Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier this fall, a married couple reached out to my office. They told me that they had been facing systemic discrimination within the health system as queer folks for nine years. Over multiple attempts, they had taken steps to seek help from NTHSSA to correct this issue, but after a while they felt ignored or ghosted when they sought follow-up.
The issue at hand was one of misgendering. Both partners in this couple are cisgender women. One of them happens to not present in a stereotypically feminine way. To put it plainly, someone had previously looked at this woman and decided she was a man, and for nine years the health system refused to correct this error. This is not an error that can be laughed off, Mr. Speaker. This is administrative and feasibly medical misgendering for this resident as she takes medication that needs precise dosages. If this medication had been adjusted based on her medical record that identified her as male, this could have had severe health consequences.
Before reaching out to my office, this couple asked on many occasions that the gender designation on file be changed from M to F but were told that they would need to follow the change of sex designation process and forms. This is infuriating because the individual in question is not transgender. Her birth certificate and all other identification correctly identify her as female. She is not trying to change her sex designation but to correct her mistaken medical records.
Happily, Mr. Speaker, within a week of my writing the health Minister, we had this resident's file corrected. But how do we allow a situation like this to persist for nine years? In my conversations with this couple, we agreed that if she looked more conventionally feminine, the problem would have been solved immediately. This couple noted that on many times on their journey that their medical practitioners, such as nurses and doctors, were frustrated on their behalf but couldn't change anything in their record.
Mr. Speaker, I'm highlighting this issue today because I think it's a teachable moment on the differences between gender expression and gender identity. I will have questions for the Minister of health at the appropriate time. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Great Slave. Colleagues, before we continue with Members' statements, I'd like to draw your attention to the presence of Joe Handley, a Member of this House from 1999 to 2007. Joe was the Minister in the 14th Assembly and the Premier in the 15th Assembly, but the boss of the house as well is joining him is Theresa Handley. So welcome both of you here. Thank you. Notice, Joe, or Mr. Premier Handley, I said the boss was her, right, okay?
Members' statements. Member from Mackenzie Delta.
