What does Transgender actual mean? What’s it all about? Are Transgender people sick? What if I have never met an actual Trans person and I have no point of reference to judge this new and scary adventure? Don’t worry loves Penny’s got your back with your weekly intake of basic Transgender knowledge.
This week we start at the very beginning, where all good research starts, definitions! We need to start with clear and unarguable definitions when we talk about things intelligently, that way we waste no time arguing that Trans people are demon possessed avatars from perciyI8. Instead we can all look to a unbiased source like Merriam-Webster and roll with their definition. In that way we can at the very least start in the same place of understanding when talking about Transgender issues.
Merriam-Webster Defines Transgender as: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person was identified as having at birth; especially: of, relating to or being a person whose gender identity is opposite the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth.
This term was first recorded as used in 1974.
Sex? Gender identity? What is the difference? Why is everything so complicated? Isn’t what’s between your legs the end all definition of gender? As it has been with most endeavors of humanity things we once thought simple are found to be much more nuanced and layered than previously thought. While conceptually not a new thought process to the trans community the realization of diversity in gender has been a long time coming to the main stream conciseness of the general public. As understanding expands so do definitions, we have a deeper understanding of the complexity of gender and have updated definitions in order to be accurate and reflect this new knowledge.
We now understand that the Sex assigned to a person at birth refers to their biological status as either male or female, it is associated primarily with physical attributes such as chromosome, hormone prevalence and external and internal anatomy. This is often deduced simply by looking at the newborn infant and without any blood work. This is what is referred to as assigned sex at birth.
Gender is definitionally referring to the social construct of roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that any given society considers appropriate for girls and boys. These societal expectations and definitions influence the ways that people act, interact and feel about themselves. There are aspects of biological sex that are similar across all cultures there are large cultural differences around gender.
Gender and sexual orientation are in no way the same. Sexual orientation refers to an individual’s enduring physical, romantic, or emotional attraction to another person, gender identity refers to one’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else. Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or asexual, just as nontransgender people can be. Some recent research has shown that a change or a new exploration period in partner attraction may occur during the process of transition. However, transgender people usually remain as attached to loved ones after transition as they were before transition. Transgender people usually label their sexual orientation using their gender as a reference. For example, a transgender woman, or a person who is assigned male at birth and transitions to female, who is attracted to other women would be identified as a lesbian or gay woman. Likewise, a transgender man, or a person who is assigned female at birth and transitions to male, who is attracted to other men would be identified as a gay man.
There is allot of talk around what being Transgender means in reference to a persons mental health. Several keynote studies have already taken place in this area of study. A psychological state is considered a mental disorder only if it causes significant distress or disability. Many transgender people do not experience their gender as distressing or disabling, which implies that identifying as transgender does not constitute a mental disorder. For these individuals, the significant problem is finding affordable resources, such as counseling, hormone therapy, medical procedures and the social support necessary to freely express their gender identity and minimize discrimination. Many other obstacles may lead to distress, including a lack of acceptance within society, direct or indirect experiences with discrimination, or assault. These experiences may lead many transgender people to suffer with anxiety, depression or related disorders at higher rates than nontransgender persons.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), people who experience intense, persistent gender incongruence can be given the diagnosis of "gender dysphoria." Some contend that the diagnosis inappropriately pathologizes gender noncongruence and should be eliminated. Others argue that it is essential to retain the diagnosis to ensure access to care. The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is under revision and there may be changes to its current classification of intense persistent gender incongruence as "gender identity disorder."
Definitions grow. There is nothing conspiratorial about the increase of knowledge. We are experiencing emergence for the first time in history and where as there is no doubt that globally we have a long way to go. As transgender people step into the light the backlash is as predictable as it is sad. Our feet however are firmly planted on the path to equality, as the global death toll rises so does our resolve. Just as archaic laws still allow for our arrest and humiliation in some countries there are religious groups trying to erase us from the public tapestry in the US now more than ever is the time to look to the basics and understand what and who we are.
Transgender men and women are just people. Mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. We are exactly like you, we were born with a few more obstacles in the way but the reality is we are as average and assorted a bunch as you would ever hope to meet. Understanding begins with the basics, in these weekly blog posts I hope to build an understanding of the very ground level premise that make up the reality of being transgender in 2018. Thank you so very much for your time, have a lovely day.
