Transexual/Transgender rights

elizabeth gaskell:

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

YOU MUST DOWNLOAD NOW.

It's well amazing - it's so cute, Simon gets all gushy in places, and it's really hilarious and just so....Eddie. It's kind of an interview, and he's just so open and honest and hilarious

Transgender - An umbrella term used to describe people who do not fit into traditional gender categories, including transsexuals, transvestites, gender queers, two-spirit, intersexuals.

Transsexual - A term used to describe anyone who was "born into the wrong body."  That is to say, a person's sex does not match their gender.  They may have male parts, but they are really a female.  And vice versa.

Being transgendered or transsexual does not mean that you have a disease. Please do not think that.

Kawng 'ite:

Transgender - An umbrella term used to describe people who do not fit into traditional gender categories, including transsexuals, transvestites, gender queers, two-spirit, intersexuals.

Transsexual - A term used to describe anyone who was "born into the wrong body."  That is to say, a person's sex does not match their gender.  They may have male parts, but they are really a female.  And vice versa.

Being transgendered or transsexual does not mean that you have a disease. Please do not think that.

Whoever thinks its a disease needs to get slapped in the face.

Disease = bad. Transgender/Transexual = good.

^There, that's all there is to it. ::fie:

Jewel Nicole:

Whoever thinks its a disease needs to get slapped in the face.

Disease = bad. Transgender/Transexual = good.

^There, that's all there is to it. ::fie:

I definitely agree with you. =]

Kawng 'ite:

Being transgendered or transsexual does not mean that you have a disease. Please do not think that.

I agree completely.

And I think it sucks that in the United States you have to basically be diagnosed with gender identity disorder in order to be able to get a sex change.

I'm sorry I just don't see how could that possibly be good. I'm assuring you that there is nothing good about being stuck in the wrong body for the most part of your life, only to face discrimination and the virtual collapse of your life once you try to remedy your situation with either surgery, hormones and just generally bring your sex and gender in line.

Xsoteria:

I'm sorry I just don't see how could that possibly be good. I'm assuring you that there is nothing good about being stuck in the wrong body for the most part of your life, only to face discrimination and the virtual collapse of your life once you try to remedy your situation with either surgery, hormones and just generally bring your sex and gender in line.

I think they meant that a disease means that there's something wrong with you and it's a negative stigma that shouldn't be attached to someone who is transsexual or transgendered.

druscilla. you liar.:

I think they meant that a disease means that there's something wrong with you and it's a negative stigma that shouldn't be attached to someone who is transsexual or transgendered.

I know what they meant but still saying that there is nothing wrong with me when I'm stuck in the wrong body and I'm in need of surgery to make me better sounds kind of off to me.

The transgendered people I've met see their condition as a problem, and would be much happier if they didn't have it. I don't know if that should be classified as a disorder or something, but it's a problem.

Edit: And since when do we attach this negative stigma to disorders anyway? What did you mean by that? I don't think any less of people with disorders and I don't really see the reason for something like that.

I think it's a little negative to say "well, if you were born in the wrong body then clearly there is something wrong with you and you must have this mental disorder".

If anything, transsexual/transgendered people have a physical disorder.

I myself, am transsexual.

I was born as a male. My first foster family paid for a sex change at a young age for myself. All of my life, I never knew this, until I finally put together my thoughts and so forth, then confronted my first foster family about it. I found my real parents after this, and have spoke to this with them. I plan to have another sex change, to become what I originally was and wrongfully changed from.

It is a very confusing story, I know. But sadly, it is true.

No, I'm not a joke. Or a troll. I am real. And you can chose to believe me or not. It is your choice.

Kawng 'ite:

I myself, am transsexual.

I was born as a male. My first foster family paid for a sex change at a young age for myself. All of my life, I never knew this, until I finally put together my thoughts and so forth, then confronted my first foster family about it. I found my real parents after this, and have spoke to this with them. I plan to have another sex change, to become what I originally was and wrongfully changed from.

It is a very confusing story, I know. But sadly, it is true.

No, I'm not a joke. Or a troll. I am real. And you can chose to believe me or not. It is your choice.

I'm pretty sure that's illegal . . .

druscilla. you liar.:

I'm pretty sure that's illegal . . .

There are a lot of things that are illegal, but they are done.

Jewel Nicole:

Whoever thinks its a disease needs to get slapped in the face.

Disease = bad. Transgender/Transexual = good.

^There, that's all there is to it. ::fie:

Well, the way you're behaving towards diseases could actually be rather offensive and demeaning for people who do have certain incurable medical conditions. Disease = bad / non-disease = good - way to dichotomise. If it's not okay to make transpeople feel shitty about who they are and define their existence as bad, why is it okay to label people with diseases (which I didn't choose, either) as 'bad'? It's like, I have an incurable disease, I spend my whole life being pitied and patronised by 'able bodied' people and medical professionals who think it must suck to be me. It doesn't and I wish people wouldn't act like it does >_>

I get that everyone's arguments in this thread are done with the best of intentions. It's wrong to say that transgendered people have a disease when they don't if you're trying to stigmatise them. But frankly, it's verging on ableism to then go on to make the assumption that anyone with a disease has it 'bad'. 'It's fine to be transgendered, but heaven forbid you have a disease, that would be really bad'. I really would dispute that.

^ Um, I didn't mean the people with a disease are bad or have it bad. I meant the disease itself is bad. Cancer, Aids, etc. Those aren't good things, are they?

Jewel Nicole:

^ Um, I didn't mean the people with a disease are bad or have it bad. I meant the disease itself is bad. Cancer, Aids, etc. Those aren't good things, are they?

I don't know, I don't have cancer or AIDS. I have 'etc' and I think my life is great, I'm a fortunate person and I'd never change it. The problem is that people always assume on my behalf. Implicitly you're doing it too. It's not bad, 'able bodied' people go through much worse shit than me and people never feel the need to pity them or make assumptions about their quality of life. For all that I've suffered, from the way people talk about transgendered issues, I think it's always made out to be far worse than anything I've had (which is a problem for your disease = bad/transgendered = good statement). Therein lies the problem. I would never presume to know how it feels to be transgendered, and I would advise against people presuming to know how people with incurable diseases think about their lives.

elizabeth gaskell:

I don't know, I don't have cancer or AIDS. I have 'etc' and I think my life is great, I'm a fortunate person and I'd never change it. The problem is that people always assume on my behalf. Implicitly you're doing it too. It's not bad, 'able bodied' people go through much worse shit than me and people never feel the need to pity them or make assumptions about their quality of life. For all that I've suffered, from the way people talk about transgendered issues, I think it's always made out to be far worse than anything I've had (which is a problem for your disease = bad/transgendered = good statement). Therein lies the problem. I would never presume to know how it feels to be transgendered, and I would advise against people presuming to know how people with incurable diseases think about their lives.

I have a mental disorder and I don't lthink my life is awful either, but the disorder in itself is a bad thing. My feelings aside about my quality of life, the disorder is bad. It's not good.

I'm referring to the term 'disease'. I'm not making any assumption about peoples lives or anything like that. I didn't say people that have diseases have it bad or anything like that.

Diseases aren't good things. They're bad, are they not? They're medically bad, that's what I meant. The disease itself is bad. (Like I mentioned.)

i don't think being transgendered is a bad thing, it's not a medical disease or anything like that... that's the point I'm trying to get a cross, let me say, once again, I'm not making assumptions about anyone's life.

druscilla. you liar.:

I have a mental disorder and I don't lthink my life is awful either, but the disorder in itself is a bad thing. My feelings aside about my quality of life, the disorder is bad. It's not good.

Yeah, but just because something isn't good, doesn't make it bad either. Life doesn't have to be made of antonyms. On its own, it's a negative thing (but no worse than a lot of things non-diseased people go through too), with some good aspects which have to be acknowledged too. The best word isn't good or bad but inconvenient. It gets in my way sometimes but everything's temporary, which is why I resent this generalisation of all disease as 'bad'.

Like, as far as I'm concerned, there's a fine line between having a debilitating disease or medical condition and a disability. If somebody said 'disability = bad', I like to think the disability rights movement would be pretty angry. It's the same principle. And this thread is being de-railed, I'll do my best to stop now.

Tbh, I would trade in my body for one that doesn't break down all the time any day.
I like being alive, but not what my health issues make of my life.

I think the efforts to make transexual/transgender not an illness have a lot to do with the way the attitude towards homosexuality changed and the gay community gradually won more rights after homosexuality was proclaimed not an illness by WHO.

kafka.:

I think the efforts to make transexual/transgender not an illness have a lot to do with the way the attitude towards homosexuality changed and the gay community gradually won more rights after homosexuality was proclaimed not an illness by WHO.

And also the fact that a mental illness means there's something wrong with your brain, something wrong with you mentally. And with trans issues, it's more that there's something wrong with the body, no?