The Pros And Cons Of Transnormativity

With the establishment of these gender identity clinics, and the financial backing of philanthropist Reed Erickson, a transsexual man, the health care needs of transsexual people gained increased attention and support. Despite this new attention, the clinics used Benjamin’s model of “true” transsexuals. This differentiation between “true” transsexuals and other gender variants became a serious and highly important diagnostic decision as gender affirming surgeries were irreversible. This resulted in many transsexual individuals to be denied access to hormones and surgery. Specifically, transsexual men encountered difficulties, as transsexuality was primarily seen as a male-to-female only transition. In fact, during the late 1960s the United States leading UCLA Gender Identity Research Clinic debated whether trans men should be considered transsexuals. Many trans men themselves did not label themselves as transsexuals as they only knew about other transsexual women (Meyerowitz, 2002; Beemyn, 2014).

Of the study’s 25 participants, 20 were female-to-male. The authors determined the main problem for the participants was the struggle to find transgender-sensitive health care. The subjects described discrimination by healthcare systems, lack of knowledge and hostility by providers, and lack of health insurance to cover transgender-specific healthcare needs. Some of the FtM participants who had problems with pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, and a history of abnormal Pap tests kept their gender as female on their insurance so they could still get the care they needed. Using a national cross-sectional survey data set, Shires and Jaffee (2015) reported similar findings. Of the 1,711 FtM participants included in this study, 41.8 percent reported verbal harassment, physical assault, or denial of equal treatment in a doctor’s office or

Everyone is given a gender the moment they are born. At birth they are either one of two genders: masculine or feminine. This gender everyone is assigned affects many of our day to day actions and our looks. However some people may evolve differently as they grow up and may not fit the rigid boundaries set for the sex they were assigned at birth. In recent years there has been a boom in a third considered gender: the transgender population. However with the boom comes the argument of to what extent should transgender people be protected by the government. Throughout the existence of transgender people, the rights of transgenders have been

Kidd and Witten define the term transgender vaguely, stating it “describe[s] people who transcend the conventional boundaries of gender, irrespective of physical status or sexual orientation” (Kidd & Witten, 2007, p. 36). This term is a reference for the ‘other gender’ that is not particularly male or female. Currently, within the American society, there is a growing awareness of individuals who are transgender. Much of this awareness comes from LGBT movements and

People with gender Identity crises do not feel their genitalia reflects who they are inside. They may feel a powerful drive to have their genitalia match their self-image opting for sex reassignment surgery. Gender expression is far more relaxed than it has been throughout our history in America, but it still poses a problems for some on a daily basis. Gender expression is one area where women have a social advantage over men. It is far more socially acceptable for a woman to dress masculine than for a man to dress feminine; although neither are without predigests.

Discussion of issues related to non-normative sexual and gender identities as related to mental health began in the 19th century (Drescher, 2010). Initially medical and psychiatric providers viewed issues related to gender identity as resulting from delusional thought processes (Drescher, 2010). As a result the concept of surgery as a solution to gender identity differences was viewed as unnecessary and ultimately an incorrect form of treatment (Drescher, 2010). In 1952 the first gender reassignment surgery was performed in Denmark on an American citizen (Drescher, 2010). The publicity in the American media that followed this surgery brought the concept of gender identity to the public eye. During the 1960s research about gender identity started to develop and it was the work of Money, Stoller, Benjamin, and Green that ultimately change professional and public concept of Gender Identity (Drescher, 2010). These four individuals were among the first to conduct clinical and academic research on gender identity and gender roles (Drescher, 2010). As a result of their research beliefs about non-normative gender identity shifted from a problem of the mind to a biological disorder that was fixed and should be treated with

The most obvious example is the differentiation of “transsexual” and “transgender.” In the article, “transsexual” is used to refer to someone who has specifically had treatment to physically change their body to match their gender identity; “transgender” is someone whose gender identity does not match the gender they were assigned at birth, regardless of whether they have made physical gender-related changes to their body (155). Today, the term “transsexual” is almost obsolete. Interestingly, however, Halberstam briefly presents conflict between “transsexuals” and “transgenders” that is mirrored somewhat today in informal conflicts between “truscum” and “transtrenders/tucutes” (154-155). In today’s transgender communities, people called “truscum” (generally by other people) feel that people they call “transtrenders” or “tucutes” are not truly transgender; they feel these people are merely pretending to be transgender for the sake of attention. On the other hand, those called “transtrenders” or “tucutes” (generally by other people) feel attacked and policed by “truscum” and insist that they are transgender regardless of whether they meet the standards set by truscum. Halberstam cites some identity politics (154-155) that are reminiscent of this, which suggests that even as terms change, identity policing remains a consistent issue in transgender

The author of this article, Brynn Tannehill, very clearly supports the transgender movement. In repeated statements, Tannehill speaks of injustice toward those who are suffering from gender dysphoria whose only effective treatment (gender transition) is being taken from them in the Family Research Council’s attempt to “legislate transgender people out of existence by making the legal, medical, and social climate too hostile for anyone to transition in” by proposing a five step plan (spelled out in the article).

To truly understand why there is even a fight over sex-reassignment surgery, one must first comprehend what the surgery is and why it is an option. Sex-reassignment surgery is the final step in a three-part treatment for gender dysphoria. Gender Dysphoria, previously known as Gender Identity Disorder (GID), is considered a mental disorder described as a severe disconnect between one’s biological sex and gender identity. Generally, mental disorders are treated with psychotherapy or medications but, when it comes to trans inmates, the genitals serve as a mental block that constantly reminds the trans person of their gender dysphoria; which brings on the need for SRS. In “Medical Transgressions in America’s Prisons: Defending Transgender Prisoners’ Access to Transition-Related Care”, Esinam Agbemenu states that the treatment for gender dysphoria comes in three parts. The first step is for transgender patients to participate in psychotherapy or psychiatric counseling, which allows the patient to express their distress and permit the medical professional to properly diagnose and create a proper treatment plan. In step two, the trans person must openly live as their identified gender

These studies were published in response to the growing visibility of individuals who cross dressed, gender disguised, or to use the twenty-first century umbrella term, transgender. As a result of these studies, professionals concluded that such individuals suffer from mental disorders. Reports like these were published into the twentieth century. While these studies were conducted and written by doctors who were not and did not identify as gender nonconformists. One of the first known transgender persons to publish during this time was the British doctor, Michael Dillon. His 1946 work, “Self: A Study in Ethics and Endocrinology,” defends transgender people identify as a gender that is different from the one assigned to them by doctors. Dillon has undergone female-to-male sex change surgery. He also argues against doctor’s claims that transgender people suffer from mental disorders. This book failed to reach a broad audience and as a consequence, the 1950s and 1960s also brought numerous studies about transgender individuals by doctors who continued the tradition of claiming transgender people are

“The Five Sexes Revisited” focused on the importance of therapy over surgery. Medical ethicist Laurence B. McCullough of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor Collefe of Medicine in Houston, Texas “contend[ed] that in the process of assigning gender, physicians should minimize what he calls irreversible assignments: taking steps such as the surgical removal

Stereotypes come and go, people's mindsets change, and what is considered to be “socially acceptable” often changes just as quickly. Due to such a constant stir, opposing opinions rise to the surface frequently so that all opinions can be expressed. As the type of mindset or people's idea of what is “acceptable” becomes more influential and widespread, people's opinions become stronger and more inflated. Most recently, the controversy surrounding transgender related arguments is likely to be front and center on many well known news reports or TV broadcasts. More specifically, it has been argued whether or not it should be deemed necessary to provide proper medical care for those wishing to have a trans gender operation. Although in my personal

For the topic of the argumentative essay assignment, I will be presenting my stance on transgenderism. As a result of all the controversy surrounding the transformation of Bruce Jenner to Kaitlyn Jenner, it is evident that the transgendered theme is one that is growing in the present day culture. With coming out of Bruce Jenner and a new reality TV series featuring a transgendered girl, I found myself very intrigued with subject. Therefore, there are several areas of transgenderism that I hope to explore during the assignment, which include: scientific research or proof that a person is born with the wrong gender, transgender law pertaining to if the transgendered are legally required to disclose their original assigned gender, and the psychiatric

Furthermore, Spade, like Stryker, does not hesitate to discuss the fact that modern civilization is sexually oppressive, requiring that all individuals "adhere to two narrowly defined gender categories" (Spade 32). Spade argues that individuals are "afforded or denied rights and privileges based on their membership in, and performance of" (Spade 32) their birth-assigned gender. Spade's research manifests how the norms instituted by the gender binary regulate hetero-normative culture and therefore polices who may undergo sex reassignment surgery and who may not. The medical field's preservation of the gender binary "forces [transgender individuals] to rigidly conform [themselves] to medical [professionals'] opinions" (Spade 28) regarding what is masculine and what is feminine, and often coerces transgender individuals "to produce narratives of struggle around those identities that mirror the diagnostic criteria" (Spade 28-29) of gender dysphoria. In the same way that queer individuals are discriminated against through the continued defense of the gender binary, transgender individuals are also discriminated against. To view sex reassignment surgery through the lens that it is only permitted through a diagnosis of a mental condition is to ignore gender expression that is not binary. By “[denying] access to medical procedures to those who fail to perform normative binary gender for their health care providers” (Spade 18), the natural right of transgender individuals to live a

Christine Overall and Cressida Heyes are two authors who argue whether transracial surgery is legitimate under the condition of that transsexual surgery is acceptable. Their arguments are opposing to each other. Overall insists that both surgeries should be acceptable while Heyes does not agree with Overall. They both agree with that race and sex-gender are socially constructed. Thus, Overall has no problem with the concept of identity changes—for both sex-gender and race—however, Heyes argues that they are not constructed in the same way.