At the best of times, it’s not easy to be a trans person in this world. The list of headaches and hurdles we have to face on a daily basis—from casual transphobia to gatekeeping from the medical community to predatory government bills—is overwhelming.

Despite all this, trans folks are nothing if not resourceful, especially when it comes to health. We often need to walk pharmacists through their medications and provide doctors with data on dosages and best monitoring practices. I’m so often left to my own devices when it comes to my healthcare that I feel like a doctor without the medical degree and licence to practice. My favourite experience: explaining why I’m as behind on my pap smears as my medical history shows me to be. I would love to get a pap, but there’s just one or two things we need to clear out of the way first, is my usual response, which is met with less laughter than I’m hoping for. Folks in the medical system often seem like they want to help, but they’re often clueless, without accurate and up-to-date information or simply not set up for the proper care of trans and non-binary people.

So, what happens when you throw the additional wrench that is a global pandemic into the gears? As I write this, I am living in self-isolation after Ontario declared a state of emergency last week, due to the spread of COVID-19. For trans and non-binary folks like me, concern immediately set in after the announcement. Even outside of a crisis there can often be a short supply of basic medications like estrogen and testosterone, to say nothing of medical supplies like needles and alcohol swabs. What now? And what about gender-affirming surgeries some folks had saved and planned for? Or how about the newly out trans people waiting to see a doctor so they can begin the difficult conversations that come with being trans and needing healthcare? Read more via Xtra