I watched this programme which I thought was done in a positive way for the most part. I had a mixture of emotions about some of the contributors, fearing for some and knowing others had the best chance possible because their parents were 100% behind them.
If I have a criticism, it's that the whole transgender thing seems like a conveyor belt industry and I wonder how many rushing to get surgery or hormones will live to regret it. I hear all sorts of statistics and don't believe any of them.
I know we live in a different world to the one in which I grew up and things are improving for most of us transwhatever or not. I still believe that transsexual people are relatively rare and that many who feel themselves to be so will live with regret for rushing through a system which appears to be aimed at helping them swap gender. I don't like the term transgender as a catch all from someone who occasionally wears his girlfriend's knickers to someone like myself who sees themselves as female despite the lack of ovaries. At the same time I try not to be prejudiced and live with my discomfort.
I do feel that children who show persistence in their self identifying as the opposite gender should be given the opportunity to transition young and that may include pharmacological assistance to give them the best outcomes, but they need to be absolutely sure.
Also should anyone who labels themselves as 'trans', a term I despise, need to have hormones or surgery. As the one youngster showed us, he was happy as Cole or Crystal and expected to grow up as a man and have a wife and kids. Sadly I fear some start this way then end up on the conveyor belt with surgery they later regret.
I don't believe the seeming epidemic of transgender that seems to be pervading everywhere though I do appreciate there seem to be a large number of people who are unhappy with their lives. Unfortunately, I suspect for most that changing their gender will make things worse not better. I also admit that I don't know what the answer is, perhaps we just have to admit that there is no compulsion to be happy and that many of us will suffer long periods of unhappiness whether we're transgender or not - it's called real life.
Some of the comments on the attached link to the Guardian are full of prejudice - perhaps I am too, though I do try to explore my own thoughts in case I can improve them. I feel irritated by the feminist who feels that I shouldn't be allowed to use spaces reserved for women, because I clearly am not one - despite my birth certificate saying differently. In the end, I accept that life is entirely futile, it isn't preparation for anything else so make the best of it, which I hope I'm doing and for me that involved changing my body - I don't regret it.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/05/transgender-k...
Comments
Why the interest?
Unfortunately in all fields we can't trust the opinion of professionals whose financial self-interest is served by a diagnosis that requires their further paid action. Luckily that is not the case with NHS doctors and I feel happy that they do not take action regarding possibly transgender children under age 12.
That doesn't mean that younger children won't benefit from being protected while allowed to explore their gender identity but I am very suspicious of the professional and media interest in such children just as I'm suspicious of their treatment of many other conditions in the interest of business rather than patients.
Rhona McCloud
Trans What?
This gender swapping seems to be a global phenomenon. And, I agree that the majority could do without the surgery. From a sociological point of view, modern culture is trying too hard to be binary, when gender is and always was analog. I did the thing and now have to live the consequences out. Knowing what I know now, if there was a do over, perhaps I'd simply have gotten away from a redneck family and lived my own life. And now, after years of psychotherapy and healing I realize that perhaps I was simply gay?
However, looking at the bright side of my life, it is no longer necessary to sit around at lunch and listen to hyper masculine men talk about their big trucks and all their illicit sex. Now, when I meet another woman on the street, our eyes sometimes meet, and a reassuring smile follows, and we pass to be on our ways. No longer do I get calls from others to help move their piano, nor am I asked to help Joe change his transmission. Socially in my experience, with men it is about who is dominant. With women and interactions are much more collaborative, though the dominance thing does play out at times.
I agree that the Transexual thing is a machine, with therapists, druggists, and surgeons making money off our suffering. I've often spoken against it, and experienced the grief and dismay of those who have unwisely started down that path without first considering the consequences.
I agree to a point
But (and there's always a But) I was very concerned about the younger children it the programme under 10 years old that seem to be so intent that they should be a member of the opposite sex, at that age they are very impressionable and a parent who has their own self interest could 'imprint' the child.
I do voluntary work for a social services funded organisation that councils gender confused teens I have been working there for 10 years and have only had 3 teens that actually went on to transition.
In the main when puberty strikes they are confused about their feeling to the other sex with gentle counselling the outcome is usually good. But if a teen is certain that they are the wrong gender they can be prescribed Puberty Blockers which does what it says on the tin. So far we have had 10 kids on them and only the three went on the transition. They remain on these together with professional counselling until they reach the age where surgical intervention can take place. If they are still intent on transitioning.
I fully agree that the earlier the transition the better the result but under 10 it disturbs me. I watched the programme and while it was very positive with the older children I had the feeling that Louis was uncomfortable when he was talking to the younger children.
Like you I don't regret a thing I am happier now than ever but if anyone had offered me the chance at 8 years old I wouldn't have a clue what I'd do
Christina
Gender Dysphoria Treatment
I think the model for GID treatment is in the following video. I knew I was female at age 4 and in later years found out that I am XXY with the Y chromosome nearly nonfunctional. However, had there been a viable male role model in my life, I think perhaps I could have made it as a man albeit a very effeminate one, perhaps going into some field where they are accepted. My step father and brothers were so brutal to me that in my clouded preadolescent mind, I decided I was not like them. Well, I wasn't but that did not mean I was a female.
After 11 years of living openly as a woman, I am finding my "center" and that is less girly than I first was. It's become more that I am very girly when I want to and can still be very butch, even wearing boots and jeans to go hiking !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tqil7Audws
I dislike the push for surgery and hormones
There are plenty of Trans people and Non Cisgender people who do not want surgery or hormones and they are just as valid as a post operative Trans Woman/Man. There are people who are not Trans but are still Non-Cis and want surgery or hormones and that should be allowed. There is no requirement to being a gender, if you are that gender, you are that gender. I don't care what you are wearing, how you sound, how you act, if you are then you are.
My penis is female, I was born female, I was not born a boy or born male. I was born a girl, end of story. If I decide to get surgery and find a way to fund it it'll happen. But I wont be any more or less female than I am now.
I know who I am, I am me, and I like me ^^
Transgender, Gamer, Little, Princess, Therian and proud :D
who's who, what's what
some may hate the term transgender, some love it. Same as with transsexual, inter-sexed, gay, straight, bi. One fact will always be true. labels will apply, so find one you are comfortable with instead of being assigned one. there is no absolute undeniable test to determine if a person is or is not the gender they should be presenting, kinda have to go with the procedures we have now. Just remember; Sex is what you do, genitals are what you use to do it, sexuality is who you do it with, gender is how you present yourself, identity is who you are and life is all of that coming together. Great for some, sucks rocks for others. Do the best that can be done and maybe things will work out how they are supposed to but as chris rock said..."ya never know."
quidquid sum ego, et omnia mea semper; Ego me.
alecia Snowfall
Not an epidemic--just awareness
While there will always be people who are dissatisfied with their lives, I truly believe that the "seeming epidemic" of transgender-related news is not due to "people jumping on the bandwagon". It is not the new trend or fashion.
Rather, I believe that the awareness is new. Women by the millions died from breast cancer, first recorded by the Egyptians 3500 years ago--yet it was not spoken of "in polite society". Only in the late 20th century did public awareness of breast cancer become acceptable--and then it seemed like every family had at least one member affected. It might have been called a "seeming epidemic".
Similarly, a well-kept secret for many families was the relative with "dementia". It wasn't spoken of publicly, and everyone in the family felt shame all around. Now, we're aware of Alzheimer's Disease, and rather than making excuses for Uncle Louie's erratic behavior ("He's always been a little scatter-brained") the public knows that this is a terrible, irreversible brain disease. But with that knowledge comes early diagnosis and treatment to ease the suffering. And now it seems like quite a few people have family members with Alzheimer's and it's publicly acceptable to admit it--certainly nobody whispers, "Reagan had dementia".
The public is now more aware of the existence of transgender individuals, and especially that children can be transgender--and therein lies the difficulty. Conservative, right-wing, reactionary people often confuse gender with sex, and sex with sin. And, of course, any discussion of sex and children is taboo. Many of these same people may think there is a "lifestyle choice" aspect, a carry-over from "the gay agenda" they also worry about. Applying all of their confused notions, they might say, "You shouldn't discuss sex with a child! And how could a child so young make such a lifestyle choice?"
The truth of the matter is that there are transgender children. The public is more aware of "The Transgender Tipping Point" (Time magazine's cover story title with Laverne Cox). And now, like breast cancer, Alzheimer's, Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, bipolar depression or any of the other "conditions" that seem to have popped up overnight, we might appear to have an upsurge of kids who identify as transgender..
There is more visibility of them due to the incredible courage of girls like Nicole Maines and DW Trantham, who publicly campaign to use their schools' restrooms. Ms. Maines won her lawsuit and Ms. Trantham testified before her state's legislature, and these two and others are putting a public face to transgender children.
Oddly enough, the fear-mongering TV and radio stations ("Will your daughter be raped in her school restroom? Details at six!") are whipping up a frenzy of misinformation, but in the long run, they're probably helping by increasing public awareness more than the Time cover (with circulation dropping). Over time the mis-and-dis-information will subside and people will have to accept the fact (whether they personally like it or not) that transgender individuals are real and here to stay.
But the upsurge in public awareness is a blessing for the early diagnosis and treatment of transgender children. I have speculated in my books that some of the high number of teenage suicides may have been due to shame and ignorance about the teen's gender dysphoria. How many lives could be saved by early diagnosis and allowance to transition? There are programs that train teachers to recognize the symptoms of abuse, drug use, depression, and so on; why not gender dysphoria as well? Some enlightened teachers do notice the gender-variant child and work with the parents, but too many are still treating gender variance with the same shame and reluctance they did when Uncle Louie was forgetful.
With increased public awareness will come public acceptance. It will be long and hard-fought against reactionary fear and those who prefer ignorance, but acceptance will come. The only true epidemic--the many and varied transgender reports in the media--will subside. And meanwhile, the children can get the treatment they need and can live the lives they should!
Karin
This
Very well said. Thank you.
Transitioning Young...
I don't agree with allowing medical transitioning too young. Life is long and the teen years, as important and emotional as they are, are but a blip. The child should have a chance to socialize in their chosen gender up until the age of impending puberty. At that point, if it is clear as day that they're intent on living in that gender, still all they should get is a reprieve from puberty. Puberty-blocking drugs are not gonadal hormones, or anti-hormones. They're fake pituitary hormones* that temporarily throw sand in the gears of the puberty process. Living through most of the teen years as a "nothing" (well, a large prepubescent child, at any rate) might be hard, but it's essential to determine absolutely where someone's gender identity lies before making a medical commitment to it.
I don't know what current medical thinking is on the earliest ethical age to begin transgender hormone therapy, but I suspect that some allowance should be made for individual maturity and available social support.
________
* Actually, puberty-blockers are a non-functioning analogue of the real thing. They're good enough to fool the hypothalmus into not making the real one, but not good enough to tell the pituitary to do its thing. There's a good starting point if you want to read up at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puberty#Neurohormonal_process . If you're wondering what GnRH stands for, it's "Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone." And this is the stuff used to block it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonadotropin-releasing_hormone_...
Dr Spack at Boston Children's Hospital
The approach you outlined is basically what Dr Spack does, "Treating Gender Identity Disorder" Youtube.
My thinking is that most people who believe they are GID could actually make it as their birth gender if our culture was not so puritanistic and binary.
From my horizon
I feel that this somewhat like we had in Sweden more than 10 years ago. Almost all channels (on TV) had programs about transsexualism. Most of them were really good and it took away most of the odd ideas about us. There were even a discussion between persons that had religious ideas about the phenomenon as such. Against them there were a group (same number of participants). The arguments against transsexualism were very soon not any longer strong.
But what it all did to us transsexual persons was that almost no one could say that they did not know the basic facts. This made it interesting for most people to really ask and try to understand it all a little better. For us here this "Bobardment" with facts made the whole task much less inflamed and very soon the discussions faded away.
I really hope that the increased talk about our problems will do do in all countries where there seams to be increased interest will do the same for you all around. With media supplying the basal facts we can more easily discuss our problems.
Ginnie
GinnieG