Queer Eye's Skyler Jay is Fighting for Trans-Inclusive Health Care

Queer Eye's Skyler Jay is Fighting for Trans-Inclusive Health Care

By Matt Moen
Jul 25, 2018

Netflix's Queer Eye has in two seasons already become a life-affirming sensation that has preached the gospel of self-care and brought countless tears to our eyes. None were perhaps more tear-inducing this past season than the much talked about episode, Sky's the Limit, which saw the Fab 5 making over Skyler Jay, a recently post-op trans man who won over our hearts with his unrelenting enthusiasm and compassion. The episode follows the Fab 5 as they teach Skyler how to be a more refined version of himself while Skyler in turn teaches the Fab 5 about the trans experience. We see Karamo supporting Skyler as he gets the gender marker on his license changed, Tan have an emotional talk with Skyler about what he doesn't know about being trans, and Skyler's top surgery.

Skyler briefly mentions in the episode that he had complications resulting from his top surgery and that while his community had come together to raise funds for his initial surgery but would likely be facing a lot more medical bills than initially anticipated. Skyler recently started a GoFundMe page to help raise the money to cover those bills and give back to the local organizations that have given him and countless other LGBTQ+ individuals support.

In the page's appeal, Skyler describes the challenges he faced in trying to get his health insurance to cover his care. It turns out that the University System of Georgia workplace health care plan has a Trans exclusionary policy that exempts the university from having to cover trans-related health issues. As a result of his experience, Skyler is also bringing a suit against the University System of Georgia to have these discriminatory exclusions removed. GLAAD reports that most public health care policies and programs are not required to or don't cover trans-related medical care and is a contributing factor to increased rates of poverty and low life-expectancy within the community.

You can learn more and donate to Skyler Jay's GoFundMe here.

Photo via Netflix

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