[ Poll ] Transgender Issues- not just "men in dresses"

[Shaft]

This post was made with FtMs and Female-bodies androgynes in mind, but drag kings, cosplayers, and anyone else who's used a chest binder are also welcome to submit reviews.

So, it appears that ED is suffering from a few misconceptions about gender identity and trans issues. Some people see transpeople as "men in dresses", some people think that it's a choice, and a few have even managed to confuse transsexuality with homosexuality- although I'm not quite sure how.

Terminology
All terminology from Hudson's FTM resource guide (ftmguide.com) unless otherwise noted.



Gender Identity: A person's internal self-awareness of being either male or female, masculine or feminine, or something in-between.


Sex:Sum of features by which a member of a plant or animal species can be placed into one of two complementary reproductive groups, male or female. (From the Encyclopedia Britannica, Accessed through Answers.com)


Sexual Orientation: Sexual orientation can be defined in a couple of ways:
-A term used to refer to a person's emotional, romantic and sexual attraction to individuals of a particular gender (male or female) (from WebMD)
- A term referring to the sex(es) one is sexually attracted to.
The latter term is preferred by many people, as romantic or emotional attractions can occur without sexual attraction, and for a heterosexual or homosexual, can form with a person of the sex they are not sexually attracted to. [Paraphrase from Soc 101 lecture notes]


Transgender: Broadly speaking, transgender people are individuals whose gender expression and/or gender identity differs from conventional expectations based on the physical sex they were born into. The word transgender is an umbrella term which is often used to describe a wide range of identities and experiences, including: FTMs, MTFs, cross-dressers, drag queens, drag kings, gender queers, and many more. Because transgender is an umbrella term, it is often thought to be an imprecise term that does not adequately describe the particulars of specific identities and experiences. (For example, the identity/experience of a post-operative FTM transsexual will probably be very different from that of a female-identified drag king who performs on weekends, but both are often lumped together under the term "transgender." wink


Transsexual: An individual whose gender identity does not match the sex that was assigned to them at birth. Usually, transsexual people will seek hormonal and/or surgical treatment in order to bring their body into alignment with their gender identity. See also "gender identity" and "female-to-male transsexual."


FtM: A female-to-male transsexual.


MtF: A male-to-female transsexual.


Gender Identity Disorder (GID):A condition identified by psychologists and medical doctors wherein a person who has been assigned one gender at birth identifies as belonging to another gender.


Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS): Commonly termed a "sex change operation." This term is somewhat of a misnomer, because it implies there is one surgical procedure for successful transition into presenting or living as male. For FTMs, there are several surgical procedures available, including chest reconstruction surgery, hysterectomy/oophorectomy, and different types of genital reconstruction surgery (GRS). Many FTMs undergo chest surgery, but not GRS. Many have chest surgery and a hysterectomy, but not GRS. Some have all three procedures (which may total more than three surgeries, as GRS can often involve several surgical procedures). Still others may not be able to afford any surgery at all, yet live very successfully as men in society through ongoing testosterone treatment.

The requirements for "changing sex" under the law (i.e., changing one's legally recognized sex) vary from state to state, and often depend on the amount and type of surgery or hormone therapy one has had. A few states will not allow for a change in legal sex no matter how much surgery of treatment one has had. Thus, the idea that there is one, clear-cut surgical solution for "changing sex" is a bit misleading. See also "chest surgery," "genital reconstruction surgery (GRS)," "hysterectomy," and "oophorectomy."


Genderqueer: A gender-variant person whose gender identity is neither male nor female, is between or beyond genders, or is some combination of genders.


Neutrois: "someone who identifies as being non-gendered and seeks to lose the major physical signifiers that indicate gender to others (breasts, facial and body hair, crotch bulges, etc). Neutrois are not androgynes, but do pursue an androgynous appearance. They are uniquely bound by their gender dysphoria in that they find both male and female orientations wrong. Because of this, transitioning from an assigned gender, to either male, or female identities is not an acceptable solution." [source] (Thank you, Harlequin Horrors, for the link!)


Transphobia: Transphobia is the negative valuing, stereotyping and discriminatory treatment of individuals who do not conform in appearance and/or identity, to conventional conceptions of gender. Trans-identified (transgendered) individuals, lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and their supporters are typically the targets of transphobia. (From Queen's University Harrassment/Discrimination policy)


Real Life Test (RLT): A period of time in which a transsexual person is required to live full time in the role of the sex they identify with (i.e., a transsexual person born female would be living full time as a male) before the medical community will begin the medical gender reassignment process. The RLT is required under the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care, but other Standards of Care do not require a RLT or may use discretion in determining the length of a RLT. Individual mental health and medical professionals may also use discretion when determining if a RLT is necessary for a given individual. See also "Harry Benjamin Standards of Care" and "Standards of Care." [note: this is occasionally referred to as cross-living]


Passing: In an FTM context, being seen or read as male by others (e.g., "On the street, Alex was successfully passing as a man" Some FTMs object to the term "passing," as it implies that one is being mistaken for something he is not.

What causes Gender Identity Disorder?


"Current Information on Profound Gender Identity Disorder"
In 2000 Dutch research confirmed previous (19951) anatomic findings that profound GID or transsexuality is directly linked to anomalous (sex-inverted) gender dimorphism of the BSTc brain area, and clarified that BSTc gender-inversion is not caused by cross-hormone treatment.2 These findings support a medical model of transsexuality as an 'obscured' congenital intersex condition, in which the genitalia are spared prenatally but the brain is not.3
[Source]

Now, what exactly does that mean? To put it simply, brain structure seems to play a role in gender identity, and this study suggests that gender identity disorder occurs when the BSTc area of the brain forms atypically.

How is Gender Identity Disorder treated?

Gender identity is considered immutable by medical professionals, and therefore Gender Identity Disorder is generally "treated" by cross-living, and usually by altering the body to match the gender of the person in question. This is done by introducing hormones, and possibly through a series of cosmetic surgeries to form the body to that of the opposite sex, depending on the circumstances of the transperson.

Now is a good place to note that many people disagree with the classification of atypical gender identities as a disorder. Personally, I believe anything which makes my life as hellish as it is should be considered a disorder, but that's just me.

What Is Involved with Transitioning?

Transitioning is a long involved process, which is not undertaken lightly.

Steps to transition:



See therapist, get diagnosed with GID

Get a prescription for hormones from a physician

Begin basic physical alterations- growing out or cutting hair, electrolysis, binding, stuffing, tucking...

Begin Real Life Test- in many places, this lasts for at least a year, although some areas require even longer.

More therapy- Reputable surgeons will not preform SRS without a therapist's go-ahead. (See the Standards of Care for GID)

SRS and other cosmetic surgeries- including breast augmentations or masectomies, trachial shaves, etc.