A non-binary Canadian is undergoing an unusual taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgery in Texas to preserve his penis and create a vagina.
The 33-year-old Ontario resident, referred to in court documents as KS, was born male but identifies as non-binary, a “literally mixed” gender. According to the National Post.
KS has experienced gender dysphoria since she was a teenager, identifies as female dominant, and uses a female name.
If approved, she will travel to the Crane Transgender Surgery Center in Austin, Texas, to undergo penis-sparing vaginoplasty, according to The Canadian Press.
Ontario’s health system initially rejected his application for the procedure in 2022, saying the procedure was experimental and not available in Canada.
Mr KS appealed to the Appeal Board, which reversed the decision and ruled that vaginoplasty was among the 11 genital surgeries listed as public, and that penis removal The court ruled that penectomy should not be included.
OHIP has since appealed the review board’s decision, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice is expected to issue a decision in the coming months.
It’s unclear how much the surgery will cost, but the Crane Center told the National Post that it costs between $10,000 and $70,000.
The endocrinologist in Ottawa treating KS supported her request for a specific type of surgery.
“While having a vagina is very important for[KS]to personally interpret his sexual expression, he also wishes to keep his penis,” the doctor said in the request for pre-approval for funding, according to the paper. He is said to have written an OHIP document that supports this.
“[KS]is transfeminine, but not fully ‘female’ (and) for this reason it is important for her to have a vagina while still having a penis,” the doctor added. Ta.
According to the National Post, KS said forcing non-binary people to undergo binary surgery (male-to-female or female-to-male) is like conversion therapy, which will be banned in Canada starting in 2022. He claimed that it would become something.
She also wants to keep her penis for sexual health reasons and is concerned that a “urological reroute” could lead to urinary incontinence.
LGBTQ rights groups say such surgeries can significantly improve a person’s quality of life and reduce gender dysphoria.
Health care providers should not make assumptions about what procedures are medically necessary, rights group E-Girl Canada argued in a court filing, the report said.
“Ultimately, OHIP’s interpretation[of vaginoplasty]is exclusionary and discriminates against non-binary people based on gender identity,” Egal said.
“If there is any ambiguity in what should be publicly reported, it should be resolved in favor of the plaintiff,” it added.
The Ontario Ministry of Health told the outlet it does not comment on pending legal issues, and KS declined to comment when contacted through her lawyer.
