Now that we've covered most of the topics based in the subject of
transsexuality I'd like to review what we've gone over. Hopefully if you didn't
know much on the topic before hand you learnt something by reading my blog.
I've explained my point of view on the topic various times but now you've been
able to see and reflect on how other people view transsexuality and how they
related to their lives. Most of the negative points of view were based mostly
on bigoted opinions and illogical arguments. Some people are closed to the idea
of transsexuality solely because of their religion, while others try and find a
more scientific reason for as to why they should not support it. The idea that
transsexuality is based in mental illness could be very possible, especially
considering the fact that most transsexual individuals after taking their sex
change operation were found to be less happy and more prone to suicide. My opinion
on transsexuality is based on the idea that the state has no right to dictate
what an individual chooses to do with his or her body, as long as no one else
is harmed. Not all medical professionals believe that gender reassignment
surgery should be considered taboo and the growing acceptance and understanding
of the medical community helps to lend credibility to their practices. Though some
places still have yet to accept the LGBTQ community, we’ve still made
amazing progress from the 1950’s. In time perhaps we can hope for the
complete assimilation of LGBTQ men and women into our society.
Monday 8 June 2015
Transgender at War and in Love
This Op-Doc video profiles a transgender airman named Logan Ireland, who recently completed a deployment serving as male, the gender he knows himself to be. Remarkably, after telling his leaders and some peers that his sex was assigned female at birth, he received their support—despite military policy that prevents transgender people from serving openly. Meanwhile, his fiancée, Laila Villanueva, who was assigned male at birth, has a similar scenario, but works without the support of her command.
Their dreams of serving in the military until retirement, having a home, and creating a family are all on the line simply because of how society and United States military policy discriminate against transgender people. Logan and Laila are aware that by coming out publicly in this film, they could be discharged.
The ban on transgender people in the military is not a law: It is based on outdated medical regulations that consider transgender people to be psychologically impaired. If the military updated its policies to reflect current research standards, transgender people would not be considered unfit.
Back in 2010, I advocated for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the law that banned lesbian, gay and bisexual people from serving in the United States military. But when I realized that it did not include transgender people, I was outraged. We had succeeded, but the mission was incomplete.
All soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines risk their lives fighting for Americans’ right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Yet American transgender troops are not afforded the same freedoms they are so boldly protecting. The story of Logan and Laila is not over yet. We’re hoping for a happy ending.
Should Gender be Recognized by the State?
Should gender be removed from birth certificates in Canada? A group of British Columbians says it should and is taking their fight to the province’s Human Rights Tribunal, which has agreed to hear their case.
Morgane Oger, the chair of the Trans Alliance Society in Vancouver, and one of the complainants in the case, argues birth certificates should only contain things that don’t change, like the time and place a person was born and their parents’ identity at the time – gender, Oger said, should not be included.
“Gender identity is not determinable, even sex is not determinable at birth in 100 per cent of the cases,” Oger said. “Sex designation is not something that’s measurable by doctor.”
Oger identifies as a female. But was identified by documentation as a male until last year, when she changed it to female on her provincial documentation 1.5 years ago, and on her federal documentation this year.
“Yet my birth certificate, that I’ve had to hand out a number of times says male on it, until now. So now my proof of identity can say female. But all the documentation in the past has said male.”
Subject Rant
Many people don't understand that there's more than just a good
and bad to transsexuality, in many cases both sides of the argument have a very
valid viewpoint. Studies have shown that it's more likely for a transsexual
individual to commit suicide after they've had a sex reassignment surgery. I
personally believe that all people should have the right to choose to do
whatever they wish with their bodies, but I also believe that transsexuality
may be rooted in some form of mental illness. Now many people look at me with
strange faces when I say that transsexuality is something that is wrong. The
only reason I would say this is because if you're transsexual individual that
means that you're not in the right body therefore there is something incorrect with
your person that should be able to be solved or cured. In fact the best
alternative would be to have no transsexual individuals at all because that
would mean that everyone is in their right mind and body. I personally know
someone who is transsexual and they only realized it once they were around the
age of 17. They told me that it wasn't a sudden realization but a slow steady
process whereas they came to understand that they felt off about who they were.
Now it wasn't immediate that they decided that they wished to be a woman rather
they wanted to understand themselves better first, not particularly moving
towards a feminine point of view. Only after becoming involved in the LGBTQ
community were they able to finally understand how they felt more feminine then
masculine in their mindset. In the end I tend to believe that we should allow
people to determine for themselves how they want to live their own lives even
if it affects them negatively.
Violence Towards Transgendered Women
“It made me feel very unsafe because I didn’t know what people were willing to do in that space,” Hearns, a transgender woman, told The Root, specifically pointing out that most of the violent remarks were coming from black men. “There was this macho bravado of cockiness in that space where they were allowed to say and do whatever, when the focus for me was utilizing my voice to stand up for something I believed in, which was honoring Trayvon.”
Nearly three years after Trayvon Martin’s death, there has been no slowdown of black men and women dying as a result of police brutality and other forms of anti-black violence. The responses to these killings have culminated in a wide range of movements around the country, with Black Lives Matter being among the most well-known. But some transgender women, like Hearns, feel that some of those involved in the movement don’t consider anti-black struggles like theirs.
Lourdes Ashley Hunter, who serves as executive director of the Trans Women of Color Collective, told The Root that a chasm exists between many cis black people (“cis” meaning those who identify as the gender they were assigned at birth) and transgender black women who have felt that their unique challenges regarding anti-black violence have gone largely ignored.
“I think the black community needs to acknowledge the fact that they are being completely silent about the murders that have been happening in our community,” Hunter said. “Just last year, 12 trans women of color were murdered with no response from the black community. When folks scream, ‘Black Lives Matter,’ they’re not talking about black trans women. Most of the time, they’re not even talking about [cis] black women.”
Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, told The Root that the organization has been very clear that its efforts to defend African Americans against anti-black violence uplifts every black person, including transgender women—though she says there is room for improvement.
“I think a better job that the Black Lives Matter movement could do is actually uplifting the narratives of black trans women,” she said. “The way you uplift narratives is by bringing everybody to the leadership table so that black trans women are making decisions on what statements are going out about strategy and tactics, and are being paid for their hard work and labor and that black trans women are in every single piece of the conversation.”
Christine Jorgensen Article Response
Christine Jorgensen is one of the first Widely recognized
American transgendered woman, born in 1926 she underwent her sexual
reassignment surgery in the 1950's. A famous entertainer and idol for the LGBTQ
community Christine had beaten the odds of a bigoted society. What really made
Christine stand out from other transgendered Americans at the time was how open
she made her operation and story. Giving information to the press, the American
people for the first time were able to have a glimpse into the life of a
transsexual. Because of her openness with regard to her surgery she became the
subject of ridicule and mocking. Many people were not ready to accept the
change that she was putting in front of them, and while most put her in a
negative light she was able to do so etching amazing. Many people, after her
show of bravery now understood and were able to come to terms with their
transsexuality. More and more people became open to the concept and slowly but
surely small support communities were popping up all over America. She is an
icon and a staple for the trans community and here actions were able to bring
better quality treatment and lives to people with the same problems she had to
face.
Transgender Day of Rememberance
Nov. 20, marks the 16th annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance. On this most important day on the transgender calendar, we memorialize and celebrate the lives of those transgender and gender-nonconforming persons who were murdered this past year simply because of their gender identities. We also honor the lives of all trans people who ended their own lives by suicide because they just could not bear to go on in the face of the emotional and/or physical violence brought about by transphobia.
During this year's Transgender Day of Remembrance vigils, trans people and cisgender allies around the world will read the names of some of the 226 transgender and gender-nonconforming people whose murders this year stand as a stark reminder of the fear and hatred of trans people that still exists in many parts of our global society. This fear and hatred fill the hearts of those who cannot accept or understand that each person has the right to live in accordance with their true gender identity, as their true selves. These 226 people, identified by Transgender Europe's Trans Murder Monitoring Project, are just a fraction of the total number of trans deaths, because trans murders often go uninvestigated and unreported.
While this day is a solemn day of remembrance, it is important that we also celebrate the fact that trans folks are a resilient people. We gather together, transgender people and cisgender allies alike, to care for one another, to advocate for one another, to continue to rise up, to live our lives in dignity and truth, and to bring about change in our society.
According to GLAAD's "Transgender and Media Education Program," less than 10 percent of Americans say they know a trans person, while 90 percent say they know someone who is lesbian, gay, or bisexual. A positive way for our trans community to work for change, bring an end to the violence against us, and achieve progress in the struggle for civil rights is for us to be out and tell our stories, and for our allies to share the good news.
In spite of the public invisibility of our community, remarkable advances have been made since 2010 in moving toward justice for trans people in the United States.
National media coverage has focused on trans people in positive ways, and TIME has referred to this year as the "Transgender Tipping Point," calling transgender equality "America's Next Civil Rights Frontier."
Significant action has been taken by President Obama and his administration in the areas of trans health care, employment discrimination, facilitating the obtaining of proper gender markers on government-issued documents, and education. Trans people have many reasons to hope that justice will come during our lifetimes.
But there is still so much work to be done.
We are working to pass state and local laws that provide basic protections around gender identity. Many states make it difficult for trans people to have their proper gender markers displayed on drivers' licenses. Trans people experience federal barriers to immigration. In many states the prison system still houses trans people in unsafe conditions specific to their birth-assigned sex, or in solitary confinement. Profiling by law enforcement is common in urban areas, especially in the case of trans women of color, who are often arrested because of suspected sex work. Bullying in schools based on perceptions of gender identity is a serious problem. According to the 2011 report "Injustice at Every Turn," attempted suicides occur at a rate of 41 percent in the trans community, and nearly 50 percent of trans individuals suffer from depression. Among the trans population, unemployment, poverty, and homelessness occur at rates above the national average.
The Night of a Thousand Genders
'Girls Toys' and 'Boys Toys' read the two signs hanging above separate display cases at my local Duane Reade store during Christmas last year -- the former displaying rows of pink and purple ponies and dolls, the latter filled with blue and green action figures and racing cars. Standing there, two questions immediately came to mind:
'Why do we need to be told which toys are appropriate for girls and boys?' and 'Why are toys even categorized according to a child's gender?' But, there was still a more crucial question that even I, a life-long feminist, did not think to ask: "Are there really only two genders?"
This question was answered with a resounding 'No' by dozens of parents and children who attended last month's 'A Night of a Thousand Genders', an annual event hosted by the Ackerman Institute's Gender and Family Project dedicated to supporting children and adolescents who do not fit into the typical male/female categories.
"You can't underestimate what it means to have the freedom to be who you are," said Cynthia Nixon, host of the event. "It's also crucial that all individuals feels safe in their authenticity." For far too many transgender people, however, their safety is often compromised. One parent recalled that when she first learned her son was transgender, she immediately went to her computer and typed the word 'transgender' into an internet search. "The first things that came up were the high suicide rates among transgender people," she continued. "I was horrified."
And she had every right to be. The prevalence of suicide attempts by transgender people is staggering. Respondents to a recent National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that 41 percent of transgender individuals have attempted suicide, compared to the national average of only 4.6 percent. This dramatic difference is mostly due to two things: The family chooses not to speak or spend time with their transgender relative (a 57 percent elevated risk), and the transgender person experiences discrimination, victimization or violence at school, at work, or when accessing health care (a 50 percent -- 70 percent elevated risk).
The Gender and Family Project was therefore created to provide the acceptance transgender people urgently need because, as Jean Malpas, the Program's Director says, "Acceptance provides protection. By empowering families of gender nonconforming and transgender children and adolescents through affirmative clinical services and professional training and community building, these families have been able to create a safe space of intentional support," Malpas continues. "We have a commitment to collaborate around safe spaces for families to find each other, and to support one another."
And the Project's success was echoed throughout the audience, particularly by the family of Jazz Jennings, who understands the importance of loving their child unconditionally. Honored with The Gender and Family Project's 2015 Family Award, Jazz's mother recalled, 'When our youngest child Jazz was born, we were honored to welcome another son into our family. Little did we know that Jazz would blossom into our beautiful daughter," she continued. "As parents we believe it is our children's birthright to receive unconditional love from their family." It therefore comes as no surprise that Jazz, at only 14 years of age, has already become the honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation, an organization committed to the premise that Gender Dysphoria is something a child can't control and it is society that needs to change, not them. She is also the co-author of the children's book, I Am Jazz.
But the need to feel safe doesn't stop at home. Since children spend a significant portion of their childhood at school, it is crucial that this environment be supportive as well. That is why the Gender and Family Project selected the Central Park East II Elementary School to be the recipient of its 2015 Community Award. A small but progressive public school in New York City, it has created a safe space for all of its students by valuing its diverse population regardless of race, class, gender or orientation. "Children must develop a deeper understanding of their peers," said Naomi Smith, School Principal, upon accepting the award. "We look forward to the day when all schools honor all students for who they are."
Fortunately, the Gender and Family Project is on a mission to help make that happen.
In only the past two years the Program has serviced over 100 families and trained more than 500 professionals, while also providing family-centered services including support groups for parents, play groups for children and their siblings, and even Spanish-speaking support groups. Further, the project helps the community-at-large by providing gender-inclusive training for schools and health professionals, while additionally serving as a liaison for medical and legal referrals.
"When people transition, everything in their lives has to transition with them," Malpas says. "We are here to make that as smooth as possible, while making sure they know, throughout the process, that they are not alone."
Is Transgender a Mental Disorder?
(CNSNews.com) -- Dr. Paul R. McHugh, the former psychiatrist-in-chief for Johns Hopkins Hospital and its current Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry, said that transgenderism is a “mental disorder” that merits treatment, that sex change is “biologically impossible,” and that people who promote sexual reassignment surgery are collaborating with and promoting a mental disorder.
Dr. McHugh, the author of six books and at least 125 peer-reviewed medical articles, made his remarks in a recent commentary in the Wall Street Journal, where he explained that transgender surgery is not the solution for people who suffer a “disorder of ‘assumption’” – the notion that their maleness or femaleness is different than what nature assigned to them biologically.
He also reported on a new study showing that the suicide rate among transgendered people who had reassignment surgery is 20 times higher than the suicide rate among non-transgender people. Dr. McHugh further noted studies from Vanderbilt University and London’s Portman Clinic of children who had expressed transgender feelings but for whom, over time, 70%-80% “spontaneously lost those feelings.”
While the Obama administration, Hollywood, and major media such as Time magazine promote transgenderism as normal, said Dr. McHugh, these “policy makers and the media are doing no favors either to the public or the transgendered by treating their confusions as a right in need of defending rather than as a mental disorder that deserves understanding, treatment and prevention.”
About
About:
Hi I'm Dante Willis Romano,
and this is my blog. My goal is to help inform and educate my readers on the
topic of transgendered individuals. Sexuality has always been a taboo concept
especially throughout the twentieth century. Because of how closed minded
people have been on the topic of sexual preference and gender identification
there are very few recorded LGBTQ members of society especially through the
nineteenth century. One man who stuck out of the crowd was Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-1895), a man who
openly discussed the idea of non binary relationships along with self
identification.
"Our character, the manner in which we feel, our entire
temperament is not masculine, it is feminine. We only act male. We play the
male just as an actress plays a man on stage. . . . It is impossible for us to
transform our female instinct into a male instinct."
-- Karl Heinrich
Ulrichs (1864)
Heinrich was a breakthrough in the acceptance of the LGBTQ
community and from his open perspective things only got better. Slowly but
surely laws have been uplifted and people have been more free to live their
lives as they see fit. Though many places still prevent total acceptance.
Anyone who considers themselves transgender will not be able to find a position
in the American military, and many states such as Mississippi are still
creating anti LGBTQ laws.
This blog will be used to examine and review representation of
transgendered individuals as expressed by the media.
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