I don’t know any trans people, why should I care?
It is more than likely that you have interacted with several trans people and had no idea. Many people on the trans spectrum are read as different genders at different times and are often passed off as gender conforming by those with whom they interact. It is very possible that you have met a trans person who has not come out yet, who has been presenting a gender that does not match their culturally assigned sex for years, or who is either anywhere in between or altogether outside the boundaries of this experience.
“In many cultures, social stigma towards gender nonconformity is widespread and gender roles are highly prescriptive. Gender-nonconforming people in these settings are forced to be hidden and, therefore, may lack opportunities for adequate health care.”
- Coleman, et al., 167
How did you know you were trans?
Coming to discover or understand one’s gender identity is easy for some. On the other hand, this process can be extremely difficult and painful for others, especially for many whose identity is incongruent with societal expectations. Questions about self identity are deeply personal for many people, though some may be more willing to talk about their identity. It is best to wait for a friend to come to you to talk about their gender identity or expression.
How do you know what your gender is? Take the Gender Survey!
How do you know what your gender is? Take the Gender Survey!
Can you teach me about all this trans stuff? I really don't get it.
Not everyone is a gender expert, not even all trans people. We are all human, after all. One could not reasonably assume that a trans person is willing, prepared, or able to provide education on trans communities and identities for the same reason one could not assume that a guitarist is willing, prepared, or able to provide guitar lessons. Most people don’t have the time or energy to constantly be prepared to provide education on any subject, let alone the desire to share potentially personal information.
If you have a friend who is willing to provide education on trans issues, that’s great! However, it is extremely respectful to be sure that a person is comfortable with and prepared to provide such education before expecting or even asking for such education. A much better idea is to ask for some recommendations of books, movies, or websites to read. There are a plethora of books written by authors who identify under the trans umbrella. If you want to learn more about trans identities or communities, check out some of the resources listed on this website, check out a book at your local library, read a blog, or watch a youtube video
If you have a friend who is willing to provide education on trans issues, that’s great! However, it is extremely respectful to be sure that a person is comfortable with and prepared to provide such education before expecting or even asking for such education. A much better idea is to ask for some recommendations of books, movies, or websites to read. There are a plethora of books written by authors who identify under the trans umbrella. If you want to learn more about trans identities or communities, check out some of the resources listed on this website, check out a book at your local library, read a blog, or watch a youtube video
Is it like being trapped in the wrong body?
“[‘Women trapped inside men’s bodies’] was so clearly coined not to encapsulate all of the intricacies and nuances of the trans female experience, but rather as a way of dumbing down our experiences into a sound bite that cissexuals might be better able to comprehend.”
- Julia Serano, “Whipping Girl”, 215
The notion of trans people being “trapped inside the wrong body” became popular when Christine Jorgenson became the first person to receive genital reconstructive surgery in 1952 (Cooper, 118). However, “many nontraditionally gender-identified persons … [do] not identify with the feeling of being ‘imprisoned’ or ‘trapped in the wrong body’” (Carrol, 234). Furthermore, this trope contributes to “the retention of male-female boundaries” and therefore does not allow for the “genuine inclusion” of people who identify within the trans* umbrella. (Gamson, 399)
“The medicalized and pathologized notion of transsexuals pre-supposes that one must be very uncomfortable with one’s body in order to seek out sex reassignment surgery so that one is in fact ‘‘rewarded’’ for their psychological pain and discomfort. Many transsexuals fear that if they do not register the appropriate amount of discomfort with their bodies they will not be approved for surgery.”
- Cooper, 119
Have you had “the surgery”?
Many people take measures to alter their bodies, whether it be through cosmetic surgery, dieting, working out, or taking certain prescription medications (Cooper, 120). Some trans people may also take measures to alter their physical appearance through various means including (but not limited to) hormones, surgery, and/or something as simple as altering grooming patterns and mannerisms. The impact that the latter can have on a person’s gender performance is drastic, and many trans people choose to forgo surgery and/or hormones altogether and live their life in their self-identified (and real) gender without altering their bodies in these ways. Others may choose to never modify their bodies with surgery or hormones for a variety of reasons, including lack of access to health care, cost, resistance from family and friends, and other body issues.
The bottom line is there is no necessary relationship between the current state of a person’s genitals and their gender, and, therefore, surgery should be thought of as neither necessary nor crucial to any trans experience.
In her book Whipping Girl, Julia Serano compares gender transition related surgeries to heart surgery and hormones to chemotherapy, normalizing them as specific types of medically necessary (Cox, 369) care that some people may need. Serano says, “It is offensive that so many people feel that it is okay to publicly refer to transsexuals as being “pre-op” or “post-op”, when it would be so clearly degrading and demeaning to regularly describe all [cisgender] boys and men as being either “circumcised” or “uncircumcised” (32).
All in all, the neither the state of a person’s genitals nor their medical history should matter to a third party, except for in special circumstances such as in the case of a partner or health care provider.
The bottom line is there is no necessary relationship between the current state of a person’s genitals and their gender, and, therefore, surgery should be thought of as neither necessary nor crucial to any trans experience.
In her book Whipping Girl, Julia Serano compares gender transition related surgeries to heart surgery and hormones to chemotherapy, normalizing them as specific types of medically necessary (Cox, 369) care that some people may need. Serano says, “It is offensive that so many people feel that it is okay to publicly refer to transsexuals as being “pre-op” or “post-op”, when it would be so clearly degrading and demeaning to regularly describe all [cisgender] boys and men as being either “circumcised” or “uncircumcised” (32).
All in all, the neither the state of a person’s genitals nor their medical history should matter to a third party, except for in special circumstances such as in the case of a partner or health care provider.
When did you finish transitioning?
With time, the shape of our bodies changes depending on what we eat, how much we exercise, and a plethora of other factors. Some trans people conceptualize their identity and experience in terms of a transition period with both a beginning and an ending. However, not every trans person identifies with such a linear and easily definable history. Some folks see their transition as having neither a distinct beginning nor a distinct ending or develop a sense that their body and expression is and always will be in a state of change. Some folks choose never to transition, and others do not identify or define their experience in terms of any type of transition.
