Critique, POV, Opinion: Boys Will Be Girls?

Catholic Therapists Help Kids Overcome ‘Transgender’ Issues


BY CELESTE McGOVERN
REGISTER CORRESPONDENT

July 6-12, 2008

PHILADELPHIA — When “Ben Carson” was 3 years old, his favorite color was pink and his best friend at nursery school was a girl. He drew flowers and he loved Snow White.

His parents noticed differences between him and other boys and they started to recall with concern the little things he had done since he was a toddler — such as wandering around the house wearing a towel robe like a dress.

“Then one evening when he was 4 years old, I was putting him into bed and he said, ‘I really don’t want to grow up,” recalled his father, a government worker in Philadelphia who requested anonymity to protect his son. “And he said, ‘I really wish I was a girl.’ Something clicked. I just knew something was really wrong with my son. He was depressed and just not happy with who he was.”

If young Ben lived in Massachusetts, he could be a candidate for “gender reassignment” treatment at a children’s hospital there that recently opened a controversial clinic that allows young children to select their own gender and treats them with hormones. Hearings that began June 26 at the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee show just how accepted gender reassignment has become. Democrats on the committee want to make it illegal for employers to discriminate against adults who change their gender. . . .Read More

Questioning Athletic Gender Norms

Women's Sports Foundation - 2008

Jess Ream, a student at Mount Holyoke College, spoke with It Takes A Team! about being a transgender college athlete. Jess is currently a senior, and played ice hockey from freshman year to junior year. It Takes A Team! is the Women's Sports Foundation's program aimed at eliminating homophobia in athletics.

What athletic accomplishments are you most proud of?

My senior year of high school I was league MVP and made the All-State team in CT for basketball. I also went into New-England’s seated 3rd in javelin in my first and only season of track and field. I was the only athlete from my school to go to State opens for three events, and won discus for Class S States.

How do you identify your gender?

I identify as transgender or genderqueer. I am female bodied, but usually pass as a man. I do not have a pro-noun preference. Identifying as just male or female has always felt like playing dress up. I have been told, and feel, very much in the middle. I let people call me what is most comfortable for them, since I don’t mind either.

How did you “come out” to your teammates and coaches?

I was bisexual when I joined the team. I had never played ice hockey or even skated on ice before, but a girl I was dating was on the team. I would go to games as support, but after watching a couple of games, I knew I had to try it. As I started to realize the extent of my gender, I felt uncomfortable on a women’s team. Even though I was not the only transgender or transsexual on the team, and no one on the team seemed to mind, I still didn’t like that we being lumped in with the “women’s team”. Removing gender labels like this at a single sex college would invite transgender athletes to socially become part of the campus they already are attending. Coming out as a transgender stopped my official sports career. Although I continue to work out avidly, I was not able to resolve being trans and being an athlete. . . .Read More

My Facial Feminization Surgery

"This is a 3 min 41 sec video diary of still images from my Facial Feminization Surgery by Dr. Spiegel on Dec. 16, 2006. It was very very painful but worth it." Vicki Estrada

Trans parents, trans kids: two new guides

by Dana Rudolph

Jul 10, 2008


Two new works offer much-needed guidance for families with transgender members, but each approaches the subject from a different perspective. One addresses parents of transgender children, while the other targets children of transgender parents.

The Transgender Child, by Stephanie Brill and Rachel Pepper (Cleis, 2008), is subtitled, "A Handbook for Families and Professionals," but speaks mostly to parents. With even mainstream media such as NPR and the parenting magazine Cookie broaching the subject of gender variance in children in the last few months, the appearance of a thorough, authoritative work for parents is long overdue. This book fills the need with balance and sensitivity.

The authors have each published other books on LGBT parenting: Brill authored The Queer Parent’s Primer (New Harbinger, 2001) and co-authored The Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth (Alyson, 2002). Pepper, coordinator of LGBT Studies at Yale University and an editor at Curve magazine, wrote The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians (2nd Edition, Cleis, 2005). In addition, Brill has extensive experience working with gender-nonconforming and transgender children and their parents. She started a parents’ support group at Children’s Hospital Oakland, founded Gender Spectrum Education and Training (genderspectrum.org), and co-produces the national Gender Spectrum Family conference (genderspectrumfamily.org).

Brill and Pepper draw on their own knowledge and that of professional therapists, lawyers, endocrinologists, and activists. . . .Read More

Retrospective: Sex-Change Pioneer, Dr. Stanley Biber

by Jeff Brady

All Things Considered, January 19, 2006 · The king of sex-change procedures has died. Dr. Stanley Biber performed more than 5,000 such operations over more than 30 years. In the process, he turned the tiny town of Trinidad, Colo., into the sex-change capital of the world.

Listen Now

Gay men and straight women have similar brains, study says

The research suggests a basic biological link between sexual orientation and a range of mental functions.

By Denise Gellene, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 17, 2008

The brains of gay men resemble those of straight women, according to research published today that provides more evidence of the role of biology in sexual orientation.

Using brain-scanning equipment, researchers said they discovered similarities in the brain circuits that deal with language, perhaps explaining why homosexual men tend to outperform straight men on verbal skills tests -- as do heterosexual women. . . .Read More

THE MATING GAME

What does gay look like? Science keeps trying to figure that out

Finding common biological traits -- things like hair growth patterns, penis size, family makeup -- might one day shed light on the origins of sexual orientation.

By Regina Nuzzo, Special to The Times
June 16, 2008

Last month, Sen. John McCain dropped by “Saturday Night Live,” drawing laughs from his promise, if elected president, to fight expensive federal projects -- such as, he spoofed, a Department of Defense device to "jam gaydar."

That was a joke. But some scientists are, in a way, working on gaydar, the supposed ability to discern whether a person is homosexual by reading subtle cues from their appearance. Just don't refer to it that way. The preferred term is "sexual orientation correlates."

These scientists are searching for innate traits that might not appear to be related to sexual orientation or even to standard clichés. So measuring a subject's shoe size is permissible; asking about ownership of Barbra Streisand albums would be cheating. Some inborn traits might be expected if homosexuality is -- as most scientists believe -- rooted in biology, and they might provide clues about the biological origins of sexual orientation.

Finding and solidifying these links isn't easy. Studies contradict each other, and some promising paths don't pan out. (A link between male homosexuality and finger lengths isn't holding up, and a claim that gays have distinctive fingerprint ridge patterns is largely discredited.) Scientists don't always agree on how to interpret the results, and more progress has been made with regard to men than to women. . . .Read More

Bad Questions to Ask a Transsexual: The Director's Cut

http://www.calpernia.com/diary
After years of teeth-grindingly ignorant and insulting questions, Calpernia Addams finally snaps and shares her list of Bad Questions which you should never ask a transsexual. These are all real questions from real life!

Director's Cut: I edited this so that it gets to the point more quickly, cuts out some extraneous chatter and repeated information, and illustrates the "Do you date gay or straight guys?" question more simply with graphics. =)

Chuck Colson’s “Sick” Commentary Regarding TransYouth — And The Doctors Who Treat Them

July 10th, 2008 by Autumn Sandeen

I really get tired of going over the same crap over and over again regarding gender. The mental hebetude of conservative Christians discussing transsexual youth and adults is beyond incredible. These dullards have no personal qualifications that indicate expertise in gender issues, and even in their supposed area of expertise — Biblical scriptures — they cherry pick scriptures on sex and gender to make points on gender when other scriptures counter the evangelical message.

Chuck Colson, in a Breakpoint article entitled It’s a Sick, Sick World takes another stab at transgender people and issues — some of his previous stabs include here, here, here, and Coming to a School Near You. In It’s a Sick, Sick World, he gets around to attacking Dr. Norman Spack, who treats transyouth with puberty delaying medications — in large part to keep these not-gender-confused children from committing suicide.

So here’s what the former Watergate conspirator and hebetudinous writer said in his most recent piece about Dr. Spack and transyouth (links added for reference; emphasis added):

He has been called “demonic,” “barbaric,” and has been compared to Nazi doctors. And when you read about his work, it is easy to see why Americans are so outraged. Dr. Norman Spack is a pediatric endocrinologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. Not long ago, he opened a clinic for what he terms “transgendered” children. Incredibly, he is giving kids as young as seven drugs that delay the onset of puberty–the first step in sex-change surgery when they are older.

…When these kids hit their teen years, they are given the option of taking cross-hormones for a few years—which will allow them to develop the characteristics of the opposite sex. Tragically, the treatment will condemn these teenagers to lifelong infertility.

…So why are doctors like Spack altering young bodies instead of treating confused minds?

The answer is that many doctors have embraced the modern teaching that sexual identity, rather than being biologically determined, is a preference or a choice. According to this, people should be allowed to choose whatever sex they want to be. . . .Read More

ANDROGYNY

Boy meets girl

Menswear designers blur gender lines with androgynous looks that revive the persona of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust

Jul 11, 2008


Derick Chetty
star styist

Gold jeans pimped out with large, colourful crystals, lacy shorts, flouncy silhouettes and miles of shocking pink. Are these the trends that emerged recently during women's couture week?

No.

They are the boy-meets-girl trends that marched down the runways of the spring/summer 2009 menswear shows in Milan and Paris.

The recurring theme raises the question: Are men the new women?

Well, at least when it comes to the fabrics they are.

This new take on androgyny brings such traditionally feminine fabrics as silk, tulle, organza, lace and crepe de Chine and embellishments like sequins, beading and embroidery to menswear.

This was not a drag show or a cross-dressing spectacle, however. Designer Jean Paul Gaultier did that years ago when he put men in skirts and corsets.

This crossover is executed in a remarkably masculine way.

Take the high top sneakers at Lanvin, for example – very modern and urban, but now sexually ambiguous when blinged out with shiny beads.

As for those glittering gold jeans with the jewels at Dior Homme, haven't we seen that look before? During the glam rock era, perhaps on David Bowie? . . .Read More

"Little Britain" takes satire to U.S

By Alex Dobuzinskis, LOS ANGELES (Reuters)

12/07/2008


Hit BBC television show "Little Britain" is taking its outrageous satirical humour to U.S. premium cable channel HBO in September, drawing on stars such as David Schwimmer and Rosie O'Donnell to lure U.S. audiences.

The show, a cultural phenomenon in Britain, is the latest comedy import to the U.S. after programs like "The Office," which airs on the NBC network, have made their mark in the U.S.

Creators Matt Lucas, 34, and David Walliams, 36, told reporters and TV critics gathered in Los Angeles for an early look at the show that they know how far to push their riskier jokes and trade-mark mockery of the disabled, poor, gay and fat people.

In one scene in "Little Britain USA," which premieres in the U.S. on September 28, Lucas appears in drag as the leader of a weight-loss group. O'Donnell -- the gay U.S. actress and talk show host -- drops in for a visit, playing herself. . . .Read More

The Pyrrhic Victory of OHIP-funded Sex Reassignment Surgery

An open letter to George Smitherman and David Caplan

by Nikki S., Transgender Columnist

14 July 2008

	CAMH Gender Identity Clinic.

Like many others in the trans community, I was pleased to hear that the Liberal government had taken the bold step of re-listing Sex Reassignment Surgery (also known as SRS, GRS, or simply, “the operation”) under the list of OHIP-provided services. When it was removed in 1998, it caused a great deal of hardship to many people.

There’s no question that, for some, SRS is a medical necessity. For those with severe gender dysphoria, SRS is the only cure. No amount of psychotherapy or hormone treatment will alleviate the pain of being disgusted with a major aspect of one’s own body. For those who suffer the most, surgery is the only option, and without access to quality services and medical care, some people choose to undergo this procedure however possible – often with devastating consequences and horrifying results. . . .Read More

Big Brother 5 - Housemates Talk About Transsexuals

Housemates talk about transsexuals in front of Nadia who they don't know is a transsexual.

Bold stand

After living her entire life as a woman, Atlanta Police Officer Darlene Harris learned she is intersex. Now she’s going public with her journey

by Dyana Bagby

July 11, 2008


Growing up in Spanish Harlem in an abusive household, shuffled between foster homes and nearly killed when shot in the face a decade ago, Atlanta Police Officer Darlene Harris faced considerable struggles growing up.

Harris’ mother, who suffered from lupus and numerous other medical issues, spent much of her time in the hospital. She died at the age of 40 when Harris was 17, forcing Harris and her older sister to raise their younger siblings.

“We were literally dirt poor. I remember eating oatmeal cookies for dinner,” Harris said.

Harris, now 35, over came all of these hardships and built a successful career with the Atlanta Police Department, where she currently serves as the department’s full-time liaison to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgenders.

But Harris still faced an internal struggle nobody knew about — one she never understood until just this year. During puberty, she began growing facial and chest hair. She never had a regular menstrual cycle. Emotionally, she said, she had a rage that couldn’t be controlled.

Now she knows why her experiences were more different than others. She was “uniquely different” because she is intersex. . . .Read More

U.S. laws struggle to keep up with gender advances

From children born with DSDs to transgender adults, the legal issues confronting certain groups can be challenging.

by Dave Levitan

July 10, 2008

Whether renewing a driver’s license, applying for a credit card or even getting married, there is always a space on the form to specify one’s gender. Generally speaking, we are only given two options: male or female. In recent years, however, the medical community has moved toward thinking of gender as more of a continuum than a stark dichotomy, with numerous children born with various disorders of sex development and increasing numbers of transgender adults.

The question has become more important then, as our understanding of gender has improved: which box to check on those forms? This question is only meant to be an easy analogy for how the rest of society in America, and particularly U.S. law, has been slow to catch up with the changing notions of gender. The legal problems faced by gender minorities are many, and they range from the mundane to the extremely critical: Which bathroom to use? What can I wear to work? Can I get married? For infants, what is the most ethical and legal way to treat certain conditions?

Although the legal world needs to answer some of these and other questions, the medical professionals who treat both children with disorders of sex development (DSDs, formerly referred to as intersex disorders) and transgender adults should be aware of the challenges their patients face on a daily basis. . . .Read More

My Transgender Life After Wesleyan | Transphobia

Jean Pockrus

July 7, 2008

Yesterday I was violently, physically attacked by a group of transphobic teenagers, three black girls probably between the ages of 15 and 17 years old, in downtown Philadelphia. I was waiting for a bus on the corner as the three girls were walking across the street, staring at me and saying aloud to each other, "Is that a boy or a girl?" Then they began addressing me, "Are you a boy or a girl?" while looking down on me and laughing.

I did what I usually do in these transphobic situations when I'm taunted or stared at. I stared back. I stared back at the girls and said plainly, "It's rude to stare at people." (I also usually answer: "No, I'm not a boy or a girl," to that familiar question, "Are you a boy or a girl?" But I didn't say anything else this time.) One of their friends who was walking with them, a young man who looked about twenty, shouted, "Oh! That bitch said 'respect her.'" I thought the group was just going to continue walking on and leave me alone, but a few moments later one of the girls took a few sauntering steps towards me, smiling a little, and then pulled her arm back fast and punched me hard in the left side of my face. . . .Read More

Transgender Discrimination Hearing: Diane Schroer

Diane Schroer, a retired Colonel in the United States Army, testifies before the Committee on Education and Labor at a hearing examining discrimination against transgender Americans in the workplace on June 26, 2008.

Critique, POV, Opinion: "Letting Go Of God"

A lot of Ts (and others, too) have questions, concerns about religion and being T (or somewhere GLBTQ). Here, Julia Sweeney, who played "Pat" the androgynous person, on one of my favorite television programs,"Saturday Night Live," presents her personal perspective on religion, titled, "Letting Go of God."

Strongly recommended.

Also, see the numerous listeners' comments than follow on the same page.

RA

Jack Bee Garland (aka Babe Bean)

by Liz Highleyman

Lavender Magazine, Issue 341

Jack Bee Garland was a pioneer on multiple fronts, crossing boundaries of gender, ethnicity, class, and geography.

Born Elvira Virginia Mugarrieta in 1869 in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, Garland was the child of an upper-class white woman and a Mexican military officer who became the city’s first Mexican consul. A rebellious tomboy, Garland was sent to a convent school, but escaped by marrying a family friend at age 15, and divorcing a few months later.

Garland began dressing in men’s clothing, and spent the next several years traveling and working odd jobs. In 1897, he was arrested in Stockton, California, for masquerading as a man. Claiming to be mute, and communicating in writing, he gave his name as Babe Bean, and made no attempt to hide that he was biologically female. The authorities soon released him, much to the chagrin of a group of young women who demanded that if he could dress in men’s clothing, they ought to have the same privilege.

Garland, who lived alone on a houseboat in a lake, was hired as a reporter by The Stockton Evening Mail. He was accepted as an eccentric local celebrity. The press often speculated about his gender, referring to him as “the mysterious girl-boy, man-woman.” . . . .Read More

The “Transational” Dr. Marci Bowers

by Chris Jackson

Lavender Magazine, Issue 340

A polite round of applause, and she takes the stage. Adjusting her glasses, and buttoning the microphone to her blouse, she begins to speak. Doctors, med students, and activists alike lean forward in anticipation.

Dr. Marci Bowers
Photo by Sophia Hantzes

“Never dreamed I’d walk back in here in a dress,” she mused.

And then she was off. Coyly, letting her audience idle, and then full force. Smiling, she started in.

The Denver Post calls her the “Rockstar” of gender-confirming surgeries. Dr. Marci Bowers is that and much more. She is one of the premier sexual reassignment surgery (SRS) surgeons worldwide, performing more than 350 alignment procedures every year. Trained under the direction of Dr. Stanley Biber, she has followed in his footsteps, perfecting the techniques that he pioneered.

I had a chance to speak with Bowers just before her recent keynote address at the Minnesota Trans Health & Wellness Fair on May 10.

Dr. Bowers, what is your background in the medical field? Sexual reassignment surgery, in addition to being highly controversial, is a challenging and specialized field. How did you come to call it your own?

I am trained formally as an Ob/Gyn. I attended the University of Minnesota, where I graduated in 1986, where I was Medical School Class President and President of the Medical Student Council. I then went to Seattle, where I did my residency in Ob/Gyn at the University of Washington.

I settled into private practice at a large multispecialty clinic in Downtown Seattle called the Polyclinic. I practiced there for 12 years.

About my 10th year, I actually met Dr. Biber. He indicated that Trinidad was in need of an Ob/Gyn, and that, if I came here, I could learn the SRS procedure from him, while performing obstetrics and gynecology for the community. In January 2003, I finally did just that, leaving the relative security of an established practice in Seattle, and facing the specter of the many hours and hassles that go with practicing in a large urban area.

I decided to roll the dice, so to speak, noting that there were very few reassignment surgeons in the United States, and that two of the most prominent, Dr. Biber and Dr. [Eugene] Schrang, were already well into their 70s at the time. I worked with Dr. Biber, side by side, for six months, and then, with his inability to obtain malpractice insurance, took over his duties in July 2003, surviving with a combination of good luck, good skills, intuition, and faith that I was doing the right thing. . . .Read More