GFX FOR MON CG3
STORY BAR
NEW TONIGHT AT TEN -- BEING
TRANSGENDER -- IS NO LONGER
CONSIDERED A MENTAL ILLNESS.
THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK
THEY'RE RECLASSIFYING BEING
TRANSGENDER IN HOPES OF
DE-STIGMATIZING IT.
NEWS FIVE'S LENA HOWLAND IS
HEARING LOCAL REACTION TO THIS
CHANGE AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT
TEENS ACROSS OUR AREA -- SHE'S
LIVE IN STUDIO TONIGHT...
LENA?




A COLORADO SPRINGS ORGANIZATION
THAT WORKS TO HELP
YOUTH THAT IDENTIFY AS L-G-B-T
PLUS TELLS ME THIS IS A MOVE
THAT COULD HELP SAVE LIVES...
IT'S MEANT TO MOVE TOWARD
GETTING RID OF THE STIGMA THAT
HAS
MARGINALIZED TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
FOR DECADES.




:01
"IT'S ABOUT TIME"
UP UNTIL MONDAY...
BEING TRANSGENDER WAS OFFICIALLY
CONSIDERED A MENTAL ILLNESS.....
:12
"SEEING A MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE
HEALTH COMMUNITY RECOGNIZING
THAT BEING TRANSGENDER ISN'T
ACTUALLY A MENTAL
HEALTH DISORDER FEELS LIKE A
REAL STRONG VICTORY FOR THE LGBT
PLUS
COMMUNITY"
THIS WEEK -- THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION DECIDED THEY WILL
NO LONGER CLASSIFY BEING
TRANSGENDER THAT WAY.
:07
"ONE OF THE PARTS THAT'S SO
IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS DECISION IS
AN AFFIRMATION OF THERE'S
NOTHING WRONG WITH WHO YOU ARE"
JESSIE POCOCK -- EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF INSIDE OUT YOUTH
SERVICES...
WORKS WITH TRANSGENDER TEENS
EVERYDAY....SHE
SAYS -- WITH THE STIGMA
ASSOCIATED WITH BEING
TRANSGENDER -- TEENS THAT
IDENTIFY AS SUCH -- ARE MORE
LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE...
:08
"THEY'RE FIVE TIMES AS LIKELY IN
COLORADO TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE SO
THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE
REALLY GETTING THE MESSAGE THAT
WHO THEY ARE ISN'T OK"
THE UNITED NATIONS HEALTH
AGENCY, WHICH SETS THE STANDARD
FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ACROSS
THE WORLD....
SAYS..
LABELING TRANSGENDER A MENTAL
ILLNESS WAS CAUSING A
STIGMA.....
SO THEY CHANGED WHAT WAS ONCE
CALLED A "GENDER
INCONGRUENCE" TO A "SEXUAL
HEALTH CONDITION" INSTEAD.
:08
"THESE CHANGES HOPEFULLY WILL
REALLY START TRANSFORMING OUR
SOCIETY TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE,
CARING, LOVING, ACCEPTING, ETC"
AND KEEP IN MIND -- UP UNTIL THE
70'S, THIS IS HOW THE WORLD
HEALTH
ORGANIZATION ALSO CLASSIFIED
HOMOSEXUALITY....
AS A MENTAL DISORDER.
:09
"SO WE'RE CERTAINLY WAY BEHIND
IN TERMS OF RIGHTS FOR
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE HERE IN
AMERICA AND OBVIOUSLY THE WORLD,
BUT THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION"




COLORADO LAW PROTECTS THOSE WHO
IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER WITH
GETTING THE MEDICAL CARE THAT
THEY NEED.
BUT THE WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION SAYS THIS SHOULD
ALSO IMPROVE CARE FOR
TRANSGENDER FOLKS ACROSS THE
WORLD.
ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR YOU
COLORADO SPRINGS, LENA HOWLA
