Transexual/Transgender rights

^ It seems like everyone has a different definition of "transsexual", but I have found that of the two, "transgender" is always the umbrella term, and "transsexual" always means something more specific. But I think that flyer's definition of "transsexual" is way too narrow -- what about people who want SRS, but can't get it*, or haven't had it yet, or people who were assigned to the wrong gender at birth who don't want or need SRS?

*SRS and hormone therapy and all that are usually not covered by health insurance in the US, because they're considered cosmetic, so trans people who need them have to pay for them out of pocket, which can be very difficult indeed when you're barely able to feed, clothe and shelter yourself -- coming out as trans, saying you want to transition, can result in losing your job, the support of your friends and family, access to all sorts of public aid, etc.

Here's Monster's Creed's definition of transgender, for an example:

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Transgender - I sort of have three different definitions here:
1)An umbrella term for all non-cissexual and/or gender variant and/or some crossdressing folks. 2) A political coalition of those groups.
3) An identity; the exact definition is generally unique to each person, but generally transgender folks don't define themselves as only men or women though they may define themselves mostly as men or women.

And I think the flyer is right, "transsexual" is a bit outdated, but you've got to work with the terminology your audience uses to some extent.

Ultimately, though, the important thing is to let people self-identify. If someone says they identify as a woman and would like to be referred to as such, we need to respect that, and if someone says they identify as transsexual, transgender, just plain old trans, or whatever, we need to respect that too.

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Also, forgive me for not having any specifics at the moment, what do you think of transgenders/transexuals being forced to say they have a "disease" to obtain the chemicals they need to get breasts, etc?

Sorry but I'm not sure exactly what you mean by disease. Are you referring to gender identity disorder? Because as a transgendered person I do believe that I have a disorder and that there is something wrong with me. However most people would class this as a mental disorder - because I am a girl with the mind of a boy, but I see it as a physical one - because I'm a boy with the body of a girl. The only known 'cure' for this disorder is to match the sex with the gender. The mind cannot be changed which is why we must alter the body.

I'm sure many other transgendered people fell differently, however.

vaginasaurus:

^ It seems like everyone has a different definition of "transsexual", but I have found that of the two, "transgender" is always the umbrella term, and "transsexual" always means something more specific. But I think that flyer's definition of "transsexual" is way too narrow -- what about people who want SRS, but can't get it*, or haven't had it yet, or people who were assigned to the wrong gender at birth who don't want or need SRS?

*SRS and hormone therapy and all that are usually not covered by health insurance in the US, because they're considered cosmetic, so trans people who need them have to pay for them out of pocket, which can be very difficult indeed when you're barely able to feed, clothe and shelter yourself -- coming out as trans, saying you want to transition, can result in losing your job, the support of your friends and family, access to all sorts of public aid, etc.

Here's Monster's Creed's definition of transgender, for an example:

Quote

Transgender - I sort of have three different definitions here:
1)An umbrella term for all non-cissexual and/or gender variant and/or some crossdressing folks. 2) A political coalition of those groups.
3) An identity; the exact definition is generally unique to each person, but generally transgender folks don't define themselves as only men or women though they may define themselves mostly as men or women.

And I think the flyer is right, "transsexual" is a bit outdated, but you've got to work with the terminology your audience uses to some extent.

Ultimately, though, the important thing is to let people self-identify. If someone says they identify as a woman and would like to be referred to as such, we need to respect that, and if someone says they identify as transsexual, transgender, just plain old trans, or whatever, we need to respect that too.

Thanks for clearing that up a bit.
And I definitely think it's unfair to catergorise a sex change as cosmetic - it's hardly the same as getting lipo or breast implants.

We have a transgender person at uni, she was born a man.

Too be honest if gays cannot get the same rights as other then there is no hope for transgenders.

^ *cough* Iran *cough*

Everyone deserves rights. It just depends if they are equal or not.

I think everybody should have the same rights as everyone else. Who cares what you are or who you are. I think the discrimination against people who are 'different' just shows how petty minded America is. It blows, majorly.

I really don't get why guys want to be girls and girls want to be guys...

Mrs. Forge Weasley:

I really don't get why guys want to be girls and girls want to be guys...

It's the matter of being "born in the wrong body". Some males may identify more comfortably as a female and may feel like a female trapped in a man's body. And visa versa; some women may feel more comfortable identifying as male and may feel like a male trapped in a woman's body.

^
Yeah, it's not really a case of wanting to be the opposite gender. It's more a case of being the opposite gender, but with the wrong physical attributes.

I think that transgenders should legally have a "disease"
But not for the reason you think.
My reason is that if transgender son't have a "disease" legally, insurance companies will file sex changes as "cosmetic" procedures, and not cover their insurance.
But still, I have no problem with a person wanting to or actually changing their gender.

Ptakata:

I think that transgenders should legally have a "disease"
But not for the reason you think.
My reason is that if transgender son't have a "disease" legally, insurance companies will file sex changes as "cosmetic" procedures, and not cover their insurance.
But still, I have no problem with a person wanting to or actually changing their gender.

I get what you're saying, but I think that wouldn't do anything to eradicate discrimination against people who are transgender.

Ptakata:

I think that transgenders should legally have a "disease"
But not for the reason you think.
My reason is that if transgender son't have a "disease" legally, insurance companies will file sex changes as "cosmetic" procedures, and not cover their insurance.
But still, I have no problem with a person wanting to or actually changing their gender.

It's referred to as Gender Identity Disorder. I don't agree with it, but there is a "mental disorder" for it. I think there's one other as well. In the US, to get gender reassignment surgery you have to have a letter for a psychiatrist stating you have one of the two.

While this does also apply to gay rights, the stink is being made over gender identity moreso than gay rights so I'll post it here.

This article discusses everything in detail. I'm lifting some quotes directly from there.

One of the far right's top priorities is opposing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a bill that "would provide basic protections against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

They created this image:


And released this statement:

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President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are quietly rushing through legislation (H.R. 3017 & S. 1584) that would actually bring cross-dressing teachers into your child's classroom. Under the so-called, Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), your children will be trapped in classes taught by drag queens and transgender activists. Students will be indoctrinated that "alternative lifestyles" are no different than traditional lifestyles. Young children will be forced to learn about bizarre sexual fetishes - and you will have no say in the matter. It is already happening in some states and concerned parents can't do a thing about it - until now.

What do you think of this?

Personally, I find it incredibly prejudice, but also just incredibly stupid.

To begin with, who cares? I mean, if they're qualified to teach who really gives a shit? We have a teaching shortage in this country.

Also, priests were robes that look an awful lot like dresses. Double standard much?

Also, who teaches bizarre sexual fetishes to a class full of children? Shouldn't we be more worried about the fact that heterosexual men are more likely to molest your children? Which is worse? Being molested or being taught by a transsexual?

^ *incoherent rage*

Drag queens are not trans women. Simply being trans doesn't make you an activist, either. And apparently the existence of trans people constitutes a "bizarre sexual fetish"?

...I think I have to go throw up now. Fuck the Christian right with something hard and sandpapery.

dru was always alice:

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Lmao only in America.

vaginasaurus:

Drag queens are not trans women. Simply being trans doesn't make you an activist, either. And apparently the existence of trans people constitutes a "bizarre sexual fetish"?

I think it was more an implication that someone with an alternative gender identity to the majority would obviously engage in incredibly fucked up activity. They want to scare people into believing that trans people will end up severely screwing up their children sexually.

It's bullshit, of course.

If I had kids, I wouldn't mind them being taught by a man in a dress. If indeed he was a man in a dress (because his clothes would totally affect his ability to teach?) and that wasn't just a lame way to diminish some woman's legitimate right to her own gender identity.

Actually, this is kind of unrelated, but it really pissed me off. The BBC have been running a documentary series about Eddie Izzard, who ran 43 marathons around the whole of Britain last summer for charity. It's a really great series, but one thing that properly got on my wick was the fact that on the iPlayer blurb, they referred to him as 'an actor, comedian and part-time transvestite. I was like, woah, just because he didn't run the length of Britain in high heels, does that make him less of a transvestite? One does not simply have a part-time gender identity.

elizabeth gaskell:

If I had kids, I wouldn't mind them being taught by a man in a dress. If indeed he was a man in a dress (because his clothes would totally affect his ability to teach?) and that wasn't just a lame way to diminish some woman's legitimate right to her own gender identity.

Actually, this is kind of unrelated, but it really pissed me off. The BBC have been running a documentary series about Eddie Izzard, who ran 43 marathons around the whole of Britain last summer for charity. It's a really great series, but one thing that properly got on my wick was the fact that on the iPlayer blurb, they referred to him as 'an actor, comedian and part-time transvestite. I was like, woah, just because he didn't run the length of Britain in high heels, does that make him less of a transvestite? One does not simply have a part-time gender identity.

I just watched that on iPlayer and I agree wholeheartedly!

One thing I was wondering was, I had always thought Eddie Izzard was a transvestite, but in the Simon Amstell iTunes thing, he described himself as "a transgender person".

I just love how if you search of "transvestite" on Wikipedia, the first thing you see is a big picture of Eddie

Bloodraine:

I just watched that on iPlayer and I agree wholeheartedly!

One thing I was wondering was, I had always thought Eddie Izzard was a transvestite, but in the Simon Amstell iTunes thing, he described himself as "a transgender person".

I just love how if you search of "transvestite" on Wikipedia, the first thing you see is a big picture of Eddie

...Simon Amstell iTunes thing?! I don't know what this is, but I must have it

--

I think the thing with Eddie is that he's always described himself as a transvestite and emphasised that how even when he dresses in 'boy mode' (like on the latest tour) he's still always a transvestite, that's just who he is. He even mentioned in the first episode that he was an action transvestite and this is why he was running all those marathons. I had always thought of transvestism as another facet of transgendered identity, I don't know whether this is right or not but Eddie seems to be saying the same thing.