Interviews

These interviews were conducted with youth and staff from Rainbow Alley, a GLBT Youth Center in Downtown Denver. As you can see, all participants were asked which names they wanted to go by. Sorry if I misquoted anyone, a few of the interviews were very quiet on the recorder. If you have a correction, email me at sage.charcoal@gmail.com. Thanks to everyone who participated, you helped me, even if you weren't quoted in the blogs.


Interview 1: Regina
Sage: If I refer to you in my product, what do you want me to call you?
Regina: Regina
Sage: How do you personally identify?
Regina: Transgender, male to female
Sage: Do your friends know how you identify?
Regina: Yes
Sage: Does your family know how you identify?
Regina: Uhm, I told my mom, so yeah.
Sage: How did she take that?
Regina: She's always kind of know, like, that I identified differently. First, I came out as gay, cause it was easier to tell her I was gay. And then, I've always kinda known, I played with Barbies, I dressed as a female, with makeup all the time. Like, I wore bras when I was a little kid, and my sister's clothes and stuff. I've kind of always known that I was transgendered, but it was easier for me to come out as gay. They have no judgment.
Sage: What about your friends? Was it harder or easier then your family?
Regina: I've told the friends I have now. I haven't told any of the friends that I had back in high school. It was hard for me to come out to them.
Sage: When did you first realize that you didn't fit into traditional gender roles?
Regina: Uhm... I think it was about... 8 years old?
Sage: What made you realize it?
Regina: I asked my mom for a doll house for Christmas, and I realized all my friends were girls, and I was really close to them.
Sage: Do you ever present as the gender you identify as?
Regina: Yes I do.
Sage: How often?
Regina: All the time
Sage: Have you ever been harassed because of your gender identity
Regina: No I have not.
Sage: Anything else you want to add?
Regina: I haven't been harassed... what do you mean by harassed?
Sage: Like, called names...
Regina: I've been called a fag a couple times.
Sage: In public?
Regina: Yeah, in public.
Sage: Alright, that's it. Thank you.


Interview 2: Seth
Sage: What name would you like me to refer to you by?
Seth: Uhh, I don't care, Seth
Sage: Do you mind if I use pictures of you?
Seth: Ffff like I give a shit.
Sage: How do you personally identify?
Seth: I personally identify as androgynous.
Sage: How do you express that?
Seth: Well, I am a drag queen when drag shows pop around. And in normal cases I'm just a guy that runs around with very feminine clothing and makeup.
Sage: Alright. Do your friends know how you identify?
Seth: If they didn't it would be pretty funny.
Sage: Just like 'Seth, why are you wearing makeup?” Does your family know how you identify?
Seth: Yeah, they stopped asking questions after the first few years.
Sage: So, did you just like, start wearing makeup?
Seth: Yeah, in middle school.
Sage: Okay. The question was how did you come out to them. But if you just started wearing makeup...
Seth: How did I come out to them? I'm just like 'Hey, guess what everybody!” and they were like “Awww, really? Really? Like we didn't know that?”
Sage: When did you first... you just said in middle school, I don't have to ask you that question. What made you want to start wearing makeup?
Seth: It made me look pretty! But uhm, also... I don't know, a lot of my favorite celebrities were very androgynous males slash drag queens...
Sage: That's a good answer, and I can use that, good job.; Have you ever been harassed?
Seth: I think everybody gets harassed at some point in their lives.
Sage: Anything else you want to add?
Seth: Uhm... I don't know.
Sage: That's it, you're free to go.



Interview 3: Cici
Sage: What name would you like me to refer to you by?
CiCi: Cici
Sage: How do you personally identify, in terms of gender identity, expression, whatever?
CiCi: Transexual.
Sage: Do your friends know how you identify?
CiCi: Yes.
Sage: Does your family know how you identify?
CiCi: Yes.
Sage: How did you come out to your friends and family?
CiCi: Uh,, I don't know. Just told them.
Sage: When did you first realize you didn't fit traditional gender roles?
CiCi: Probably about twelve.
Sage: What made you realize it?
CiCi: This is kind of weird... I watched the Jerry Springer show.
Sage: Do you usually present as the gender you identify as?
CiCi: Yes.
Sage: Have you ever been harassed based on your gender identity?
CiCi: No.
Sage: Okay. Anything else you want to add?
CiCi: Nope.
Sage: Alright, that's it.


Interview 4: Dulcinea
Sage: Okay, so, what name do you want me to refer to you by?
Dulcinea: I guess I can go by my mother's name.
Sage: how do you spell that?
Dulcinea: D-U-L-C-I-N-E-A
Sage:How do you personally identify?
Dulcinea: Transgendered
Sage: Do your friends know how you identify?
Dulcinea: Yes they do.
Sage: Does your family?
Dulcinea: No... not yet.
Sage: How did you come out to your friends?
Dulcinea: It was very easy to come out to my friends, I hang out with them all the time. I talked to them about it before I started being a transgendered female.
Sage: When did you first realize you didn't fit into traditional gender roles?
Dulcinea: I knew as soon as I turned 12. I believe I was trying to fight it for some reason. But I digress...
Sage: No, continue, why was that?
Dulcinea: Well mostly because I didn't really understand all of the different views.. because I was so new to it all.
Sage: Was it a lack of support, too?
Dulcinea: A little bit of both.
Sage: What made you start realizing and accepting it?
Dulcinea: I started realizing it last year. That's when I noticed the way I used to act when I was little, all the toys I used to play with. Just growing up... it finally made sense.
Sage: Do you usually present as the gender you identify as?
Dulcinea: It depends on what I'm going through, I dress differently in different situations.
Sage: Have you ever been harassed based on gender?
Dulcinea: I have been harassed once, by one of my friends who I recently told, just last Saturday, and he didn't accept it, wasn't willing to listen.
Sage: Is there anything else you want to add?
Dulcinea: Mostly, if you want to identify as a transgendered male or female, make sure it's 100% what you're feeling, but, like I said I used to fight it, but now I understand more into the transgendered world, and I realize that's what I am. If that's what you want, go for it, don't hold back.
Sage: Alright. Thank you, that's it.



Interview 5: Eleanor
Sage: So what name do you want to go by?
Eleanor: Eleanor
Sage: How do you personally identify?
Eleanor: Gender-wise?
Sage: Anything, but yeah, gender.
Eleanor: Uhm... gender-wise, I identify as a trans woman, for the most part, yes.
Sage: Do your friends know how you identify?
Eleanor: Yes, pretty much all of my friends.
Sage: Does your family know how you identify?
Eleanor: My direct nuclear family, like my parents and my brothers do. My extended family doesn't.
Sage: How did you come out to your friends and family?
Eleanor: My friends, I was lucky enough that a lot of my coming was out was amongst other queer-identified and trans-identified people. So, it was really basically pretty simple, “Oh, you want to go by ladies' pronouns now, and this name.” With family, my brothers are also really awesome. So it was a really easy process of just telling them. With my parents, I told my mom first and she told my dad. But that was after a few years of identifying that way.
Sage: When did you first realize you didn't fit into traditional gender roles?
Eleanor: It's hard to say... cause I think there's like... I remember really specifically when I was like four or five realizing that it was not ok to be feminine or a girl, but I didn't really have words to describe that, I just felt a lot of shame around it. So, kind of then, but it was like a process, I was pretty butch, and I am pretty butch. So being a boy wasn't a huge deal till I was in like, middle school, then it hit pretty hard because things change in middle, school, with how boys are supposed to act..
Sage: Separating more?
Eleanor: Yeah. Like, puberty hits, and you're like Oh My God, my body is so weird. So, it was kind of like originally when I was really little, and again when I was in middle school.
Sage: Well, i don't really have to ask this, but do you usually present as the gender you identify as?
Eleanor: Uhm, Y- I- yes and no. Like, i guess so, yeah. It's complicated, you know? It depends on who I'm with. Generally I pass-
Sage: You're on hormones, right?
Eleanor: Yeah.
Sage: So that must make it a little difficult to not present...
Eleanor: Right, but it's still like-
Sage: Possible?
Eleanor: yeah, for sure, I definitely pass a lot more then ever did. Which sometimes feels really weird. Passing- I never thought I would pass in my life, so once I started doing that, it was kind of like this shock.
Sage: Have you ever been harassed because of your gender identity?
Eleanor: Haha, yeah. Yeah.
Sage: By strangers?
Eleanor: I mean, like, growing up being a boy, anytime boys are effeminate at all, they're teased. And it's not necessarily about being trans, it's just about presenting femininely. I definitely got like- made fun of and teased a lot in middle school, and in high school I wasn't ever out as queer or as trans, but it didn't really matter because people pegged me as trans or queer or gay or whatever they called it
Sage: Did it get worse or better when you started passing?
Eleanor: I dropped out of high school, and a huge reason for that was harassment and fear of violence. I've never been really physically assaulted in a serious way, but it's always a fear that exists, that's very real. And, so definitely harassment around being a girl kind of thing stopped a lot, like, doesn't happen very much anything, like now that I started passing in the past year. But, I get harassed for being a woman now a lot more. Like, I get a lot more catcalls, I get a lot more harassment just for sleazy guys hitting on me. So, it's this weird... cooool, now I'm not being harassed for this one reason, but I am being harassed for this other reason.
Sage: Is there anything else you want to add?
Eleanor: Nope.
Sage: Well, that's it. Thank you.



Interview 6: Waffles
Sage: If I refer to you, what name do you want to go by?
Waffles: Uhm...
Sage: Just Waffles?
Waffles: Sure.
Sage: Ok. How do you personally identify?
Waffles: I personally identify as a boy.
Sage: Do your friends know how you identify?
Waffles: Some of them do.
Sage: Does your family know how you identify?
Waffles: They refused to acknowledge it.
Sage: How did you come out to your friends and family.
Waffles: I tried to sit down and talk to my mom about it, but she didn't want to acknowledge it, she said we had to talk about it and we never did.
Sage: Do you think she doesn't believe you, or does she just not want to accept it?
Waffles: She doesn't want to accept it.
Sage: When did you first realize you didn't fit into traditional gender roles?
Waffles: Two years ago
Sage: What made you realize it?
Waffles: The way that I looked and felt like a boy, instead of a girl.
Sage: Do you usually present as the gender you identify as?
Waffles: What?
Sage: Do you dress like a boy.
Waffles: Yes.
Sage: Have you ever been harassed because of how you look?
Waffles: Yeah.
Sage: By whom?
Waffles: Some kids at school.
Sage: Anything else you want to add?
Waffles: No.
Sage: Alright, thank you.



Interview 7: Julia.
Sage: What name do you want to go by?
Julia: Julia.
Sage: How do you personally identify?
Julia: As a transgendered female.
Sage: Do your friends know how you identify?
Julia: Mhm.
Sage: Does your family know how you identify?
Julia: Yes.
Sage: How did you come out to your friends and family?
Julia: It was when I was in my placement home, I didn't know what I was, I just knew that I wanted to be a girl. Then, once I got into my placements, I could be me, but I always thought I was gay, because I didn't know what transgendered was. Then, when I turned 16, I was in a placement, and I found out that transgendered is a real thing, and I was like “Oh, that's what I am.” It took me like a week after that to tell my mom. Because she'd always said “Uh, if you ever grow up to be a fag It'll be so bad and blah blah blah.” And finally, I told her and she got quiet and everything, but then she said “I love you for who you are, not what you do.” And then once I got out of my placement and everything, she tried to get used to the idea. She was hoping, she was like “I hope it's a phase, but if it's not, we'll see what happens after...” And now she knows it's not a phase. She calls me her daughter but she messes up sometimes and calls me by male pronouns. Then my friends... I don't really know what I did, but my friends know.
Sage: Do you usually present as the gender you identify as?
Julia: Yes
Sage: Have you ever been harassed because of that?
Julia: Yes I have.
Sage: By strangers...?
Julia: Not by strangers, like, it's usually by people who kind of know me, or I've been acquainted with them before.
Sage: Anything else you want to add?
Julia: Uhm... no.
Sage: Alright, thank you, that's it.


Interview 8: Xander
Sage: So, what name do you want to go by?
Xander: Xander I guess
Sage: How do you personally identify?
Xander: I'm a male.
Sage: Do your friends know how you identify?
Xander: Mhm.
Sage: Does your family?
Xander: Yep.
Sage: How did you come out to your friends and family?
Xander: Todl my friends that it was easier for me to believe that I was a male, when I was female, and they believed it too. And I had my gaybutante speech from 2008 recorded and I requested it-
Sage: I've seen it on youtube
Xander: A lot of people have. But I requested it on this show called blogtv, and that's how my parents found out.
Sage: How did your parents take it?
Xander: My mother still doesn't respect it, my father is trying to.
Sage: When did you first realize you didn't fit into traditional gender roles?
Xander: I've realized it since I was little, like, I've always acted more masculine, and when I turned 8 or so, my mom told me I can't walk around the block without a shirt on anymore. I always took the fatherly role when playing house. If I didn't get the father role, I'd complain till I was able to get some other male role.
Sage: What made you definitively realize you were a man?
Xander: Coming to Rainbow Alley.
Sage: Okay. Do you usually present as the gender you identify as?
Xander: Yes.
Sage: Have you ever been harassed because of that?
Xander: A couple of times.
Sage: By strangers? Friends?
Xander: Strangers.
Sage: Anything else you want to add?
Xander: No.
Sage: That's it then.
Xander: That was easy.
Sage: Thank you.

Author's Note

I completed these blogs for my senior project. After a research paper on how gender roles affect children, I wavered for a long time on how to present my research. I settled on blogs because I think they are the most concise, organized way to present the material. My goal was to educate people on various forms of gender deviance, to make a more accepting environment for those who do not identify with male or female.

As for my reason in choosing gender, I identify as transgendered, and will soon have done so for two years. For a long time, I struggled with my gender identity, and now that I can be objective enough to look at data, I realize that if I had the information available to me then, I might have had an easier time coming to terms with myself. While I still face the issues a person who falls outside gender faces in a binary system, the support of my friends and family have led me through the hardest part, accepting myself. I hope that the information I've presented here will not only help people struggling with their own sex/gender, but will also open minds that were previously closed.

Transvestism (Cross dressing)

Once again, if people are referred to by their first name, the quote came from the interviews I conducted, which will be put in the final blog.

Finally, in the series, come transvestites. Transvestite is defined as a person who wears the clothes of or acts like the opposite sex, but has no desire to transition to the opposite sex (Moelker). This desire can range from very private, to very public.

The majority, 90%, of transvestites are heterosexual males (Melissa). In general, transvestites remain very private, many not even revealing their desire to spouses. However, drag stands out in a sharp contrast. Drag is a “ highly exaggerated mimicking of music or movie stars of the opposite sex.” Usually, drag appears in a gay or lesbian context, and both males and females partake (Moelker).
Some transvestites reject the term, as “transvestic fetishism is a term used in the medical community to refer to one who has a fetish for wearing the clothing of the opposite gender” (Moelker). This is rejected by non-sexual transvestites as it is a derogatory term, and creates false ideas. Gradually, the term 'transvestite' is being replaced by 'cross dresser.'

The association with sexual fetishism is not the only issue transvestites face. As previously mentioned, much of society rests on gender, and the population is very uncomfortable with people who don't fit into traditional roles. This draws slurs and harassment.

However, transvestism is still a more widely publicized topic than other gender deviance. Cici says that she first started thinking about it when she “ watched the Jerry Springer show.” Many reality shows feature transvestites, including RUPaul's “Drag Race,” a top model show where men compete to see who can best impersonate a female. Androgyny in celebrities, especially in music is becoming increasingly popular, starting in the 80's with Boy George and Annie Lennox, and moving on with The Cure, Placebo, My Chemical Romance, A.F.I., Cinema Bizarre, and countless other rock and alternative bands, as well as the Visual Kei movement in Japan. Seth first started wearing makeup partially because of celebrity influences, “ a lot of [his] favorite celebrities were very androgynous males slash drag queens.” This increase in androgynous public figures, as well as new fashions that blur the lines between males and females is making transvestism a more accepted topic, though there is still far to go.

NOTE:
Not all topics of gender deviance are included in these blogs. Not mentioned in depth are genderqueer people, who do not identify as either gender. The reason they are not included is because of a lack of information and studies regarding them.

Works Cited

Melissa, Keri. "Transgender 101. A Brief Introduction to Transgenderism.." North Alabama Gender Center n. pag. Web. 10 Feb 2010. .

Moelker, Wendy. "Transgender, Transsexual, Gender Identity Disorder ." Web4Health. 22 July 2008. Web4Health, Web. 9 Feb 2010. .

Pictures:
http://www.melkweg.nl/mmbase/images/136524/0711_cinema_bizarre2.jpg

Transgenderism, Part Two

WARNING: The following does contain graphic descriptions.

NOTE: When quotes are cited with a single name, it is because they were taken from interviews I conducted in real life. I will post these interviews after the final blog, which will be the next one. These people are referred to by the name they said they wished to go by, for privacy.

Transsexualism was originally labeled as Gender Identity Disorder, a pathological condition (Moelker). However, transsexuals are present in many cultures. Some Native American groups recognize a separate gender for men living as women. Likewise, the amazon tribe of Brazil recognize a separate gender for women living as men. In Thai culture, the term kathoey is similar to trans gender but broader, including effeminate gay males (Moelker).

Looking back, many people realize they expressed their gender identity when very young. “I noticed the way I used to act when I was little, all the toys I used to play with,” says Dulcinea, who started to identify as transgendered at twelve. Regina, who realized it at eight, said she first realized her gender identity when “I asked my mom for a doll house for Christmas, and I realized all my friends were girls, and I was really close to them.” Xander also realized it when it came to playing, “ I've always acted more masculine, and when I turned 8 or so, my mom told me I can't walk around the block without a shirt on anymore. I always took the fatherly role when playing house. If I didn't get the father role, I'd complain till I was able to get some other male role.” Eleanor realized it in middle school because “ things change in middle, school, with how boys are supposed to act... like, puberty hits, and you're like oh my god, my body is so weird.” Most realized their gender identity sometime between 8 and 16, during puberty.

Coming to terms with gender identity can be difficult. “ I knew as soon as I turned 12. I believe I was trying to fight it for some reason...because I didn't really understand all of the different views.. because I was so new to it all” (Dulcinea). This lack of information is a common problem. Julia said “always thought I was gay, because I didn't know what transgendered was. Then, when I turned 16, I was in a placement, and I found out that transgendered is a real thing, and I was like 'Oh, that's what I am.'”As well as a lack of information, societal pressures can also keep people from

expressing their gender identity. Across the board, transgendered people interviewed stated that they had been harassed by strangers at some point due to the way they dressed. Eleanor says she “dropped out of high school, and a huge reason for that was harassment and fear of violence. I've never been really physically assaulted in a serious way, but it's always a fear that exists, that's very real.” Family also presented as issue, mostly in that many parents have trouble believing their child did not identify with their physical sex. Xander's mother “still doesn't respect it”, Julia's said “I hope it's a phase, but if it's not, we'll see what happens after...”, and Waffle's mother “doesn't want to accept it”, However many of them also continued to present as the gender they identify as.

Transitioning

Despite prevalence, the causes behind transsexuality remain unclear. Despite this, many transsexuals are already transitioning to sex they feel they should have been born as. The processes differ drastically for both sexes, and some surgeries are more effective then others. Commonly referred to by the blanket term “Sexual reassignment surgery,” the change involves a variety of steps, such as counseling, hormones, and operations.

Male to Female

Male to female surgery starts with a year of therapy with a psychiatrist, to ensure surgery is the best option. It can cost between $7,000 and $24,000, depending on how many procedures are undergone (Reed). Then, the patient starts taking doses of estrogen, and lives as a women, to make sure they can adapt. This redistributes body fat to the chest and hips, and reduces body hair. Then, breast augmentation is performed, a similar process to breast implants in females. Some opt to have their vocal cords surgically tightened, in order to the raise the voice, and for a tracheal shave, to get rid of the cartridge that causes the Adam's apple (Reed). The final step is a vaginoplasty, in which the testicles are removed, and the penis is essentially turns inside out to create a functional, sensitive vagina, capable of achieving orgasm. Many of the procedures are dangerous and irreversible, and can result in infections, loss of the voice, or even death.

Female to Male

Once again, the process stars with therapy, hormones, and immersion. Female to Male surgery is more expensive, and can cost over $50,000. Chest reconstruction, similar to a breast reduction, removes breasts completely, tightens the skin, and reduces the nipple size. Next, most choose to undergo a hysterectomy, in which the uterus and ovaries are entirely removed. A Metoidioplasty involves cutting the ligaments that hold the clitoris in place, making it longer. Then, in the final step, a phalloplasty, skin from the forearm or side is used to enclose the extended clitoris, forming a penis, and the vagina is sewed closed. Implants can be put in the new penis to achieve an erection, and implanted in the labia to create a non-functioning scrotum. In most cases, the patient is still capable or achieving orgasm (Reed).

Works Cited

Moelker, Wendy. "Transgender, Transsexual, Gender Identity Disorder ." Web4Health. 22 July 2008. Web4Health, Web. 9 Feb 2010. .

Reed, Dr. Harold. "Gender Reassignment Surgury." The Reed Center. 2009. The Reed Centre for Genital Surgery / Sex Change, Web. 17 Feb 2010. .

Pictures:

http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/barbies.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aS-aN2rom-Wosm6y3ArRCK2HyQO081EwdEN2kOSbDa9kn8Z-gx4oQxWFIjj_YypmKNLMVBW3S-LW779yy4GgiV0QLljB8W2T6JHlafO16IVv8yEmhMLoI5VwZXZQkTDr0WEMT3-ZQUor/s320/pflag+kids+are+fine.jpg

Transgenderism, Part One

Approximately 1/1000 people identify as transgendered (Conway). These people, other then cisgendered people who identify with the sex they were born as, “ fall between genders,” not identifying as their physical sex (Moelker). Intersexuals (see Intersexuals Part One and two) are generally not included in this label, unless they have been surgically altered to a gender they do not identify with (Moelker). The majority of transgendered people are transsexuals, who intend to, are in the process of, or already have transitioned through the use of sexual reassignment surgery and hormone treatment because their physical sex does not match their mental gender.

While it is often believed that transsexuality is caused by a person's physical appearance, upbringing, sexual orientation, or is a synonym for transvestite, none of these are true. A person's physical appearance holds sway in gender identity only in that a very phenotypic male or female will have more trouble transitioning to the opposite sex. Upbringing holds no sway over gender identity, no matter how a child is raised, “there is no evidence that nurturing... in contradiction to the phenotype (physical sex and appearance) can cause transsexuality” (Causes). As for sexuality, “sexual orientations among transgender people vary just as much as they do among cisgender people,” despite the person's original sex, and the gender they identify as (Moelker). Transvestites (which will be the focus of an upcoming part) simply enjoy dressing as the opposite sex, and do not have a desire to live as it full time.

With these misconceptions eliminated, the problem still remains, what causes transsexuality? Limited research has been done, due to a lack of funding and interest. Transsexuality remains a low profile issue, mostly due to the small numbers in which it occurs. It was originally filed, along with homosexuality, as a metal disorder called Gender Identity Disorder. However, transsexuality has been linked to hormone washes in the womb brought on by various factors in the environment of the womb, the androgen receptor gene, and the hypothalamus gland (Causes).

Hormones

It has been hypothesized that transsexuality could be caused by hormone washes the fetus is exposed to during the first trimester of pregnancy (Not a Choice?). A medication called Diethylstilbestrol (DES), also a cause of intersexuality (see Intersexuality, part One), used to prevent miscarriages, has been shown to cause increased transsexuality in children born to mothers who took the drug (Causes). This is because the drug tampers with hormones in the womb, exposing the fetus to abnormally high levels of estrogen, which can affect development.

Androgen Receptor Gene

On a related note, male to female transsexuals are more likely to have a longer androgen receptor gene, which causes weaker testosterone signals. This means that in the womb, when hormones wash over the fetus, a female to male transsexual will not properly absorb testosterone (Transsexual gene link identified). This is a genetic defect, but is related to hormonal causes, as it is the lack of testosterone that causes transsexuality, not the gene itself.

Hypothalamus

(Picture: reference man (a), reference woman (b), homosexual man (c), and male-to-female transsexual (d))

The strongest case for transsexuality as a physical abnormality lies the research of Dr. J. N. Zhou In his study “A sex Difference in the Human brain and its Relation to Transsexuality made an illuminating discovery when dissecting the brains of several transsexuals, as well as typical males and females (Not a Choice?). What he found was that some nuclei in the hypothalamus glad differ in number based on sex. The Limbic Nucleus is one of these, Males have 62% more then a normal female (Not a Choice?). This remained constant despite the sexual orientation of the individual. In Transsexuals, the size reflects that of the opposite sex (Causes). This was a huge contribution to the side of thinking that held that transsexuality was not a choice, and remains the most certain evidence of this.

Transgendered people remain one of the minorities least researched, both medically and socially. However, with the discoveries made by Zhou, doctors are much closer to discovering the causes. While there is no 'cure,' transsexuals can undergo a variety of treatments, which will be talked about in 'Transgenderism, Part Two'.

Works Cited

"Causes of transsexualism: current findings and hypotheses." TSRoadmap. 18 Jan 2010. Transexual Roadmap, Web. 10 Feb 2010. .

Conway, Lynn. "On the Calculation of the Prevalence of Transsexualism." WPATH 20th International Symposium (2007): 2. Web. 10 Feb 2010.

Kruijver, Frank. "Male-to-Female Transsexuals Have Female Neuron Numbers in a Limbic Nucleus ." Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 85.5 (2000): n. pag. Web. 10 Feb 2010. .

Moelker, Wendy. "Transgender, Transsexual, Gender Identity Disorder ." Web4Health. 22 July 2008. Web4Health, Web. 9 Feb 2010. .

"Not A Choice? What Causes it?." Transgender London. 26 Jan 2009. Transgender London, Web. 10 Feb 2010. .

"Transsexual gene link identified ." BBC News. 26 October 2008. BBC, Web. 10 Feb 2010. .

Pictures

http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/images/09-07-orientations.jpg

http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/vol85/issue5/images/medium/eg0406564002.gif

Intersexuality, Part Two

As previously discussed, in 1/500 births there is some confusion over sex due to the external genitalia. Intersexuality is seen as a pathological condition in modern society, and the genitalia of these individuals is surgically altered at the doctor's decision (Ojeda 58). This can come with a whole host of problems though, and can be painful, dangerous, and ineffective. “In retrospect, I wish that the operations had never happened, that I had simply be allowed to live out my life with the plumbing system originally given to me by my creator,” says Sven Nicholson, whose urethra closed up due to the surgery to repair his genitals, and has to use painful catheters to urinate (Dreger 179).

Most intersexuals are made into females, as for surgical vagina to count as functional, it doesn't need to be self-lubricating, or have sensitivity (Dreger 184). It is therefore easier to make an unsure case into a female then a male, though there is a strong possibility of the individual never having a fulfilling sex life. Also, when the majority are made into females, it creates the problems of gender confusion. No matter how much the genitalia are operated on, it usually does not change the way a person identifies. As Alice Dreger says when discussing the case of an intersexual raised female, but later diagnosed as a biological male, “To Sophie, the answer was apparently equally simple. She felt like a woman, she dressed like a woman, and she had always been a woman... Sophie had no interest in suddenly becoming a man” (3). This gender confusion is alarmingly common in intersexuals who have been operated on. Surgery at birth remains the norm though, due to the ideology that if children are sorted early, they will never experience confusion over their sex.

Modern Medicine does not allow for other alternatives to surgery, however, they do exist. One option is to put a hold on surgery until they are old enough to decide for themselves what gender they want to work towards. Also, many researchers have proposed a five gender system. There would be the typical male and female genders, male pseudohemaphrodites (people with ambiguous genitalia and testes), female pseudohemaphrodites ( people with ambiguous genitalia and ovaries), and 'true' hermaphrodites (see Intersexuality, Part One to explain the ''), who have no gonads, or both (Dreger 36). Both of these would increase the medical acceptance of intersexuality as something other then a disease, and allow intersexuals to make their own decisions regarding surgery. However, it would challenge every idea people have about gender.

The idea of intersexuals living as they were born is almost repulsive to society. Says Maria Coventry, an intersexual, “one of the things about being born with genitals that challenge what is considered normal is that no one tells you that there is anyone like you... You are purposefully isolated, your difference covered up, and it is horrible” (Dreger 175). This isolation is because of firmly ingrained ideas of Western society, where genders stay in their own roles. This is seen in everything from gender roles, bathrooms, locker rooms, clothing, and the way people are treated, to sexual orientation (Dreger 8-9). Even language leaves no room for androgyny, with the pronoun “it” being derogatory when used for a person instead of “he” or “she.” A large variety of variation within male and female genders are accepted, such as different shaped/sized/colored genitalia, breasts, body hair, hair length, and sometime even clothing is accepted, but as soon as the structure of the genitalia is brought into question, the general public shies away room the topic (Dreger 4-5). After all, if there are more then two genders, how does determine something as simple as sexual orientation (Dreger 28)?

Intolerance for gender confusion built into society inspires medical professionals to treat it as a pathological condition, something to be cured, to be operated on. This course of action holds more dangers then its worth, though, including the risk of death from improper medical care. And yet, intersexuality continues to be treated as a disease, because society is simply not structured to bear more then two genders.

Works Cited

Dreger, Alice. Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex. London, England: Harvard University Press, 1998. Print.

Haeberle, Erwin . "Causes of Intersexuality." Manus Hirschfeld Archive For Sexology. 2005. Web. 28 Jan 2010. .

Ojeda, Auriana . Male/Female Roles. 2nd. New York: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Print.

Pictures

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Another_hermaphrodite_symbol_bg-color-FFEEDD.svg/397px-Another_hermaphrodite_symbol_bg-color-FFEEDD.svg.png

http://www.chicagoemploymentlawyer.net/gender.jpg

Intersexuality, Part One

WARNING: As this blog deals with genitalia, there are graphic pictures (of a medical nature) involved.

As a general rule, children are either born male or female. The classification of males and females is simple. Females have two X chromosomes, a vagina leading to a uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, breasts, a separate outlet for urine labia minora and majora, etc, while males have testicles, a prostrate, and a penis through which the urethra passes, etc. (Dreger 3). However, in about 1/500 births there is some confusion as to whether a fetus is male or female, due to the external genitalia (Dreger 42). In the past people of an unsure sex were referred to as hermaphrodites, but when extensive research revealed that it is impossible for a human to be a true hermaphrodite (with functioning male and female organs), the medical terminology was changed in the late nineteenth century to the more politically correct 'intersexual' (Dreger 31).

Causes of Intersexuality:

The conditions causing intersexuality can be divided into three sections. Chromosomal causes are caused by a change in the X or Y chromosomes, Hormonal are caused by a body's inability to absorb or produce hormones, and environmental are caused by outside factors that affect a fetus in the womb.

Chromosomal:

Two chromosomal syndromes are the main causes of intersexuality, Turner Syndrome, and Klinefelter's Syndrome.

Turner's syndrome:

Turner's syndrome is caused when a female fetus only receives one X chromosome. This happens in approximately 0.0369/100 births (Ojeda). While the genitalia of the person will be that of a normal female, they will not menstruate and will be infertile due to an underdeveloped uterus. They may also have a short neck, short fingers, puffy hands and feet (Haeberle). Children born with Turner's syndrome may face other health problems, such as “heart problems, high blood pressure, ear and hearing problems, shortsightedness, learning difficulties, thyroid problems, kidney problems, diabetes, and osteoporosis” (Haeberle).

Klinefelter's Syndrome:

Klinefelter's Syndrome is cause when a male fetus receives two X chromosomes, instead of one, making them XXY. While the person is physically male, and can often live a normal life, they can be subject to absent body hair, breasts, wide hips, and no frontal baldness, traits normally associated with females (Haeberle). There are no other health problems associated with Klinefelters, and it occurs in about 0.0992/100 births (Ojeda).

Hormonal:

There are three basic disorders that can lead to intersexuality cause by hormonal problems. These are Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), 5-Alpha-Reductase (5AR), and Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS).

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia:

CAH is caused by a malfunction of the adrenal gland, and happens in XX individuals (Haeberle). In CAH, large amounts of hormones from the adrenal gland affect the genitalia (Dreger 38). This can lead to masculinity in females in womb, making the genitalia androgynous (Ojeda). Approximately .00799/100 children are born with CAH (Ojeda).

5-Alpha-Reductase:

5AR is a rare but dramatic disorder that affects XY individuals (Haeberle). While the child is born female, at puberty the voice drops, hair grows, testicles descend into what was previously thought was labia, and the clitoris grows into a penis ( Dreger 39). This makes it particularly noticeable, and it was one of the first causes of intersexuality to be studied extensively. Individuals with 5AR are often infertile (Haeberle).

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome:

AIS is caused when an XY person has “no physiological receptors to read and respond to testosterone in the body” (Dreger 7). Even women have these receptors, as they also have testosterone int heir bodies, though in smaller amounts then men. People with AIS can still have male genitalia in causes of partial AIS, or have entirely female bodies, in cases of complete AIS. They can also be anywhere between the two, depending on their body's ability to absorb testosterone (Haeberle). Partial AIS occurs in .00076/100 births, and complete AIS occurs in .0076/100 (Ojeda).

Environmental:

Intersexuality due to environment can be cause by radiation, certain chemicals, and certain medications.

Radiation:

Radiation can affect the way cells join together, and can therefore affect sexual organs during development. In Chernobyl, Ukraine, where a nuclear blowout of a power plant caused the land to become contaminated with radioactive waste, there have been many reported incidents of individuals born with ambiguous genitalia, and reproductive problems.

Chemicals:

The industrial age has released many pollutants into air and water that can harm the sex of fetuses, such as DDT (pesticide) and PCBs (coolant). A mother's exposure to these chemicals, whether before or during pregnancy, can leads to mutations in the fetus, including mutations of the genitalia (Haeberle).

Medications:

Many medications are now marked with warnings to consult a doctor if the patient is pregnant, or planning to become pregnant. Part of this is because some medications have been found to affect the genitalia of a fetus. Two particularly ironic examples are Progestin and Diethylstilbestrol (DES). Progestin was used in the 50's and 60's to prevent miscarriages, and while it didn't work, it caused masculinity in female fetuses (Haeberle). DES was also used to prevent miscarriages from the 40's to the 70's, and it often resulted in abnormal genitalia in males (Haeberle).

All these causes, some preventable, some not, can lead to varying degrees of sex confusion in fetuses. Often in cases of abnormal genitalia, doctors will operate, and researchers are always in search of cures for and ways to prevent these syndromes. Is this the best way to deal with intersexuality? For more, see Intersexuality, Part Two.

Works Cited

Dreger, Alice. Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex. London, England: Harvard University Press, 1998. Print.

Haeberle, Erwin . "Causes of Intersexuality." Manus Hirschfeld Archive For Sexology. 2005. Web. 28 Jan 2010. .

Ojeda, Auriana . Male/Female Roles. 2^nd. New York: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Print.

Pictures:

Klinefelter's: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhruje63ZCGF_V5d0V2yHPPyBUtnhX4Gou4nSiKm62R9q4hIKgQbRyblLYh2jiiD9PRDzcZ2GREjr0uA0Ff88oMShoKQVYbGOwg_RedVS9Heb9AA7sN81qARFLTqxNdmiL5XV6PXsarg/s400/Klinefelter+syndrome.jpg

Turner's: http://www.nature.com/nrendo/journal/v4/n3/images/ncpendmet0747-f1.jpg

CAH: http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ECE3/assets/images/adglands.gif

AIS: http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ECE3/assets/images/aisscale.gif