Transgender and Transsexual - Report Example

Transgender and Transsexual Gender is the social norm that refers to one being a man or a woman. Transgender and transsexual are those individuals who seem not to identify with the sex in which they were born in it (Stryker 54). On the aspect of transgender, it means that an individual does not identify with the gender that they got assigned with at birth (Cohen 75). For instance, a transgender person might be born a female, with female genitalia, yet gender identifies him as a man. In this phenomenon, it encompasses transvestites/cross-dressers, Drag Queens/Kings, androgynes, and genderqueers. On the other level, transsexual individual refers to that person whose biological sex at birth does not go with their identity. These individuals, male or female, are born with a congenital neurological condition (Namaste 102). In such a scenario, the individual believes that their assigned sex at birth is not the perfect one, and their correct sex is that one, which seems to align with their feelings. As a result, many have viewed this personality to be a psychiatric condition yet many of these transsexuals are entirely rational (Whittle 74). More importantly is that the transsexual condition has a physical basis, in which, the female brain being in a male body is thus a biological reality. Transgender studies should try to explain the concrete areas of difference between transgender personality and transsexual character. Initially, the term transgender came forth through coinage by the Virginia Prince of the U.S in the late 1970s. His attempt was to try to give a clear-cut difference between transgender and transsexual phenomenon (Whittle 40). The two phenomena of transgender and transsexual personalities cover a wide range of topics, including human sexuality, ethics, and even their psychological impact. This is because sexual orientation, gender identity, as well as sexual identity, varies among the people of the world today (Stryker 64). Therefore, because of the life they chose, those who align themselves as in transgender or transsexual individuals, they often suffer from depression, discrimination, rejection, homelessness, or even suicidal tendencies. The individuals, who identify as transgender or transsexual, are normally individuals, who are born with emblematic male or female anatomies, and deeply in them, they carry the feeling that they exist, by virtue of birth, in the wrong body (Stryker 81). Take, for instance, that person who identifies as transgender or transsexual may happen to have exact female anatomy, yet they feel like a male. Consequently, they end up searching to become male by taking hormones or choosing to have sex reassignment surgeries. One thing common between the two identities of transgender and transsexual is that they have an internal experience of gender identity that happens to be different from the other people (Cohen 124). However, one may confuse people of transgender and transsexual with those with intersex conditions. The assumption commonly adopted by many is that these are individuals with unrealistic personality, and, who just desire to have their gender identity. Even though some go for those choices, most of the options adapted require hormonal treatments or medical surgery (Whittle 146). However, these are similarities. There are though some elements of truth, albeit scarce, that there are those who have intersex personality deciding to change genders at one point of their life. Therefore, one cannot an overall overhaul since some of those who have intersex conditions end up identifying themselves as transgender or transsexual (Namaste 50). Despite these two similarities, it is not etymologically correct to conclude the two groups (transgender and transsexual people with people with intersex conditions) as one. The former primarily experience challenges and problems with their gender identity. In the two categories of transgender and transsexual conditions, there is also the aspect of sexual orientation. It is, even though, different from each other. For instance, transgender people may be of all kinds. They include transsexual people, which can be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or asexual. It should though be noted that sexual orientation may not be linked to gender identity. Take, for instance, a transsexual person, who desires to undergo gender reassignment surgery ends up perceived as having an orientation change (Cohen 80). Mostly, this happens if the individual’s transfers from being interested in the same gender to the opposite gender or even vice versa directly due to their transition. In the world community, the transgender personalities have a way of symbolizing himself or herself either by use of a pride flag (consisting of pink and blue horizontal stripes on both ends) insinuating transition or the butterfly, which in this case means the metamorphosis they undergo (Stryker 60). As a result, those who identify themselves in the transgender have overpowered the transsexual since they have no separate symbol for orientation. Transgender kids have the uphill task as they wrestle the painful quest to be who they are. For instance, when growing toddlers insist that their gender does not go in tandem with their body triggers confusion, and even a painful odyssey, mostly to the family that might not fathom the status (Stryker 36). For example, a case where a boy has a male body, yet he prefers female things such as dolls, skirts in place of male accessories like pants and trucks is much common. The families of such children face isolation experiences in the wake of trying to decide what is best for them. The viewing of transgender as a mysterious, and a personality loaded with stigma and judgment has become then a painful experience for transgendered children and those babies born with a genital mutation (Whittle 112). These children, who might even identify themselves as belonging to the opposite, may at times experience a disconnect between their sex that is anatomy, and their gender, which may oscillate between their behaviors, activities and roles (Namaste 72). It would not be a surprise at the end of the day to find that the sex orientation for children who identify themselves as the opposite sex rhymes with their feelings. They might look like they would be transgender in early childhood, and spiral out to become gay, bisexual, or even lesbians (Cohen 43). Babies born with genetic mutations with their sex and genitals have no difference. Since youngsters begin to develop strong gender identities way before middle childhood, those with genital mutations may be unable to fathom their gender or sex. Picking up characteristics from men and women around them and incorporating these traits into their individual personalities may be weird. Having genital mutation affects the child’s subtleties and their relationships with their father and mother (New Mexico Voice 12). There is also the issue of attitude, from the parents, which also play a big role in influencing their gender-related behaviors. These children are thus more likely to develop a homosexual orientation more quickly than those children without the gender identity disorder are. Those who identify as transgender or transsexual face challenges in conforming to the expectations of the society as stipulated earlier, but the fact is they deserve equality as well (Whittle 44). These personalities have to strive in the discriminative society where they cannot get a job, or claim a societal niche. There is also the tussle with the religious groups who think these personalities do not fit in the human society. Plotting a clear explanation of the two terms in religious contexts might not be possible. These aspects attract persecution because of their sexual orientation. Ultimately, children end up displaying gender-role confusion (Namaste 30). This confliction about their gender may at times add up to them denying their sexuality. It is such a contrary happening rather the children learning to accept themselves, they end up disliking themselves, or more succinctly that part of themselves that is a boy or a girl. Just as Dalai Lama once proposed, for the society to accommodate these personalities, the human race must be ready to be revolted by science or any human act that oversteps the line of human decency (Whittle 53). Work cited Cohen, Janine. The Gender Puzzle. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2006. Namaste, Viviane K. Invisible Lives: The Erasure of Transsexual and Transgendered People. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print. New Mexico Voice: The Voice of New Mexicos Gay, Transsexual & Transgender Community. Albuquerque, N.M: New Mexico Voice, 2005. Print. Stryker, Susan. Transgender History. Berkeley, CA: Seal Press, 2008. Print. Whittle, Stephen. Respect and Equality: Transsexual and Transgender Rights. London: Cavendish Pub, 2002. Print. Read More