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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Nice Scientific Overview, and Other Political Matters...

I ran across this diary post over on the liberal megablog, DailyKos, this morning. There are a fair number of trans diarists there, and the content they generate is generally very good (if usually overtly political). This isn't particularly political, except maybe for the notion that living as an "out" trans person is an overtly political act. In any event, it's a good overview of the science of transgenderism. There's a long discussion of intersexuality in the comments, too, though there's a bit of acrimony there. In any event, I'm taking the author, Rei, at her word:
In this diary, we'll cover that which was not covered in that series: the general facts about transgendered individuals, primarily from a perspective of the science on the subject, but also covering legal and moral issues. Feel free to spread this to those who could use the information.

DailyKos also has excellent coverage today of trans candidate Brittany Novotny's bid to take down the notoriously homophobic Sally Kerns in Oklahoma:
The fact that Ms. Novotny is an Oklahoma City attorney focusing on employment and civil rights law can be conveniently discarded. The fact that she is ready, willing and able to work for the citizens of her district means nothing. She's a transwoman...and her opponents judge that to be a "moral issue".

Enjoy

6 comments:

  1. Whew! Rei was very ambitious. Maybe a bit too ambitious for one article. Lots of confusion between sex and gender, but I've come to expect that.

    I hope Brittany Novotny can get elected simply because she is far and away the best candidate.

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  2. Thanks for posting this interesting article. While I don't necessarily agree with everything written, I do agree with most of it. As Veronica said, a very ambitious project for Rei, but a job well done.

    Calie xxx

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  3. The real 'meat' of this article is the preceding "diaries". I found myself crying freely as REI recounted some of the tortuous madness that is the journey of self-awareness.

    At this point, I have shared enough about my distant past that I would prefer to focus on what I consider the most salient point of the entire series.


    IMHO it is the importance of early diagnosis and compassionate, effective, essentially life saving therapies. I am referring to androgen blockers to delay the effects of puperty (growth spurts, hair growth, voice changes etc. in MtF and onnset of ovulation, breast development etc. in FtM).

    WHAT COULD BE SIMPLER? I guess we may have to re-address the abortion issue first though. Frankly I am terrified at the current state of affairs in our country. Not only are we experiencing the greatest Gov't. induced economic crisis since the great depression, but that same gov't. is exacerbating this dismal situation, and exploiting it to grab even more control over our individual day to day lives and activities.

    We have yet to even consider the ramifications of today's Senate. defeat of DADT.

    But I digress, I urge you all to go back and read, REI's diaries.

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  4. I strongly urge all of you to go back and read the preceding "diaries" which offer an intimate view of the pathos and angst arriving at, and accomodating onself to the incongruity of body and soul,("mind/brain").

    I think in addition to the keenly instrospective view into REI's awakening, the salient point is the NEED for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of GD.

    Almost every TS narrative starts with some variation of, "when I was about 4 or 5 years old....."

    Kids actually DO know what is going on in there own head. When I was still in my early childhood, 5 or 6 years old, I was playing on the floor with some other children aboutthe same age. Someone asked me what I was "going to be when I grew up". Without hesitation, I happily blurted out, "A GIRL!"

    Needless to say I got a serious "talking to". But the truth was there. Years later, when I explained things to my Mom, she sat thoughtfully and quietly for several minutes. Then she spoke the most lovingly important, life saving words that I have ever heard uttered to me in my entire life.

    She said, "I do not understand this, or how it could have happened. But what matters is that you are my child and that I love you. How could I not love you. Whatever you have to do, I will support you anyway I can, and I will be there for you."

    It was just under two years later, she WAS there for me to save my life. I was bleeding out after my GRS and she was there to summon a nurse who immediately summomed a doctor who rushed me to the OR to plug(suture) the "leak".

    So yes, read the diaries. They brought tears to my eyes. Then think about how things could have been so different if your mom had had the courage or the knowledge to do what Kim Petras's mom is doing for her today.

    Just a thought...

    Anne

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  5. @ Anne

    Re: Then think about how things could have been so different if your mom had had the courage or the knowledge to do what Kim Petras's mom is doing for her today.

    We've had our disagreements, but this time, I couldn't agree with you more! The trouble for many kids is that, they can't control the way their parents think, and their parents wield so much power over them. The answer is to educate parents about gender variance, before they ever have children, so they know that it is a normal human condition beyond the child's control, and not a pathology.

    Melissa XX

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  6. Yes. That is the key. Unfortunately, most of the "educators", while sincere in their beliefs, are really qualified to adequately represent or describe something which may or may not resemble their "understanding" of what they are trying to describe or represent.

    I once privately challenged a TV/CD, who was lecturing to a group of secondary school teachers after his presentation. His response was that what he was doing was better than nothing. His position was that nobody else was speaking to this issue.

    My problem was, and still is that he was advocating a highly controversial, scientifically suspect, and generally poorly understood and accepted theory which conflates the medically treatable condition of transsexualism with various other forms of gender varient behavior such as cross dressing and/or same sex orientation.

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