Trans Discrimination in the Medical Field

This was written by Emily, one of our student interns. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue.

This article was inspired by and draws on the life of Robert Eads and his community in rural Georgia as depicted in the 2001 documentary Southern Comfort by Kate Davis. Please be aware of the following triggers: ongoing theme of transphobia, visual depiction of light scarring, and verbal description of medical malpractice. 

Deep in rural Georgia, Robert Eads lived what some might view as an isolated life miles away from the nearest town. However, surrounded by what he deemed his “found family” along with his girlfriend Lola Cola, Eads could finally find solitude in knowing he was supported and that what he saw in the mirror matched with whom he identified. That is until he was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was refused treatment by a slew of doctors due to the simple fact that Eads is a transgender man. 

While medical professionals’ refusals to treat Eads is on the life-threatening scale of discrimination, this was not the first instance in which the medical field showcased to Eads their bias against transgender people. The first encounter with this particular type of discrimination dealt with Eads’ subcutaneous mastectomy, commonly referred to as “top surgery” when performed on transgender men. Even though they are the exact same procedure, mastectomies done on cisgender women – typically for the purpose of preventing and/or treating breast cancer – are respected more in the medical community and thus receive greater care before, during, and after the procedure. Eads, who has undergone top surgery, was unhappy with the amount of scarring after the surgery . 

“I saw a genetic woman who had breast cancer and had to have radical mastectomies. And there were no scars. It looked really nice. Now if they can do that doing a radical mastectomy, then they can do better than what we’re getting,” Eads said. 

A member of Eads’ found family, Cas Piotrowski, also underwent top surgery. Piotrowski’s procedure was outpatient and “the doctor went on vacation the minute he stopped cutting.” Furthermore, Piotrowski and his wife Stephanie received no help leaving the hospital and were not given proper instructions for post-procedure care. 

“It was like pinching in around the sleeve. And he took a pair of scissors and he cut out the dead [areas] and he left a gaping hole where you could look and see the muscle like you were looking at a side of beef or something,” Piotrowski commented.

This problem is seen in most gender reassignment surgeries. Maxwell Scott Anderson, another member of Eads’ found family, criticizes the quality of phalloplasties: “I’ve always believed that if they really wanted to, they could make a better phalloplasty. I truly believe it’s the mentality.” 

With the questioning quality of these procedures, the hefty prices that most insurance will not cover becomes more and more of an obstacle for most transgender people who wish to feel comfortable and safe in their own bodies. Piotrowski’s surgery cost him $4,000. The average mastectomy without reconstruction in 2000 for cisgender women was $2,000, meaning that Piotrowski’s mastectomy was double the average added onto the fact that he has to deal with the long term scarring that resulted from medical malpractice. 

Continuing to add insult to injury, was Eads’ experience in trying to get treatment for his cancer. Despite asking numerous doctors, Eads received refusal after refusal even though he had a tumor “the size of a softball.” The excuses ranged from a blunt “we cannot help you” to “it would be an embarrassment to treat you.” Ultimately, Eads lost his battle with cancer in winter of 2001.

Southern Comfort is available to stream on Tubi for free.