Transsexual Road Map Notes

Monday, September 26, 2011

WPATH: Reparative therapy on transgender youth “is no longer considered ethical”

In a significant development for the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming youth, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health has taken a clear stance against “treatment” aimed at trying to change a young person’s gender identity and expression to become more congruent with sex assigned at birth. According to Version 7, released today, such action by psychologists “is no longer considered ethical.”

PDF: Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People, Version 7

This type of “therapy,” developed and promoted primarily by Kenneth Zucker at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), has been under fire for years as unethical.

Their full WPATH press release is below.

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (September 25, 2011)-The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) will release a newly-revised edition of the Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People, on September 25, 2011 at the WPATH conference in Atlanta.

The SOC is considered the standard document of reference on caring for the transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming population. The newly-revised SOC will help health professionals better understand how they can offer the most effective care to these individuals. The SOC focuses on primary care, gynecologic and urologic care, reproductive options, voice and communication therapy, mental health services and hormonal and surgical treatment.

“The latest 2011 revisions to the SOC realize that transgender, transsexual, and gender nonconforming people have unique health care needs to promote their overall health and well-being, and that those needs extend beyond hormonal treatment and surgical intervention,” said SOC Committee Chair, Eli Coleman, PhD, Professor and Director at Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota.

This is the seventh version of the Standards of Care. The original SOC were published in 1979. Previous revisions occurred in 1980, 1981, 1990, 1998 and 2001.

“The previous versions of the SOC were always perceived to be about the things that a trans person must do to satisfy clinicians, this version is much more clearly about every aspect of what clinicians ought to do in order to properly serve their clients. That is a truly radical reversal . . . one that serves both parties very well,” said Christine Burns, SOC International Advisory Committee Member.

More than any other version, 2011 revisions also recognize that gender nonconformity in and of itself is not a disorder and that many people live comfortable lives without having to seek therapy or medical interventions for gender confusion or unhappiness.

This version provides more detailed clinical guidelines to address the health care needs of children, adolescents, and adults with gender dysphoria who need assistance with psychological, hormonal, or surgical care.

In addition to clearly articulating the collaborative relationship needed between transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming individuals and health care providers, the new, 2011 revisions provide for new ways of thinking about how cultural relativity and culture competence.

The document includes a call to advocacy for professionals to promote public policies and legal reforms that promote tolerance and equity for gender and sexual diversity. This document recognizes that well-being is not obtained through quality health care alone but a social climate that eliminates of prejudice, discrimination, and stigma and promotes a positive and tolerant society that embraces sexual and gender diversity.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly known as the (Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, HBIGDA), is a professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender identity disorders. As an international multidisciplinary professional Association the mission of WPATH is to promote evidence based care, education, research, advocacy, public policy and respect in transgender health.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Kenneth Zucker’s cronyism and pathologizing ideologies about trans youth examined

The psychological literature on trans and gender-nonconforming youth has been infected by pathological science emanating from Toronto since the 1970s. Psychologists Y. Gavriel Ansara and Peter Hegarty have just published a paper examining the academic logrolling and cronyism that led to the pathological science emanating from an “invisible college” centered on the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The main culprits are Kenneth Zucker, Susan Bradley, James Cantor, Ray Blanchard, Maxine Petersen; see my diagram from an overview of these connections. New faces in the conservative backlash against progressive conceptualizations of gender variance include include criminologist Michele Peterson-Badali and Kelley D Drummond, also both of CAMH.

Currently, Zucker and Bradley’s (1995) version of this model is the most widely used approach to these children in psychology. This approach involves behavioural modification techniques and aversive conditioning to ‘fix’ genders that do not match children and adolescents’ external gender assignments (Spiegel, 2008; Zucker & Bradley, 1995). While this model emerged decades after Rekers and Varni’s (1977) article on the ‘pre-transsexual’ child and some of their original terminology has been replaced by newer terminology, both approaches share a focus on preventing transsexual adulthoods.

After listing numerous guidelines and policies in place in the fields of psychology and other disciplines, which address the elimination of cisgenderist language and ideology in the field of psychology, they make a clear assessment of the problem and its relationship to Kenneth Zucker and CAMH. They write, “Far from fulfilling a ‘leadership role in working against discrimination towards transgender and gender variant individuals’ (APA, 2008, para 17), the continuation of mis- gendering language in psychology suggests that psychological journal publication policies are falling behind those of other professions.” The authors add:

By way of contrast, a recent article that was published in an APA journal and co- authored by the head of the invisible college identified in our sample referred to participants who self-identified as boys as ‘girls with gender identity disorder’ in both title and body (Drummond, Bradley, Peterson-Badali, & Zucker, 2008). Hegarty (2009) critiqued this
article on the grounds that these children’s ‘gender identities’ had been described as ‘disordered’ and in need of modification. In response, Zucker, Drummond, Bradley and Peterson-Badali (2009, p. 906) dismissed Hegarty’s critique due to its focus on ‘politically incorrect language’. By so doing, Zucker et al.’s (2009) rejoinder overlooked the possibil- ity that language might shape research questions, methodology, interpretations and impact (Crasnow, 2008; Danziger, 1990; Messing, Schoenberg, & Stephens, 1983). Research find- ings suggest that beliefs in ‘political correctness crusaders’ are more common among those with conservative gender ideologies (Lalonde, Doan, & Patterson, 2000). In light of Zucker et al.’s (2009) response, our finding that Archives of Sexual Behavior, a journal for which Zucker serves as editor, was among the two journals that published the largest number of psychological articles on children’s genders and expression may explain how editors in this field can fail to notice or address cisgenderist ideology in articles submitted for publication.
Reducing cisgenderist bias in psychological publications on children will require the active collaboration of researchers, editors and leading figures in APA. Yet psychologists and mental health professionals need not turn to journalistic guidelines to accomplish this task, as a minority of authors in our sample offered existing conceptual frames that would decrease cisgenderism in the literature.

Citation:
Cisgenderism in psychology: pathologising and misgendering children from 1999 to 2008. Psychology & Sexuality iFirst, 2011, 1–24
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19419899.2011.576696

The full Ansara-Hegarty paper is now posted online, at this URL:
http://ansaraonline.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Ansara__Hegarty_2011_Cisgenderism_in_Psychology238180308.24885604.pdf

Further reading:
Academic pathologization of transgender people
http://www.tsroadmap.com/info/academic-pathologization.html

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Gender Identity & Expression in the Workplace: Pragmatic Guide for Lawyers & Human Resource Pros

Lawyer Christine Michelle Duffy has written an approachable, pragmatic guide to work transition from the perspective of corporate legal counsel and human resources personnel.

This heavily-footnoted document is a must-read for anyone planning to transition at work. It may also be helpful to provide it to the key human resources person at your company.

It’s available for free at:
http://www.acc.com/accdocket/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=1287371

Further reading:
Work transition for transsexual women
http://www.tsroadmap.com/reality/jobtrans.html

Reader note about “passing” and “acceptance”

Erin sent this note about passing and acceptance, which I wanted to share. Transition is a leap of faith that everything will work out. Many people fear making that leap because they want everything to be perfect. There’s a fine line between being realistic about expectations and being paralyzed by fear. Worry about the things you can change, and don’t worry about the rest. Your feelings about yourself and the attitude you show others will be major factors in how people treat you.

Here’s Erin’s note in its entirety:

“Passing" and “Acceptance.”

We know they are two different things.

Here is my experience on it:

So as I am basically poor, I cannot really afford things like SRS or FFS. I can get by without FFS honestly. Not that I have a striking female face but it is convincing enough as is.

Anyways, the things that no surgery could really fix is my large frame. Yes, I am built like an out of shape linebacker.
at 5’9” and 220 pounds, I won’t be asked to model for Victoria Secret anytime soon.

Anyways, I do what I can. Two things that I did were change my legal name (Nicole Erin Lastname) and my voice is now trained to sound like a woman. Never does anyone on the phone call me “sir” and they always ask for (my male name) and if I am his wife. Not sure if auto-erotica counts for being my own “wife” but anyways…
Everyone knows me as Erin. yes I know the whole Aaron VS Erin but I like Erin. It is truly “me”.

Anyways so my experience is that except for the rudest people out there, no one else gives me a hard time. Once people learn my name and hear my voice, I am “she”. I find it interesting cause with my features, they have GOT to know I am genetically male. Yet they treat me as female.

So for the assimilation process, I feel that changing my name and training my voice have been the two best things that have helped me along. Well that and my awesome fashion sense (I dress “chic") While “passing without question” would be great, it is just not going to happen for me. I will not let that stop me from living as a woman.

But what is living as a woman? To me it means presenting as a woman, and working, having a job. I caught a break and have a job. Nothing big, but of course with a company, Home Depot, who is very much against discrimination.

I think for my sisters out there who fear going full time cause “not everything is perfect “ yet, I would say “do not let that stop you”.
Even if someone, like myself, cannot afford fancy procedures, there are cheap or free ways around certain things. My beard removal involves tweezers, a desk light, and a magnifying mirror (then shaving the rest when I get lazy) but it is smooth.

I think the most important thing I have done though is I don’t make an issue of being TS or woman.
Sure dating is always an issue, but it is for any TS. Even the best looking post-op eventually has to “come out”.

Also, years ago I purchased your voice training program, and I hate to admit it took several years before I got off my butt to actually DO any of the things you said, but once I did, my voice changed. My one sentence summary of the lessons would be - “Learn to restrict the lower part of the voice then learn to fine-tune it”.

Anyways that is my experience to this point.

Further reading:
http://www.tsroadmap.com/mental/accept.html

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Outfest 2011: Groundbreaking transgender films and more

Outfest, the Los Angeles LGBT film festival is next week, and I encourage everyone to come to some of this year’s amazing trans-themed work. Our opening night film, Gun Hill Road, is a festival favorite starring trans actress Harmony Santana, who is scheduled to be there.

http://www.outfest.org/tixSYS/2011/filmguide/films/3321

I wrote up a preview of some of my own edgier recommendations here:

http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/30/outfest-2011-preview.html

Be sure to check out Calpernia Addams in Woman’s Picture July 11 or July 16 at the Directors Guild of America.

http://www.outfest.org/tixSYS/2011/filmguide/films/3478

Here are a few more favorites of board members:

GUN HILL ROAD (Opening Night July 7th)
This is an excellent film - well written, beautifully directed, high production-values - that was nominated for a jury award at Sundance. We are in a new beautiful party space that will feel more like our beloved outdoor parties. Also, Ru Paul will present the 2011 Achievement Award to Randy and Fenton of World of Wonder. It will be a super fun night, please come!!

SHE MONKEYS (Friday, July 8)
Set in the world of female equestrian acrobatics, the competition gets hot when 15-year-old Emma is assigned to train with the older, self-confident Cassandra. Winner of the Tribeca Film Festival Grand Jury prize for Best Feature.

WE WERE HERE (Saturday, July 9)
Director David Weissman (THE COCKETTES) returns to Outfest with this moving chronicle of the earliest years of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. I thought this film was going to be sad, but it is actually uplifting b/c it shows how a community came together in a time of crisis, making it a universal story.

CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE (Sunday, July 10)
This film made me fall in love with Carol Channing!! She is 91, she is witty, smart, generous, present and totally amazing. Dori is a skilled filmmaker and this film is a real treat.

MARY LOU (Sunday, July 10)
What MAMMA MIA! did for ABBA, MARY LOU does for Israeli pop sensation Svika Pick. Directed by Eytan Fox who made THE BUBBLE, YOSSI & JAGGER and more....

3 (Monday, July 11 - Broad Centerpiece)
This is such a pretty film, as we have come to expect from Tom Tykwer (RUN LOLA RUN) and it is very German in it’s portrayal of a complicated relationship between a woman and a man...and a man. 3 says it all. 3 premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival and screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and earlier this year at the 2011 Berlinale.

OLD CATS (Thursday, July 14)
From Sebastián Silva and Pedro Peirano who made THE MAID - which I loved! This film has a similar style as it follows a lesbian couple who are vieying for their ailing mother’s gorgeous apartment. This is an hilarious and oddly moving dark comedy.

HIT SO HARD (Thursday, July 14)
Follows the life of former HOLE drummer Patty Schemel and features intimate footage and exclusive interviews with Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Melissa Auf der Maur, Eric Erlandson, and other important figures. Patty will play with an AMAZING all star band after the film! Sia Furler, Linda Perry, Eric Erlandson (HOLE), Roddy Bottum (Faith No More) Jorjee Douglass (The Citizens Band and Stone Fox), Clint Walsh (Gnarls Barkley), Larry Schemel (Midnight Movies) and MORE!!

HARVEST (Saturday, July 16)
HARVEST has super sexy leads and is set on a farm (what else do you need to know) but is actually a film that uses the beauty of its surroundings to create an intimate story of two young men finding their way in life.

CHO DEPENDENT (Saturday, July 16)
Miss Margaret Cho is back, and she has a few things she’d like to share with you. From her hilarious recounting of her backstage feud with the Palins during “Dancing with the Stars” to musical interludes featuring Cho’s witty original songs, this new concert film from our favorite all-American girl will have you howling from beginning to end.

Please come say hi when you see me!

Outfest site:
http://www.outfest.org/fest2011/index.html