When I arrived at the appointment to start my HRT journey, I was already on the defensive. I hadn’t a clue how I was going to be perceived or treated; would they question my decision and try to make me prove I was “trans enough?” When I told them I was nonbinary and only wanted to start with a low dose of testosterone, would they tell me it wasn’t an option? Would they discourage me? Would they force me to see a therapist first? I knew who I was but would they sense my apprehension and assume it was uncertainty? Terrified of being mistreated and let down, I silently rehearsed every rebuttal to every anticipated rejection as I was taken to the examination room.

Squeezing the color out of my interlaced fingers, I sat rigid across from the nurse—my heart caught in my throat. With an unexpected inviting demeanor, Nurse Bre introduced herself and asked me for my preferred name and pronouns. What? I had only prepared to be challenged or dismissed; so, bewildered, I stumbled out, “Uh, no one has really ever asked me that before…So, I guess, any pronouns are fine?” When Nurse Practitioner Anne came in with the same kindness and confidence, I finally allowed my shoulders to drop away from my ears. I was in a safe space.

Finding gender-affirming medical and mental health providers or services is often a daunting and terrifying game of trial and error; sometimes, it can even feel down-right unsafe. We enter clinics and hope our deadname isn’t called out in a room full of strangers. We hope our provider won’t dismiss us or intentionally misgender us. We shift uncomfortably in our seats as our pen hovers over the intake form, drifting back and forth between the “M” and “F” boxes. We ask our queer friends for recommendations, or we forego seeking any care We deserve better—and our providers agree.

The LGBT Center of Southeast Wisconsin 

My name is Kez, and as part of a grant-funded project provided by the United Way of Racine County, I was hired as the Transgender and Nonbinary Resource Coordinator at The LGBT Center of Southeast Wisconsin, located in Racine. My role has primarily been to initiate the creation of a statewide provider resource platform that would connect the transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse communities with affirming health-centered resources across Wisconsin. Additionally, we’ve developed a comprehensive training program for providers and local community leaders on gender diversity inclusivity.

As a transmasculine nonbinary human, I can attest to the many barriers to finding affirming and appropriate health care. One major barrier is the lack of visibility of gender-affirming and LGBTQ+ allied providers and services. It’s frighteningly difficult and discouraging to attain information on safe providers without knowing someone—who knows someone—who can give a recommendation. The LGBT Center of Southeast Wisconsin is changing that!

Statewide Provider Resource Directory 

What makes the difference with this directory is that every provider listed on our website is voluntarily self-submitted; that is, each provider has taken the time to add themselves to the directory, demonstrating a passion toward equity and inclusion that goes above and beyond their professional oath. These providers have elected themselves as being intentionally inclusive, respectful of gender identities, sexual orientations, and pronouns, and promised dedication to educating themselves on the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community.

How You Can Help 

The new webpage (lgbtsewi.org/providers) offers a range of providers and resources delivering various services, and our directory is expanding every day. We invite you to visit the website and share it with friends, colleagues, and family who may be hesitant about seeking services. Your support is essential! We also ask for your help encouraging your favorite gender-affirming medical and mental health professionals to submit their information so others in the community can find them, too!

If you encounter a provider on the list who doesn’t meet your gender-affirming expectations, please reach out to us anonymously through the provider page. We’ll review all concerns, provide feedback/offer training to the provider, and assess whether or not they should remain listed.

Also, please reach out via the contact form on the website with any inquiries regarding the Transgender and Nonbinary Provider Resource Training for your clinic! This training can also be modified for any office, group, or other community facing service.

The goal of this project has been simple: Improve our local culture to be more inclusive of the transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming communities in health care and whole-person health. Everyone deserves safe and supportive access to medical and mental health care. Gender-affirming care goes beyond medical transition; sometimes it simply means being able to confidently enter a provider’s office knowing you are safe to come as you are and will be treated with respect and dignity regardless of your gender identity or expression.

Please help expand this resource throughout the state! Visit lgbtsewi.org/providers for a detailed list of providers and their services.

Kez Cesarz is the Transgender & Nonbinary Resource Coordinator at The LGBT Center of Southeast Wisconsin. Through their work at The Center and their podcast “New Pronouns, Who Dis?” Kez aims to demystify the trans experience and promote understanding.