About Jude Novak.

Jude Novak is from Denver, Colorado. In their words:

I had slow poke tattooed on my knuckles for several reasons, one being a reclamation of sorts as someone who moves through life slowly and in crip time. It also serves as a reminder to myself that it’s ok to take things at the pace I need to for my own health and safety. It is safe for me to take my time with things.

Throughout my adult life I have experienced many instances of ableism and discrimination in medical settings. I use a powerchair and when I was hospitalized due to my mental health disability, I was told I would not be able to be admitted if I could not self-propel and was not allowed to use my own wheelchair rather I was given a broken manual hospital chair that caused me to immense pain and fatigue. After a few days of sitting in a wheelchair with no cushion I asked a nurse if I could have an extra pillow to use for a cushion and was told that no one is allowed extra pillows and they aren’t allowed out of the rooms.

I was also recently denied a referral for chest masculinization surgery (top surgery) as a trans person because my BMI is 3 points over the arbitrary BMI policy limit for the only two places in the state that take Medicaid for top surgery. There is ample research, including a recent eight-year study by Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender and Gender Expansive Health, showing that there is no correlation between BMI and serious compilations with top surgery.

This is just a couple examples of the ongoing discrimination and ableism I experienced and continue to experience in the healthcare system.