Transgender Issues
What is gender? From the day we are born (or even before-hand from an ultrasound) the shape of our genitalia controls almost every aspect of our lives - the colours and kinds of clothes we are dressed in, the type of physical contact our parents give us as tiny babies, the sorts of learning experiences were are subjected to and the friends we make. Even though Australia considers itself to be a non-sexist society, gender codes are everywhere and young children, just learning the rules often enforce them most strictly (think kindergarten kids' reactions to "boy germs"!). This can be seriously damaging on a pyschological and socio-emotional level.
So imagine that you know in your own mind that you are not a boy but you have to crop your hair short, wear pants and ties, dress in dark colours, go to the toilet in the boys' toilet and pick the "correct" happy meal at Mcdonald's. At school you are expected to play with guns and trucks, enjoy 'boys' sports in male-only teams, be better at maths and science than language and literature, and if you are interested in art, drama or music you will most likely be bullied and called "wimpy" or "gay". You might even be picked on for the way you walk and talk. Every moment of the day, your life is telling you that you don't fit in, but if you try to explain yourself, you are likely to suffer verbal and physical abuse. Even well-meaning adults tell you that this is "just a phase" that you will grow out of to become a "normal" boy - or worse, they tell you you have a mental illness called Gender Dysphoria! This article about the murder of a a transgender woman, and some of the comments, is a shocking revelation of just how bad discrimination against Transgender people can be.
Transgender is much more visible in the C21st than it has been at any other time in history, and children who identify as transgender are "coming out" (=telling people about their feelings) as early as preschool. There is alot of debate about whether is is positive or negative to encourage young children to identify as the opposite gender, but it is generally believed that supportive parenting will help children overcome the difficulties they encounter in the wider world. [See this Factsheet from Headspace https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Gender-identity-and-mental-health-Workers-web.pdf]. There are no simple solutions. Gender reassignment (or a sex change) involves expensive surgery and hormone replacement therapy, both of which can create complications for a growing body. The current solution is for transgender children to take "puberty-blocking" drugs [see Children's Hospital of Los Angeles - http://transformingfamily.org/pdfs/Puberty%20Blockers.pdf] at the onset of puberty so that they can live as the opposite gender without their body changing, and make life changing decisions about gender confirmation as adults. You can read about this at Think Progress [http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/09/16/3567886/transgender-puberty-suppression-study/], Human Rights Campaign [http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/new-study-supports-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth] and Medical Daily [http://www.medicaldaily.com/transgender-youth-are-puberty-blocking-drugs-appropriate-medical-intervention-247082]. For a purely scientific viewpoint, look at this New Scientist article [http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026864.100-puberty-blockers-recommended-for-transsexual-teens.html] through your local or state library. New Internationalist (Oct 2015) gives an international perspective to transgender issues.
A very good place to begin your research into transgender issues is SBS Insight:Transgender [ http://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/tvepisode/transgender], First Steps [http://workingitout.org.au/beingproud/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/First-Steps-GC-A4-edited-PDF.pdf] or Reach Out. Follow up with this New York Magazine [http://nymag.com/news/features/transgender-children-2012-6/index1.html] and The New Yorker [http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/03/18/about-a-boy-2] which put the issues into a theoretical perspective and this very conservative editorial from The Globe and Mail [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/transgender-kids-have-we-gone-too-far/article16897043/]. It's worth reading the replies to these articles as well, for a general idea of public opinion.[http://transformingfamily.org/pdfs/Puberty%20Blockers.pdf]. For an emotive poetic performance watch to Lee Mokobe's Ted Talk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S8DwxjDrNNM].
Beulah Devaney's 10 contemporary Feminist Terms explained [https://www.buzzfeed.com/beulahdevaney/what-is-feminism?utm_term=.qswZNgqoA#.tfBv5zAyP] outlines some current social-media terms that have been used around gender and transgender issues, while Gender, Sexuality and your Teenage Patient [http://www.ruralhealthwest.com.au/docs/default-source/annual-conference-and-trade-exhibition-2016/julia-moore.pdf?sfvrsn=2], aimed at counsellors, gives a comprehensive outline of the issues. The myth that gender is binary points out the "false binary" created in our scoiety and suggests some ways schools could improve the situation.
Noor Al Sibai has collected eight very readable essays [https://www.bustle.com/articles/196195-8-essays-to-read-for-trans-awareness-month-that-will-help-you-understand-how-to-be] about Transgender issues.
There are also several websites designed to support transgender youth (and their parents) such as Transcend [http://www.transcendsupport.com.au/] and Transkids Purple Rainbow [http://www.transkidspurplerainbow.org/misson/] which was started by Jazz ,a 14 year old girl who has become the public face of transgender issues to US audiences and has recently published a book, I am Jazz (on our library wishlist - I'll get it in 2015!). find out more about her at ABC News [http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3088298&page=2], News.com.au [http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/jazz-jennings-has-written-i-am-jazz-for-transgender-children-like-herself/story-fnjco7gt-1227101705491] and Jazz's Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Jazztrans].
The media is increasingly reporting on transgender issues, including the following articles which illustrate the impact of transgender children on parents:
The Australian [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/mothers-fight-for-transgender-child-who-was-born-a-boy-to-live-as-a-girl/story-e6frg6n6-1226639929796] describes a mum's fight for her child's rights.
Essential Kids [http://www.essentialkids.com.au/family-life/family-home/rylands-story-im-a-transgender-kid-20140604-39iky.html
Transparenthood [http://transparenthood.net/]
Other solutions involve reducing the number of places that force people to treat gender (which is socially-based) as the same as sex (which is body-based) and learning to "read gender" in a more open way to avoid binary (either stereotypically male or female with no other option) representations. This article from the Courier Mail [http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-school-review-makes-life-easier-for-transgender-pupils/story-fnihsrf2-1226720500439] suggests things school can do to make life easier for transgender children. (Significantly, it doesn't mention changes in speech such as avoiding things like "good girl/boy" and using gender-neutral pronouns).
Most of the arguments against transexuality come from fundamentalist religious groups who ignore much of the latest research and often make unscientific links between research for completely different purposes. When looking at these sites you need to separate the religious facts (what the religious texts actually say) from the religious interpretations (how they are used to create certain opinions). The UK's Safra Project [http://www.safraproject.org/sgi-genderidentity.htm] outlines various Muslim perspectives on transexuality and Christianity Today [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/25.54.html] does the same for christians. For a more conservative view you could try looking at The Christian Post [http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-speak-out-against-blocking-puberty-letting-boy-choose-his-gender-58547/http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-speak-out-against-blocking-puberty-letting-boy-choose-his-gender-58547/_], and contrast this with the arguments at Transchristians.org [http://www.transchristians.org/book/book-objections].
Buddhism and Huinduism both include belief in reincarnation so they have a very interesting perspective. You can find a basic Buddhist reponse at Dhamma Musings [http://sdhammika.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/transgendered-people-and-buddhism.html] and "talk" to a transgender buddhist at Dharmawheel http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9032[http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9032]. Hindu accounts can be found at Human Rights Campaign [http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issues-hinduism] and Hinduwebsite [http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_homosex.asp].
Beulah Devaney's 10 contemporary Feminist Terms explained [https://www.buzzfeed.com/beulahdevaney/what-is-feminism?utm_term=.qswZNgqoA#.tfBv5zAyP] outlines some current social-media terms that have been used around gender and transgender issues, while Gender, Sexuality and your Teenage Patient [http://www.ruralhealthwest.com.au/docs/default-source/annual-conference-and-trade-exhibition-2016/julia-moore.pdf?sfvrsn=2], aimed at counsellors, gives a comprehensive outline of the issues. The myth that gender is binary points out the "false binary" created in our scoiety and suggests some ways schools could improve the situation.
Noor Al Sibai has collected eight very readable essays [https://www.bustle.com/articles/196195-8-essays-to-read-for-trans-awareness-month-that-will-help-you-understand-how-to-be] about Transgender issues.
There are also several websites designed to support transgender youth (and their parents) such as Transcend [http://www.transcendsupport.com.au/] and Transkids Purple Rainbow [http://www.transkidspurplerainbow.org/misson/] which was started by Jazz ,a 14 year old girl who has become the public face of transgender issues to US audiences and has recently published a book, I am Jazz (on our library wishlist - I'll get it in 2015!). find out more about her at ABC News [http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3088298&page=2], News.com.au [http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/jazz-jennings-has-written-i-am-jazz-for-transgender-children-like-herself/story-fnjco7gt-1227101705491] and Jazz's Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Jazztrans].
The media is increasingly reporting on transgender issues, including the following articles which illustrate the impact of transgender children on parents:
The Australian [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/mothers-fight-for-transgender-child-who-was-born-a-boy-to-live-as-a-girl/story-e6frg6n6-1226639929796] describes a mum's fight for her child's rights.
Essential Kids [http://www.essentialkids.com.au/family-life/family-home/rylands-story-im-a-transgender-kid-20140604-39iky.html
Transparenthood [http://transparenthood.net/]
Other solutions involve reducing the number of places that force people to treat gender (which is socially-based) as the same as sex (which is body-based) and learning to "read gender" in a more open way to avoid binary (either stereotypically male or female with no other option) representations. This article from the Courier Mail [http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-school-review-makes-life-easier-for-transgender-pupils/story-fnihsrf2-1226720500439] suggests things school can do to make life easier for transgender children. (Significantly, it doesn't mention changes in speech such as avoiding things like "good girl/boy" and using gender-neutral pronouns).
Most of the arguments against transexuality come from fundamentalist religious groups who ignore much of the latest research and often make unscientific links between research for completely different purposes. When looking at these sites you need to separate the religious facts (what the religious texts actually say) from the religious interpretations (how they are used to create certain opinions). The UK's Safra Project [http://www.safraproject.org/sgi-genderidentity.htm] outlines various Muslim perspectives on transexuality and Christianity Today [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/25.54.html] does the same for christians. For a more conservative view you could try looking at The Christian Post [http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-speak-out-against-blocking-puberty-letting-boy-choose-his-gender-58547/http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-speak-out-against-blocking-puberty-letting-boy-choose-his-gender-58547/_], and contrast this with the arguments at Transchristians.org [http://www.transchristians.org/book/book-objections].
Buddhism and Huinduism both include belief in reincarnation so they have a very interesting perspective. You can find a basic Buddhist reponse at Dhamma Musings [http://sdhammika.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/transgendered-people-and-buddhism.html] and "talk" to a transgender buddhist at Dharmawheel http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9032[http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9032]. Hindu accounts can be found at Human Rights Campaign [http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issues-hinduism] and Hinduwebsite [http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_homosex.asp].
Transgender History
Transgender History in the US begin s by outlining why Trans history is so important.