SCM Solidarity Statement on Sex Reassignment Surgery
Statement passed by full consensus of the elected General Board of the Student Christian Movement of Canada, April 20, 2009 The Student Christian Movement of Canada (SCM) stands in solidarity with all those affected by the de-listing of sex reassignment surgery in the province of Alberta and calls on the Alberta government to reverse this decision. The Student Christian Movement (SCM) is an ecumenical network of student collectives engaged in spirituality and progressive social justice issues at universities across Canada. SCM Canada strives to be a healing community, embraces radical ecumenism and interreligious praxis, acts in solidarity with the oppressed, resists structures of domination, and works for justice in its varied forms and settings. In April, the Alberta government announced that these surgeries would no longer be covered by the provincial health plan, though it shared assurances that those already approved and on the wait-list would have their surgeries covered. It stated that this decision was to save costs, despite the fact that these procedures are of relatively little cost to taxpayers, as only 10-20 surgeries are approved and covered by Alberta’s provincial health plan each year and the savings from this cut will only amount to 19 cents per taxpayer. However, the costs of these surgeries for an individual are severely restrictive, if not covered by the government, as it can be as high as $40,000. Also, the socio-economic (and other) oppression of many trans individuals more generally makes funding a particularly important consideration. However, there is cause for hope on this issue. For example, in Ontario, the provincial government announced in 2008 that it would reinstate its funding for these surgeries, due to human rights challenges brought forth on this issue. We pray that these court challenges will cause all provinces to recognize these procedures as a right and therefore provide coverage for them. At the same time, we recognize that this is potentially problematic territory as funding generally requires the pathologizing and medicalizing of sex reassignment. We commit to working and praying for the recognition of sex reassignment as a legitimate need and for open and affirming approaches to this issue. The SCM affirms that all individuals are loved by God and that access to publicly funded sex reassignment surgery should be available for all who need it. The SCM celebrates the diversity of sex and gender present in humanity and seeks to establish right relations with trans individuals, whether choosing surgery or not, and all others who have chosen or considered sex reassignment surgery. We view this as a justice issue where individuals undergoing or wishing to undergo sex reassignment are being marginalized by a lack of acknowledgement and respect for their physical needs and the Alberta government is, at best, individualizing the issue rather than supporting these individuals communally through publicly funded care. The SCM urges all Albertans to get in touch with their MLAs [Members of the Legislative Assembly] to speak about the necessity of provincial funding for sex reassignment surgery, and all individuals to learn more about the funding of these procedures in their province. It is necessary that funding for these surgeries is available across Canada in a manner that assures individuals that funding will be available for the entire procedure and not be cut at some point, especially as it may be a process spanning many years. Therefore, as the SCM, we stand in solidarity with trans communities and all who support and call on the Alberta government to reinstate funding for sex reassignment surgery. “By proclaiming God’s preferential option for the poor and marginalized, we act in solidarity with the oppressed to resist structures of domination and realize justice in this world” (SCM Living Prayer Mission Statement). In the name of Christ the Liberator, Statement passed by full consensus of the elected National Board of the Student Christian Movement of Canada April 20, 2009 |
