Stop The Therapist Bashing

There has been much degradation of therapists and other caregivers in the newsgroups and mail lists for some time. Some have accused them of being leaches, taking blood from the hearts of otherwise worthy transsexuals who only should have a letter and pay nothing for an operation which expends substantive medical resources. Others see them as a part of the "billion dollar" SRS con scheme. And others have expressed thoughts of individuals' dishonesty at writing letters or disingenuousness of those refusing to do so without many foolish safeguards. Some have been pretty vehement about all this.

I don't know if Julia ever heard these things about how hateful and deserving of physical harm are therapists or surgeons who do not "cooperate" with their "customers", but I can not but wonder whether she did not at least hear someone rant against a caregiver or learn that she was being cheated by a corrupt system.

Don't get me wrong here. I am not against someone having a good rant now and then. But the vitriol, coming from those who profess to be caring, which I have seen over the past year is amazing. Some have seen my postings about language in newsgroups or private mail lists. There is no place, in my opinion, for hateful statements nor for the very strong anger directed toward therapists. These persons are providing us with a service, a service we truly need which cures those of us who do have GID, regardless. It truly does do this.

Do not for a moment think that any therapist makes a fortune from a transsexual practice. They don't. The hourly rate is not unusual for professional services and not unusual, may I add, for top-grade software engineers or second tier lawyers. When coupled with their overhead, including malpractice insurance premiums, their take-home is not greater than that of other, similarly educated professionals, including those in government service.

The same may be said for the surgeons. Sure, one or two sees about $5,000 or $6,000 for his surgical fee, but from this comes malpractice insurance--be sure to see those rates increase--office staff, training and, yes, even some publicity expenses which must be born. Check the costs for plastic surgery for other body parts. You will find that srs is a good bargain.

This tragedy in San Diego could very well raise the standard for those therapists who remain in the practice and may encourage others to leave the field. Note that generally the best, most able to find alternative work will likely leave first--this is the way of capitalism--so we may well find ourselves with lesser lights or the skeptical men like those from the Clarke in Toronto and their ilk as our therapist support structure. This is something which I would not like to see for those sisters coming behind me. Were I in this field, my fee would go from $100 to $200 per hour simply to offset my increased personal risk and the costs I would have to absorb for additional security measures to protect my own life and limb.

A friend wrote, jokingly, I am sure, that this could affect the rate at which letters are given out. She did not specify whether the rate would increase or decrease. Might I suggest that the rate now could drastically decrease because a great deal more care will be taken to assure that the patient is not insane than may have in the past.

This matter, besides being a major tragedy for the families involved, is a major tragedy for all transsexuals. We are under assault for our rights in the US and the UK, and this will not help us to gain public support. Stronger legislation which opposes our transition and our continued family relationships will be introduced and we will have to respond to this aberration instead of focusing our normalcy and our healing from the treatment we receive.

We all want lower cost services but this will likely increase the costs for us all in ways we may have never imagined.

There has begun a fund for the two children of Rita Powers. A bank trust account should be ready in a day or so.

Sallyanne Ofner