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After years of lobbying, politics has now understood that the situation of Dutch trans health care is harrowing, and that a sustainable solution must be achieved. This summer, a quartermaster was appointed, who will advise the parliament on the way to follow. Principle 17 considers it important that the needs and wishes of all trans* care recipients are taken into account in this process. That is why we are facilitating two expert meetings on trans health care this autumn.

These expert meetings will take place on October 20 and December 1. Invited guests for these meetings are all representatives of groups that are often inadequately taken into account: trans* people with disabilities (physical, sensory, psychological and/or cognitive) or chronic illness, bicultural trans* people, trans* migrants, trans* sex workers, trans* people living in poverty, etc.

Questions that we will discuss at these meetings are: what are their experiences in the trans health care? Did they encounter extra bumps because of their situation in addition to the (already known) bumps in Dutch trans health care? What does the ideal trans health care look like according to these people?

The results of these expert meetings will be processed into a report, which will be handed over to the 'quartermaster' of the Minister for Medical Care. The recommendations in the report can be used by them as additional points for attention in their reform process for gender transition health care.

We will also send the report to the Parliamentary Committee for Public Health and the Alderman for Care in Amsterdam, so they can take note of this as well. The parties involved in the field, such as the gender teams, Transgender Network Netherlands, Transvisie, and so on, will also be sent the report. All other interested parties will be able to download the report in due course via our website.

The invited guests to these expert meetings will meet for the first time in this context. This is the first time that trans* health care will be been discussed by representatives from all trans* subgroups. We assume that it will be a very instructive day for all those present, which will undoubtedly have a broader emancipatory effect on their own communities too. Principle 17 does not exclude that these meetings will have other results, such as greater mutual understanding and connection between the various trans* subgroups. Together we are stronger and we can make a larger fist to politicians and health care providers.

The expert meetings have been made possible thanks to contributions from Stichting Trutfonds, Stichting Transman and Transgender Netwerk Nederland.