Time 4 Trans Justice

No one really thinks about, when they think about Transgender or Transsexual people, what bathroom they go into when in public places. Unless they are faced with it themselves. But this is a real problem for people who have the genitals of one sex and identify as the other. They are not comfortable with going to the bathroom that fits their genitals, and yet, they may not be able to pass as the gender they identify as and are unable to use the bathroom they desire. And so many, in order to avoid this problem, will not use the restroom all day until they can get home. This is extremely unhealthy, and will result in kidney failure if left unchecked.  An excellent resource for learning more about this come from the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. While there, you can download portions, or all, of the “Toilet Training” ebook, designed to educate people on why gender neutral bathrooms are so important today.

So, what do I do? Unfortunately, I do not pass as male yet, so going into a men’s restroom is not really an option for me. The one time I did, looking mostly like a guy, but then not at all, I had very weird looks as I was coming out from the other guys and it scared me. I don’t want to get beat up or something like that…so, I figure it this way–since I look female, I will go to the restroom that says what I look like–for now. That doesn’t mean I like it, but I will not endanger myself just because of comfort. I choose safety and health over comfort…but that is only me. So many people are unable to get to this point, and are forced to choose not going at all.

Let me leave you with this question: How hard would it be to create gender neutral bathrooms?

So, I haven’t been too consistent with my posting lately, and I wanted acknowledge that to my readers. You can count on me from here on out to post consistently on topics that matter to you and to me.

Here is my question for today–what is the difference between a birth defect and a mis-matching gender identity? Both happen at birth…both have stigma attached to it…and yet, there is a clear difference between how most people view a birth defect as something to deal with and it is understandable, and yet a mis-matching gender identity is not understandable, and it is something that people will judge and discriminate against. Why?

Deafness is something understandable. Gender identity that doesn’t match the body I was born in is not understandable, and therefore, thought of as a “sexual perversion”. This is what kills my spirit–gender identity has NOTHING to do with sex or sexuality! Come on people…this is not any more a sexual perversion as deafness is. So stop treating us as something to be abhored and feared, and start treating us as human beings!!!

That is all I have time for today, but you will be able to expect more on this topic in the coming posts. Thanks for reading my rantings, and I will see you tomorrow morning!

As a parent, I don’t always have the time to do the things I want to do, or say the things I want to say. Yes–I am a parent, and darned proud to be one! After pretending for so long to be who I wasn’t, I ended up having 3 kids. And then I got wise to what the heck was going on. So, right now, I am about to rush off to the school with treats for my daughter’s birthday, which was yesterday. (She was sick yesterday…) Hence–the no time to do anything for me sometimes thing. I wanted to leave you with a little humor for today.

Good morning on this frigidly cold Monday morning! Today is Monday, so that means it’s time for another installment of: Notable Transmen in History!

Today is all about Dr. Michael Laurence Dillon, a physician who was born in 1915 as Laura Maud Dillon. He transitioned fully in 1949, three years before the famous case of Christine Jorgenson. Before transitioning, he used a belt to bind his breasts, and wore masculine clothing, and acted as himself–a man. He did everything he wanted to do, which just happened to be masculine in nature/stereotypical. While in college, he began taking testosterone, and then had chest surgery in 1942. In 1944, he officially changed his birth certificate to read male, and changed his name as well. During this year, he also had bottom surgery–a phalloplasty.

While this is all fascinating, I’m sure, there is a point. Someone was doing some snooping into his genealogy, and noticed a discrepancy by who was actually born, and who was listed later in another place. Of course, they couldn’t keep it a secret, and published it in many newspapers. This made him leave the country and go to India, where he became a monk and famous author under his ordained name. Is it any wonder he went to hide? During this time, anything remotely “smelling” like homosexuality was an abomination and could only be made right by violence. Oh–wait–that’s like that now!

We’ve got trans-men and women being brutally beaten, and sometimes killed…we’ve got judgments against us for being who we are…we have discrimination without federal protections…misunderstandings…abandonment…and families disowning their own flesh and blood. Is it any wonder the suicide rate for our Trans community is higher than for any other segment of our community?? This is way too depressing and hard for some people to handle it, and if their “support” network isn’t supportive, it can make people feel alone and rejected.  In the past 50-60 years, have we learned nothing about letting people be who they are called to be, regardless of what that may be?

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Live and let live. If the way a person is conducting themselves, and they are true to who they are without infringing on other people’s basic human rights to safety and survival, why is it such a big deal? Why do we have to fight for our right to not be discriminated against?

But I digress–I have went off topic, which is talking about historical Transmen. We (in the transmen sense) have always been here and ready to contribute to society, once we have the freedoms and ability to live how we are called to live as. So instead of judging, how about giving us a hand to transform the world?

Okay, we all knew this would happen soon after ENDA passed, without the trans inclusive language. A sex discrimination case against the Library of Congress. Diane had applied for a job in 2005, then was offered the job. Diane wanted to start out the working relationship with her future employers on an honest note, so she told them that she was a MtF transsexual, and then, later she received a phone call telling her she wasn’t a “good fit” for the job after all. Here is some more about this story, found at the Logo News website.

“Diane Schroer filed the suit in 2005 …the government fought the suit alleging that Title VII, which protects against sex discrimination, does not protect transgender workers.”

“The court did not specifically address the question of whether Title VII’s ban against sex discrimination also bans discrimination based on gender identity. It did, however, reject the government’s contention that laws barring sex discrimination are limited to a person’s chromosomal configuration.”

The courts declared that this is a sex discrimination case, and has nothing to do with gender identity. Sex discrimination does not depend on a person’s chromosomal configuration, but rather on many different factors. And this is encouraging that the courts are beginning to recognize that a person’s sex doesn’t just depend on chromosomes or what’s between their legs. This is an important first step in gaining fair and just treatment in the future.

(sigh and frown) They’re at it again–the right-winged conservatives trivializing what should be basic human rights for all people, and turning them into rights only for the select few who are straight and, supposedly, normal. This article, written by the American Family Association, states that,

“Activists insist that ENDA must be passed in order to protect homosexuals. “Qualified, hardworking [gay and lesbian] Americans are denied job opportunities, fired or otherwise discriminated against for reasons that have nothing to do with their performance and abilities,” says the Human Rights Campaign.

“This discrimination effectively denies qualified individuals equality and opportunity in the workplace, HRC explains. Those who experience this form of discrimination have no recourse under current federal law or under the Constitution as it has been interpreted by the courts.

“But just how many homosexuals have experienced “this form of discrimination?” One looks in vain at HRC’s Web site for any concrete numbers. Instead, the lobby group basically contends that because this kind of discrimination could happen, homosexuals must have federal protection.

“Of course, this does not demonstrate that homosexuals are being fired because of their sexual orientation. Technically speaking, HRC’s argument could be made for countless categories of people. For example, there is no law in any state that says a person can’t be fired for having a beard, being a New York Yankees fan, or preferring mint chocolate chip ice cream. But that doesn’t mean they are.”

Now I ask you–what the heck kind of reasoning is that? It’s circular, because they are essentially saying that if a=b, then b=a, so therefore, a=b=a=b. They aren’t making a bit of sense in that they are not seeing the actual issues. Their question, “So perhaps the question before Congress should be: Are homosexuals being discriminated against in sufficient numbers to justify federal intervention?” really doesn’t make sense either. How does being fair and just to your fellow human being, regardless of who they are sexually attracted to, or the gender they identify as, have to be “justified” for federal intervention? And why do we need cases upon cases to prove that we are human beings with the same rights as everyone else?

Here’s another nugget for you: “…concerning a nonexistent problem.” Non-existent?? Obviously, they have closed their eyes to what exactly is happening and why we need protection like everyone else does. Isn’t it bad enough to be beaten and killed by living our lives? Do they not see this? Why should we be excluded from the protections and basic human rights that these same “Christians” get? And yet, these same people get upset if their way of life is threatened. And I know this is true, as I have spent many, many years in a very conservative church that worshiped on Saturday. They were all about saving the world from the “evil” that would threaten their very same freedoms that they want to keep away from our LGBT community.

I have a confession, though. I couldn’t get through the entire article, because I got so tripped up by the crap they were spewing everywhere and I got angry. With all this happening against us, we need to fight even harder to protect ourselves from the crap they are giving us.

Let me leave you with this baloney that the article spewed out, and my conclusions: “Christians should not underestimate the potency of this weapon in the public-policy wars, however. Because our country has, in the past, been guilty of real discrimination against minorities, we as a people tend to react guiltily to anyone’s claim that they, too, have been wronged.”

First of all, what is “real” and”fake” discrimination? Discrimination is discrimination! Period! We are just as much a minority as those who have had “real” discrimination in the past. The only difference is that it is classified as a “sin” to many Christians. Well, once upon a time, it was considered a sin to be a different color–mainly black, as in the slavery days. And, many people used the good ole’ bible to make their claims. Now, I do not agree with that claim, just as I don’t agree that it is a sin to identify differently than how others identify. To take a line from that article, “a person can’t be fired for having a beard, being a New York Yankees fan, or preferring mint chocolate chip ice cream.” Now, I could say, and find support for in the bible, that being a Yankees fan is a sin. (And I am sure there are some that would actually agree with me!) Or, I could say that not having a beard would be a sin according to the bible. But what would be the point?

Next, why are people debating so heavily about federal protections for any particular class of human beings? Didn’t Jesus say to “love your brother (and sister, and whoever else) as yourself”? Well, let’s say that everyone in the LGBT community is a human being. If we are to love each other as ourselves, then why is discrimination even present?? Basic human rights: to be able to make a decent living, free from harassments, and to be safe from attacks based on orientation or gender identity. What is the harm in letting others live as they choose, so long as they are not infringing on another person’s basic rights? In living harmoniously with others, discrimination would not even be an issue. So…why the big deal on their part??

Today is the day I can either rant or rave about whatever I choose within the trans topic. And…strange as it may seem, I am at a loss for words. ;)  So, here is a picture for you to look at instead…

I sit here…waiting for the bigwigs at our insurance company to decide whether or not they will pay for my top surgery.  If I was getting a different kind of surgery, and if I had not been on the radar already for being Trans-related, then I probably would have heard back already. But as it stands now, I am still waiting…is that a bad thing? What does that mean? Seriously though, it seems like for Trans-related issues, medical insurance does not want to touch SRS (sexual reassignment surgery) and would rather not pay for anything at all.

The Transgender Law Center website has an excellent  article about this, including what insurance companies need to do to not discriminate against Transgender people.  Here are some great excerpts about it:

“Many transgender people are denied health insurance coverage altogether solely because they are transgender.  Most transgender people who apply for private health insurance on their own (not through a group plan with their work or school) have been denied coverage if the insurance company is aware of their transgender status. “

“Transgender people who have managed to acquire health insurance cannot get coverage for any services that are related to being transsexual or transgender.  Almost every public and private health insurance program has exclusionary language in their contractual terms such as: All procedures related to being transgender are not covered.”

“The medical system only recognizes the existence of males and females.  This creates problems for many transgender people whose bodies do not fit the standard male/female model. For instance, health insurance companies require that everyone identify themselves as either male or female.”

As you can see, the odds are stacked against us in the health care, and medical insurance arena. We have to fight our way through for every little right we get–as if being human isn’t enough to get the basic rights. Oh wait–it isn’t! The entire world is bent on rights for some, but not all, of humanity. Only the “normal”–rich, white, and straight, plus those whose identity fits their bodies they live–have rights. The rest of us either stand up and protest for every little right gets thrown our way, or sit down, shut up and take it. Is that any way to treat anyone??

  Today’s entry in the Notable Transmen series is about Dr. Alan L. Hart, Physician and Radiologist. He was born in 1890 as Alberta Lucille Hart and was said to have identified as a boy from earliest memories. The FtM History site says this about him, “He transitioned in 1917 after graduating from medical school in Portland, Oregon. He had his surgery in 1918 and changed his name. Soon after, he married and started a medical practice. His second marriage in 1925 lasted until the end of his life. Alan published five books, including four novels and a text on his medical specialty (radiology). He had successful medical practices in Tacoma, Washington and Hartford, Connecticut. He lived as male successfully for many years without hormones till late in his life when male hormones became available.“

Obviously, this is not a new phenomenon, hatched up only in the last 20 years, as so many people would like to think. This has roots back before there were hormones, and  a Harry Benjamin Standards of Care. It apparently has roots way, way back to the time of queen Hapshetsut. (But that is another story…) Perhaps going back further than that. My point is that if this was just a thing of the mind, or a feeling, would it have been so prevalent before there were any media attention about it? Or was the media attention a result of so many people identifying as the opposite gender from what they were born as? One would never know, but can only speculate. It gives cause to think, doesn’t it?

I am going to get a little personal today and share a little about me. Yesterday went well…I and my kids and spouse spent the day with my parents for Thanksgiving. Before you think it was a disaster, let me tell you that it was a very good day, and we got along fine. The problem is that my parents are stuck in the past where I was still pretending to be a woman/girl. They are still not accepting me as my gender identity, but rather as their “little girl”. My dad referred to me as his daughter, and that I always will be his daughter in his mind. My mom refuses to give me any name at all–at least to my face. Who knows what she says when I am not around?

And did I stick up for myself? Would it have helped? Who knows? I have done that before, and they are not willing to listen. I’ve told them over and over that I want them to call me by my preferred name, and to use male pronouns. And yet…nothing. I had a huge conversation with them–in my head. This morning. While still in bed. On my birthday, no less. It went something like this,

“Why can’t you just accept that I am living in the gender I identify as? Why do you have to be stuck in the past? You say that it is hard to accept…that it is a lot to take in. You know what I say about that? That is crap, and you know it! The only thing that is hard is the difference between you wanting to hold on to who I was pretending to be, and who I really am. You’re wanting to have me forget all this and go back to being your little girl. I never WAS your little girl! I never, ever saw myself as a girl! There was just no space to say anything in that neo-nazi Christian environment you forced me to be in! How the hell did you expect me to be happy?

“This is why I attempted suicide so many times! (Even more times than you knew. I tried so many times that didn’t have me end up in the hospital.) I was depressed…I had low self-esteem…I was miserable. And you worried about me then. Now you worry about me because I am being who I am, and you think I am destroying myself. I have never been happier as I am now. The only thing that I get angry at is you two, who won’t accept me for who I am! Why can’t you just let go of the stinking past, and forget about the ideal you are holding on to of me ever, ever going back to those ridiculous girly pretenses, just so you can be happy again? There is no way I would do that! No chance of me ever doing that!

“How hard would it be for you to just let go of that ideal you have of me, and just acknowledge me as your son? It is actually very simple. First, you need to just realize that you are holding on way too tightly, and it is causing all of us a lot of pain and suffering. Realize that you are costing love between us, and that this love lost is sapping the energy and well-being right out of all of our lives. Second, just declare that you are giving up the past, and your ideas of what you think I should be like. And last, declare that I am who I say I am–your son. Would that be so hard if you weren’t being so stubborn?”

What does this have to do with Trans Justice? Trans justice is about fairness and rights. It’s about letting people be who they are, and not who others say they have to be. Trans Justice is about empowering people to live in the gender they identify as–not about feelings…not about wishing–but about who they are deep at the core of their being. If Trans Justice isn’t fostered at home, how can we have Trans Justice in the world?? If Trans Justice is just thought about in passing as a “good idea”, then we will never have justice in the world for our Transgender community! This is not just a “good idea” people. Give others the space they need to be who they are and not what YOU want them to be! This is the beginnings of Trans Justice.

I love my parents. I love being with them when we get along. But it gets really hard when they don’t listen to me, or acknowledge that I ID as a guy. It hurts me deeply, and it feels like I can say nothing about it, for fear of alienating them from me. And if that happens, and one of them should pass on..it makes me sad to think of never having this resolved. And I know–I need to have this conversation with them.  And I will…soon.

Remember: Trans Justice isn’t just a theory or a good idea. It begins with you–stop judging, and start acknowledging others for being who they are!

For all people, regardless of whether you celebrate this holiday or not, have a Happy Thanksgiving! Since today is Thanksgiving, I thought I would give a brief history of the holiday–the real version, not the watered down, happy ending version. Though people associate this day by giving thanks to the Christian God, it is actually a secular holiday. In fact, the Spaniards celebrated this day in 1598–a bit before the first European settlers had a chance to do so. Here is a statement from Wikipedia about this: “The city of El Paso, Texas claims the first thanksgiving was held in what is now known as the United States, but it was not a harvest celebration. Spaniard Don Juan de Oñate ordered his expedition party to rest and conducted a mass celebration of thanksgiving on April 30, 1598.”

The next historically recorded feast was in 1619 at the Berkeley Hundred, about 20 miles upstream from Jamestown. 38 English settlers had landed there.  The group’s charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a “day of thanksgiving” to God. Soon after they landed there, the Indian Massacre of 1622 killed nine of the settlers at Berkeley Hundred, as well as about a third of the entire population of the Virginia Colony. The Berkeley Hundred site and other outlying locations were abandoned as the colonists withdrew to Jamestown and other more secure points.

The traditional version of the Thanksgiving feast happened in 1622 at the Plymouth Plantation. At the time, this was not regarded as a Thanksgiving observance; harvest festivals were existing parts of English and Wampanoag tradition alike. Interesting, isn’t it? That we have been celebrating a holiday for years thinking it was because of certain ideals, when it was really because of the harvest festivals prevalent at the time. It became a national holiday when President George Washington declared that we, as a nation, should, “acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor”. This is how it got to be associated with religion.

Now, what does this have to do with Transgender Justice? Actually, several things. One, discrimination. Two, agreement. And three, traditions.

Discrimination

Thanksgiving represents discrimination–to our Native American brothers and sisters. The only time that our ancestors actually were civil to them was at the Plymouth plantation. There was no other time in recorded history that they were ever shown any amount of decency. Many misunderstood cultures and “classes” of people are discriminated against, including, but not limited to:

1. Race/Culture/Color–There is no need to explain this one, right?

2. Age–Once a person reaches a certain age, in spite of how healthy they are, they are not allowed to do certain things, get proper insurance, etc. Even today, there are certain places that still do this.

3. Weight/Size–If we don’t fit the media portrayal of the “perfect size” we are discriminated against.

4. Sexual Orientation–Need I even give this one an explanation?

5. Gender Identity–This one gets the most discrimination because of how little is understood about this. (Adrian has a great article you can find here.)

Agreement

If someone in high authority or power says that we need to do something, we will generally do it, won’t we? Think about all the “war on terrorism” speeches.  Many people buy into this–why? Because they will agree with the “reasons” and the person who says it. If someone off the street told you to kill another person, would you do it? Probably not, because they are not in an “authority” to say it.

Another thing…if the government says that Transgender people are not worthy of discrimination protections, who do you think is going to agree with them, huh? Most of the people who do not understand that this is not in our heads, but a part of who we are.

Traditions

Traditions are about as long held as discriminations. If it is a tradition to prevent certain people from joining your club, then it is going to stay that way. No one wants to mess with traditions! I will talk more about this another time, as my time is about running out today. But…traditions = discrimination.

Today, while you are eating your great feast, remember this…Thanksgiving isn’t about the values you think it is about. It has its origins in discrimination and war. And while it is great to be with family, and/or friends, take time to think about your attitudes towards others who aren’t up to your “standards”, and how you treat them, as it is discrimination–something I am working very hard to fight against.

So, I thought I would share something a little less serious today, since I have been ranting for days about the “serious” things. The cartoon below is not mine, but is done by a wonderful FtM artist.

What happens when the preferred bathroom is out of order? Check this out:

…so sad…

Have you heard about the poll where some 70% of the LGBT Americans were in favor of passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act without the trans-inclusive language, rather than it not passing at all? Well, the Human Rights Campaign conducted that poll, and they are the organization that pulled out their support at the last minute so that the bill would go through without that all-too-important trans-inclusive language. And now, people are wanting to know: is that poll that they conducted valid? Here are some of the questions raised from the PrideSource website:

“What polling company conducted the poll?; What is the source of the 500 people questioned, and were they all HRC members?; What is the breakdown of the group - lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender?; What is the margin of error?”

HRC was part of a larger group of 360 LGBT organizations in support of the trans-inclusive language, and had pulled out their support in favor of passing the bill without, as stated above. One has to wonder–was this poll an attempt to show that they had more support than they actually did? And, did they really ask Transgendered people what they thought of the revised bill? More than likely, they did not. More importantly, why would they take out their support of a bill that would give all of us the same rights as everyone else? As they are the Human RIGHTS Campaign, wouldn’t it make sense to support something that will give everyone RIGHTS?

On the day of the bill passing without the trans-inclusive language, my spouse became very outraged, and wrote a scathing e-mail, with many valid points, to the HRC. He has allowed me to post this here for all to read:

“Because you have not lived up to your name of supporting Human Rights I will not be contributing to your campaign nor endorsing your work.

Laws need to be passed for all Humans, not specific sub-categories. But even if sub-categories are to be singled out then by your giving up on Transgender in ENDA you are saying that it is ok that it is legal for discrimination against this segment of humanity.

One step for SOME of humanity is not what I thought HRC was about…Obviously you don’t believe in your own name.

Transgender as a group has a small voice. It is growing. HRC’s actions during ENDA will be remembered.“

Now, here is the reply he received back from them, which is a complete cop-out of what they wanted us to believe about their organization:

“We understand your concern and anger at the situation; HRC acknowledges that this ENDA bill that passed the House is an important first step to fight workplace discrimination and we are not in anyway celebratory of the fact that our transgender brothers and sisters were not included in this bill. We want you to know that we will not stop fighting for the inclusion of gender identity in ENDA.

Although we decided to support this version of ENDA in the final hour, throughout the entire process our goal was to have a fully inclusive bill go to the floor. The disagreement on strategies by advocates for equality should not make us question each other’s commitment to the common goal of getting protection for all members of our community. The truth is our real enemies will stop at nothing to prevent equality from moving forward for GLBT people.  That the extreme right wing is doing all they can to lobby for the defeat of ENDA, but it has nothing to do with whether or not it includes gender identity. Their goal is to simply have our movement fail and for ENDA to die in Congress, which would severely hinder any chance of protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans. 

While the bill Congress passed this week was not the bill we wanted, the Human Rights Campaign decided to stay at the table with Congress to ensure that millions of Americans receive the protections they deserve, and because passage of this bill is a first and absolutely necessary step toward preventing discrimination based on gender identity. Very soon, HRC will launch a new initiative to ramp up efforts on educating Congress on the importance of including gender identity in ENDA and protecting the entire gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

HRC continues to break down barriers in the corporate world through our Workplace Project.  This year a record 195 major U.S. businesses earned the top rating of 100 percent on our Corporate Equality Index, and for the first time, a majority of rated firms - 58 percent - provide employment protections on the basis of gender identity.

The bottom line: The commitment of HRC’s Board of Directors for a fully inclusive bill has not changed.  Because HRC stayed at the table, something we will continue to do, we were able to secure an unprecedented commitment from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  Without a doubt, the only path to achieving a bill protecting our whole community was by securing passage on this historic vote.

After twelve years of hostile leadership, we have come so far and changed so many hearts and minds. Only a year ago, it never seemed possible that we could pass any GLBT legislation.  For the first time in history, both houses of Congress passed a hate crimes bill, and for the first time ever a workplace anti-discrimination law passed in the House. Even a year ago, we could not imagine this coming to fruition.  Our fight will not be won overnight; it will be won one step at a time.

Whether or not you stand with HRC, we hope that you will continue to take action in the fight for equality for the entire GLBT community.“

I read it first when he forwarded this crap to me, and was appalled then at the apparent lack of passion, and the obvious attempt at making themselves look good to the public. Reading it again now makes me even more upset with the way they have handled things. Really–how hard would it have been to actually support the fully inclusive bill, stood their ground, and then went back in a year to keep fighting for it? In this way, they would have had the respect of Congress, the entire LGBT community, especially the Transgendered community, and they would have been able to go back even stronger next year. There is more integrity in standing for a cause than there is in backing down when things get tough. In this way–the way they did this–they said to the entire world that we as a “sub-community” are less than human, and we don’t really need these protections like everyone else does. Like our issues aren’t that important, and that we should just sit down, shut up and take it!

Well here is one Tranny Boi who will not sit down and shutup! HRC–you messed up and you know it. You should be ashamed of your actions as an organization in Congress. And no amount of pre-formulated crap that you are using to “justify” your actions will fix what you did that day.

“There is nothing new under the sun.” A very old saying that may have some ring of truth to it. In every generation, there has always been people who were born to break the rules of strict gender roles. And there have always been people who don’t care what those roles are, and will do what they want to do, or feel that they need to do. Though this seems a new oddity in our culture, this has really been going on for millenia; only, not many people knew about it, nor did they understand what this really was. Female-bodied individuals always have “infiltrated” the “men’s” world by dressing in male clothing, and living as men. Today, this would be classified as “Gender Identity Disorder”. Then, it was just a woman living as a man. Or, more as was the case, a man living a normal life, then found out at death, or during a medical physical.

Every Monday, I will be posting the profile of a notable FTM transgender man that have made notable contributions to the world throughout history. Not much is known of these heroic individuals before the medieval period, but even in ancient times, there have been female bodied individuals who have lived as men, identified as men, and have transitioned, as best as possible, to presenting as men. For example, the Roman author, Pliny, witnessed one such transition and wrote that, “A transformation of females to males is not an idle story.” Apparently, this was known about long before there were any standards of care, or rules, or laws about Transgender issues. Generations before this, in fact. Not much is said, however, about theses courageous people before sometime in the 16^th century.

One such individual was Dr. James Berry, born Miranda Stuart in 1795. He entered medical school as a boy at the age of ten, then went on to become the first doctor to perform the first successful Caesarean section, where both the mother and child lived. He also served in the military, going on to become the Inspector-General of the British Army Medical Corps. He died in 1865, where it was found that he was anatomically female. However, this was denied by his medical colleagues. Gee—I wonder why?

Click here to learn more about FTM HIStory.

I had to do it–I had to regurgitate this topic, didn’t I? But maybe it needs to be talked about over and over until everyone on this planet gets it–Gender Identity is NOT the same as Sexual Orientation! Let me repeat myself.  Gender Identity is NOT the same as Sexual Orientation!! Here’s why:

Sexual orientation is who you are attracted to, and Gender identity is who you identify as when it comes to gender. Pretty simple, huh? Apparently not, if so many people still confuse the two. Let me break it down further.
Gender Identity has nothing to do with a person’s genitals, but everything to do with how a person sees themselves–deep down in the core. Base identity. An example, when you were 4 years old, and you were born as a male, did you see yourself as a boy or a girl? And if you saw yourself as a boy, then there was no problem. But if you saw yourself as a girl, and wondered why people were treating you as a boy–big problem! This is gender identity–not sexual orientation.

Sexual orientation comes along a little later in people’s lives. It could show up around 7 or it could be a lot later, depending on how conservative of liberal the environment is. Humans are sexual creatures no matter what we believe, or how we want to approach it. And sexual preferences will come out–eventually. Who turns you on, when, and where are inevitable and will come out sooner or later. This is not the same as Gender Identity. This is about romantic feelings, some part of body chemistry, and who you choose as a life partner, whether it ends up being a same-sex union, or a hetero union. This is sexual orientation.

So–simple, right? Then why is it that when people find out I am transgender, they get all nervous and fidgety? I know–people don’t understand this, most people have no clue what it involves, what it is, etc. But then, there are the conservative Christians who shy away from me, because they lump it all into the “homosexual” category. It’s all sin according to the churches. Many churches are even silent about Transgender issues. Are they silent because they have no idea what it is, or are they silent because they simply assume it’s the same thing as homosexuality?

As a recap–gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation. If you can wrap your mind around this, it will do a lot for the issues that have stopped ENDA from including trans inclusive language, and for all the other issues I will be talking about here. Some gay men have actually been born in female bodies, who have transitioned to presenting as the gender they identified as. Some lesbian women have been born in male bodies, who have transitioned to presenting as the gender they identified as. Most transgender people start out appearing homosexual, but are completely straight–just in the wrong body presentation. Sexuality has nothing to do with gender identity–get that, and every other issue about Transgendered people will be pointless.