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What Trans* and Genderqueer...
14 years ago
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(or The Common Myths About Transgender and Genderqueer)
Last week (and a bit) I did a series on what LGBTQ is. Over the next week (ish) I'm going to expound on this topic by going over Transgender and Genderqueer in a bit more detail. The reason for this is because the Trans* and Queer "categories" are more complicated than the LGB parts.
In this article, I will be telling you what Trans* and Genderqueer are not, because there are lots of misconceptions about the two and understanding what they aren't will help you to understand what they are.
Myth #1: Being Trans* or Genderqueer is a choice.
Truth: People who are Transgender or Genderqueer do not choose to be so. Why would anyone choose to be something that so many people hate/are afraid of/don't understand? Simply put, they don't. Just like people who are female with a female body or male with a male body (for easy reference, these will be called cis-females and cis-males, respectively) know that they are female/male, transgendered people know that they are transgendered/genderqueer. In fact, it has been found that the testosterone levels in the brain of a fetus during development plays a crucial part in determining whether a person may be trans*. (Hare L, Bernard P, Sánchez FJ, Baird PN, Vilain E, Kennedy T, Harley VR (2009)) Trans*/Genderqueer people are literally born that way.
Myth #2: If you're Transgender/Genderqueer, then you have to have surgery.
Truth: While some Trans*/Queer people do have top or bottom surgery, a lot don't. It is common to take hormones to help the person pass as male or female or help make them look more androgynous, but again, not all Trans*/Queer people go this route.
Myth #3: Transgender/Genderqueer people are gay/homosexual.
Truth: Being Trans*/Queer has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Transgender/Genderqueer is all about gender identity (the gender one identifies with) as opposed to sexual orientation (the gender one is attracted to). Tran*/Queer people can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, and so on.
Please feel free to leave a comment if there are any myths/misconceptions that I have missed that you would like to point out or if you have any questions. This list isn't complete, but is all I was able to come up with "off the top of my head" this evening.
Thanks for reading!
(or The Common Myths About Transgender and Genderqueer)
Last week (and a bit) I did a series on what LGBTQ is. Over the next week (ish) I'm going to expound on this topic by going over Transgender and Genderqueer in a bit more detail. The reason for this is because the Trans* and Queer "categories" are more complicated than the LGB parts.
In this article, I will be telling you what Trans* and Genderqueer are not, because there are lots of misconceptions about the two and understanding what they aren't will help you to understand what they are.
Myth #1: Being Trans* or Genderqueer is a choice.
Truth: People who are Transgender or Genderqueer do not choose to be so. Why would anyone choose to be something that so many people hate/are afraid of/don't understand? Simply put, they don't. Just like people who are female with a female body or male with a male body (for easy reference, these will be called cis-females and cis-males, respectively) know that they are female/male, transgendered people know that they are transgendered/genderqueer. In fact, it has been found that the testosterone levels in the brain of a fetus during development plays a crucial part in determining whether a person may be trans*. (Hare L, Bernard P, Sánchez FJ, Baird PN, Vilain E, Kennedy T, Harley VR (2009)) Trans*/Genderqueer people are literally born that way.
Myth #2: If you're Transgender/Genderqueer, then you have to have surgery.
Truth: While some Trans*/Queer people do have top or bottom surgery, a lot don't. It is common to take hormones to help the person pass as male or female or help make them look more androgynous, but again, not all Trans*/Queer people go this route.
Myth #3: Transgender/Genderqueer people are gay/homosexual.
Truth: Being Trans*/Queer has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Transgender/Genderqueer is all about gender identity (the gender one identifies with) as opposed to sexual orientation (the gender one is attracted to). Tran*/Queer people can be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, and so on.
Please feel free to leave a comment if there are any myths/misconceptions that I have missed that you would like to point out or if you have any questions. This list isn't complete, but is all I was able to come up with "off the top of my head" this evening.
Thanks for reading!
I think for one thing that even having an opinion on this issue is a bit closed minded. Not being able to accept someone for a choice that they made that doesn't even directly effect the person who is making the opinion seems even more closed minded
Humans have always made assumptions about what is right and wrong and normal and un-normal. We have had people who have always chosen to be transgender and homosexual, we have had time periods in which its been more or less prosecuted.
In Greek society, homosexuality was completely accepted (as well as pedophilia) In roman culture it was heavily persecuted.
Whether Its a choice or a natural nature doesn't change the fact that it is something that people will do. Its just society willingness to either accept it or reject it.
Trying to figure out if homosexuality/transgender is a choice is like trying to figure out if its human nature to have the need to explore. Is it in our nature to want to travel to new lands and explore new ideas? Or is it our choice. whether its instinct or choice, its going to happen. It makes people happy. some choose stay still and are content with where they are, they are happy too.
Why does it need to not be a choice to be legitimate? Why do we need to follow human nature? if any one could find no explanation in the chemicals of the body or anything, would homosexuality and transgender not be legitimate?
Sometime life's sights and actions just lead people to be different then the norm, some just want to explore, be different, have fun.
whether it has reason or not, a choice is still a choice and if it doesn't harm you or anyone in a legitimate way. Why argue?
Maybe it is because of chemicals, genetics and science. maybe it can be explained
or maybe its just a choice?
Or what if its a mix of these two? (ever thought about that?)
But why care? Inside of us there is still that feeling "I feel like a boy/girl" "I like boys/girls" Its still a feeling.