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Editorial Graham Scott EDITOR

@NSeditor

Pioneering centre goes beyond gender labelling We have all filled in forms that ask for our gender. Often the question seems irrelevant, but most people tick the box, reveal their age along with a few other personal details, and move on. However, for some the enquiry may be simple but the answer more complicated. Am I male, female, neither or both? The answer may not matter much to those asking the question – which makes you wonder why it is considered relevant – but for trans people it strikes to the core of their identity. The term ‘trans’ is in itself contentious, as it covers people across a spectrum of presentations and behaviours. Not everyone covered by the term is going through a transition, as is inferred. It would be better if we did not feel the need to classify such a diverse group by using a single word, but trans will have to do until someone comes up with a better approach.

ALL CLINIQ STAFF DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY RESPECT CLIENTS’ LIFESTYLES AND WAY OF PRESENTING

This week Nursing Standard features the nursing staff at cliniQ, a pioneering sexual health service in London, which understands the issues faced by trans people and has developed services that are honest, open and non-judgemental. Some of the staff are trans themselves, and all demonstrate that they respect clients’ lifestyles and way of presenting. It is inspiring stuff, with service users saying they appreciate being cared for in such an environment. For centuries, lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people have been expected to conform to societal norms. Anyone who caught this week’s episode of Call the Midwife will have been reminded of the difficulties faced by gay men as recently as the 1950s, when imprisonment for homosexual acts was commonplace. There has been progress since, thanks in part to changes in the law and more enlightened attitudes, but LGBT people are still likely to encounter prejudice and experience discrimination, even in the NHS. This week’s Nursing Standard, a special issue to mark Lesbian and Gay History Month, showcases the work of nurses who are delivering outstanding services to LGBT people. It shows nurses at their best, delivering care to the whole person, regardless of how they identify.

See features page 19

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