Have you ever wondered what it's like to be transgender? Living with HIV? In the rural South? Each of these issues alone can be challenging. Together, they are my reality—and it's crucial for healthcare providers to acknowledge them all when addressing my needs.
Let's start with language, as it is, to me, a good indicator of how you really feel about me, how much respect you intend to give me, and thus, how much I'm probably going to trust you right off the bat. First of all, "transgendered" is not a word, and is not a word as it is not possible. The added "ed" on the end implies something done with or to you: you can be murdered, you can be debated, but you can't be transgendered. This is not the result of anyone's actions or of any past traumas. You're born transgender; it just may take you a while to figure that out.
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