Gwen,
The APA is finding out there is a lot of controversy about the proposed DSM rules on GID due to be finalized in 2012. There is a LOT of dissatisfaction with the selection of the DSM-V committee, as over half of them are from or are affiliated theoretically with CAMH in Canada, who hold beliefs that GID, GD and TS, etc. are paraphillias like pedaephillia, necrophillia, etc. and thus should be considered a disorder and moral failing (though how a sickness may be seen as a moral failing is difficult for thinking people to understand).

Others point to recent advances in DNA research that seem to show that being TS/TG may be genetic, and therefore a birth defect along with intersex folks, or that at worse it is due to developmental hormonal issues in the womb, but again a birth defect. In other words, a medical condition exacerbated by the refusal/reluctance of the greater society to accept this genetic variation (bringing about depression, etc part of the diagnosis for GID). This goes along with findings that there are differences in the brains of TS folk and "normal" people, with TS women and men mirroring the brain characteristics of the gender they know themselves to truly be. This is in large part where the battle lines are drawn.

Part of the APA wish to de-pathologize TS much in the same manner that gays were depathologized in the 1970s during similar controversy. Some believe that the push for maintaining the pathology is based on monetary greed and power, as CAMH derives a LOT of their income from government grants to deal with this. Blanchard who is the primary push for the use of the term "autogynophilia" to characterize MtF TS is seen as out of touch with modern basic research, and his ally and collegue K. Zucker as well. Both these people equate being TS with homosexuality, claiming that the desire to be a woman is to remove the guilt of homosexuality. He and Kenneth Zucker, both of CAMH, find it inconvenient for there to be F2M TS as they both assume there is no such thing (claiming all women are bisexual thus there is no lesbian and no F2M) to make their research fit their theory. Zucker is the Chair of the DSM revision committee, and Blanchard is in charge of the Paraphillias subcommittee. Others who have been influenced by their "research" and attitudes are part of the GID subcommittee, such as the chair of the GID committee, Peggy Cohen-Kettinis. Her research often tries to support that of the CAMH crew, but often comes to different conclusions, so she may be a wild card. It is interesting that none of these people are invited speakers at the APA, though of course, none of them are psychiatrists, merely psychologists and sex researchers. Why they were placed in charge of the DSM revision is an interesting question, but easily answered by the fact that few psychiatrist's chose to deal with GID, GD, IS or whatever alphabet soup it may have been assigned. They prefer to deal with more "disruptive" failings they can prescribe expensive medications for, and teach.

Some in the TS community want to see the de-pathologization happen, while others fear disturbing the status quo. Some of these fear the change would prevent them from being declared disabled, and therefore funded for hormones and other things without having to work. The latter fear is unfounded, as there are other things these folks could be declared disordered for, another of the fallacies of the DSM. Others fear that if GID diagnosis is eliminated, then insurance companies that can now be bullied at times into funding surgery would have another reason to reject such claims.
-------------.......-------------------
Published in on-line news services.

"The American Psychiatric Association continues to churn out PR

http://www.psych.org/MainMenu/Newsroom/NewsReleases/2009News...

For Information Contact: For Immediate Release:
Eve Herold, 703-907-8640 April 23, 2009
[email protected] Release No. 09-27
Jaime Valora, 703-907-8562
[email protected]"

aroL