Transgender, Transsexual, Transvestite and Intersexual Issues: Part 1

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Androgyne Online: "For most people, the idea of an androgynous gender identity goes in one ear and out the other; it simply doesn't register. They see no evidence of it, never heard of it before, and assume they never will again, so the concept is rejected almost as soon as it is articulated. This cannot be emphasized enough. Even when the idea is reiterated, the reaction is usually the same: it is assumed to be faulty data. Society at large dictates that gender is binary, and androgyne is not one of the two binary genders. Convincing someone that androgyne is an authentic gender identity is difficult because people are programmed to believe that it isn't. Even LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) people tend to assume that a third gender does not exist. Hate crimes against LGBT people are primarily based on perceived violations of gender norms, not sexual transgression, so you'd think that convincing LGBT people would be easier, but it's often not because they tend not to see the connection. Even androgynes have trouble discovering and affirming their own nature, no thanks to society's insistence on the gender binary. Some Transsexuals are Not Really Transsexual, but Androgyne..."

Transvestite Issues / Crossdressing

Welcome to Mark Leonard’s one-of-a-kind comedy-drama, "Nikki and Bobby". A tale of romance between a straight white sheriff and a black transvestite from Times Square, "Nikki and Bobby" rises above cheap jokes to genuinely explore racism, homophobia and sexual possibility. As a love story, it’s intriguing. As a play, it’s not entirely successful. Would you believe it’s based on a true story?

Four renditions of doing female drag: feminine appearing conceptual variations of a masculine theme. - by Steven P. Schacht (PDF Download). From the Abstract: "I highlight the apparent differences and striking similarities of those doing female drag. By locating female impersonators within the matrices of gender and sexual performance, identity, and embodiment, a multifarious viewpoint of this activity results that better illuminates participants’ contextual motivations for undertaking what the dominant culture otherwise often defines as a stigmatized presentation of self. Out of the myriad of ways those doing female drag comes the strong impression that, while such individuals may be gender traitors of sorts, they are anything but gender anarchists."

Transsexual Issues

Lynn Conway: My goal for this website is to illuminate and normalize the issues of gender identity and the processes of gender transition. This project began in the year 2000, as I struggled to "come out" about my past to my research colleagues. I wanted to tell in my own words the story of my gender transition from male to female three decades earlier, in 1968, and then of being outed 31 years later in 1999, while living quietly and successfully in "stealth mode".

Taboo Domestic Behavior: Focus on Richard Green's book The Sissy Boy Syndrome and the work of George Rekers and O. Ivar Lovaas. - Bargaining Power: Safer Sex and Survival on the Streets of New York: "He says kids with 'gender atypical behavior' are often the first to get kicked out by their parents, and then, looking for a meal and a place to stay, 'they quickly learn they're a commodity.' These youth, functioning outside of an organized sex-work structure, may have very little ability to assess risk."

The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism - by J. Michael Bailey - Review. - Review. - Review: "A primary aim of Bailey's book is to challenge the distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity and expression that has become commonplace in the LGBT community. "The standard lecture is that sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender role behavior are separate, independent psychological traits; a feminine man is as likely to be straight as gay," Bailey writes. "But the standard lecture is wrong. It was written with good, but mistaken, intentions: to save gay men from the stigma of femininity. The problem is that most gay men are feminine, or at least they are feminine in certain ways." Bailey goes so far as to assert that "the causes of homosexual transsexualism are largely the causes of homosexuality."" - The Bailey Affair: Psychology Perverted (PDF Download): "Bailey s thesis is that all transgendered women can be divided into exactly two mutually exclusive classes - extremely feminine homosexual men, and men who pursue a crossdressingfetish to the point of modifying their bodies. This thesis is not new." Review: "Bailey’s point in writing this book is exposed near the end, when he states, “Learning more about the origins of transsexualism will not get us much closer to curing it” (p. 207). For a person who claims to be supportive, his notion that transsexualism or crossdressing is a mental illness in need of a cure makes this work one of the more offensive ones in recent years to come from one who hides behind the mask of academic respectability.

The World according to J. Michael Bailey inside "The Man who would be Queen: The Science of Gender Bending and Transsexualism": "Through our forgiveness I feel we can help foster his personal growth. I hope the broader transgendered and mental health communities can forgive one another and acknowledge the legitimacy of each others' perspectives. I hope that by seeing what dismissive cynicism can do, we can see in its reflection what honest communication can do. I am personally optimistic about the future for the relationships between psychologists and transgendered persons. - Book Controversy Question & Answer - The Bailey Affair, Again. - Transsexual Smokescreen: Ignoring Science In “The Man Who Would Be Queen.” (Submitted by jmichaelbailey on 4 September 2007): Both in her recent appearance on KQED’s Forum talk show and in her blog, Stanford University’s Joan Roughgarden continues her campaign to discredit me and my book, The Man Who Would Be Queen. Roughgarden’s rate of false accusations per utterance is so high that it is tempting to take the time to refute them one by one to the exclusion of getting around to discussing the science. Indeed, I believe that is the intent of Roughgarden and my other chief critics. If attention is focused on an endless stream of (false and outrageous) allegations made against me as a person, then no one will pay attention to the scientific ideas, presented in my book, that many of my critics wish to keep hidden. That is the purpose of the Big Lie, which can be summarized as follows: ...

Transkids.us (Archive): "This is a website about male to female transsexuals who were obviously feminine as young children and whose social and sexual issues are improved by choosing to live as female rather than male, a decision which usually takes place between the onset of puberty and the end of puberty for the majority of us. We have been called different names in the past, primary transsexuals, "true" transsexuals and most recently homosexual transsexuals. We feel this last taxonomy is more etiologically and descriptively correct and that it holds the most potential for understanding, both socially and therapeutically, those of us who begin our lives as "transkids... We prefer to speak about our lives and issues ourselves and we are not helped by having our lives and issues represented and re-interpretted by non-homosexual transsexuals whose histories, motivations, etiology and personal understanding of their transsexuality is different from our own. In the controversy following the publication of J. Michael Bailey's The Man Who Would Be Queen there has been an exclusive focus on the reactions of autogynephilic transsexuals to the concept of autogynephilia. It's only appropriate for us to represent our own vantage point and perspective rather than continuing to allow autogynephilic transsexuals to speak for us. Our own voices need to be added to the discussion of transsexuality..."

Vitriolic Rage Directed at Transkids.us: Internet fakes: "transkids.us" ... My concern is that supposedly scientific "experts" like J. Michael Bailey and Anne Lawrence are such poor researchers that it’s unlikely they will verify sources or retract fabrications if the source says something they want to hear. I’d hate to see biographical fabrications become part of Lawrence’s published “narratives” about sexuality in the community. Both Bailey and Lawrence had links to the "transkids" site within minutes after the site went live on 14 December 2004. They have respectively proclaimed it "thrilling" and "marvelous." ... Readers have sent information on Alex, Gogo, and Inoue, the other "transkids." If you have received an email, attachment or photo from someone using these names in 2004 or earlier, please forward it to me for analysis by our investigators. We need to vector and expose this kind of online fakery before more academics like Simon LeVay, James Cantor, and Alice Dreger take them seriously. - Kiira Triea (Denise Tree) and the "transkids" hoax.

On the Science of Changing Sex: "Silly Ol' Me" is a middle-aged transsexual woman who transitioned as a teenager, 35 years ago... This blog is about ideas and the science behind them regarding what is called rather loosely today, transsexual or transgender. “Them’s fighin’words!” Seriously, if you’re not familiar with the denizens of this world, it can be a very confusing place, with identity politics played for keeps. But my hope is to cut through the noise and explore facts, “Just the facts ma’am.”

A problem of image: Life in Thailand's twilight zone: Mention the word katoey and Thais immediately think of the slightly soiled image of the feminine end of the gay spectrum - the man dolled up as woman, the limp wrist and exaggerated postures of the lady-boy. But as Thai gays seek a higher level of social acceptance, so the country's transvestites and transsexuals are trying to cast off their image as the unacceptable face of homosexuality... Still, all is not well in the sexual twilight zone. Trapped in the wrong gender, sometimes desperate to make the change from male to female, katoey are often prone to depression, anger and rash behavior. A minority turn to prostitution, others to crime. According to Peter Jackson, author of Dear Uncle Go: Male Homosexuality in Thailand, a large percentage of Thai transsexuals kill themselves." - Sporty Little Number: Thai audiences are lapping up a controversial movie that deals with gay and transsexual issues: "A box-office smash, Satree Lex, chronicles the country's gender-bending 1996 volleyball champion... the lead characters include a lesbian and five katoey - a Thai term that covers transsexuals, transvestites and effeminate gay men."

The Trouble When Jane Becomes Jack (PDF Download): "The reaction to the fictional character captured the bitter tension that can exist over gender reassignment. Among lesbians — the group from which most transgendered men emerge — the increasing number of women who are choosing to pursue life as a man can provoke a deep resentment and almost existential anxiety, raising questions of gender loyalty and political identity, as well as debates about who is and who isn’t, and who never was, a real woman... Still, coupled with a simultaneous trend among the young to reject sexual identity labels altogether, some lesbians fear that the ranks are growing of women who once called themselves lesbian but no longer do. “It’s as if the category of lesbian is just emptying out,” said Judith Halberstam, a gender theorist and professor of literature at the University of Southern California, San Diego, whose books include “Female Masculinity.” ... Despite the tangled set of issues involved, the survival rate of lesbian couples seems higher than among gay couples when one partner changes gender, advocates say.

Man raised as girl tells of life as a wife: Rabei returned recently from an operation in Thailand to correct his gender -- a procedure for which he obtained consent from both Sunni and Shi'ite clerics. He is the first Bahraini to go public with news of such an operation, his lawyer said. It triggered a flood of media coverage and condemnation from many of his fellow Bahrainis for what they see as a procedure forbidden by Islam. Most Muslim scholars say changing one's sex is forbidden unless it is related to an intersex condition such as Rabei's. His is one of a range of relatively rare conditions in which there is a mismatch between the body's sexual genetic code and its physical make up. Instead of having two X chromosomes -- the female pattern -- he has an XY or male configuration. This is a complex issue that Rabei said much of Arab and Islamic society was not yet ready for.

The Cook-Danielses - Who We Are: a queer, transgendered, multiracial family that lives in the North Bay area of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. - What kind of paths do female partners of FTMs take through transitions? - Trans-Positioned: "She's the kind of butch any femme would want: kind and thoughtful, mature and funny, politically aware and playful, handsome and great in bed. You've been soaring on cloud nine since the two of you got together. There's just one little problem that threatens to bring the whole wonderful lovership to a crashing halt. She says that despite her female body, she's actually a man. And she -- or should it be "he"? -- intends to live as one."

Trying to Keep the Boats Together (A Common Ground Column): "Finally, we must realize that prejudice against one of us is used against the other. One of the reasons transgender activists oppose versions of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that cover only sexual orientation is that we believe these ENDAs leave most Gays unprotected, too. If firing someone because they're Gay is illegal but firing someone because he wears an earring or she wears men's shirts is fine, just how long do you think it will take employers to learn to say, "Your Honor, I couldn't care less what he does in bed; it's his appearance I fired him for"?" - Transgendered people gaining acceptance in gay and lesbian community. - In Her Own Image: Transgender Activist Pauline Park. - The Mistake of "GLBT".

US Protest Targets Transgender-Less Discrimination Act N/A: "Sleeping in a tent by night and making signs by day, Danielle Clarke began her vigil on May 9 as part of an education campaign about the need for legal protections in the transgender community. "I am just one of the many transgendered people around the country who can't find work"..." - Transsexual picketing Edmonton hotel N/A: "Lisa Hardy - formerly named Doug - is picketing a city hotel today she claims forced her resignation for following a doctor's advice to dress as a woman."

Atlantic TransGender (Canada): ATG is not a Crossdresser support group. While there is nothing wrong with being just a Crossdresser, we as Transsexuals have different issues that cannot be put away at the end of the evening with the wig, breast forms, and hip pads. Nor can we live the double lives common in the CD community. There are many CD resources on the net. For those of that persuasion in Atlantic Canada I suggest you check out: Gender Expressions Atlantic. - Maritime Transgendered Worplace Solutions Projects. - Gender Mosaic: Canada's oldest and most established Transgender Support Group. - Masquerade (Winnipeg): A Winnipeg Social Club For Crossdressers & Their Wives/Girlfriends: - Transgender Cafe: Winnipeg Transgender Group. - Transgender Canada. - Transgender Health Program (Vancouver, BC).

Intersexuality

Welcome to the webpage of Intersex Activist and Educator, Photographer, Poet, International Performance Artist, and Columnist, Lynnell Stephani Long. Please take a moment to read my story "A girl named Steve." My life story! As an African-American Intersex Woman, Activist and Educator... - Internet Resources.

Organisation Intersex International: Articles: Ten Misconceptions about Intersex . - The Self is Infinitely More Than the Sum of Bodily Parts. - Why the intergender community is so important to the intersex community?

Transphobia

Gay = Queer? Not anymore: "Last week the Link published its annual special issue focusing on Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual and Queer issues. Trans content (relating to transvestites, transexuals and transgendered persons) was something decidedly missing from the issue. And that's not something unique to the Link's coverage of the situation. Gay culture has come to be, in Montreal anyway, bordering on kitsch. While there are episodes of discrimination, there is a visible gay community complete with festivals and businesses focused purely on gay interests. This has melded into the community at large. Couples walk down the streets holding hands, live openly, and legal recognition of their unions is in reach. Their Trans cohorts, however, have been left quietly behind. Many times one can pick up a zine on what is supposed to be GLBQT issues and will find there is no Trans content whatsoever. Sadly, there is prejudice and discrimination even within the community. At times, "straight" gays and lesbians avoid a person or pretend they are not even there." - The Rebellion is Not Over: Transgender Activism 35 years After Stonewall.

Transgender Activism After Falls City: "The demonstrators were moved by their rage at the indifference of mainstream society to the killing of transgender people, and by the fear that it could have been any of them. As one demonstrator, Kate Bornstein, the transsexual playwright and performance artist, put it: "Everyone who fucks with gender has some kind of brush with this kind of violence. Everyone's got their war stories."... Transgender people still live, in large part, in that twilight world. Although we were among the first to fight back, at Stonewall and even before, most of the hard-won legal protections for gays and lesbians do not apply to us. We are the "freaks du jour" on exploitive talk shows like Jerry Springer's. We're thought of as an embarrassment by "mainstream" gay groups and leaders; in some other LGBT groups, we're included on a token basis but ignored in practice. How did we get left behind?

Trying to Keep the Boats Together. (A Common Ground Column): "...Both women agree on one point: be they self-mutilating transsexual or faddish young transgenderist, "trans" not only don't belong in the Gay movement, they actually threaten it... It's hard to imagine what either woman would make of my family, which is, of course, the point. The Gay community is righteously furious when leaders from the religious right repeatedly equate homosexuality with pedophilia and argue that our attempts to legalize same-sex marriage are really attempts to destroy their families... One reason is that many of us belong in both boats. Because sexual orientation is generally stable through gender transition, virtually every transsexual belongs to the Gay community (at least by default) either before or after transition. Similarly, many Gays -- drag queens and kings, stone butches, androgynous Lesbians, queer faeries, and deMotier's gender-bending young former Act Uppers -- could fit as well in the trans boat as the Gay one. Asking any of us to silence or leave at home one part of ourselves -- or, in cases like mine, our partners -- is, quite simply, immoral. We also need to recognize that our youth are indistinguishable..."

Devor AH, Matte N (2004). ONE Inc. and Reed Erickson: the uneasy collaboration of gay and trans activism. GLQ: A Journal of Gay and Lesbian Studies, 10(2): 179-209. PDF Download. - How did the T get in LGBT? The 30-year fight for a federal gay civil rights law may fail because activists insist on including rights for transgendered people too. Has gay inclusiveness gone too far too fast? (Alternate Link). Related Information from Wikipedia: LGBT.

By David C. Barnett, Ph.D. - Goals for this exercise:1) To provide participants a chance to explore their reactions to situations where gender is unclear. 2) To examine how assumptions about gender may interfere with one's ability to listen accurately. 3) To increase participants use of gender-free language when discussing issues.

"Of Color" North American Issues

Whose feminism is it anyway? The Unspoken Racism of the Trans Inclusion Debate (Emi Koyama, PDF Download: Web Page from which to download file.) From the web Site: Eminism.org, the official web site for Emi Koyama, the activist/author/academic working on intersex, sex workers' rights, (queer) domestic violence, genderqueer, anti-racism, and other issues. "In the trans and feminist communities, everyone has an opinion or two about Michigan Womyn's Music Festival and its 'womyn-born-womyn' policy. But have you noticed how everybody invokes 'feminism' as the reason for their wildly varying positions? Emi takes apart the racist attitudes that are present in most sides of the controversy and urges white transsexual activists to allign themselves with women of color instead of trying to appease white women's racism."

Asian Information / Resources

Gender Embodiment: Transgender Body/Subject Formations in Taiwan (Josephine Ho, National Central University Taiwan) (Abstract, Must Scroll: PDF Download. Full text): "‘A soul trapped in the wrong body’ is a common description employed by trans subjects to explain their unusual condition. This self-characterization includes two important premises: that the body and the soul (or identity, self-image, etc.) are two separate and independent entities whose correct alignment makes up the effect of gender; and that the soul occupies a higher position than the body, to the extent that any mismatch between the two is to be resolved by modifying the body (through cross-dressing, hormonal therapy, SRS, or other procedures) to match the soul. The body-soul imagery may help illuminate the awkward situation of trans subjects by graphically presenting the often contradictory feelings and images that trans subjects have to negotiate as they move through social space. Yet the simple graphic of the body-soul imagery also tends to obscure the manifold differences among trans subjects, differences that may very well affect the credibility of their claim to ‘a soul trapped in the wrong body.’ More importantly, the imagery further conceals ‘the daily effort of doing gender in everyday interactions that all of us engage in.’ The present paper presents the various ways in which Taiwanese transgender subjects have forged out of limited social means and support their own constructions of gender and identity. As the contradictory and disharmonious body/identity of the transgender subjects struggles to assert itself despite existing gender stereotypes and prejudices, their self-reflexive project of doing gender are also constantly ‘trans’-gressing/’trans’-forming existing gender/sexuality categories."

French Articles & Resources

General Resources: Articles, Papers, Web Page

Trans-Health.com: The online of health and fitness for transexual and transgendered people (Volume 1, Issues 1 to 4, 2001-02). - Issue 1: - The Medicalization of Transgenderism. - Issue 2: - Research into the Causes of Transsexuality. - Issue 3: - These Dykes Know Where Their Towels Are: Women's Organizing and Women's Sexuality. - On My Back and Out of the Closet. - Issue 4: - Categorical Exclusions: Exploring Legal Responses to Health Care Discrimination Against Transsexuals. - To Pass or Not to Pass? Is That the Question? - Growing Older and Being Trans. - ButchFemmeBottomTop.

The "SEARCH Section" For...
The Best Search Engines & Information Directories, The Searchable Sites to Locate Papers & Abstracts...
And The Sites - Some Searchable - Where "Free Papers" Are Available!