Explaining Transgenderism, It's Terminology and Categories
What is gender dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria is the overall psychological term used to describe the feelings of pain,
anguish, and anxiety that arise from the mismatch between a trans person's physical sex
and gender identity, and from parental and societal pressure to conform to gender norms.
Almost all transgendered people suffer from gender dysphoria in varying degrees. Some
transsexual persons discover at an early age that they are unable to live in the gender of
their birth sex, but the majority struggle to conform, in spite of intense suffering, until
their adult years. To seek relief, transsexual persons enter gender transition.
Is transgenderism a disability?
Unlike sexual orientation, transgenderism — technically "gender identity disorder" (GID)
— is still deemed a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association. Some Medical
professionals tend to believe that transgenderism is a medical and mental health condition
that may require treatment rather than labeling it a mental illness.
There is disagreement among some transgender leaders about attempts to remove GID
from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Some want it removed
because they feel it stigmatizes transgender people and provides a pretext for
discrimination against them. They also believe it may cause harm to children when
parents seek treatment for a child although the child may merely be expressing gender
variance. Some transgender people believe it is not the condition but society's rigid
approach to sex and gender that are problematic. Others want GID to remain because a
GID diagnosis in some states could qualify as a disability, for which medical coverage
could be available and to which disability discrimination provisions could apply.
What is gender transition?
Gender transition is the period during which transsexual persons begin changing their
appearances and bodies to match their internal gender identity. Because gender is so
visible, transsexuals in transition MUST "out" themselves to their employers, their
families, and their friends - literally everyone in their lives. While in transition, they are
very vulnerable to discrimination and in dire need of support from family and friends.
Hormonal therapy can take several months to many years to effect the physical changes
in secondary sexual characteristics that will produce a passable appearance, and some
may never pass completely.
What is the Real Life Test?
For transsexual persons seeking Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS), the Real Life Test
(also called the Real-Life Experience) is a one-year minimum period during which they
must be able to demonstrate to their psychotherapists their ability to live and work fulltime
successfully in their congruent gender. The Real Life Test is a prerequisite for sex
reassignment surgery under the Standards of Care.
What are the Standards of Care?
The Standards of Care are a set of guidelines formulated and recently revised by the
World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Inc. under which many
transsexual persons obtain hormonal and surgical sex reassignment. While the Standards
of Care minimize the chance of someone making a mistake, they have been criticized as a
"gatekeeper" system. In general, a complete gender transition includes a period of
psychotherapy to confirm one's true gender, the beginning of lifelong hormonal therapy,
the Real Life Test, and finally, if desired, sex reassignment surgery.
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