Transgender People Ice Users In Australia â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Transgender People Ice Users In Australia? Answer: Introduction Marginalization refers to alienation of people, group or an aspect to an edge of others or positioning it at a lower position. Australia as a continent is not exempted from marginalization where a section of its citizens are live on the periphery of society as their access to various resources and/or opportunities is limited severely hindering them from full participation in their social lives in a decent way. Transgender people form part of the marginalized groups in Australia. Transgender incorporates different identities based on gender identity rather than sex which are the biological description of people based on their gonadal features (Ho Mussap, 2016). Transgender people includes people who live fully as one gender, those who change from one gender to another, those who have undertaken gender reassignment procedures including hormones and surgery. On the other hand, ice users include people who use the most potent crystalline form of methamphetamine a stimulant drug (Darke e t al, 2017). Statistics from Australias National drug and Alcohol Research Centre indicates that that ice-use rate is increasing in young people. The consumption of this illicit drug in Australia has been of concern due to the adverse effects of methamphetamine on the users (Degenhardt et al, 2016). Marginalization pushes the transgender and the ice users to the margin of the society economically, politically, culturally and socially following their exclusion. Their orientation also limits them from taking part in a number of reproductive health programs. It deters their health seeking behavior and, they are even reported to have more cases of depression and anxiety as compared to the normal public. Therefore, our focus will be on the effects of social stigma on the transgender and ice users. Besides, social inclusion and human rights of these marginalized groups will be addressed and the contributing government policies. Effects of social Stigma on Health Historical Aspects Transgender people live on the margin of the society facing homophobic prejudice and stigma as compared to the other heterosexual people. The psychological distress they face results to depression, anxiety, grief and loss, self-harming and self-injury (Ho Mussap, 2016). Chronic social distress has led to the increasing suicidal thoughts and is associated with poor mental health. However, the notion that transgender is a mental illness as described by World Health Organization will soon be changed in the proposed act of the International Classification of diseases (Miles-Johnson, 2015). In addition the sidelining of transgender people has affected their accessibility to health care services. They face exclusion, violence and poor health due to the inability to access appropriate health care needed for their transition including qualified personnel in transgender related cases (Rahn, 2015). The Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender stipulates that there is need for medical services regardless of the recorded gender thus guarding transgender people from health exclusion. Social stigma against the transgender persons as well as other members of LGBT is linked to the historical background of non-tolerance to cases of homosexuality and related behaviors in Australia. Since colonialism, Australian institutions including religious places and schools required gender identity which also implied ones sexual orientation and this forced transgender persons to identify themselves as male or female against their will. Later on, transgender persons could only change their sex on their birth certificate after certified medical approval and this has over time made it difficult as people fear coming into the limelight as transgender. Until 2014 was when the Australian Capital Territory approved a change of sex on birth certificates for transgender persons with no medical intervention. The history of public and policy-related harassment to their ga y and lesbian counterparts in different states since colonialism imposes a muted kind of discrimination upon transgender persons and this makes a lot of them to remain secretive on their gender and sexual orientation. Social Inclusion and Human Rights The Sex Discrimination Act was amended to legalize equality and freedom from discrimination of individuals according to gender identity and/or orientation sexually (Ho Mussap, 2016). However transgender people in Australia still experience social exclusion harassment and hostility in places of work, schools and even health care facilities. Policies and practices including procedures for changing identification documents limit their access to justice. Expression of gender identity at an early age has an impact on the individuals since most of them are alienated from their families. Consequently, they lack access to basic needs and education opportunities as a result they suffer mental and psychological distress (Rahn, 2015). The situation is not different for those who express their gender identity later in life since they are subjected to rejection in social service institutions. Research on workplaces, reveals that most transgender people are excluded from meaningful employment inc luding employee motivation through training opportunities and promotions (Miles-Johnson, 2015). These unfavourable environments results to transphobia in transgender people increases the risk of unemployment, cycles of poverty and homelessness. The Yogyakarta Principles are a culmination of inputs from international human rights defenders, activists and advocates and they outline the rights of the transgender people (Ho Mussap, 2016). They are entitled to enjoy universal human rights including nondiscrimination and recognition, individual personal security, rights to move and seek asylum, freedom to self-expression and to associate, among others. Legal and policy reforms play a major role in facilitating social inclusion of the transgender people in economic, social and cultural dimensions. The policies are aimed at providing opportunities for social inclusion in employment opportunities service access and connecting with others (Miles-Johnson, 2015). The main areas for prioritization include employment, emotional, health and social individual wellbeing, awareness, education, interaction with the existing transgender community and inclusive service delivery. In the year 2014, the Australian Capital Territory in defense of the rights of LGBTI persons made it legal for ne to change their sex status on birth certificates without clearance of medical persons. Later in 2016, Australia apologized for the harassment of these groups of persons during the 1978 Mardi Gras demonstration for their rights (Ho Mussap, 2016). In Australia today, schools and religious institutions do not ask for identification of persons based on gender or sexual orientation and this encourages social inclusion while limiting discrimination of transgender persons. Government Policy on Transgender Evaluation Among the main policies that are meant to ensure social inclusion for transgender persons in Australia include the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984 and the Privacy Act of 1988(Rahn, 2015). As envisaged in the official guidelines for recognition of sex and/or gender, the Sex Discrimination Act of 1984 protects all Australians against any discrimination based on gender and/or sexual orientation including intersex status. Under these guidelines ratified by all Australian states by 2013 the Australian Human Rights Commission investigates and conciliates any discrimination and harassment complaints based on gender and/or intersex status. It is also accepted that where people are obliged to lawfully indicate their sexual orientation, they can choose to indicate as female, male or X. Particularly on Australian Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act of 1988, institutions that are lawfully given the right to collect personal information on gender and sex status must be done with ones con sent and the information kept private. Where necessary the information should immediately be destroyed once it has been used for the necessary purpose (Miles-Johnson, 2015). Schools and religious settings are prevented from requiring ones gender identity this helps transgender persons to be socially included within the society. Even so, while the guidelines were set out earlier to protect transgender persons, it has been difficult for different territories to ratify the Acts. Today however, these legislations have made it easier for transgender Australians to socially interact with little stigma. Effects of social Stigma on Health Historical Aspects Ice refers to the crystalline form of the illicit drug methamphetamine and is mostly administered through smoking and intravenous injections The public image of the use of the drug leads to alienation of the users based on the social norms and religious practices. Social stigmatization of ice users affects their health seeking behavior. They mostly associate with their fellow users and where they are depressed and psychologically disoriented; they are not able to seek for healthcare attention (Degenhardt et al, 2016). They get more alienated from the normal public due to psychosis and paranoia, which when goes untreated has contributed to mental illnesses among the population of long-term users. Police reports in Victoria and other parts of Australia have linked a number of murders to ice-users. This agrees with the publics association of ice users with violence and justifies their distance from them. The users are likely to be the immediate suspects in cases where crimes are committ ed. The stigma which makes them avoid seeking medical attention when overdosed puts them at risk of death. Studies indicate that Ice contributes to deaths just like heroin, when overdosed. Community members and families living with ice-users are disturbed by the users irritability, depression, anxiety and sleeplessness (Darke et al, 2017). Once they understand that it is an addiction, they take it as normal practice and ignore presenting the users for medical attention. Also understanding that the drug is illegal in Australia, users find it hard to seek for healthcare leading to deterioration of their health including development of mental illnesses and blood-borne disease conditions. Social Inclusion and Human Rights Ice drug users constitute a hidden population due to stigma, discrimination, social exclusion and laws on criminalization (Degenhardt et al, 2016). All human beings have a right to equality, dignity and other rights; however criminalization of drug use makes drug users to be vulnerable to interference and harassment and even imprisonment. However the war on drugs has opened a gap towards discrimination based on colour and social-economic status. The users are exposed to torture and execution in rehabilitation camps and even prisons for example subjection to brutal aversion therapies and others are executed for drug offenses, thus contributing to their increased mortality rates (Darke et al, 2017). They lack healthcare and service provision including lack of harm reduction associated with drug use. Provision of needles and syringes to intravenous drug users helps in preventing disease transmission for example hepatitis and HIV. Besides the ice uses have a right to pain management and medication, though its prohibition has violated the right to it. Consequently the users are separated from their families and they suffer arbitrary interferences with their families. (McKetin et al, 2016). Most of them lose custody of their children. The ice users are stigmatized and are considered to be physically, emotionally and economically unstable to take care of their families. Prohibitions as well as stigma and discrimination contribute to human right violation which promotes social exclusion. Government Policy on Encouraging Social Inclusion for Ice Users The Australian government through the Strategy To Stop The Hurt Caused By Crystal Methamphetamine which was recommended by a report done by the Ministerial Crystal Methamphetamine Taskforce in early February 2017 is the current policy to salvage healthcare for ice-users. This was done as a rapid response to the surge of ice-use and its effects on community health. South Australia state in response allocated $8 million to fund the Ice Action Plan that focuses on several initiatives (Darke et al, 2017). The plan targets priority areas including a reduction in the supply of ice, an increase in treatment for users and provision of family support, and further; develop community-based education and capacity on ice-use effects. Consequently, the policy allocated $3.6 million to increase access to treatment, $0.3m to assist the community-based organizations to manage ice-abuse issues, and $0.3 million to facilitate creation of grass root sporting clubs so as to engage ice-abusers on health i ssues (Darke et al, 2017). More importantly, this policy allocated $0.498million which is currently being used to supporting different employers to respond better to cases of substance abuse within the workplace. Other initiatives according to McKetin et al (2016) include decriminalization of possession of small quantities of ice, diversionary programs with an approach to early intervention and prevention of ice use and drug courts to deal with offenders and drug dependents for example the Drug court of New South Wales (Australasian Psychiatry, 2015). These approaches go hand in hand with the Australian National Drug Strategy 2016-2025 which emphasizes on the need to minimize demand, reduce supply and reduce the harm caused by effects of ice abuse. Conclusion Marginalization relegates some groups to the periphery of the society as a result of largely, policy-based exclusion. It is clear that this hinders access of a part of the society, to resources and platforms for productive potential and opportunities to optimize their potentials. This has adverse effects to communities, states and even the global perspective in terms of poverty, misery and livelihood insecurities. As defined by The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world should be created to offer equal worth to every individual with respect and value (Miles-Johnson, 2015). In addition growth of human rights law and judgment based on legal standards, state practice and international institutions focus on the human rights full spectrum including among other cultural and/or socio-economic rights. Social inclusion will reduce inequality and further competition over the scarce resources. The collaboration of social inclusion, human rights and government policies plays a vital ro le in reducing social stigma, prejudice and discrimination of marginalized groups. Transgender people and the Ice users constitute groups with a hope of redefining their lives and their role in socio-economic development. References Darke, S., Kaye, S., Duflou, J. (2017). Rates, characteristics and circumstances of methamphetamine-related death in Australia: a national 7-year study.Addiction. 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