EPTPlease do not bring up any threads or people on TL.net when replying to this post! I do not want my blog being used to emotionally attack anyone.
OK, so first some basic terms for those unfamiliar with them.
Transsexual – Someone born with characteristics of a sex that does not conform with their gender identity.
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That is the complete definition, it has nothing to do with any medical treatment (surgical, psychological or pharmaceutical), sexual preferences or fetishes, personality or even conforming with gender stereotypes. It is not a weekend hobby, it is a core identity. As much as you are male or female and couldn't change that, the same is true for a trans person. If you woke up tomorrow biological the opposite sex, you would still be the same person you are now. Gender is an identity, not a body type (or more crudely but more often worded as “it's what's between your head, not your legs”).
Transvestite – Someone who engages in cross-dressing, which is to say dressing in clothes typically reserved for people belonging to the opposite sex.
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Transvestite is a term used to describe people who cross-dress. Whilst it is common that this is for sexual gratification, that isn't always the case but the important distinction is that the individual still identifies with their biological sex. A male transvestite dressed as a woman is still a man, and unlike a transsexual would not be offended by being classed as such, though often it's is proper to refer to them as the gender they're displaying this is a case by case thing. Referring to a transsexual as a transvestite is to literally say “You're not a woman, you're a man dressed as a woman” and that is extremely hurtful.
Cis-gendered: Someone for who biological and psychological sex and gender align. Basically a non transgendered person.
Androgynous: A person who exhibits both male and female typical sexual markers.
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Androgynous people cover a large group. Colloquially it refers to someone who in appearance appears unidentifiable on the scale of man to woman. The literal meaning is someone though who expresses both masculine and feminine biological traits, sometimes to the extent that determining a gender identify from them without their input is not possible. Hermaphrodites (those born with sex organs of both sexes) are often put in to this category.
Genderqueer: A person who identifies as neither male or female.
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Whilst for practical purposes a pronoun is usually apparent, those who identify as genderqueer could not be identified on a binary scale of male or female, but rather find comfort somewhere in the middle. Because of just how wide this definition is I can't really give a more in depth description than that, they come as a case by case basis. I don't know anyone who identifies as Genderqueer personally so I'm hoping someone else might be able to help here.
Transgender: This is an umbrella term for anyone who's expression of gender doesn't match that typically assigned at birth. This can literally cover everyone from transsexuals to transvestites to androgynous people and genderqueer individuals.
OK, so now we're all familiar with the terms let's get to the point. This post was originally going to be a massive rant on the absolutely horrible things I've seen posted recently but it occurred to me that the problem is more likely that people merely don't understand the issues or how hurtful they're being to others. At least I hope that's the case, and given the way the media portrays Transgendered people and often misuses terms I'm assuming it's likely.
OK, so as you'll have read above or already known a transsexual is someone that as a person does not identify with the sex of their body. The most common way that people are familiar with this issue is those who really don't pass well (can't blend in as their actual gender) or with 'Thai Lady boys'.
It's worth noting that Lady boy is definitely not a polite term to use to describe a transsexual, and often the people selling themselves as such have no interest in changing the sex. While some groups still use the term and understand it to mean that, it is literally saying it is a male lady, in the same way as that most vile of terms 'shemale'. Both, when used to describe a transsexual are terms invented by bigots to separate trans women (Male to Female Transsexuals) from the cis-gender one's. If you're not a bigot and you're talking a transwoman, don't use them.
There are also trans men (Female to Male Transsexuals) and figures show they're actually at least as common, although given the ease of obtaining the necessary drugs and so not having to visit a Dr officially, there are likely many more that are not on anyone's record. Because the effects of the appropriate male hormones are very obvious it isn't as common to notice a trans man. I should note I'm using the term 'trans man' and 'trans woman' here for explanation purposes. For all intents and purposes, trans men are simply 'men' and trans women are simply 'women', and those are the only acceptable terms. A trans man is not a 'miss', etc.
When talking with a transsexual, some things are just rude to bring up and I'll explain what and why and hopefully make interactions far more normal, as they should be.
First, transsexualism is a medically recognised issue known more commonly as 'Gender Identity Disorder' (GID). When you laugh at someone or post that "This is awesome ROFL!!!" upon learning that they have GID, you're literally laughing at them as people, laughing at their core identity, laughing at a private medical issue that has nothing to do with you and putting another hurdle in place separating a trans person from being able to comfortably live life as the person they are. It is not OK.
laughing at someone for GID is as sick as laughing at an Anorexic, doing your best to make sure they know how fat they were and how they'll never fit in. Yes, GID kills too that wasn't an understatement of the serious struggles faced by Anorexics (I almost lost a cousin to it). The usual statistic you'll hear for trans suicide rates is 50% although figures can generally put the rate at 5 times that of non trans people. The number of successful suicides in GID patients is somewhere around 1 in 25. Together that is to say no where near 50% but a hell of a lot of people struggling with serious depression and that's only counting the one's who make it to being on a record before being unable to continue on. Hopefully this paragraph alone will go some way to explaining the absolute sickening feeling I felt reading through recent comments on this site, especially with so few warning or bans handed out to those attacking members of our community.
So yes, after just laughing at the issue, the next thing is discussing a trans persons medical treatment. You wouldn't go up to someone on the street and say "Hi, I couldn't help but notice you've got a bit of a limp in your step, how's the ointment for your d**k working out?" because, well first they're likely to beat the s**t out of you and second, it's none of your business. A trans person's genitals are off limits to you unless they say otherwise. No it's not OK to ask unless you know they're comfortable with answering. Pre-op or post-op questions out of the way (as they're the most offensive I think) any other questions about their medical treatment or regime are off limits unless you know them well enough to know otherwise. Use common sense, they're people.
Finally trying to find out details about their past life as the opposite gender is out of the question too. "What was your name", or "Do you have a picture of you before" might sound innocuous enough but it's once again reaffirming that person is not who they are now, but can't escape what they were then. Once again, the only time questions on this are acceptable are when you're close enough to the person to know they're OK with it.
Finally, whilst the issue has only slightly been brought up on this site, thankfully, the radical feminist view. Some people, vocally announced by someone who I'll not name here as they deserve no attention at all, believe that trans men are giving up on womanhood to take up male privilege, and that trans women are just trying to 'fetishise' the female form or abuse women who might "mistake" them for a "real" woman. I don't feel I should have to address these points really but as we're here, transsexuality is not based on what you want, it's based on what and who you are. Given the extreme struggles many Transsexuals face, and the extensive studies in to the subject and the absolutely huge range of people and issues that go in to it, generalisations like this are revolting generalisations of an ignorant bigot and have no place in a rational society beyond being dismantled and forgotten.
I should add, not all radical feminists hold this view fortunately, I simply wanted to address the points.
I'm running out of time so I'll have to leave this post there, I've covered pretty much everything I wanted to though. I guess, in short all I'm asking is that people treat other's with respect, regardless of who they are and how they got there.
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Edit: I had wanted to cover more of the scientific and research side of things in my original OP but ran out of time and decided I could safely wrap up the post without doing any real harm to the point or respecting people and understanding. However as the discussion has continued fusionsdf posted the following and gave me permission to add it to the OP, and I feel it's worth having here.
On August 14 2011 04:01 fusionsdf wrote:
Actually I didn't address what I really wanted to last post, mainly that its a conflict of a physical body and a physical brain, where the sex of the body is opposite (or different from) the sex of the brain. I use 'sex' of the brain because it is an observable physical difference; not psychology or new age mysticism.
* Transsexual gene link identified
* Male-to-Female Transsexuals Have Female Neuron Numbers in a Limbic Nucleus
* Male-to-Female Transsexuals Show Sex-Atypical Hypothalamus Activation When Smelling Odorous Steroids
* Regional Grey Matter Variation in Male-to-Female Transsexuality
* A sex difference in the hypothalamic uncinate nucleus: relationship to gender identity.
* White matter microstructure in female to male transsexuals before cross-sex hormonal treatment. A diffusion tensor imaging study.
* A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and its Relation to Transsexuality
* Typical female 2nd–4th finger length (2D:4D) ratios in male-to-female transsexuals—possible implications for prenatal androgen exposure
As you can see, there has been a LOT of research in this field. Trying to use psychology to get around the physical brain/identity would be a bit like a psychologist trying to convince a patient he is a rock. Trying to convince a woman she is a man (or vice versa) is not something easily achieved (or imo even desirable).
tl;dr: BAM, FACTS
Actually I didn't address what I really wanted to last post, mainly that its a conflict of a physical body and a physical brain, where the sex of the body is opposite (or different from) the sex of the brain. I use 'sex' of the brain because it is an observable physical difference; not psychology or new age mysticism.
* Transsexual gene link identified
* Male-to-Female Transsexuals Have Female Neuron Numbers in a Limbic Nucleus
* Male-to-Female Transsexuals Show Sex-Atypical Hypothalamus Activation When Smelling Odorous Steroids
* Regional Grey Matter Variation in Male-to-Female Transsexuality
* A sex difference in the hypothalamic uncinate nucleus: relationship to gender identity.
* White matter microstructure in female to male transsexuals before cross-sex hormonal treatment. A diffusion tensor imaging study.
* A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and its Relation to Transsexuality
* Typical female 2nd–4th finger length (2D:4D) ratios in male-to-female transsexuals—possible implications for prenatal androgen exposure
As you can see, there has been a LOT of research in this field. Trying to use psychology to get around the physical brain/identity would be a bit like a psychologist trying to convince a patient he is a rock. Trying to convince a woman she is a man (or vice versa) is not something easily achieved (or imo even desirable).
tl;dr: BAM, FACTS
I should add I've not yet been able to verify all the links myself, though they are in line with my understanding of the current state of modern medicine and should be interesting for those interested in reading more on that aspect.
The general message remains the same though - Please treat everyone with respect, and think before posting about specific people (trans or not).
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