Gender Identity And The Transgender Orientation

There has been an increasing number of cases in the United States involving transgender children going through gender social transition. Transgender people are individuals who have a gender identity that does not correspond with their sex at birth (Olson, Durwood, DeMeules, & McLaughlin, 2016), and these individuals may undergo several forms of transition. Gender social transition can be defined as the situation in which individuals make changes in their social life by expressing themselves and live according to the gender that they identify with, instead of their sex at birth. These life changes may include using a different name, using different pronouns, changing physical appearances on the surface level (e.g., clothing, hairstyle), and even using a bathroom that aligns with the person’s identity. However, these changes do not include any medical or hormonal intervention. Thus, making it purely social intervention. This phenomenon also appears amongst children, which raised debates among the people, including the scientific community. Existing psychological literature have studied children who experience gender dysphoria (GD), defined as a sense of discomfort that resulted from from incongruence between gender identity and assigned sex (Steensma, 2013). The term was historically known as gender identity disorder (GID). The psychology community have explored the topic on whether or not parents should allow their children to go through gender social transition, and the

In society, social categories are based on “real or assumed physical, biological, or genetic differences” (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey, 2013, p. 12) to create privilege, a desired cultural currency, for particular groups (Taylor, 2013). Hence, gender and sexual orientation are two of these social categories (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey, 2013), and transgender people, “whose gender expression, gender identity, and/or sex identity does not match the expectations of the dominant norm of society” (Catalano, McCarthy, & Shlasko, 2007, p. 219), are placed in the subordinate groups of these social categories (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey, 2013). Hence, the subordination of transgender people is based on the misguided premise of the sex/gender binary, which states there are only

Despite the transgender population’s small size, more people identify as transgender now than in any previously recorded time period. This is largely due to social movements that aim to improve upon and normalize LGBT experiences. As it becomes more common to think outside of traditional gender roles and the Western gender binary, more individuals discover that they do not psychologically conform to the genders they are assigned at birth and instead seek to make social and physical transitions that better align with their chosen gender identity. For many, the decision to transition is partly due to gender dysphoria, a feeling of unease in one’s body because it does not match their gender identity. This discomfort can be severe enough to cause

The word “transgender” is a broad term inclusive of many subgroups. Currently there is no single universal definition. For the purposes of this paper, transgender is defined as an individual whose gender expression is different from their birth sex. Sex, for the purposes of this discussion, is defined as the physical anatomy that currently defines male and female. Gender identity refers to the individual’s internal sense of being male, female, both, or neither. Transgender individuals feel discomfort between what the gender they identify internally with and their outward physical sex characteristics. Gender expression refers to how an individual presents themselves to society. Sexual orientation the physical or emotional attraction towards another person, whether male or female. This is different than gender identity. Transgender individuals may be attracted to persons of the same sex or opposite sex. This paper will address specifically the transition of those individuals born anatomically male but identify their gender identity as female. Male-to-female transgender individuals are often referred to as MTF individuals.

Transgendered often has feelings as though they are living inside a body that is wrong. They also appeared to be confused not knowing what to do, or who to talk to about their confusion. This theory will be a perfect opportunity for me to ask the client “what are your feelings about your sexuality”. At this point it will allow him to opened up and discuss his concerns for his feelings. I will then have him to give me a background of his family history and his childhood life. After he has opened up and I have given him my undivided attention, then I will acknowledge that we are all different in our own way, that is what makes us so

Because gender expression starts at such a young age, many people in society have expressed concern that children are too young to understand what they mean and are convinced that people become transgender due to nurture rather than nature. On the contrary, as seen in the case of Brandon and many others, that concern could not be proven more false. As Sherer et al.’s article brings out, “children are aware of their gender identity generally by age 2 years or younger” (2). These children are very young and are, more than likely, not exposed much to transgender people, or, even more so, know what it is and whether it should be “acceptable” or “unacceptable.” This is best illustrated in a conversation between Brandon and another kid who came up to him at a

Sexuality can be primarily defined as an individual’s “capacity for sexual feelings” (OpenStax College, 2012. Pp. 270). On the other hand identity, in this case, gender identity is “a person’s self-conception of being either male or female based on his or her association with the feminine of masculine gender roles” (OpenStax College, 2012. Pp. 262). People may be discriminated and be victimised based on their perceptions of sexuality and identity, especially if they fail to conform to the societal norms and expectations (Beemyn, 2012).

Johanna Olson in the video Living a Transgender Childhood, in order to diagnose a child with Gender Dysphoria, they must be persistent, consistent, and insistent. Olson names this concept as the profiles of children that have very solid gender identities. As early as 2 years old, the signs and symptoms of having Gender Dysphoria may begin to become more relevant. Dr. Olson states that some of the signs and symptoms in children may include: constantly saying they are the opposite sex, playing with toys that aren’t typical for their gender, rejecting clothes and games relating to their gender, believing they will grow up to be the opposite sex, and saying they want to get rid of their genitals. As the children grow older in their teen years, the symptoms can become far worse. Teenagers may become even more certain that their gender is not true to their body, be disgusted with their genitals, and want their removal. At this time, teenagers at the age of 16 may seek medical attention to help them transition to the opposite sex. Adults will typically have the same symptoms as teens but moreso they will feel more depressed and isolated, as well as dressing as the opposite gender. Left untreated, children and adults with Gender Dysphoria may decide to take matters into their own hands and become

Often times you go through life, being confused about what to wear, what to eat, or what you just learned in class. However, many people are constantly categorized to be confused about what their whole life and purpose is, because they cannot be placed in one of the two socially accepted gender categories- male or female. This idea or “disorder”(Medical Dictionary) is commonly known as being transgender. I do not think that there are only two categories for gender; I believe that there are people who are not considered to be only male or female, but both. Due to different religions, influences, social structures, and expectations, people can be put into hiding and therefore never establish a distinct and accepted place in society. In the ongoing controversy, I believe society continues to make the transgender community and essentially any other difference in humanity an uncomfortable subject, which is easily converted to the individual being confused about their social identity or gender.

In today’s society, there are girls who play sports and boys who decide to dance. Children are no longer growing up in the same world their parents did, where gender roles were clearly divided. But even in today’s society, there are times when classifying as boy or girl makes a difference in how children experience the world (What’s Your…). Gender could be considered a sliding scale, with a wide variety of options that cover beyond just male and female. Some transgender individuals prefer the word non-binary, because it represents all levels of this scale. Other terms like genderqueer or gender nonconforming, also represent a mix of male and female, or the sense of having no gender at all (Vorenberg). People typically think about transgender as meaning gender reversal, where someone identifies as the opposite sex from their birth sex. But transgender is an umbrella term used to cover a wide variety of people whose gender identity is different from the one they were assigned at birth. One of the first Americans to fight in the courts for recognition as non-binary is Jamie Shupe. Shupe made history after a ruling made them the first

Transgender individuals will be people whose sex characters don 't relate to their organic sex, and along these lines they contrast from the generalization of how men and ladies ordinarily are. "Transgender" does exclude sexual introduction or physical sex attributes, but rather is in truth a less clinical term which relates to sex character and sex expression. Hence transgender individuals incorporate those individuals whose personality and conduct don 't stick to the cliché sexual orientation standards. They might be gay, transsexual, transvestite, or sex eccentric. Since the get-go and the presence of humanity, transgender have been particularly a piece of the general public. It is quite recently that they have been given a

Transgender individuals are finding that their changes in lifestyle are slowly becoming accepted in the communities that they live in, but there are still progressive problems that they must face. When people who are considering becoming transgender, they describe the process as realizing that they are supposed to be a different gender, however, their body does not represent that. Most of the time their changing process will result in changing their temporary appearance to appear more as the opposite gender. Their identity that most seem themselves as is changed and represents the person they want to be; their occupations, clothing, and attitude are the first major items that people will change about themselves in order to be looked at differently in their society. Nevertheless, it is not always easy to change your appearance and gender in the community you currently live in. Sometimes transgender people will realize that their community is not as accepting and will need to move to another town in order to start a new lifestyle. The people that they might still talk to from their community will only be those who are close to them or are relatives. Even with moving to a different community or staying with their own, it becomes a difficult process to know whether or not to reveal their sexual orientation and true gender transformation. The most common fear that transgender individuals face is wondering if others will use their orientation against them. This fear is rational

Until recently, the term ‘transsexual’ was utilized interchangeably with the term ‘transgender’ in order to describe any person who altered their appearance in order to ease their gender dysphoria, this despite the different connotation between the two terms. It was not until recently that the term ‘transsexual’ became discontinued due to its pathologizing implications and that the term ‘transgender’ (often shortened to ‘trans’) became an umbrella term to describe different groups whose gender identity, regardless of embodiment, is not necessarily aligned with the sex assigned to them at birth. The evolution of both of those terms is an example of the growing social understanding of as not emerging from biology, but rather from social expectations that put a gender on behaviors. This process is what labels certain set of behaviors as “masculine” and another set of behaviors as “feminine”. Through the process of creating categories, assigning specific behaviors and embodiments to those categories and then policing individuals based on how well they fit into those categories based on how they present themselves, society creates the definitions of “masculinity” and “femininity” and determines what each of them entails.

In todays society there has been an increase of individuals who identify as transgender, but for most people are still unsure how to accurately define these individuals, and find their place in society. Transgender individuals have the body of one gender, but believe themselves to be of the other gender. The sociological definition of sex is defined as a biological categorization based on reproductive organs, while gender is defined as a social classification based on ones identity, sexual behavior, and interaction with others. Transgender bodies disrupt this linear relationship between an individual’s biological sex and the gender they chose to identify with. The American Psychological Association defines “Transgender” as an “umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression, or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth.” The transition of a transgender individual does not happen over night “ most people hear the word transition and think its… its more like trans-ness can be a representative of a s constant state of becoming, of growing, and unfolding” (Dove-Viebahn, Soloway, 2015). Although in our society we are fighting towards equality of all individuals, a conservative feminist would view the issue of transgender disrupting the linear relationship between biology and gender identify by not wanting individuals going from a woman to a man, due to the fact that its giving men more power. They would also believe that an changing genders to a man shows that an individual who is not happy in a woman’s body is trying to change something to become better, seeing better qualities in a man if one wishes to change their gender to that of a man. Although there are still alternative views on individuals who are transgender, transgender bodies have begun a movement of showing how the human body is not only biological, but also rather sites of identity, self- expression, and performance. This allows individuals to be able to express themselves in ways possible that are not binary to ones biology. Imagine a society where there were no gender roles and stereotypes, in a society that allowed individuals to be who they are without being

Society advances and adjusts on a daily basis. As people broaden their social imagination, they are able to open themselves up to new ways of society. However, there also lies the possibility that someone may be exposed to something which can result in a negative outlook on that subject of matter. Although it is ideal for the response to such a change in the way we observe social facts, being exposed to change is important in that everyone is left with a broadened perspective. It is hard to prove whether the population of transgenders in history has increased over time since the term is so contemporary, but it is fair to say that once the term “transgender” was coined in the 1960’s some have had a hard time accepting the idea. The fact that Transgender individuals exist indicates that they are a social construction; However, this concept is often taken for granted.