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lol! You're just relatively new at it, so you're going by the book, and considering questions according to the "rules". That's one way to learn. After while, you get so you can look at the bigger picture, and consider the "spirit of the law" rather than "the letter of the law". It's a learning process.
One more thing, I would tend to disagree with you that trans people are often asexual, at least not the ones I know. There are many who are celibate, and that often has to do with the fact that they have not had the complete surgeries because they are prohibitively expensive, and not covered by insurances. So since there are people who are so judgmental and hateful it's hard for them to find partners that either understand, or on the flip side do not fetishize them thereby objectifying them. People place a lot of stock in what's between someone's legs.
I was quoting a study which showed that 30% of post-operative transsexual people identified as asexual or having an extremely low sex-drive. I've got the study bookmarked somewhere, but can't find it. However, it was by a trans support organisation. That is a much higher percentage than found in typically gendered people (1-3%).
Of the many transsexual people I know, a significant proportion are asexual, including some that are in committed relationships. However, I do wonder if there isn't a greater proportion of asexuality in the typically gendered population - outside Buddhist sites, it's generally considered 'weird' or a problem, rather than just part of the wonderful variety of human behaviour.
Sexuality, of course, is not a black and white issue. But neither is gender, as I see we agree.
One more thing, I would tend to disagree with you that trans people are often asexual, at least not the ones I know. There are many who are celibate, and that often has to do with the fact that they have not had the complete surgeries because they are prohibitively expensive, and not covered by insurances. So since there are people who are so judgmental and hateful it's hard for them to find partners that either understand, or on the flip side do not fetishize them thereby objectifying them. People place a lot of stock in what's between someone's legs.
I was quoting a study which showed that 30% of post-operative transsexual people identified as asexual or having an extremely low sex-drive. I've got the study bookmarked somewhere, but can't find it. However, it was by a trans support organisation. That is a much higher percentage than found in typically gendered people (1-3%).
Of the many transsexual people I know, a significant proportion are asexual, including some that are in committed relationships. However, I do wonder if there isn't a greater proportion of asexuality in the typically gendered population - outside Buddhist sites, it's generally considered 'weird' or a problem, rather than just part of the wonderful variety of human behaviour.
Sexuality, of course, is not a black and white issue. But neither is gender, as I see we agree.
@AdaB thank you for that research, the key point being "post-operative". It's rather sad really. However given the outcomes of such surgeries which are so invasive I guess its not at all surprising.
Trauma to the tissues can result to a loss of sensation as a whole, much less the ability to achieve sexual stimulation. Still, and all, being comfortable in one's body and mind trumps that for someone who is trans.
So what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Asexuality or celibacy? As far as I know asexual means no desire for sex, and celibacy is a choice made to refrain from sex. Same end result. I need to do some more research on this topic I think, because now I am curious
Should you by some chance come across that study I would be interested to read it. This topic is diverse and fascinating. Thank you.
From everything I have read the loss of libido is actually a side effect of hormone replacement therapy and not SRS. Also, it is not a very common effect. An article I read recently goes into great detail the capability of transwomen to still achieve climax and sexual stimulation, and in many cases it is much better for the girl who have transitioned because they are more comfortable with their bodies than before.
One of the things she mentions is that for some girls it's difficult to get used to the idea of a non-localized internal climax which is a lot different from a men's centralized and external climax. So it takes time to get used to how your new body works.
The idea that transwomen are "de-sexing" themselves is a myth as far as I can tell.
@MindGate I used to think gender and sex were the same thing, but nowadays, with so much discussion and analysis going on about gender identity, gender (as I understand it) has taken on a meaning of socially-constructed ideas of gender. Whereas sex is more of a clinical term. I'm not good at explaining this, maybe you could do some internet research about it.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
"Woah the faeries, oh the faeries, Nothing but splendour in feminine gender....."
(Old-time British Music-hall song....)
So I guess the word 'gender' means type OR sex....?
From everything I have read the loss of libido is actually a side effect of hormone replacement therapy and not SRS. Also, it is not a very common effect. An article I read recently goes into great detail the capability of transwomen to still achieve climax and sexual stimulation, and in many cases it is much better for the girl who have transitioned because they are more comfortable with their bodies than before.
One of the things she mentions is that for some girls it's difficult to get used to the idea of a non-localized internal climax which is a lot different from a men's centralized and external climax. So it takes time to get used to how your new body works.
The idea that transwomen are "de-sexing" themselves is a myth as far as I can tell.
Considering how many assigned-at-birth women feel about sex, especially as they age. Many (not all) complain that the demands from their spouses are more than they care to give. So now I wonder why it is that trans women on HRT would have a decreased libido as opposed to an increase or at least more level. Make sense? I bet there are other contributing factors...more research! Yay!
Also to know that post-op trans women are actually able to climax well and/or better than in their previous incarnation must be very heartening. Very impressive what doctors can do nowadays. Thankfully then it's NOT a tradeoff,de-sexing oneself. Just awesome.
You misread my post. I was talking about the who sex/gender not being interchangeable thing.
I was just saying that it doesn't seem like a big deal. Why should we debate what word is more correct to use? The dictionary says gender and sex mean the same thing, but gender can also mean something else. I use it to mean sex. That is the way everyone I know uses it. Saying we shouldn't say "gender" to mean sex is silly, since technically it can mean both.
lol Sorry for not clarifying. I thought it would be automatically assumed, since my last post was about that.
So now I wonder why it is that trans women on HRT would have a decreased libido as opposed to an increase or at least more level. Make sense? I bet there are other contributing factors...more research! Yay!
Also to know that post-op trans women are actually able to climax well and/or better than in their previous incarnation must be very heartening. Very impressive what doctors can do nowadays. Thankfully then it's NOT a tradeoff,de-sexing oneself. Just awesome.
I saw a documentary on this exact question, as well as some supplementation in a psychology class. It isn't that arousal decreases, as much as the form of arousal is different in men and women, and it is an adjustment period. For many who are gendered female, arousal is based more through emotional connectivity rather than physical attraction, leading to a non-localized arousal that is supplemented by stimulation, but not caused by it. During transition, the transgender women are also psychologically/emotionally transitioning and essentially go through another form of adolescence, where both sexual confusion and exploration are quite normal.
Once they fully transition, the more comfortable they become with non-localized arousal, the more their labido picks back up. There is enough penile tissue externally in the sensate clitoris as well as internally in the penile stump to provide very satisfying sexual experiences including orgasm in many of the women. Im not a doctor, obviously, and this was awhile ago I watched it... but the information in the documentary was based off many case studies from the big SRS facility in toronto. Their website might have more/sourced information.
You misread my post. I was talking about the who sex/gender not being interchangeable thing.
I was just saying that it doesn't seem like a big deal. Why should we debate what word is more correct to use? The dictionary says gender and sex mean the same thing, but gender can also mean something else. I use it to mean sex. That is the way everyone I know uses it. Saying we shouldn't say "gender" to mean sex is silly, since technically it can mean both.
lol Sorry.
Semantically @MindGate you are correct. Both in the definitions thereof, and the fact that it is a matter of being PC.
However, when it comes to the parties involved (trans people), and application thereof, all bets are off. Because when someone is born as one thing, and then identifies as another thing it then becomes somewhat interchangeable. Especially if transition is involved.
Man, I hope that was understandable,else I will have to come up with another way of explaining it.
From everything I have read the loss of libido is actually a side effect of hormone replacement therapy and not SRS. Also, it is not a very common effect. An article I read recently goes into great detail the capability of transwomen to still achieve climax and sexual stimulation, and in many cases it is much better for the girl who have transitioned because they are more comfortable with their bodies than before.
One of the things she mentions is that for some girls it's difficult to get used to the idea of a non-localized internal climax which is a lot different from a men's centralized and external climax. So it takes time to get used to how your new body works.
The idea that transwomen are "de-sexing" themselves is a myth as far as I can tell.
I'm sure you're right, but I gather from the people I know who identify as asexual, that that was their identification *before* treatment as well, so nothing changed. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.
I think my point was the if people say that people have 'sex changes' for sexual reasons, that wouldn't make sense since many trans people are asexual. Some people do actually discover their sexuality, post-op; others are much happier, but lose the desire for sex. The question is, what was their original orientation? I think I'm suggesting that an awful lot of people are asexual in their orientation anyway, maybe a few percent of the population - but perhaps in the trans population, it is a more acceptable thing to say?
I don't believe there is any evidence that most people change sexuality as a result of treatment: asexuality is a very different thing from being unable to physically have sex, or having a medical problem causing low libido, such as hormone imbalance or depression. A true asexual is someone who is naturally happier to be celibate.
'Gender' is typically taken to be our social construction of male and female roles and identity. In other words, gender is taught: boys play trains, girls play dolls; boys play cops and robbers, girls play nurses; boys like dogs, girls like ponies etc. And emotions and personality traits are associated with gender. All of this varies in other cultures. For instance, in the Kalahari, young men are considered over-emotional and flighty, whereas women are considered calm and logical.
A person can take on Gender simply by dressing the part and behaving in that gender role. This is an important part of a transsexual person's transition, but it is not the whole story. Merely crossdressing and behaving in the socially accepted gender role is not adequate for most transsexuals, to relieve their discomfort.
'Sex' can mean the secondary sexual characteristics of a person i.e. penis for males (usually) and vagina for females (usually). But nature plays tricks and things are not always so straightforwards. Hence, I mentioned intersex people; people who are neither male nor female.
Technically speaking, transsexual surgery is Sex Reassignment Surgery, as it affects the secondary sexual characteristics. However, it is often called Gender Reassignment Surgery because a. the world 'sex' was thought rude and b. there was a lot of debate about what exactly was being changed and c. to counter worries that the surgery for was reasons of sexual gratification, like a fetish, rather than for genuine medical reasons. But as medical technology increases, the word gender is increasingly inaccurate for what is done and people are generally much more aware that 'sex' refers to biological sex, not to the act of copulation.
'Sex' is also used to mean sexual intercourse. Statements about sex and gender being different usually refer to the fact that a person's sexual orientation has little or nothing to do with their gender and/or biological sex. A transsexual person may be homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual in their post-transition gender/sex. Or of course they may be asexual.
The important point to realise is that a 'sex change' is nothing to do with sexual intercourse, despite the use of the word 'sex'.
Hi all, great discussions and some beautifully written explanations of the whole issue!
And, fully understanding this is not a discussion on sexual desire, its also very interesting to read how sexual desire may or may not be affected by SRS and hormone therapy.
I'd still love to discuss the whole question of "what is an appropriate desire to have if we are seriously seeking enlightenment" question. I might open another thread though so as not to create any further misunderstandings here
@MindGate There are entire books written solely on the subject of sex and gender, which you could read, if you fancied getting a degree in social sciences and then keep going for several years. Most of them are fairly impenetrable.
If you look in different disciplines, you will find the terms used slightly differently. My definitions are from social science. I have a degree in social science with politics, which was awarded this summer. You will find this definition paralleled on the World Health Organisation website:
The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives lay definitions, for American-English speakers. However, as I suggested, these meanings are constantly evolving and changing, so you can't put a finger on the stream and say "There it is".
The reason for being clear about our meanings is because if we don't do that, we could well be talking at cross-purposes. That was why I explained the meanings that I was using, and that a majority of people in this thread (educated lot that you are!) are using.
It's not about who is correct and who is wrong, it is about making sure we are all talking about the same thing.
In my sociology and psychology classes (including biological psych) sex and gender are taught as being distinctly different. One is organs, the other is identity. As far as I have observed, these differences are upheld as definitive by most scholars.
I think it's clear now. It never was about being right, it was about understanding semantics, and we took the scenic route
Editorial to follow, stop now if you do not want to hear it.
Transsexual persons are very misunderstood, judged, and put upon to make others understand. There are a handful of brave souls that do get out and teach, mostly because no one else does it. They talk to schools, doctors, police,and mental health professionals to teach them how trans people should be cared for or treated.
It's hard enough to come to the realization of being something or someone other than what they are born as. What comes after is even worse. The stares, the comments, the violence, the denial of service by doctors, mistreatment and ridicule in the emergency room.
Anyone ever seen Southern Comfort? A man died because he was denied treatment for reproductive cancer. He had been born female. What about Boys Don't Cry? Another (true) story of a young man, born a female who was beaten, raped and killed for being transgender. The sheriff in the case was tried and convicted for not protecting Brandon.
Not everyone has a life like Renee Richards who put a face on trans women back in the 70's. She is a successful doctor in NYC whose patients adore her - I had occasion to speak with one of them, and they could not say enough.
Many trans women become sex workers, because a-there is a demand for them, and b-so they can make money for their changes. The risks apparently do not outweigh the benefits. Trans men are less likely to do sex work, although their numbers are growing. Unlike the UK and and Canada as @AdaB mentioned, our USA healthcare system does not cover anything for trans people.
They must pay out of pocket for virtually everything. Thousands of dollars that are free and clear for the providers who do cater to this demographic, and those few providers are busy!! Some of whom are trans themselves, and are giving back.
Heaven help a trans person arrested and put in jail. Non trans people in jail have it tough, amplify that. Still, it defies the imagination.
Transsexual people live in fear every single day, just leaving their homes. So in light of all of this, this is why they need advocates, and on a more basic level, compassion.
@Talisman took a HUGE leap of faith even sharing such an idea with this forum. Granted it is virtual, we do not know Tal personally, and there is the implied idea of Buddhists being open and understanding. So far so good, for the most part. It took a lot of guts. I respect that. The bonus is (I hope) we all learned a little about what it means to be transsexual or transgender. I sure did.
Following on from what Hubris has said about trans people, I will share the story of someone I know, from my locality. It is a little different from the typical transsexual story, because Amy (not her real name) was born intersex.
When Amy was born, she had three sex chromosomes instead of one. She was XXY, known as Klienfelter's Syndrome. This meant that her genitalia were in between male and female, but because she had a structure that looked like a penis, she was declared male.
Throughout her childhood, Amy, then named 'John', declared that she was a girl. From as soon as she knew the difference between boys and girls, she declared that she was a girl. But her parents, influenced by the thinking at the time, were told to strictly enforce maleness. It was believed that if they did this, 'John' would grow to have a male identity.
However, the result was that 'John' had nothing in common with the boys, or the girls, so spent a lonely childhood with virtually no friends or playmates.
Once in her teens, Amy/John started to produce female hormones instead of male, but not enough to cause puberty. So then the injections started. She was forced to have testosterone injections to encourage male puberty. It physically changed her body, caused her voice to break, beard to grow etc. She fought and screamed and threatened suicide, but no one listened. She was held down and injected, until she grew too large to be restrained. Eventually, she ran away from home.
On the streets, she reverted to a female identity. I don't know what she did to survive - she never told me. I can only imagine. But somehow she managed to forge a life for herself. She got a proper job, she got somewhere to live, but dogged constantly by terrible mental health, largely because of the traumas she'd endured.
Eventually, she came under the care of a compassionate psychiatrist who felt that it would be immensely helpful if she could be helped to become as female as possible. So she was transferred to a clinic for gender reassignment aka 'sex change'. Which is ironic, given that if they'd left Amy alone in her teens, her body would have been basically female.
Amy had her so-called 'sex change' and started on female hormones. She still has a deep voice, male bone structure etc. but unless you knew her, I'd challenged anyone to realise that Amy had even been identified as male. Fortunately, because technically she has gone through the gender reassignment process, Amy has been allowed to legally change her gender to female.
Other intersex people, whose bodies have simply developed in a different sex to that identified at birth, do not have that luxury. Even women declared male on their birth certificates, who subsequently give birth to children are still legally considered the father of the child! (I know, it's crazy).
A while back, while still going through treatment, Amy was beaten up by a bunch of thugs who accused her of being a man in drag. I suppose it shows her strength of character that she did not shrivel and die at this point. Instead, she made a complaint to the police and got the thugs charged.
Of course, most transsexual people are not intersex, like Amy, but I shared her story as an example about how our entrenched, dualistic ideas about sex/gender and 'appropriate' gender behaviour cause so much suffering. And perhaps those of you who are not familiar with this issue will understand why those of us who are, feel so passionately about the need for understanding and compassion for gender divergent people.
Comments
Of the many transsexual people I know, a significant proportion are asexual, including some that are in committed relationships. However, I do wonder if there isn't a greater proportion of asexuality in the typically gendered population - outside Buddhist sites, it's generally considered 'weird' or a problem, rather than just part of the wonderful variety of human behaviour.
Sexuality, of course, is not a black and white issue. But neither is gender, as I see we agree.
Trauma to the tissues can result to a loss of sensation as a whole, much less the ability to achieve sexual stimulation. Still, and all, being comfortable in one's body and mind trumps that for someone who is trans.
So what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Asexuality or celibacy? As far as I know asexual means no desire for sex, and celibacy is a choice made to refrain from sex. Same end result. I need to do some more research on this topic I think, because now I am curious
Should you by some chance come across that study I would be interested to read it. This topic is diverse and fascinating. Thank you.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gender
Definition 2.a.
Your definition is 2.b.
Technically we're all correct.
One of the things she mentions is that for some girls it's difficult to get used to the idea of a non-localized internal climax which is a lot different from a men's centralized and external climax. So it takes time to get used to how your new body works.
The idea that transwomen are "de-sexing" themselves is a myth as far as I can tell.
Nothing but splendour
in feminine gender....."
(Old-time British Music-hall song....)
So I guess the word 'gender' means type OR sex....?
Considering how many assigned-at-birth women feel about sex, especially as they age. Many (not all) complain that the demands from their spouses are more than they care to give. So now I wonder why it is that trans women on HRT would have a decreased libido as opposed to an increase or at least more level. Make sense? I bet there are other contributing factors...more research! Yay!
Also to know that post-op trans women are actually able to climax well and/or better than in their previous incarnation must be very heartening. Very impressive what doctors can do nowadays. Thankfully then it's NOT a tradeoff,de-sexing oneself. Just awesome.
@MindGate, it might have helped to clarify....
OK, Fed.
I was just saying that it doesn't seem like a big deal. Why should we debate what word is more correct to use? The dictionary says gender and sex mean the same thing, but gender can also mean something else. I use it to mean sex. That is the way everyone I know uses it. Saying we shouldn't say "gender" to mean sex is silly, since technically it can mean both.
lol Sorry for not clarifying. I thought it would be automatically assumed, since my last post was about that.
Sex is form
Once they fully transition, the more comfortable they become with non-localized arousal, the more their labido picks back up. There is enough penile tissue externally in the sensate clitoris as well as internally in the penile stump to provide very satisfying sexual experiences including orgasm in many of the women. Im not a doctor, obviously, and this was awhile ago I watched it... but the information in the documentary was based off many case studies from the big SRS facility in toronto. Their website might have more/sourced information.
However, when it comes to the parties involved (trans people), and application thereof, all bets are off. Because when someone is born as one thing, and then identifies as another thing it then becomes somewhat interchangeable. Especially if transition is involved.
Man, I hope that was understandable,else I will have to come up with another way of explaining it.
I think my point was the if people say that people have 'sex changes' for sexual reasons, that wouldn't make sense since many trans people are asexual. Some people do actually discover their sexuality, post-op; others are much happier, but lose the desire for sex. The question is, what was their original orientation? I think I'm suggesting that an awful lot of people are asexual in their orientation anyway, maybe a few percent of the population - but perhaps in the trans population, it is a more acceptable thing to say?
I don't believe there is any evidence that most people change sexuality as a result of treatment: asexuality is a very different thing from being unable to physically have sex, or having a medical problem causing low libido, such as hormone imbalance or depression. A true asexual is someone who is naturally happier to be celibate.
'Gender' is typically taken to be our social construction of male and female roles and identity. In other words, gender is taught: boys play trains, girls play dolls; boys play cops and robbers, girls play nurses; boys like dogs, girls like ponies etc. And emotions and personality traits are associated with gender. All of this varies in other cultures. For instance, in the Kalahari, young men are considered over-emotional and flighty, whereas women are considered calm and logical.
A person can take on Gender simply by dressing the part and behaving in that gender role. This is an important part of a transsexual person's transition, but it is not the whole story. Merely crossdressing and behaving in the socially accepted gender role is not adequate for most transsexuals, to relieve their discomfort.
'Sex' can mean the secondary sexual characteristics of a person i.e. penis for males (usually) and vagina for females (usually). But nature plays tricks and things are not always so straightforwards. Hence, I mentioned intersex people; people who are neither male nor female.
Technically speaking, transsexual surgery is Sex Reassignment Surgery, as it affects the secondary sexual characteristics. However, it is often called Gender Reassignment Surgery because a. the world 'sex' was thought rude and b. there was a lot of debate about what exactly was being changed and c. to counter worries that the surgery for was reasons of sexual gratification, like a fetish, rather than for genuine medical reasons. But as medical technology increases, the word gender is increasingly inaccurate for what is done and people are generally much more aware that 'sex' refers to biological sex, not to the act of copulation.
'Sex' is also used to mean sexual intercourse. Statements about sex and gender being different usually refer to the fact that a person's sexual orientation has little or nothing to do with their gender and/or biological sex. A transsexual person may be homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual in their post-transition gender/sex. Or of course they may be asexual.
The important point to realise is that a 'sex change' is nothing to do with sexual intercourse, despite the use of the word 'sex'.
And, fully understanding this is not a discussion on sexual desire, its also very interesting to read how sexual desire may or may not be affected by SRS and hormone therapy.
I'd still love to discuss the whole question of "what is an appropriate desire to have if we are seriously seeking enlightenment" question. I might open another thread though so as not to create any further misunderstandings here
:wave:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gender
Definition 2.a.
Your definition is 2.b.
Technically we're all correct.
If you look in different disciplines, you will find the terms used slightly differently. My definitions are from social science. I have a degree in social science with politics, which was awarded this summer. You will find this definition paralleled on the World Health Organisation website:
http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/index.html
The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives lay definitions, for American-English speakers. However, as I suggested, these meanings are constantly evolving and changing, so you can't put a finger on the stream and say "There it is".
The reason for being clear about our meanings is because if we don't do that, we could well be talking at cross-purposes. That was why I explained the meanings that I was using, and that a majority of people in this thread (educated lot that you are!) are using.
It's not about who is correct and who is wrong, it is about making sure we are all talking about the same thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/social_constructionism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender
http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/ARTH/ARTH200/gender.html
http://plato.standford.edu/entries/feminism-gender
Editorial to follow, stop now if you do not want to hear it.
Transsexual persons are very misunderstood, judged, and put upon to make others understand. There are a handful of brave souls that do get out and teach, mostly because no one else does it. They talk to schools, doctors, police,and mental health professionals to teach them how trans people should be cared for or treated.
It's hard enough to come to the realization of being something or someone other than what they are born as. What comes after is even worse. The stares, the comments, the violence, the denial of service by doctors, mistreatment and ridicule in the emergency room.
Anyone ever seen Southern Comfort? A man died because he was denied treatment for reproductive cancer. He had been born female. What about Boys Don't Cry? Another (true) story of a young man, born a female who was beaten, raped and killed for being transgender. The sheriff in the case was tried and convicted for not protecting Brandon.
Not everyone has a life like Renee Richards who put a face on trans women back in the 70's. She is a successful doctor in NYC whose patients adore her - I had occasion to speak with one of them, and they could not say enough.
Many trans women become sex workers, because a-there is a demand for them, and b-so they can make money for their changes. The risks apparently do not outweigh the benefits. Trans men are less likely to do sex work, although their numbers are growing. Unlike the UK and and Canada as @AdaB mentioned, our USA healthcare system does not cover anything for trans people.
They must pay out of pocket for virtually everything. Thousands of dollars that are free and clear for the providers who do cater to this demographic, and those few providers are busy!! Some of whom are trans themselves, and are giving back.
Heaven help a trans person arrested and put in jail. Non trans people in jail have it tough, amplify that. Still, it defies the imagination.
Transsexual people live in fear every single day, just leaving their homes. So in light of all of this, this is why they need advocates, and on a more basic level, compassion.
@Talisman took a HUGE leap of faith even sharing such an idea with this forum. Granted it is virtual, we do not know Tal personally, and there is the implied idea of Buddhists being open and understanding. So far so good, for the most part. It took a lot of guts. I respect that. The bonus is (I hope) we all learned a little about what it means to be transsexual or transgender. I sure did.
Thanks @Talisman !
When Amy was born, she had three sex chromosomes instead of one. She was XXY, known as Klienfelter's Syndrome. This meant that her genitalia were in between male and female, but because she had a structure that looked like a penis, she was declared male.
Throughout her childhood, Amy, then named 'John', declared that she was a girl. From as soon as she knew the difference between boys and girls, she declared that she was a girl. But her parents, influenced by the thinking at the time, were told to strictly enforce maleness. It was believed that if they did this, 'John' would grow to have a male identity.
However, the result was that 'John' had nothing in common with the boys, or the girls, so spent a lonely childhood with virtually no friends or playmates.
Once in her teens, Amy/John started to produce female hormones instead of male, but not enough to cause puberty. So then the injections started. She was forced to have testosterone injections to encourage male puberty. It physically changed her body, caused her voice to break, beard to grow etc. She fought and screamed and threatened suicide, but no one listened. She was held down and injected, until she grew too large to be restrained. Eventually, she ran away from home.
On the streets, she reverted to a female identity. I don't know what she did to survive - she never told me. I can only imagine. But somehow she managed to forge a life for herself. She got a proper job, she got somewhere to live, but dogged constantly by terrible mental health, largely because of the traumas she'd endured.
Eventually, she came under the care of a compassionate psychiatrist who felt that it would be immensely helpful if she could be helped to become as female as possible. So she was transferred to a clinic for gender reassignment aka 'sex change'. Which is ironic, given that if they'd left Amy alone in her teens, her body would have been basically female.
Amy had her so-called 'sex change' and started on female hormones. She still has a deep voice, male bone structure etc. but unless you knew her, I'd challenged anyone to realise that Amy had even been identified as male. Fortunately, because technically she has gone through the gender reassignment process, Amy has been allowed to legally change her gender to female.
Other intersex people, whose bodies have simply developed in a different sex to that identified at birth, do not have that luxury. Even women declared male on their birth certificates, who subsequently give birth to children are still legally considered the father of the child! (I know, it's crazy).
A while back, while still going through treatment, Amy was beaten up by a bunch of thugs who accused her of being a man in drag. I suppose it shows her strength of character that she did not shrivel and die at this point. Instead, she made a complaint to the police and got the thugs charged.
Of course, most transsexual people are not intersex, like Amy, but I shared her story as an example about how our entrenched, dualistic ideas about sex/gender and 'appropriate' gender behaviour cause so much suffering. And perhaps those of you who are not familiar with this issue will understand why those of us who are, feel so passionately about the need for understanding and compassion for gender divergent people.