatric condition, but not in the manner the people with it claim.


Here's the cheaper alternative method of preventing suffering, assuming you are referring to that which stems from ridicule, humiliation, etc: act like the gender you actually belong to.

If you're referring to the "suffering" that comes from the delusion of believing you're really the opposite gender...well, let's use an analogy. I would really love to be able to sing in a stage production of The Producers but I don't have the vocal talent to do that, nor can I seem to develop it despite lessons. I could suffer because of my own anatomical issues (in this case, my crappy vocal cords) and delude myself into believing that the delusion is completely healthy. This is what most of the "gender identity crisis" sufferers seem to be doing. It is an utter load of crap. If you want to play dress up and pretend to be something you are not then more power to you, but don't you dare act offended by the refusal of rational people to buy into your bizzare perception of yourself, let alone pay for someone to mutilate you.

I just read that followup studies in the US, psychiatrists are finding that the emotional distress associated with gender dysphoric or gender identity disorder is NOT resolved after sex reassignment surgery.
Makes sense to me, actually.

Anyway, I'd guess that if you know you'll be accepted in the community you serve, then you should be OK with the EMS unit.

I worked one of the most LGBT friendly places in the country, I can imagine you'd be discriminated against over there.