Transgender Woman Refused Hospital Treatment
Posted By Eric Ethington (Author) on August 2, 2010
Indiana – Erin Vaught, a transgender woman, was rushed to the emergency room after she began coughing up blood, but once there she was ridiculed by hospital staff who called her “he-she” and “it,” and eventually denied treatment because of the “transvestite thing.”
Vaught said when she, her wife and son went to the ER on July 18, she was entered into the hospital computer system as male despite an ID that stated she was female. The other got a very annoyed look on her face.”
“I pointed out that my ID says female,” Vaught said. “There were two ladies there, and one of them snickered a little bit and covered her
When she went to the exa- room, 3he was met with stares and insults and was referred to as a “he-she,” an “it,” and a “transvestite.”
Vaught said she was kept waiting for two hours without any treatment before a doctor saw her and said she couldn’t treat her because of her transgender condition.
“I was confused,” Vaught said. “I told them I didn’t know my condition, that’s why I was there. She said ‘No, the transvestite thing.’ She said I couldn’t see a doctor until I came back with test orders from my doctor in Indy.”
[Vivian] Benge [president of the Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance] said such reactions are not uncommon. But Vaught and her supporters wrote about her experience on the hospital’s Facebook page, attracting the attention of advocacy groups including the Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance and Indiana Equality.
"Eric, trying to have this (civil rights) conversation with you is ultimately like trying to teach a pig to dance, it just annoys the pig. So Eric, sorry to annoy you."
-Paul Mero, The Sutherland Institute.
This post needs proof-reading, and the link to the FB page is broken. I want to share the link but would prefer it not to have such basical errors (e.g. the word ‘mouth’ is in the wrong place, ’3he’, broken FB link).
Hey Jasper!
I don’t edit the quotes from other sites, but I’ll check the FB link thanks!
Here is a link that works
http://www.shewired.com/Article.cfm?ID=25483
Further proof that equality isn’t just about marriage. It’s about so much more.
They’re legally obligated to treat crack heads dragged in off the street, and homeless people who make up complaints just to get in from the cold. If they have the professionalism and human compassion to do that, they should be able to get over themselves long enough to treat this lovely, articulate woman with the basic dignity that all human beings deserve!
I recall a story about an farmer with a reputation for kindness to his animals who was seen hitting his goat over the head with a 2×4. When asked why he had resorted to violence, he responded the he wanted to communicate something to the animal but first had to get its attention.
I think that Erin might help herself and many other transsexuals if she were to sue the hospital. That would definitely get their attention. I imagine that it might get the attention of other hospitals in the state and in other states as well.
Coughing up blood is not a trivial symptom. Gender should have nothing to do with it because — from my knowledge of anatomy — the internal construction of male and female lungs and trachea are very similar.
[...] situations can become even more dangerous for transgender patients, who run the risk of being refused treatment. In at least one case, the patient has subsequently died due to lack of medical [...]
[...] media attention has been focused on the way hospitals in the United States are treating patients who are [...]