Korea: Transgenders to Receive Humane Physicals

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

The state human rights body has recommended the military authorities improve their rules on physical examination for drafting transsexuals to minimize their sense of shame.

The recommendation was issued after a 29-year-old man who changed gender from female to male, filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission for his alleged humiliation during a medical checkup for military conscription.

The man, Kim, changed his legal sex to male on family registration records following a local court's decision last September. But Kim has not changed his genital organ into that of man as he could not undergo a transsexual operation due to his physical weakness linked to a chronic disease.

Two months after the legal sex change, the military authority told him to have physical examination for conscription.

An army surgeon took Kim to a separate ward and asked him to take off his pants because he wanted to check whether Kim had a man's genital organ. Kim protested but finally accepted the demand, but felt ashamed.

Kim filed the petition with the commission in February, claiming the military forced him to expose his private parts although it was aware of his sex change as he had submitted the court's ruling and a medical certificate to the conscription agency.

The commission said Monday it has recommended the National Defense Ministry and the Military Manpower Administration change their regulations about physical examination for transsexuals.

``This case was not illegal, but was an infringement of personal rights for Kim who has a unique body condition,'' the commission said. . . .

POV, Critique, Opinion: Transgender Theories: Michael Krasny KQED SF this AM

http://www.kqed.org/programs/program-landing.jsp?progID=RD19

	Listen (RealMedia stream)
	Download (MP3) (Windows: right-click and choose "Save Target As." Mac: hold Ctrl, click link, and choose "Save As.")

The show examines the ongoing debate over research into transgender identity.

Host: Michael Krasny

Guests:

Dr. Alice Dreger, associate professor of Clinical Medical Humanities and BioEthics at Northwestern University

Dr. J. Michael Bailey, professor of Psychology at Northwestern University

Joan Roughgarden, professor of Biological Science at Stanford University and author of “Evolution's Rainbow"

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality

POV, Critique, Opinion: Is Alice Dreger to J. Michael Bailey. . .

. . .as George W. Bush is to Scooter Libby? Weighing in on Yet Another Attempt to Pull a
‘Scholarly’ Fast One Against Transsexual Women

Lawyer and historian Katrina Rose analyzes Alice Dreger's "scholarly 'fast one' against transsexual women" (PDF)

POV, Critique, Opinion: The Controversy. . .

Surrounding The Man Who Would Be Queen: A Case History of the Politics of Science, Identity, and Sex in the Internet Age

Archives of Sexual Behavior, in press.

by Alice D. Dreger

http://www.bioethics.northwestern.edu/faculty/work/dreger/controversy_tmwwbq.pdf


Abstract:

Alice D. Dreger, Ph.D.


Received March 27, 2007; revision received July 3, 2007; accepted July 3, 2007.
Forthcoming in print. ————————————————————————————————————————————

In 2003, psychology professor and sex researcher J. Michael Bailey published a book entitled The Man Who
Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism. The book’s portrayal of male-to-female
(MTF) transsexualism, based on a theory developed by sexologist Ray Blanchard, outraged some
transgender activists. They believed the book to be typical of much of the biomedical literature on
transsexuality—oppressive in both tone and claims, insulting to their senses of self, and damaging to their
public identities. Some saw the book as especially dangerous because it claimed to be based on rigorous
science, was published by an imprint of the National Academies of Science, and argued that MTF sex
changes are motivated primarily by erotic interests and not by the problem of having the gender identity
common to one sex in the body of the other. Dissatisfied with the option of merely criticizing the book, a
small number of transwomen (particularly Lynn Conway, Andrea James, and Deirdre McCloskey) worked to
try to ruin Bailey. Using published and unpublished sources as well as original interviews, this essay traces
the history of the backlash against Bailey and his book. It also provides a thorough exegesis of the book’s
treatment of transsexuality and includes a comprehensive investigation of the merits of the charges made
against Bailey that he had behaved unethically, immorally, and illegally in the production of his book. The
essay closes with an epilogue that explores what has happened since 2003 to the central ideas and major
players in the controversy.
————————————————————————————————————————————
KEY WORDS: transsexualism; transgenderism; gender identity disorder; autogynephilia; identity politics;
institutional review board; human subjects research.

UK: Sex-swap Lauren ‘wants to be a mum’

Aug 20 2007

by Katie Bodinger, South Wales Echo

FORMER child star Lauren Harries has appeared topless in her latest photo shoot and revealed she wants to become a mum.

The 29-year-old transsexual, of Rumney, Cardiff, did the Lady Godiva pose, sitting astride a horse, describing the look as “very Kate Moss”.

In the interview for Closer magazine, she said she had given up on meaningless flings in pursuit of long-term love and motherhood.

Lauren, who shot to fame when she was 10 years old as James Harries, the curly-haired, bow-tied child antiques “expert”, said: “I’m very maternal and I’d like to do an Angeline Jolie and adopt a child – there are so many unloved children out there.

“I’d rather be with a man, though. My ideal man would be Brad Pitt. Like all women, I want to find my Mr Darcy. I don’t think my mother would approve if I became a single mum.”

Lauren, who has carved out a career doing nude pictures and “high fashion” shoots, had a sex change operation in 2001, paying £20,000.

She sold all her antiques to pay for it. She said she was proud of her size eight figure and 34DD bust.

“I’m a bit like Jordan,” she said.

“I’ve been told I look like Nicole Kidman and Princess Diana, which isn’t bad, but other people have compared me to Uma Thurman or Bette Davis, which I prefer.”

Although Lauren had a relationship with a man she met in Spain and a fling with her hairdresser’s boyfriend, she admitted most people are put off by her notoriety.

“I don’t go out at night, because people shout at me,” she said.

“It would be very hard for a man to go out with me because of the attention I get.”

She added she was kept busy answering the letters she gets from other transsexuals.

“I get very sad letters telling me what they’re going through.

“I see myself as a bit of an agony aunt,” she said.

“I tell them you have to be happy with your old and new selves.

“I do sometimes dream that I’m still James, but I’m always relieved to wake up and find out it’s not true.”

katie.bodinger@wme.co.uk

POV, Critique, Opinion: ftmstraighttalk

Monday, August 20, 2007

Further thoughts on why the FTM community is not the place for me

One of the main reasons I'm frustrated with the "transgender" and "ftm" communities is that, at this point, it is very hard to find what I need in those spaces. Not only to their public faces rarely, if ever, represent my experience (or anything like it)... I have found that there seem to be a heck of a lot of people in these "communities" who are actually hostile towards me and all others like me. They are quick to judge and qualify any comment that applies to transitioning transsexual men, or stealth status, or normal masculinity.

It's not fun to feel like you're fighting an uphill battle in a community that proclaims to include and support you.

Here is some of what I am talking about..
--I am not interested in discussing feminism, reading "gender theory" (what?), or playing/experimenting with "gender expression".
--I do not feel that transsexual men are superior in any way whatsoever to non-transsexual men. I don't think that we are better lovers or friends. I think the assumption that we are comes from an anti-male BS perspective.
--I am not interested in challenging normal ideas of what it means to be a man, or questioning the definition of male.
--Similarly, I am not interested in discussing, condemning, or challanging the binary gender system.
--I firmly believe that transsexuality is a birth condition, probably medical/biological in nature. I think the proper treatment is full transition from one sex to the other, and this should be the assumed course. However, the patient should always have the right to refuse treatment, and medical contraindications should be considered if they apply.
--I do not want to be part of the "LGB" community. I am not interested in Pride parades or other gay/queer community activities. I fully support the rights of homosexuals and bisexuals. But I am content to keep on living my life in mainstream society.

So what do I want? I want to talk about the challenges of being a stealth transsexual man. I want to talk with other guys like me about how to address and come to terms with our lost childhoods and lacking male socialization. I want to talk about cars, sports, working out. I want my masculinity to be accepted and celebrated. I want to discuss phalloplasty in frank but positive ways, free from all the bias and nastiness of the general community. I want to simply be myself, a masculine man, without causing heads to turn and eyes to roll among other FTMs. I want to hear others' experiences forming friendships with men, dating straight women, finding jobs, getting involved in their local communities.

I think the ultimate solution for me will be to step out of the "transgender" world, and start seeking out guys who live in stealth mode, guys who are proud to be men. I want to talk to them and get their opinions, hear their stories. I am sick of having to watch every word I say, sick of feeling basically rejected by the "transgender" community. I want to get what I need... and move on with my life.

FX takes walk on wild side with transsexual show

By Nellie Andreeva and Kimberly Nordyke

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - FX has ordered a pilot for a transsexual drama from the creator of its hit medical show "Nip/Tuck."

"4 oz." revolves around a family man who decides to get a sex change. Ryan Murphy ("Nip/Tuck") co-created the project with Brad Falchuk, a writer-producer on "Nip/Tuck," and is set to direct the pilot. Brad Pitt is on board as an executive producer.

Production is under way on the fifth season of "Nip/Tuck," which revolves around two plastic surgeons. . . .