Principle 17: “Trans people have more rights than they think!”

Every person has the right to a pleasant life and good facilities. This is stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Trans people have the same rights as every other person. Only the Dutch protocol for trans health care has not yet fully understood this. Yet more is possible than many trans people know! Sometimes you have to help your health care practitioner to understand the possibilities.

What exactly are your trans health care rights? How does waiting list mediation work? Are there other options than the well-known gender teams? Be stronger with good information! Because with more information you can better stand up for yourself!

Fortunately, you are not alone! Principle 17 can support you with good information and examples. We can inform you about possibilities within the system and alternatives outside the system. If you know what is possible, and what is not possible, you are able to make a better choice about what is the best way for you.

Informative workshops

This fall, Principle 17, along with others, will be organizing informative workshops for trans people on the waiting list for or already undergoing medical treatment.

We will be touring the Netherlands:

• Saturday 2 November, 13:30 – 16:30 in community centre Sterrenzicht, Keerkringplein 40 in Utrecht. Together with Transman Foundation.
• Wednesday 6 November, 19:00 – 21:00 online, via Zoom. Or use meeting ID: 889 6657 2786 and pass word: 616031
• Saturday 16 November, 14:00 – 16:00 at COC Zwolle, Doctor van Deenweg 108-340 in Zwolle. Together with Club-T Zwolle.
• Saturday 7 December, 13:30 – 18:00 in the Pink House, Sint Anthoniusplaats 1 in Nijmegen. Together with Transgender group Nijmegen.
• Sunday 8 December, 12:30 – 15:00 in Amsterdam. Together with T-Huis Amsterdam.
• Saturday 14 December, 11:00 – 13:00 at COC Limburg, Bogaardenstraat 43 in Maastricht. Together with COC Limburg.

During these afternoons and evenings you can ask all your questions. We will do our best to answer all questions as best as possible, but (unfortunately!) we cannot perform miracles.
Furthermore, we will tell you about your rights, possibilities and alternatives. We will also explain why the protocol with a psychologist as ‘gatekeeper’ is outdated. There are better ways to guarantee good trans health care, as shown by experiences in other countries.

Signing up

Would you like to come or would you like to know more? Please contact Jochem Verdonk or vreer verkerke of Principle 17. You can do so via info@principle17.org.

All venues are wheelchair accessible. If you have other wishes for good accessibility, you can indicate these when you sign up. We do our best to make the meetings as inclusive as possible – within our possibilities.

What does it yield?

During this meeting you will discover what you can do yourself to gain more control over your own treatment. Even if you are still on the waiting list. After this workshop you will know more about your rights in trans health care, possibilities and potential alternatives. Your problems are not magically solved, but you have a choice again. And that feels more powerful!

Dit you know…

… Self-determination is a basic human right in health care? Only not if you are transgender.
… Many health care providers are extra ‘cautious’ because they think trans people are ‘vulnerable’ or are afraid of ‘regret’? But if ‘caution’ leads to people dying, that is not cautious at all!
… The Dutch standards for waiting times for health care have been set at a maximum of 6 to 8 weeks? However, the waiting times at the largest gender team are 4 years and 2 months for adults, and 2 years and 8 months for adolescents (*).

(*) Current waiting times for transgender health care at the Amsterdam UMC, accessed on 20 October 2024.