By Juliet Njeri
BBC News, Nachu, central Kenya
A troop of vervet monkeys is giving Kenyan villagers long days and sleepless nights, destroying crops and causing a food crisis.
Earlier this month, local MP Paul Muite urged the Kenyan Wildlife Service to help contain their aggressive behaviour.
But Mr Muite caused laughter when he told parliament that the monkeys had taken to harassing and mocking women in a village.
But this is exactly what the women in the village of Nachu, just south-west of Kikuyu, are complaining about, sexual harassment.
They estimate there are close to 300 monkeys invading the farms at dawn. They eat the village's maize, potatoes, beans and other crops.
And because women are primarily responsible for the farms, they have borne the brunt of the problem, as they try to guard their crops.
The monkeys grab their breasts, and gesture at us while pointing at their private parts.
They say the monkeys are more afraid of young men than women and children, and the bolder ones throw stones and chase the women from their farms.
Nachu's women have tried wearing their husbands' clothes in an attempt to trick the monkeys into thinking they are men - but this has failed, they say.
"When we come to chase the monkeys away, we are dressed in trousers and hats, so that we look like men," resident Lucy Njeri told the BBC News website
"But the monkeys can tell the difference and they don't run away from us and point at our breasts. They just ignore us and continue to steal the crops."
In addition to stealing their crops, the monkeys also make sexually explicit gestures at the women, they claim.
"The monkeys grab their breasts, and gesture at us while pointing at their private parts. We are afraid that they will sexually harass us," said Mrs Njeri.
The Kenyan Wildlife Service told the BBC that it was not unusual for monkeys to harass women and be less afraid of them than men, but they had not heard of monkeys in Kenya making sexually explicit gestures as a form of communication to humans.
But whatever the truth of the villagers claims, the predominantly farming community is now having to receive famine relief food.
The residents say the monkeys have killed livestock and guard dogs, which has also left the villagers living in fear, especially for the safety of their babies and children.
All the villagers' attempts to control the monkeys have failed - the monkeys evade traps, have lookouts to warn the others of impending attacks and snub poisoned food put out by the residents.
"The troop has scouts which keep a lookout from a vantage point, and when they see us coming, they give warning signals to the ones in the farms to get away," said another area resident, Jacinta Wandaga.
The town has been warned by the Kenya Wildlife Service not to harm or kill any of the monkeys, as it is a criminal offence.
Running out of options, residents are harvesting their crops early in an attempt to salvage what they can of this year's crop.
Unfortunately, this only invites the monkeys to break into their homes and steal the harvested crops out of their granaries.
Even the formation of a "monkey squad" to keep track of the monkeys' movements and keep them out has failed.
The area is simply too large for the few volunteers to cover, they say.
Some residents have lost hope and abandoned their homes and farms, but those who have stayed behind, like 80-year-old James Ndungu, are making a desperate plea for assistance.
"For God's sake, the government should take pity on us and move these monkeys away because we do not want to abandon our farms," he said.
"I beg you, please come and take these animals away from here so that we can farm in peace."
Monday, August 27, 2007
Disclosure thwarted adoption, trans man says
By Timothy Cwiek
PGN Writer-at-Large
© 2007 Philadelphia Gay News
A local transgender man says privacy invasions related to his sexual status prevented him from adopting in the tri-state area.
The trans man, who asked to remain unidentified, said he and his wife worked with a local adoption agency, Methodist Family Services of Philadelphia, for about four years, hoping to adopt a child in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware.
He said Methodist insisted on including a paragraph about his transgender status in the home study of the couple. State law requires that home studies be conducted before an individual or couple can become adoptive or foster parents.
The home study could be sent to all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, along with counties in New Jersey and Delaware, he said.
After more than 30 rejections, the trans man and his wife have decided to end their relationship with Methodist.
“We argued with them about including the [trans] information, because it’s not relevant and could hurt our chances of a match,” the man said. “But Methodist insisted and we finally relented. They said they needed to include it to cover their asses in the event the information came out at a later date.”
State and local laws governing home studies in the region are silent on the issue of transgender information, leaving decisions about including the material up to the discretion of the agency conducting the study.
Only one state — Florida — specifically forbids the adoption of children by lesbians and gays. Mississippi prohibits adoption by same-sex couples and second-parent adoption. Utah forbids adoption by any unmarried cohabitating couple.
Anne Rice Burgess, chief program officer for Methodist, said Methodist’s policy is to include the transgender status of a prospective parent in the home study, even if it might get into the hands of a biased county worker.
“We view this as an identity issue,” Burgess explained.
But she noted that future discussions with Methodist’s legal counsel might prompt the agency to amend its policy and not include the information in home studies.
Burgess also said Methodist would respect the wishes of lesbian, gay or bisexual clients who didn’t want their sexual orientation disclosed and that the organization strongly advocates for all of its prospective adoptive parents, including those who are GLBT.
The trans man expressed hope that every adoption agency, not only Methodist, would respect the privacy wishes of transgender clients.
“We weren’t trying to do anything misleading,” he said. “We just wanted to get our foot in the door. When you see other families getting kids after a few months, you realize that prejudice is taking place.” . . .
PGN Writer-at-Large
© 2007 Philadelphia Gay News
A local transgender man says privacy invasions related to his sexual status prevented him from adopting in the tri-state area.
The trans man, who asked to remain unidentified, said he and his wife worked with a local adoption agency, Methodist Family Services of Philadelphia, for about four years, hoping to adopt a child in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware.
He said Methodist insisted on including a paragraph about his transgender status in the home study of the couple. State law requires that home studies be conducted before an individual or couple can become adoptive or foster parents.
The home study could be sent to all 67 counties in Pennsylvania, along with counties in New Jersey and Delaware, he said.
After more than 30 rejections, the trans man and his wife have decided to end their relationship with Methodist.
“We argued with them about including the [trans] information, because it’s not relevant and could hurt our chances of a match,” the man said. “But Methodist insisted and we finally relented. They said they needed to include it to cover their asses in the event the information came out at a later date.”
State and local laws governing home studies in the region are silent on the issue of transgender information, leaving decisions about including the material up to the discretion of the agency conducting the study.
Only one state — Florida — specifically forbids the adoption of children by lesbians and gays. Mississippi prohibits adoption by same-sex couples and second-parent adoption. Utah forbids adoption by any unmarried cohabitating couple.
Anne Rice Burgess, chief program officer for Methodist, said Methodist’s policy is to include the transgender status of a prospective parent in the home study, even if it might get into the hands of a biased county worker.
“We view this as an identity issue,” Burgess explained.
But she noted that future discussions with Methodist’s legal counsel might prompt the agency to amend its policy and not include the information in home studies.
Burgess also said Methodist would respect the wishes of lesbian, gay or bisexual clients who didn’t want their sexual orientation disclosed and that the organization strongly advocates for all of its prospective adoptive parents, including those who are GLBT.
The trans man expressed hope that every adoption agency, not only Methodist, would respect the privacy wishes of transgender clients.
“We weren’t trying to do anything misleading,” he said. “We just wanted to get our foot in the door. When you see other families getting kids after a few months, you realize that prejudice is taking place.” . . .
Finding the Real Me
Sing Tao Daily, News Feature, Xiaoqing Rong, translated by Eugenia Chien, Posted: Aug 27, 2007
Editor’s Note: Advocate Pauline Park, an Asian transgender woman who was adopted by a Caucasian couple, says she has finally found a sense of belonging.
The famous Chinese movie star Chen Xiao Ching once said, “It’s hard being a person, harder being a woman, and even harder being a famous woman.” What about being a transgender woman? Pauline Park, the chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy, understands best the weight of this question.
Whenever someone asks Park where she is from, Park never knows how to answer. Park and her brother were adopted by a Caucasian couple from a Korean orphanage when Park was only eight months old. Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, Park and his brother were the only non-white residents. When he was in elementary school, teachers and parents looked at Park and his brother curiously and asked, “Whose children are these?”
“Ever since I was a kid, I never knew where I belonged. I was born in Korea but I have never been there. I grew up in America but people call me Chinese or Japanese,” Park says.
Even more confusing for her was her sexuality. “When I was little, I felt that I was a girl. I was just a girl’s soul in a boy’s body,” she says. In 1978, Park and her brother left home to attend college in Madison, Wis. Madison had a more active gay and lesbian community, and the university had a center for gay and lesbian students. This was where Park and her brother came out as openly gay.
Park’s adoptive father passed away when she was 12. Not wanting to upset her adoptive mother, a devout Christian, Park hid her sexuality from her even after she came out of the closet. Even when a male admirer came to her house and roused suspicion from her mother, she still did not admit to being gay.
In 1981, Park left for the London School of Economics and fell madly in love with the first man she has ever lived with. She began dressing and living as a woman. Three years later, when Park graduated and returned to America to work in Chicago, her boyfriend traveled from London to see her. After her boyfriend left, Park’s adoptive mother finally openly talked about her son’s sexuality.
“She said to me, she knows that this man was my boyfriend. She didn’t use the term ‘gay,’ but she was subtly expressing to me that she can accept this,” Park says. . . .
Editor’s Note: Advocate Pauline Park, an Asian transgender woman who was adopted by a Caucasian couple, says she has finally found a sense of belonging.
The famous Chinese movie star Chen Xiao Ching once said, “It’s hard being a person, harder being a woman, and even harder being a famous woman.” What about being a transgender woman? Pauline Park, the chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy, understands best the weight of this question.
Whenever someone asks Park where she is from, Park never knows how to answer. Park and her brother were adopted by a Caucasian couple from a Korean orphanage when Park was only eight months old. Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, Park and his brother were the only non-white residents. When he was in elementary school, teachers and parents looked at Park and his brother curiously and asked, “Whose children are these?”
“Ever since I was a kid, I never knew where I belonged. I was born in Korea but I have never been there. I grew up in America but people call me Chinese or Japanese,” Park says.
Even more confusing for her was her sexuality. “When I was little, I felt that I was a girl. I was just a girl’s soul in a boy’s body,” she says. In 1978, Park and her brother left home to attend college in Madison, Wis. Madison had a more active gay and lesbian community, and the university had a center for gay and lesbian students. This was where Park and her brother came out as openly gay.
Park’s adoptive father passed away when she was 12. Not wanting to upset her adoptive mother, a devout Christian, Park hid her sexuality from her even after she came out of the closet. Even when a male admirer came to her house and roused suspicion from her mother, she still did not admit to being gay.
In 1981, Park left for the London School of Economics and fell madly in love with the first man she has ever lived with. She began dressing and living as a woman. Three years later, when Park graduated and returned to America to work in Chicago, her boyfriend traveled from London to see her. After her boyfriend left, Park’s adoptive mother finally openly talked about her son’s sexuality.
“She said to me, she knows that this man was my boyfriend. She didn’t use the term ‘gay,’ but she was subtly expressing to me that she can accept this,” Park says. . . .
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Confusing Dildo and Penis Incredible
A California appeals court has ruled that a woman married for 14 years to a person she mistakenly thought was a man, at least for some portion of that time, can have her marriage annulled, but cannot at the same time make a state community property marriage law claim to a portion of the value of the family home purchased in her "husband"'s name.
The August 15 ruling upheld San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge John M. Pacheco's original ruling in the case.
According to the court's opinion by Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez, Joy H. claimed to believe that Tammy C., who presented as a man but never had a sex change, was in fact John R. Based on her stated belief that she had entered into a legally valid marriage, Joy H. made the community property claim.
The couple met at their workplace, and Tammy identified herself as John, having an ID obtained in Arizona. They married in 1988, and after the wedding John informed Joy that he was sterile so that artificial insemination would be required to have a child. A co-worker provided the sperm that enabled the couple to give birth to a girl in 1989.
According to Ramirez's opinion, "Although the parties had a sexually active relationship, Joy H. maintained that she did not know that Tammy C. was a biological female." Joy claimed that John said he was self-conscious about his obesity and asked her not to look at him or touch his genitalia during sex. That cover allowed John to use a silicone dildo for intercourse. . . .
"Pholomolo-No-Man-Woman" by Veronique Renard
What can we expect from early transitioning MTF TSs?
A range of outcomes. . .here is information from one person in autobiography.
And, see her web site and a photo history available here.
"Transgender Theories," KQED program transcript
See complete transcript . . .from tsroadmap.com
"Transgender Theories"
The show examines the ongoing debate over research into transgender identity.
Host: Michael Krasny
Guests:
"Transgender Theories"
 | Listen (RealMedia stream) |
| Download (MP3) (Windows: right-click and choose "Save Target As." Mac: hold Ctrl, click link, and choose "Save As.") |
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 |
Saturday, August 25, 2007
That's Lady Bunny, Honey
by Bryan James Whitley
DJ Lady Bunny
Legendary drag queen, film star and DJ Lady Bunny returns to Buffalo this weekend for Summer in the City 2007: A Benefit for Pride Center of WNY. From her early days in Atlanta performing with RuPaul, Mr. Charlie Brown, and a host of others, to her meteoric rise to fame in the “Big Apple,” Lady Bunny has kept audiences entertained for more than 20 years.
I recently caught up with Lady Bunny to chat about her life, career, and her upcoming trip back to Buffalo…
Artvoice: First things first, where did you get the name “Lady Bunny”?
Lady Bunny: It was a bad joke that stuck! Southern drag queens often called themselves “Lady”—like the Lady Chablis. And “Bunny,” well, that’s anybody’s guess. I do remember that Sergeant Carter’s girlfriend on the TV show Gomer Pyle was named Bunny, but I also loved a rare late ’60s comic book called Bunny: Queen of the In Crowd that featured a blonde model in psychedelic outfits, which I’ve borrowed from heavily.
AV: I see. So, tell me about your first drag show?
LB: Well, I’m dating myself…but hell, why not? No one else wants to date me! I lip-synched to “Young Hearts Run Free” by Candi Staton at a party in the dump that RuPaul and I lived in in Atlanta. It was a fairly pitiful and drunken affair.
AV: How did you end up becoming a DJ too?
LB: Well, as dance music became more and more techno in the late ’80s—you know, pots and pans music with no vocals—I would often get hired to spin lighter music in a lounge off of the main dance floor to provide variety. Actually, Michael Alig (the axe-murdering “Party Monster”) gave me my first paying gig at a party called “Panty Girdles.” I’ve never really promoted myself as a DJ but there seems to be a demand. I think half of my appeal as a DJ is that I dance around and carry on, so they get a DJ and a clown both for the price of one!
But the other half is that I’m not afraid to play songs that people know and love…I’m not necessarily trying to be cutting edge. I don’t know a crowd who doesn’t love Whitney’s [Houston] “I’m Every Woman” and that song is over 10 years old! Especially at a gay event, who wouldn’t want to twirl to that? Ultimately, I play a little bit of everything based on the feeling I get from the crowd. I say, “Give ’em what they want. I can play what I like at home for free!” Making people dance is a celebratory sensation so it’s a job that makes you feel good. Or is it just the liquor? Whatever.
AV: So, what do you think is the most interesting thing about you?
LB: Since I’m so incredibly fascinating, I don’t think this interview is going to be long enough to list all of them. Ha, just kidding!
Seriously, I guess that a lot of people don’t realize that in addition to comedy, I actually have a very serious politically and socially conscious side. Gay people are under attack and it’s time to start fighting back. I’ve been writing a lot on my blog about current issues and have received good feedback from it. My blog even won a “Cybersocket Award for Best Personal Home Page” last year. So, I’m not just a potty-mouthed tramp. Although if a tramp is what your looking for…
AV: What’s your favorite thing to do when visiting Buffalo?
LB: Eating chicken wings! I actually had come directly from Wigstock [an annual outdoor drag-a-palooza organized by Bunny] the night before my last visit and since it was a daytime gig, I didn’t get to go sightseeing and had to leave the next day. So, perhaps some stud would like to show me around this time? Call me.
AV: Lastly, where can readers get more info on all things Lady Bunny?
LB: You can visit my Web site, Ladybunny.net, and check out my DVD trailer or press kit information with details on many of exploits, from Pamela Anderson’s Roast to Wigstock and more. I’m also thrilled to say that I was recently cast in the sequel to Another Gay Movie. So, keep your eye out for “Lady Bunion” on the big screen. I wouldn’t fit on a small one!. . .
DJ Lady Bunny
Legendary drag queen, film star and DJ Lady Bunny returns to Buffalo this weekend for Summer in the City 2007: A Benefit for Pride Center of WNY. From her early days in Atlanta performing with RuPaul, Mr. Charlie Brown, and a host of others, to her meteoric rise to fame in the “Big Apple,” Lady Bunny has kept audiences entertained for more than 20 years.
I recently caught up with Lady Bunny to chat about her life, career, and her upcoming trip back to Buffalo…
Artvoice: First things first, where did you get the name “Lady Bunny”?
Lady Bunny: It was a bad joke that stuck! Southern drag queens often called themselves “Lady”—like the Lady Chablis. And “Bunny,” well, that’s anybody’s guess. I do remember that Sergeant Carter’s girlfriend on the TV show Gomer Pyle was named Bunny, but I also loved a rare late ’60s comic book called Bunny: Queen of the In Crowd that featured a blonde model in psychedelic outfits, which I’ve borrowed from heavily.
AV: I see. So, tell me about your first drag show?
LB: Well, I’m dating myself…but hell, why not? No one else wants to date me! I lip-synched to “Young Hearts Run Free” by Candi Staton at a party in the dump that RuPaul and I lived in in Atlanta. It was a fairly pitiful and drunken affair.
AV: How did you end up becoming a DJ too?
LB: Well, as dance music became more and more techno in the late ’80s—you know, pots and pans music with no vocals—I would often get hired to spin lighter music in a lounge off of the main dance floor to provide variety. Actually, Michael Alig (the axe-murdering “Party Monster”) gave me my first paying gig at a party called “Panty Girdles.” I’ve never really promoted myself as a DJ but there seems to be a demand. I think half of my appeal as a DJ is that I dance around and carry on, so they get a DJ and a clown both for the price of one!
But the other half is that I’m not afraid to play songs that people know and love…I’m not necessarily trying to be cutting edge. I don’t know a crowd who doesn’t love Whitney’s [Houston] “I’m Every Woman” and that song is over 10 years old! Especially at a gay event, who wouldn’t want to twirl to that? Ultimately, I play a little bit of everything based on the feeling I get from the crowd. I say, “Give ’em what they want. I can play what I like at home for free!” Making people dance is a celebratory sensation so it’s a job that makes you feel good. Or is it just the liquor? Whatever.
AV: So, what do you think is the most interesting thing about you?
LB: Since I’m so incredibly fascinating, I don’t think this interview is going to be long enough to list all of them. Ha, just kidding!
Seriously, I guess that a lot of people don’t realize that in addition to comedy, I actually have a very serious politically and socially conscious side. Gay people are under attack and it’s time to start fighting back. I’ve been writing a lot on my blog about current issues and have received good feedback from it. My blog even won a “Cybersocket Award for Best Personal Home Page” last year. So, I’m not just a potty-mouthed tramp. Although if a tramp is what your looking for…
AV: What’s your favorite thing to do when visiting Buffalo?
LB: Eating chicken wings! I actually had come directly from Wigstock [an annual outdoor drag-a-palooza organized by Bunny] the night before my last visit and since it was a daytime gig, I didn’t get to go sightseeing and had to leave the next day. So, perhaps some stud would like to show me around this time? Call me.
AV: Lastly, where can readers get more info on all things Lady Bunny?
LB: You can visit my Web site, Ladybunny.net, and check out my DVD trailer or press kit information with details on many of exploits, from Pamela Anderson’s Roast to Wigstock and more. I’m also thrilled to say that I was recently cast in the sequel to Another Gay Movie. So, keep your eye out for “Lady Bunion” on the big screen. I wouldn’t fit on a small one!. . .
I *AM* ARUNE
The title above is not really egotistical. As Lynn Conway now has a page on her web site titled “Who is Arune??” I thought to answer her in this essay.
There really is no need to discuss the basic question at any length. I am Willow Arune, a transsexual woman, retired lawyer and post-op, 57, happy as a clam and content with my life which I share with Sonia, our six cats and two dogs. Last November, we relocated to the wilderness of Prince George, in northern British Columbia, from Vancouver. How far north? Well, last night we watched the northern lights instead of television…
But that is not the story, really. The story is about Blanchard, Bailey, and the concerted efforts by some transsexual women to attack them and anyone who dares support them in any manner, fair or foul (and mostly foul). The real war started with the publication of a small book - “The Man Who Would Be Queen”, written by Michael Bailey. It contains three parts, the last of which deals in a popular science manner with the concepts of Ray Blanchard, of the Clarke Institute in Toronto, regarding transsexuality. Those leading the battle against the book, Blanchard, and anyone who crosses their sights, are Lynn Conway and Andrea James, both of whom have large web sites setting out their position and “investigations”.
Firstly, from the start of this mess, I have asked for calm - without much success. That first request can be found on the Web. As I found myself changing my initial opinion and seeking further clarification at certain points, I contacted Bailey, then Blanchard, Lawrence and Petersen, the major proponents of the autogynephilic concept. They have been most kind at sharing views and comments, including their participation in an AG support list of over 150 members.
In so doing, I became a target for James and Conway. Not that I wished to get fully engaged, but it seems that any supporter of Blanchard must perforce endure attacks by the two of them and their vehement allies. That has proven to be very nasty and at times, I must confess, I tend to lose my cool. At other times, I assume that the world must know of this situation and write accordingly, leaving some confused and lost.
Firstly, Bailey did very little "research" for the book, in the classical sense. It is an anecdotal explanation of Blanchard's concept applied to real situations of six women, and that only in Part 3. Bailey's own work is more truly reflected in Parts 1 and 2 - and Part 1 is what gives the book its title and cover. That was the publisher's decision, not Bailey's. I dislike both, but in the context of Part 1, it makes sense.
Blanchard did the research which Bailey reports on in his book, admittedly in a popular science manner. Blanchard started off in 1985, with 21 papers following, up to the mid 90s. His research is hard to find - and that is due in the main to the copyright rules of scientific publishers. At the time these papers were done, Blanchard was a psychologist at the Gender Identity Clinic of the Clarke (he joined in 1980); he is now the Head of Clinical Sexology Services at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, commonly referred to by transsexual women in Canada still as “the Clarke’. The availability of his research might soon change for the better. So my first comment is that most are dealing (sorry, Mike) with the monkey instead of the organ grinder. To understand Bailey in full, one must read the original material. Blanchard had a large number of subjects to participate in all of his studies. Other TS studies have had small numbers - the oft-cited Dutch brain study had but seven brains; Bolin had a sampling of 16 core transsexuals for “In Search of Eve”.
Secondly, Blanchard, Bailey and Petersen have been restricted in replying to their critics. They are bound by confidentiality - especially in respect of those that have been patients and who are now loudly critics. The temptation to reply in kind and with the true story must be overpowering - but they have not done so as they are professionals. Mike is facing one remaining (the others having been dropped) accusation at his university, where he is the head of his department. The merits of those accusations, or the remaining one, are suspect (reading about “Cher” - the major complainant - and "Robot Man" tends to dispel any aura of credibility that she may have, in my opinion). Any lawyer for the university would jump down hard if Mike were to respond to the vocal critics in any meaningful way. One recent article has dealt with the concerns, and the issues in a real sense, without the emotional rants. It is not a simple issue and as one sided as the critics seem to often suggest. I stress that such is an accusation, not proven, not yet determined.
The explosive rethinking of sex reassignment
At 50, Roy Berkowitz-Shelton was a caring, well-respected family doctor with a flourishing practice in Massachusetts. He was bald and had a beard. He and his wife, Allison, had a long and loving marriage and two nearly grown kids.
There was just one problem with his life. Ever since he could remember, Roy had been attracted to women's makeup and clothes. One day, on a trip to the grocery store, he blurted out: “Allison, I feel I'm a woman.”
Today, 21/2 years later, he has fulfilled his dream. He is now Dr. Deborah Bershel. Deborah dresses in dark skirts and teal tops and owns a dozen pairs of high heels. She loves to shop. Thanks to female hormones and facial surgery, which smoothed her forehead, reshaped her nose, softened her jaw line and shaved her Adam's apple, she resembles someone's kindly aunt. Now, she wants to take the final step: surgery that would amputate her penis and create a vagina.
“I feel like a whole person now,” she says.
Deborah's journey was sympathetically recounted this month by the Boston Globe magazine. It is not so unusual any more. Transgendered people now share equal billing with gays, lesbians and bisexuals in the ever-expanding panoply of sexual minorities. The standard explanation is that they are the victims of a biological mistake, born into a body of the wrong sex. The vast majority of transgendered people are biological men who wish to become women.
In liberal Massachusetts, Deborah encountered very little social disapproval of her sex change. On the contrary. Her patients and co-workers have been immensely supportive. Her Conservative Jewish synagogue never wavered. Most people in our tolerant, open society believe people should be able to follow their own path to happiness and self-fulfilment. If anything, they think Deborah is courageous. “It takes a lot of soul-searching to sacrifice the things you have to be true to yourself,” said Denise Leclair, executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education.
But not everything has been smooth. Deborah was certain she would be able to maintain her marriage. She believed that after her transition, she and her family would begin a deeper and more honest life together. And indeed, her wife, Allison, tried to keep an open mind. She went with Roy to a cross-dressing convention. She took care of Deborah after her facial surgery. They went to marriage counselling together. In the end, it didn't work. Allison told Deborah there was a reason she had married a man, and asked her to move out.
Deborah's teenaged son is handling the adjustment well. But her 20 year-old daughter has become estranged and refuses to speak to her. Deborah's father seems resigned. “I'm heartbroken,” he says, “but he's my son.”
Deborah says she wasn't suicidal as a man – just restless and unfulfilled. She doesn't seem to have much remorse or guilt for the destruction of her family or the pain she's caused. She's exploring the singles scene and has posted her profile on a women-to-women dating site.
In the gay-rights movement and the academic world, nothing – but nothing – is more explosive than the science and politics of gender. And that includes the subject of transgendered women.
In the prevailing narrative, people like Roy are essentially women trapped in the bodies of men. But there is another theory, one that's deeply unpopular, to say the least. It holds that they are really men with an unusual psychological quirk: a male deviation called autogynephilia.
This theory is largely based on research studies conducted at Toronto's Clarke Institute during the 1980s and 90s. It found that some men who seek sex changes are driven mainly by an intense erotic fascination with dressing up as women. The researchers found that as they get older, these men (predominantly heterosexual) become increasingly eager to add more realism to their presentations through surgery. As women, they rhapsodize about being able to express their natural inclinations for shopping, makeup, domesticity and gentleness. But in other ways, they aren't womanly at all. They aren't interested in babies and children. And, like Deborah, they still find women sexually attractive. After their transition, they see themselves as lesbians.
One expert who supports this theory is psychologist J. Michael Bailey of Northwestern University. His 2003 book, The Man Who Would Be Queen, explains the biology of sexual orientation and gender. It has been called a compelling explanation of the science. But he has been bitterly denounced for his treatment of transgender issues. One prominent academic, a transgendered woman, compared his views to Nazi propaganda. Another well-known transgendered academic, Deirdre McCloskey, called his work “false, unscientific and politically damaging.” He has been accused of gross violations of scientific standards, and his research associates were warned by others in the field to keep their distance. He told The New York Times that the two years after he published his book were the hardest of his life.
Some people believe the crusade against Dr. Bailey is political correctness run amok. Alice Dreger, an ethics scholar brought in to conduct a lengthy investigation, exonerated him of wrongdoing and said, “What happened to Bailey is important, because the harassment was so extraordinarily bad and because it could happen to any researcher in the field.” . . .
Friday, August 24, 2007
Scotland: Devious or deviant, what's Greer up to?
Tue 21 Aug 2007
JOAN McFADDEN
NO-ONE does a 30-second sound-bite quite like Germaine Greer, but I wonder exactly what was going through her notoriously sharp mind when she made her throwaway remark at the Edinburgh International Book Festival last week that Diana, Princess of Wales, "was a devious moron".
Or perhaps not quite so throwaway, when you bear in mind that she has spent the last forty years trying to shake up the Establishment. She changed the lives of a whole generation of women with the publication in 1970 of The Female Eunuch, in which she explored the theme that women don't realise how much men hate them, and how much they are taught to hate themselves.
Over the years she continued to send out shockwaves, as she wrote about her own experiences of lesbian sex, rape, abortion, infertility, failed marriage - she was married for three weeks in the 1960s, during which time she said she was unfaithful on a number of occasions - and menopause.
Yet while her early writings may have been provocative, they were unarguably thoughtful, and however shocking, encouraged people to challenge their perceptions of women and their place in society. . . .
Julia Serano: On the continuing Bailey book controversy
Julia Serano is an Oakland, California-based writer, spoken word performer, trans activist, and biologist.
(Also, see comments on Julia's article. R.A.)
This Tuesday, The New York Times ran an article about the continuing controversy surrounding psychologist J. Michael Bailey’s 2003 book The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism. The premise of the book is that *all* transsexual women transition for purely sexual reasons - either to attract straight men or because they are sexually aroused by the idea of being or becoming female. This sexualizing of trans women’s motives is of course nothing new. In the media, trans women are regularly depicted as either sex workers, sexual deceivers who prey on unsuspecting straight men, or as fetishists who get off on the idea of wearing women’s clothing. The media’s (as well as Bailey’s) assumption that MTF (but not FTM) transsexuals transition in order to fulfill some kind of sexual fantasy not only dismisses trans women’s deeply experienced female gender identities, but also insinuates that women as a whole have no worth beyond their ability to be sexualized. (For those interested, I discuss this more in depth in my own book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity).
Much of the transgender community’s initial outrage over Bailey’s book centered on the fact that it was presented to the public as a work of science. It was published by Joseph Henry Press, an imprint of National Academies Press, whose goal is “publishing well-crafted, authoritative books on science, technology, and health for the science-interested general public.” But if one looks beyond the back cover copy, one finds little science at all. Bailey simply rehashes a scientifically flawed theory that was put forward by fellow sexologist Ray Blanchard nearly a decade ago. Rather than providing data to support Blanchard’s theory, Bailey instead attempts to make his points through the use of lurid (and often demeaning) anecdotes, sexist and racist commentary, gross generalizations and unsubstantiated speculations (for specific details, see Joan Roughgarden’s review of the book). In addition, Bailey conveniently claims that trans women and gay men whose personal accounts differ from his thesis are merely lying (he’s used this tactic before: see a 2005 NY Times article called "Straight, Gay or Lying? Bisexuality Revisited," in which Bailey insinuates that men who say they are attracted to both sexes are lying).
Of course, this week’s NY Times article doesn’t discuss the hypersexualization of trans women in our culture, and it barely mentions the fact that Bailey falsely presented stereotypes and sexual innuendo as “science” without any hard data to back his claims up. Rather, the article focuses almost entirely on accusations made by Alice Dreger in her forthcoming article in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, in which she claims that several prominent trans activists stooped to conducting personal attacks on Bailey during their campaign against the book. As Dreger comments in the NY Times article:
“If we’re going to have research at all, then we’re going to have people saying unpopular things, and if this is what happens to them, then we’ve got problems not only for science but free expression itself.”
Now, I’m not going to comment about the accusations Dreger makes, as the trans activists involved have denied her charges and have made counter-accusations of their own. And while Dreger presents her essay as a work of scholarly history, it’s clear that she is not an impartial, objective observer - she is currently an associate of Bailey’s and has become embroiled in the controversy that surrounds the book herself.
What does strike me though are the parallels between the way Bailey misrepresented anecdotes and opinions as “science” in his book and the way Dreger’s take on this controversy is now being misrepresented as a work of scholarly/scientific history. Indeed, the fact that a scientific journal such as Archives of Sexual Behavior would dedicate a whopping 62 pages (several times more than it allocates to standard research articles) to Dreger’s highly personalized account of this matter is unusual to say the least. While it is not uncommon for scientific journals to publish viewpoints from individual scientists on noteworthy issues, they tend to be clearly designated as editorials or opinions pieces, rather than as actual research papers (as Dreger’s article is being presented).
As an academic scientist myself, what bothers me most about the NY Times’ retelling of this controversy is that they portrayed Bailey as a “scientist under siege” fighting for academic freedom, without any mention of *academic responsibility*. In our society, people tend to view opinions as being inherently valid when they are spoken in the name of science and when the person voicing them has an advanced degree in a germane field. Perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in public discourses on transsexuality, where the opinions of non-trans “experts” (whether they be psychiatrists, sexologists, sociologists or gender theorists) regularly trump, or completely stand in for, the perspectives of actual transsexuals.
The fact is that when a self-appointed “expert” like Bailey claims that transsexual women transition for purely sexual reasons, and that they are lying if they state otherwise, people will believe him because of his academic/scientist status. The NY Times may try to frame the controversy surrounding Bailey’s book as an example of political correctness run amok, but the truth of the matter is that Bailey himself did exponentially more damage to the field of academic research when he misrepresented anecdotes and innuendos as though they were science.
-julia
Transgender band to play at Anderson's
He banned the transgender community from his Scottsdale nightclub and now the owner of Andersons Fifth Estate is back in the news.
For several months, Tom Anderson, owner of the poplar Andersons Fifth Estate nightclub, has found himself in a quandary.
“I'm dammed if I do, damned if I don't,” he said.
It started when he decided to ban the transgender crowd from his club after receiving complaints about who was using the ladies' bathroom.
“If you're a man, then you cannot use the women’s restroom," he said. "It's a simple case of security for my women who use that bathroom.”
Anderson is being criticized again.
This time it’s because of the band he invited to play next Monday night. It’s psychic TV, a transgender band.
“I'm hosting this event to show that we are not bigoted,” he said.
He said he’ll have special bathroom arrangements during the one-time event.
“The men’s bathroom will be transgendered. The men will use the restroom on the lower portion of Anderson’s,” he said.
Michele Delafrenier, who was born a man but is now a woman, was a regular at Anderson’s. After she and her friends were kicked out, she filed a sex discrimination complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.
She’s not happy about the upcoming event.
“The possibility of me passing totally in society is very little, but I have younger women in their teens, 20s who have transitioned and you can't tell the difference,” she said.
Delafrenier and her friends plan to protest the event.
“We will be there,” she said.
Anderson said he is trying to do something for the community.
“I'm trying to do something for that community to come in and enjoy themselves and I’m being criticized for this,” he said.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Transgender teenager's journey
Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com
CNN's Kara Finnstrom has the story of a transgender teenager and his long path to acceptance.
CNN's Kara Finnstrom has the story of a transgender teenager and his long path to acceptance.
WHIPPING GIRL: A TRANSSEXUAL WOMAN ON SEXISM AND THE SCAPEGOATING OF FEMININITY
by Julia Serano (Seal), 392 pages, $19.95 paper. Rating:
Julia Serano's incredibly original text - equal parts essay, memoir, manifesto, study in etymology and critique of mass media - examines how our culture's disdain for femininity directly informs our view of trans women.
Serano's background as a biologist, performer and transsexual activist makes Whipping Girl insightful, in-depth and multi-faceted. It combines the readability of a memoir, the humorous sass of the best spoken word rant and a thorough, even-handed analysis of biology versus socialization not found in most gender studies books.
Most anti-trans sentiment Serano has had to deal with as a transsexual woman, she says, is probably better described as "trans-misogyny." She summarizes the myriad ways feminists and gay activists refuse to practise what they preach. For example, some feminists who rally against the objectification of women's bodies see no reason not to ask invasive personal questions about trans people's bodies.
At the heart of these offences is what Serano terms cissexism, the belief that transsexuals' gender identities are less authentic and "normal" than non-transsexuals – or cissexuals.
She takes to task prominent gender theorists like Judith Butler as well as the genderqueer movement bent on destroying the binary gender system, which ends up pitting gender-conforming and non-gender-conforming people against each other.
While offering critical insights or discussing painful personal memories, Serano never condescends or engages in "more oppressed than thou" rhetoric.
The book culminates in a call for alliances, leaving the reader with the hope that matters among the very divided queer, genderqueer, transsexual and feminist communities could really get better.
Rarely do I believe hyperbolic back-cover blurbs claiming "We desperately need this book." But this one's absolutely accurate.
Transgender Bostonian Has Her Day in Court: Verdict Due Today
by Kilian Melloy
EDGE Boston Contributor
Thursday Aug 23, 2007
Massachusetts native Rhiannon O’Donnabhain grew up in the South Shore as part of an Irish Catholic family, went to mass on Sundays, joined the Coast Guard, became a civil engineer, married, and raised three children--all as a man.
But in 1996, after a lifetime of dissonance between her outer appearance and her inner identity, O’Donnabhain received the answers she’d looked for throughout her life: she was professionally diagnosed with GID, or Gender Identity Disorder, a medially recognized condition in which a person experiences a deep-seated and consistent sensation that he or she is a person of a gender different than that of the body.
O’Donnabhain received a prescription for her complaint: gender reassignment, including several major surgeries.
But when she wrote about $5,000 of the approximately $25,000 cost of the procedures off of her 2003 taxes--much as one would write off an appendectomy or other major medical procedure--the IRS balked, denying her claim and calling it "cosmetic" despite the firmly established clinical definition of GID and the widespread acceptance and recognition of the condition as a serious and life-impacting affliction requiring medical intervention, and despite the medical opinion of O’Donnabhain’s health care providers that the treatment was necessary for the sake of her mental health and for her capability to function.
O’Donnabhain, represented by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, took the IRS to court; the trial of O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue began July 24, recessed July 27, and is scheduled to be decided today, after the IRS presents its expert witnesses and the closing arguments are made. . . .
EDGE Boston Contributor
Thursday Aug 23, 2007
Massachusetts native Rhiannon O’Donnabhain grew up in the South Shore as part of an Irish Catholic family, went to mass on Sundays, joined the Coast Guard, became a civil engineer, married, and raised three children--all as a man.
But in 1996, after a lifetime of dissonance between her outer appearance and her inner identity, O’Donnabhain received the answers she’d looked for throughout her life: she was professionally diagnosed with GID, or Gender Identity Disorder, a medially recognized condition in which a person experiences a deep-seated and consistent sensation that he or she is a person of a gender different than that of the body.
O’Donnabhain received a prescription for her complaint: gender reassignment, including several major surgeries.
But when she wrote about $5,000 of the approximately $25,000 cost of the procedures off of her 2003 taxes--much as one would write off an appendectomy or other major medical procedure--the IRS balked, denying her claim and calling it "cosmetic" despite the firmly established clinical definition of GID and the widespread acceptance and recognition of the condition as a serious and life-impacting affliction requiring medical intervention, and despite the medical opinion of O’Donnabhain’s health care providers that the treatment was necessary for the sake of her mental health and for her capability to function.
O’Donnabhain, represented by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, took the IRS to court; the trial of O’Donnabhain v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue began July 24, recessed July 27, and is scheduled to be decided today, after the IRS presents its expert witnesses and the closing arguments are made. . . .
Bi social club bars some trans women
by Heather Cassell
h.cassell@ebar.com
The Chasing Amy Social Club came under attack last month after its anti-transgender membership policy was revealed on a trans woman's blog.
Charlie Anders, a bisexual transgender woman in her 30s who has not undergone convertive surgery, posted an entry, "Chasing Transgender Women Away," on July 21 on her Charliegrrrl blog protesting the club's transgender policy. She posted a follow-up entry on August 13, which encouraged people to contact Amy Larson, CASC founder, to voice their disagreement with the policy.
Anders told the Bay Area Reporter that she contacted Larson sometime in July to inquire about joining CASC. Anders, a former staff member of Anything that Moves, the now-defunct national bisexual magazine and a longtime LGBT community activist, was bothered by the policy.
The policy, according to Larson, is "partially" modeled after one used at Osento, the all-women's bathhouse in San Francisco's Mission District. According to its gender policy, Osento allows transgender women who have had surgery. In an e-mail response to questions August 20, Larson stated, "There is a fair amount of semi- or full-nudity at various of our private group events."
CASC is a private social group founded, organized, and funded solely by Larson, a bisexual woman, for bisexual and bi-supportive woman in the Bay Area that has been operating for six years. The group has an estimated 500 members, according to Larson, who screens potential members by phone to see if they meet the club's membership criteria.
Women excluded from joining the club, Larson said, are women who smoke indoors, "vegans offended by the presence of animal products, those with cat allergies, red wine drinkers, folks partaking of drugs during events, women under the age of 18, women seeking a singles hookup environment or sex club, and a variety of other things," including bisexual transgender women who haven't undergone surgery. . . .
h.cassell@ebar.com
The Chasing Amy Social Club came under attack last month after its anti-transgender membership policy was revealed on a trans woman's blog.
Charlie Anders, a bisexual transgender woman in her 30s who has not undergone convertive surgery, posted an entry, "Chasing Transgender Women Away," on July 21 on her Charliegrrrl blog protesting the club's transgender policy. She posted a follow-up entry on August 13, which encouraged people to contact Amy Larson, CASC founder, to voice their disagreement with the policy.
Anders told the Bay Area Reporter that she contacted Larson sometime in July to inquire about joining CASC. Anders, a former staff member of Anything that Moves, the now-defunct national bisexual magazine and a longtime LGBT community activist, was bothered by the policy.
The policy, according to Larson, is "partially" modeled after one used at Osento, the all-women's bathhouse in San Francisco's Mission District. According to its gender policy, Osento allows transgender women who have had surgery. In an e-mail response to questions August 20, Larson stated, "There is a fair amount of semi- or full-nudity at various of our private group events."
CASC is a private social group founded, organized, and funded solely by Larson, a bisexual woman, for bisexual and bi-supportive woman in the Bay Area that has been operating for six years. The group has an estimated 500 members, according to Larson, who screens potential members by phone to see if they meet the club's membership criteria.
Women excluded from joining the club, Larson said, are women who smoke indoors, "vegans offended by the presence of animal products, those with cat allergies, red wine drinkers, folks partaking of drugs during events, women under the age of 18, women seeking a singles hookup environment or sex club, and a variety of other things," including bisexual transgender women who haven't undergone surgery. . . .
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