Transsexualism

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(Misconceptions: transsexuals are urged above all else to find outlets that do not involve physical changes to their body.)
(Misconceptions: it doesn't "generally" not cover as wide as a spectrum as transgender... TS specifically excludes crossdressers and drag queens/kings as they do not have cross-gender identity)
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*'''Gender and physical sex are the same thing.'''  English has two words to describe what many languages describe as one thing.  This allows English to develop a distinction between a person's identification and the personality (Gender), as opposed to physical features and properties (Sex).  In most cases the two match, often enough that people can be led to assume that they should match all the time.
 
*'''Gender and physical sex are the same thing.'''  English has two words to describe what many languages describe as one thing.  This allows English to develop a distinction between a person's identification and the personality (Gender), as opposed to physical features and properties (Sex).  In most cases the two match, often enough that people can be led to assume that they should match all the time.
 
*'''Transsexuals may satisfy their urges with occasional role-playing or crossdressing.'''<ref>[http://www.rationalwiki.com/index.php?title=Transsexual&diff=next&oldid=23997 One of our well-meaning editors had to be schooled on this]</ref>  This is often akin to reparative therapy in homosexuals, where the individual suppresses natural urges or identification in order to appear "fine", unlike reparative therapy for homosexuals, transsexuals must receive therapy in order to gain access to medical care, and are urged to resolve their cross-gender feelings as much as possible without taking dangerous and permanent changes, like hormones, and especially surgeries.  This can be due to a number of reasons, such as fear, family pressure, or simple uncertainty about the concept or transitioning.  However, many find they cannot maintain this false front, and proceed to transition at some later date.
 
*'''Transsexuals may satisfy their urges with occasional role-playing or crossdressing.'''<ref>[http://www.rationalwiki.com/index.php?title=Transsexual&diff=next&oldid=23997 One of our well-meaning editors had to be schooled on this]</ref>  This is often akin to reparative therapy in homosexuals, where the individual suppresses natural urges or identification in order to appear "fine", unlike reparative therapy for homosexuals, transsexuals must receive therapy in order to gain access to medical care, and are urged to resolve their cross-gender feelings as much as possible without taking dangerous and permanent changes, like hormones, and especially surgeries.  This can be due to a number of reasons, such as fear, family pressure, or simple uncertainty about the concept or transitioning.  However, many find they cannot maintain this false front, and proceed to transition at some later date.
*'''Transsexual and [[Transgender]] are interchangeable terms.'''<ref>[[User:Human]] still can't keep them straight in spite of trying to learn the difference.</ref>  Like [[GLBT]], transgender is an umbrella term, whose exact definition is subject to much debate.  Transsexual, on the other hand, has a more defined and restricted meaning, and generally does not cover as wide a spectrum of gender expressions.
+
*'''Transsexual and [[Transgender]] are interchangeable terms.'''<ref>[[User:Human]] still can't keep them straight in spite of trying to learn the difference.</ref>  Like [[GLBT]], transgender is an umbrella term, whose exact definition is subject to much debate.  Transsexual, on the other hand, has a more defined and restricted meaning, and does not cover as wide a spectrum of gender expressions.
  
 
==Relationship to [[homosexuality]] and [[bisexuality]]==
 
==Relationship to [[homosexuality]] and [[bisexuality]]==

Revision as of 02:35, 27 May 2008

Part of the series on

Sexuality

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A baker's dozen on sex
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Transsexual is a term for an individual diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder[1]. Put simply, it is a person whose gender does not match their genetic sex.

Contents

Definitions

Transsexuals come in many flavors, from those who will not ever be able to live a happy life until they have undergone sexual reassignment surgery and appropriate hormone therapy, to those who have other priorities, and forego surgeries or hormone therapies for personal reasons. However, these assorted "flavors" share a persistent cross-gendered identification, regardless of physical issues. Transsexuals have the same range of sexual orientations as the rest of the population.

Misconceptions

  • Transsexuals are simply men who are so enamored with femininity that they go so far as surgery to emulate it (autogynephelia)[2] This is a recent point of view floated most notably by Ray Blanchard, Ann Lawrence and Michael Bailey, based on largely junk science and speculation. Aside from a great many criticisms of the concept that this is simply a love of women taken too far, it utterly ignores the existence of Female-to-Male transsexuals.[3] Although autogynephilia is widely rejected for rational reasons, some people do openly identify as autogynephiliacs[4] as it describes their personal experience quite well. The more important thing is to remember that theories advancing this idea say that all transsexuals are either homosexuals or autogynephiles. Also of note, is that some lesbians feel this same way, and feel that transsexuals are the male 5th column coming in to literally rape the last sacrament of femininity, their very bodies.[5]
  • Transsexuals are really homosexuals who wish to avoid social stigma by actually becoming women[6] This is often presented together with the above AGP concept, and is no more well founded. Proponents tend to note though that homosexual transsexuals are so effeminate that they are unable to function in life as men, and are typically able to pass so well, that they can live in "stealth" afterwards. Again, it does not recognize the existence of FtM's, but further suggests that homosexual men would try to escape the social stigma of homosexuality by embracing the far greater stigma associated with transsexuality. Further, this misconception suggests that a homosexual male would go through a process that by definition would make him impotent, and thus unable to have homosexual sex. This is a bizarre concept at best.[7] However, this category does find support in some systems. In Iran where transsexuals are permitted, but homosexuality is punished by death, many homosexuals are coached into transition in order to avoid a death penalty.[citation needed]
  • A little therapy or a good fuck is all they need to snap out of it. This misconception ignores that transsexuals must have extensive therapy in order to receive treatment, and many who transition later in life have both wives and kids, and led a fairly successful sexual life. This view is commonly shared about homosexuals, as people believing this misconception have difficulty distinguishing the two subjects of transsexuality and homosexuality.
  • Gender and physical sex are the same thing. English has two words to describe what many languages describe as one thing. This allows English to develop a distinction between a person's identification and the personality (Gender), as opposed to physical features and properties (Sex). In most cases the two match, often enough that people can be led to assume that they should match all the time.
  • Transsexuals may satisfy their urges with occasional role-playing or crossdressing.[8] This is often akin to reparative therapy in homosexuals, where the individual suppresses natural urges or identification in order to appear "fine", unlike reparative therapy for homosexuals, transsexuals must receive therapy in order to gain access to medical care, and are urged to resolve their cross-gender feelings as much as possible without taking dangerous and permanent changes, like hormones, and especially surgeries. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as fear, family pressure, or simple uncertainty about the concept or transitioning. However, many find they cannot maintain this false front, and proceed to transition at some later date.
  • Transsexual and Transgender are interchangeable terms.[9] Like GLBT, transgender is an umbrella term, whose exact definition is subject to much debate. Transsexual, on the other hand, has a more defined and restricted meaning, and does not cover as wide a spectrum of gender expressions.

Relationship to homosexuality and bisexuality

Transsexuals tend to defy assumptions regarding sexuality, in that sexual attraction is based on the identified gender, rather than physical sex - a young woman who, for instance, is attracted to other women, but feels as though she should be a young man, is actually showing a heterosexual orientation. The key is that the physical woman in this example doesn't see themselves as a woman at all, but as a man, and will view their orientation on that basis.

Due to oppression, violence, lack of legal protections and misunderstanding, most people in these rarer sexual sub-categories tend to try to work together for legal rights and social acceptance, hence the GLBT (etc.) umbrella "label". The symbol of the Rainbow Flag indicates the range of healthy expression of sexuality in humans, and the political need for us to accept each other equally.

However, despite the symbolism of the Rainbow Flag, transsexuals are often not afforded the same inclusion as other groups under the umbrella. One recent example of this is the Human Rights Campaign's willingness to jettison demands for transsexual rights in order to ensure passage of a bill ensuring rights for gays and lesbians. The Lesbian and Gay Task Force during same situation, explicitly said that they are not supporting protection for "gender identity and expression" for transsexual or transgendered individuals, but rather solely for the personal goal of ensuring that there would be no loophole for discriminating against gay or lesbians for the way that they act, when incongrous to the stereotypes of their sex.

As well, Washington HB 2661 which granted discrimination protection to the GLBT community, only added protection for "sexual orientation", which was defined to include "gender identity and expression." While whatever argument can be made to justify this action, it still shows an ignorance of the gay and lesbian community about what motivates transsexuals to change.

Sex reassignment therapy

Sex reassignment therapy involves generally three stages, therapy, hormones and then surgery. This three tier approach is designed to keep a person going further than they would be comfortable with in their life.

The therapy is designed in a way almost like reparative therapy. The first stance that the therapist is to take, is skepticism, and attempt to help the patient resolve their feelings without hormones, transition, or surgery. A patient is strongly informed that transsexuals face a real threat of harm, and death simply from being transsexual. The patients are recommended to find expresive, non-permanent ways to express themselves, and relieve the stress caused by their transgender feelings, such as occational crossdressing, or dressing differently or changing one's name are the first steps in actually transitioning.

In cases where therapy is simply insufficient, the Standards of Care used internationally suggest hormone therapy be given to male-to-females, and surgery be given to female-to-males. The reason why surgery is recommended for female-to-males is because hormone therapy with testosterone will cause irreversible changes in the period of a couple weeks. Their surgery however typically consists of removal of both breasts, which although permanently removed have reasonable plastic surgery to restore them. However, for male-to-females horomone effects become irreversible only after about 3 months, whereas their surgery is permanent, and effectively irreversible.

For all transsexuals, the Standards of Conduct require one full year living as the target gender before allowing genital surgery. In female-to-males, they will typically start taking hormones at this point, and may opt for other surgeries to remove reproductive organs. Because the results of creating genitalia for the female-to-male is typically poor, many of them opt not to get that surgery. However, for male-to-females significant work has been done in creating realistic genitalia, sometimes being so realistic that even a gynecologist would not be able to tell the difference.

Prejudice and Violence

The FBI is by law not allowed to collect information to determine the prevalence of crimes against transsexuals. So it is difficult to guess at how common they are out of the entire population, although most are certain that the violence rate is significantly higher than any other group.[10] Combined with a substantially higher-than-normal suicide attempt rate, and the rarity of the condition in the first place, the number of sucessful transitions is often outweighed by those who do not transition. The common value given by trans advocates is that a transsexual has a 50% chance to have a successful transition, and the rest primarily die, commit suicide, or are killed before they have the chance to transition completely. Go team, eh?

The trans community abounds with tragic stories of individuals killed by another human being simply for being trans, and police or health care providers refusing to treat. Of particular note, one trans woman involved in an accident was laughed at and mocked once the police and rescue personnel learned that she was transgender; the delay in her care and treatment was the primary cause of her death. Gwen Araujo is a well-known transsexual, who was brutally murdered by bludgeoning force when some men she had given oral sex to, found out that she was transgender. Another heartbreaking story, is of a trans woman, who after breaking up with her boyfriend, left his car, and then was run over by him repeatedly. The police later classified this tragedy as an accident, even when witnesses insisted that it was deliberate.

References and Notes

  1. [1] DSM-IV creteria
  2. [2] Ann Lawrence essays on AGP
  3. [3]Critique of The Man Who Would Be Queen, a landmark book regarding AGP, at TS Roadmap
  4. The most important example being Anne Lawrence, an medical doctor who is also one of the main proponents of this theory
  5. Originally advanced by Janice Raymond in The Transsexual Empire
  6. [4]Review of The Man Who Would Be Queen
  7. See above reference at TS Roadmap
  8. One of our well-meaning editors had to be schooled on this
  9. User:Human still can't keep them straight in spite of trying to learn the difference.
  10. Southern Poverty Law Center on transgender murders
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