Moving Forward Sideways Like A Crab: A Summary

For this article I have chosen to use Shani Mootoo’s Moving Forward Sideways Like a Crab. I have selected this novel for its rich text that explores the dilemmas faced by a transgender person as they explore their own gender identity, digging deep into their intersectionality and commitment to starting life anew as a man. As the story unfolds, with the strategic use of contrast between life in Toronto as Sid and life in Trinidad as Sidney, elements of oppression that are unique to trans people are unveiled. The following article is divided into two-parts, in Part A, I will discuss themes of oppression that emerged from the text; how they relate to social work practice; and how, as a Social Worker, I would address these themes using anti-oppression
Service delivery to the transgendered community is generally reported to be poor with hospital and healthcare workers demonstrating prejudicial attitudes once the birth assigned sex of the individual is discovered (OHRC, 2012). The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) frequently report on human rights violations against sexual minorities, including transgendered people. For instance, in June 1998 their newsletter reported the failure of ambulance personnel to assist a transvestite, Marcela, who had been stabbed and was left bleeding in the street for two hours until she died (OHRC, 2012). In social work practice, I find that it is essential that workers support transgendered people in their difficulties accessing shelters and other social service agencies and to coach them on how to maneuver the system so that they can meet their
I believe that social policies ensure both how well we are as well as how well we do. The Ontario Health Insurance Act (OHIA) governs the provincial health insurance policy (OHIP), which covers a wide range of services that are deemed by The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) as medically necessary and ensures services are performed in accordance with accepted professional standards and practices (OHIA, 1990). Up until 1998, OHIP covered sex reassignment surgery (SRS), including reconstruction of genitalia and mastectomy, for individuals approved by the Gender Identity Clinic at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (now referred to as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) (OHIA, 1990). In October 1998, the OHIA was amended to remove SRS from the list of services covered by provincial health insurance (OHIA, 1990). The Ontario Human Rights Commission reported that the trans community viewed this decision as an oppressive action and interpreted it as though the government did not consider the issues of transgendered people as valid, significant, or important (OHRC, 2012). The MOHLTC did not only ignore the needs of the trans community but