SZ 201 Trans* and Gender Variant Identities by Ohio University LGBT Center SafeZones

Revised December 2014 by dwb and JB

SafeZone 201: Trans* and Gender Variant Identities

Join the network of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who are willing and prepared to create safer spaces for transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, and questioning people. The OHIO SafeZone project is a voluntary, educational effort that helps participants better understand queer identities while also exploring strategies on how to be an ally to LGBTQ communities on and off campus. Expanding the OHIO SafeZone project, this workshop will help participants better understand trans* identities through discussions on transgender terminology, issues uniquely experienced by trans* folk, and exploration of strategies on how to be an ally to trans* communities on and off campus. The workshop offers a starting point for the deeper engagement of the dynamics of gender, identity, and expression.

354 Baker University Center 740.593-0239 www.ohio.edu/lgbt lgbt@ohio.edu delfin bautista, director bautista@ohio.edu

What’s Included in this Packet SafeZone • What is SafeZone … pg. 5 • About this Workshop … pg. 6 • Respect Guidelines … pg. 7 Language Mindfulness • Names and Pronouns … pg. 8 • Preferred Gender Pronouns: A Guide for Faculty, Staff, and Allies … pg. 9 Self-Awareness about Gender • What is Your Gender Aptitude … pg. 11 • Values Orientation … pg. 14 Why this Conversation Matters • Statistics and Facts … pg. 15 • Americans’ Understanding of Transgender Issues … pg. 15 • Social Issues Facing Transgender People … pg. 16 • What kinds of discrimination do transgender people face … pg. 16 • National Transgender Discrimination Survey Ohio Results … pg. 18 • Actually, Trans People are still labeled as “Disordered” … pg. 20 • Gender Dysphoria … pg. 22 • Paraphilic Disorders … pg. 24 Scratching the Surface of Trans-ness • Working Definitions … pg. 26 • 8 Trans Identities to Understand … pg. 35 • Defining Transgender … pg. 36 • Transgender 101 … pg. 36 • What is a “Cisgender” Person … pg. 38 • Gender Unicorn … pg. 39 • Genderbread Person … pg. 40 • Color Spectrums … pg. 41 • What is a Gender Binary System … pg. 42 • Transgender Umbrella … pg. 43 • What Determines Gender Identity … pg. 45 • What [Cisgender People] have in Common with Transgender People … pg. 47 • Misconceptions debunked … pg. 48 • What’s the difference between being transgender and intersex … pg. 51 • Brief Guidelines for Intersex Allies … pg. 52 Coming Out and Transitioning • Coming Out … pg. 54 • What do I do if someone comes out to me … pg. 55 • I think I might be Transgender … pg. 56 • Coming Out FAQ … pg. 60 • What is Transition … pg. 62 • Social Transition … pg. 64 • Legal Transition … pg. 65

Transphobia • Words that are Transphobic and Why … pg. 66 • Cisgender Privilege … pg. 67 • Cisgender Privilege Checklist … pg. 68 • Trans-misogyny Primer … pg. 71 • What Transmisogyny Looks Like … pg. 72 Trans Allyship • Using Privilege to Create Change … pg. 74 • Beyond Tolerance: Towards Understanding, Appreciation, and Affirmation … pg. 74 • Combat Transphobia … pg. 76 • Ways to be a Good Trans Ally … pg. 79 • 52 things you can do for Transgender Equality … pg. 81 • 5 Ways Using Correct Gender Pronouns Will Make You a Better Trans Ally … pg. 81 • Just a few steps would make any campus a more welcoming place … pg. 85 • Action Tips for Allies of Trans People … pg. 87 • On Building a Trans-Inclusive Feminist Movement … pg. 89 • 5 Ways to Amplify the Voices of Trans/Cis Women, Non-binary folks, and Trans men … pg. 92 • Trans Socialization … pg. 93 • Intersection of Transphobia, Racism, and Misogyny … pg. 94 • Ways to support your partner’s gender transition … pg. 96 • Ten things every ally should know about Transgender Day of Remembrance … pg. 98 • Critical Questions for Organizers of TDOR … pg. 99 • Employment Discrimination and Transgender People … pg. 101 Resource Roundup • Books … pg. 105 • University Trans Organizations and Efforts … pg. 105 • Local Affirming Organizations … pg. 106 • Ohio LGBT Organizations … pg. 106 • National Resource Roundup … pg. 106

What is a “SafeZone”? From the “Campus Climate for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People: A National Perspective” by Susan R. Rankin

The SafeZone symbol is a message to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer (LGBTQI) students, faculty, staff, and colleagues that this is a safe place where one may be open about their identity without fear. This space herby respects all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. The person displaying this symbol has participated in a training workshop to increase his/her awareness and sensitivity to LGBTI and ally issues and is one who can serve as a referral/resource person. What is the purpose of “Safe Zone” Trainings? The purpose of the “Safe Zone” training is to reduce homophobia and heterosexism on OU’s campus and in the Athens community by training students, staff, faculty and community members (Allies) to serve as resources on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex issues and support anyone who is dealing with issues pertaining to their sexual orientation or gender identity. The overall mission of this project is to raise awareness of LGBT issues and pledge a commitment to fostering an environment on campus that is devoid of discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation, sexual identity, or gender identity. Why do we need a “Safe Zone” at OU? The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) community is often the victim of unjustified discrimination and unfairness. A “Safe Zone” works to diminish such discrimination by establishing a place that is free of stereotypical barriers and promotes respect for individuals of all sexuality and gender identities. Additionally, relevant statistics validate the need for a “Safe Zone. ” For instance, according to The Campus Climate Assessment (by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force) of 20 college institutions: • More than one-third (36 percent) of GLBT undergraduate students have experienced harassment within the past year, as have 29 percent of all respondents. • Those who experienced harassment reported that derogatory remarks were the most common form (89 percent) and that students were most often the source of harassment (79 percent). • Twenty percent of all respondents feared for their physical safety because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 51 percent concealed their sexual orientation or gender identity to avoid intimidation. • Forty-one percent of respondents stated that their college/university was not addressing issues related to sexual orientation/gender identity. • Respondents were divided on whether or not the institution had visible leadership regarding sexual orientation/gender identity issues, with 44 percent agreeing and 34 percent disagreeing. • Forty-three percent felt that the curriculum did not represent the contributions of GLBT people. These statistics help to substantiate the need for a “Safe Zone.” Additionally, these alarming statistics help to emphasize the lack of education—in the general public— surrounding LGBTI issues.

About this Workshop ~ Getting Started Edited from: Diversity Works, Amherst, MA, Task Force Against Homophobia

1. This workshop is grounded in several core beliefs: o Homophobia and Transphobia decrease opportunities to talk freely and learn about LGBT people—farther perpetuating the oppression of Heterosexism and Cissexism. o Being heterosexual is not a choice. Neither is being homosexual. o We have all learned unwanted oppressive beliefs. While we did not ask to be taught them, change hinges on our ability to separate fault/guilt from responsibility. 2. Discussing feelings is important to your understanding of the issues of difference and diversity. We hope to create a sense of safety so that feelings can be shared. 3. There may be LGBT people in this group. Some may choose not to come out, while others will come out. This may be true as well for others who have LGBT family members or loved ones. 4. One one person can speak for all LGBT people. How could they? There is no one “LGBT”, but rather a diverse and varied community of individuals who are LGB and/or T. This workshop and views expressed are intended to give you a better understanding of issues that LGBT people may face and potential common trends. Remember that a little information is better than none, but a little information applied too broadly can be detrimental as well. Overall, to best understand LGBT people you need to meet, befriend, and understand them as individuals. 5. Please respect our time here together. Turn off all electronic devices. 6. We invite ALL questions. This is a safe place to ask what you want/need to know. However, due to our limited time today, we will not spend much time on any one topic. 7. Unlike most workshops, our goal is not to cover all material in this packet in detail. Our goal is to give you some good information and to get you started or help you continue on your journey to be an ally and advocate. 8. We ask that you commit to spending at least one additional hour reading this packet and web resources to supplement this workshop. 9. To make this workshop a safe place for all, we invite additional ground rules from you at this time.

Respect Guidelines •

Discussing feelings is important to your understanding of the issues of difference and diversity. We hope to create a sense of safety so that feelings can be shared.

•

There may be LGBTQ people in this group. Some may choose not to come out, while others will come out. This may be true as well for others who have LGBT family members or loved ones.

•

One person can’t speak for all LGBTQ people. How could they? This workshop and views expressed are intended to give you a better understanding of issues that LGBTQ people may face and potential common trends. Remember that a little information is better than none, but a little information applied too broadly can be detrimental as well. Overall, to best understand LGBT people you need to meet, befriend, and understand them as individuals.

•

Please respect our time here together. Turn off all electronic devices.

•

We invite ALL questions. This is a safe place to ask what you want/need to know. However, due to our limited time today, we will not spend much time on any one topic.

•

Unlike most workshops, our goal is not to cover all material in this packet in detail. Our goal is to give you some good information and to get you started or help you continue on your journey to be an ally and advocate.

•

We ask that you commit to spending at least one additional hour reading this packet and web resources to supplement this workshop. Recognize Your Communication Style Expect to Learn Something About Yourself and Others Speak Clearly and Use Personal Examples When Making a Point Participate Honestly and Openly Engage in the Process by Listening as Well as Speaking Confidentiality/Curiousity/Charity Take Responsibility for Yourself and What You Say

What Is Your Gender Aptitude? Adapted from Kate Bornstein’s My Gender Workbook

How many genders do you really think there are? A. Two. B. Well, there are two sexes. Is that what you mean? C. I’m going to guess there are lots of genders and two sexes. D. When do you want me to stop counting? Which of the following most accurately describes you? A. I’m a real man. B. I’m a real woman. C. I’m not a real man or a real woman, but I’d like to be. D. None of the above. I’m something else entirely. Has someone else ever accused you of being not really a man, or not really a woman? A. No. B. Yes. C. No, but I’ve felt that myself. D. Yes, and I’ve had to agree with them. Do you feel it’s possible for someone to change hir gender? A. No. And what does “hir” mean, Flake-o? B. I think people can try, but no. Not really, no. C. Yes, with proper supervision, surgery, and hormones. I think so. D. How many times? If you met someone who you think is one gender, but you find out they used to be another gender, you think to yourself A. Is this some costume party? B. The poor, brave dear! C. Wow, and I didn’t even know! D. Yeah, yeah. But can you do a good Elvis? If you see someone on the street whose gender is unclear to you, do you A. Dismiss that person as a freak? B. Try to figure out if it’s a man or a woman? C. Mentally give them a makeover so they can pass better as one or the other? D. Notice they’re staring at you, trying to figure out what you are? What do you believe the essential sign of gender to be? A. The presence or absence of a penis. B. A combination of genitalia, secondary sex characteristics, hormones, and chromosomes. C. It’s an energy thing. People have male or female energy. D. Whatever. Have you ever questioned the nature of gender itself? A. No, it’s not polite to question Mother Nature. B. I question the nature of my own gender, but gender itself? No. C. I question gender, but I get the spooky feeling I’m not supposed to do that. D. The nature of gender? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Is the male/female dichotomy something natural? A. Well, duh. Of course. B. It’s probably a combination of nature and nurture. C. Probably, but there are a lot of exceptions walking around! D. There’s a male/female dichotomy? On what planet? Have you ever worn the clothes of “the opposite sex?” A. Hey, give me a break. No way! B. Yes, but when I wear them, they’re for the right sex. C. What sex in the world would be opposite of me? D. Several of the above. When you go into a department store to buy yourself clothing, do you shop mostly in a department labeled for your assigned gender? A. Well, duh! Where else? B. No, because sometimes the other departments have stuff that fits me better. C. Yes, because it’s very important to me to do that. D. I will shop in any department for anything that’s fabulous. When the store clerk asks, “How can I help you, sir,” you A. Smile. B. Wince. C. Curse. D. Curtsy. When the store clerk looks up at you inquiringly and says, “Yes, ma’am?” you A. Wish you’d grown that mustache after all. B. Smile. C. Purr. D. Brightly exclaim, “Gee I’m sorry . . . would you like to try for Door Number Three?” Have you ever been discriminated against, harassed, or attacked because of your gender presentation? A. No. B. No, I’ve been careful. C. Yes, and it happens to women every hour of the day. D. Yes. When was the last time you were aware of something about your gender that was holding you back in the world? A. I can’t recall a time like that. B. Do you want that in minutes or seconds? C. Do you mean the times I did something about it, or the times it overwhelmed me? D. It was just before I changed my gender the last time. SCORING Give yourself… 5 points for each A answer, 3 points for every B, 1 point for a C, no points for any D answers.

If you haven’t guessed it by now, when it comes to your Gender Aptitude, or level of gender conformity, smaller is better. But don’t fret, please. It’s just an aptitude, and like any other part of human potential, with a little or a lot of work, you can always improve. Let’s see what the numbers translate into. 0-18: “GENDER FREAK”: Whoa! This stuff must seem like kid’s play for you. Either that or water in the desert, huh? 19-29: “GENDER OUTLAW”: You’ve been working not only on your own gender, but the subject of gender itself for quite some time, huh? I’m willing to bet things are still a bit scary and a bit serious for you in your life. 30-52: “GENDER NOVICE”: You’re not always taken for “normal,” are you? In fact, you probably get an infrequent but regular bout of the gender willies from time to time, don’t you? Fret not. You’ve got a very rewarding journey ahead of you. All it’s going take is some practice. 53-69: “WELL GENDERED”: Hiya, Mister Man! Hello, Ms. Lady! 70-75: “YOU’RE CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK!”: Omigod, I’ve always wanted to meet you! Can I have your autograph, please? Ah, Captain, you finally get to truly go where no man has gone before.

Values Orientation What was your first experience with trans people or issues?

What experiences shaped your earliest perceptions of trans individuals?

How did these initial perceptions evolve as you matured?

What has pushed you to want to learn more and what things do you want to learn here today?

What are some ways in which you can celebrate and advocate for trans people?

Statistics and Facts from the University of Northern Iowa’s Safe Zone Training

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•

Transgender individuals have existed throughout history and across cultures. Only 13 states, including Iowa, have gender identity protected under hate crime laws. In 2009 in the US alone, 300 transgender people were killed due to hate crimes and/or discrimination. Polling shows that 65% of Americans think we need laws to protect transgender people from job discrimination. Studies conducted between 1996 and 2006 by Williams Institute regarding workplaces: o 20% to 57% of transgender respondents reported having experienced employment discrimination at some point in their life. o 13% to 56% were fired. o 13% to 47% were denied employment. o 22% to 31% were harassed. o 19% were denied a promotion based on their gender identity. According to the 2007 School Climate Survey conducted by GLSEN across the US and Washington DC area: o 38.4% of students feel unsafe at school due to their gender expression. o 8.7% felt unsafe because of their gender. o 66.5% were verbally harassed at school. o three in ten students (30.4%) reported being physically harassed. o 14.2% reported being physically assaulted because of their gender expression. o 31.3% of the students that did report these incidents to their school's staff say that their school did nothing in response.

Americans’ Understanding of Transgender Issues From Human Rights Campaign’s “Transgender Americans: A Handbook for Understanding

There has been dramatic increase in the visibility of transgender people and the understanding of transgender issues in the past several years. Focus groups and national polls show that Americans know who transgender people are, and believe that our nation’s laws should treat transgender people fairly. In July 2002, HRC commissioned the first national poll on the attitudes of American voters toward transgender people and public policy issues. The poll showed a surprisingly high familiarity with transgender issues overall. Seven in 10 of the people surveyed said they were familiar with the term transgender. After being read a brief definition of the word, nine out of 10 voters said they had heard of transgender people. A plurality of voters said they were neutral toward transgender people. However, as other polls have shown regarding gays, lesbians and bisexuals, respondents who know a transgender person are more likely to have positive feelings toward transgender people. On public policy issues, an overwhelming majority of people felt that our nation’s laws should protect transgender people. Sixty-one percent of those polled believed that we needed laws to protect transgender people from job discrimination, a number confirmed in a September 2004 poll, when 65 percent of respondents thought it should definitely be illegal to fire and refuse employment to someone just because they’re transgender and 13% said it probably should be illegal. More than two- thirds believed that there should be a federal hate crimes law covering transgender people. Seventy- seven percent believed that transgender students should be allowed to attend public schools.

Social Issues Facing Transgender People From GLAADâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s In Focus: Covering the Transgender Community

Transgender people, particularly transgender women, are disproportionately affected by hate violence. In 2013, 72% of LGBT homicide victims were transgender women, according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. In 2012, 53% of LGBT homicide victims were transgender women. The majority were transgender women of color. For information on covering stories where a transgender person has been the victim of a crime please see the In Focus section on Hate Crimes and our report "Doubly Victimized: Reporting on Transgender Victims of Crime." Transgender people face high levels of discrimination and poverty. According to the largest national survey of transgender people, the community experiences unemployment at twice the rate of the general population, with rates for people of color up to four times the national unemployment rate. Transgender people are four times more likely to live in poverty. Ninety percent of trans people report experiencing harassment, mistreatment or discrimination on the job. Forty-one percent of respondents reported attempting suicide, compared to 1.6% of the general population. More statistics from this survey may be found here. Access to healthcare is extremely limited for transgender people. The American Medical Association has stated that treatment for gender dysphoria is medically necessary and involves changing the body to align with a person's gender identity (their internal sense of being a man or a woman.) Trying to change a person's gender identity is no more successful than trying to change a person's sexual orientation - it just doesn't work. However, private insurance companies treat transition-related medical care as if it is cosmetic - regularly inserting "transgender exclusion clauses" into health insurance plans making access to care difficult, if not impossible, for most transgender people. Several states, including California, Illinois, and Massachusetts, have issued regulations ordering insurance companies to cover medical care for transgender people - but even in those states many transition-related treatments may still not be covered. Improving access to healthcare is a high priority for the transgender community. Transgender people are still prohibited from serving openly in the United States military. The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" only applied to lesbian, gay, and bisexual military personnel. The Palm Center estimates that there are over 15,000 transgender people currently serving in the armed forces, in addition to approximately 130,000 veterans. At least a dozen nations, including Australia, Canada, England and Israel, allow military service by transgender people.

What kinds of discrimination do transgender people face? From the American Psychological Association, Answers to Your Questions About Transgender People, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression

Anti-discrimination laws in most U.S. cities and states do not protect transgender people from discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression. Consequently, transgender people in most cities and states face discrimination in nearly every aspect of their lives. The National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force released a report in 2011 entitled Injustice at Every Turn, which confirmed the pervasive and severe discrimination faced by transgender people. Out of a sample of nearly 6,500 transgender people, the report found that transgender people experience high levels of discrimination in employment, housing, health care, education, legal systems, and even in their families. The report can be found at http://endtransdiscrimination.org.

Transgender people may also have additional identities that may affect the types of discrimination they experience. Groups with such additional identities include transgender people of racial, ethnic, or religious minority backgrounds; transgender people of lower socioeconomic statuses; transgender people with disabilities; transgender youth; transgender elderly; and others. Experiencing discrimination may cause significant amounts of psychological stress, often leaving transgender individuals to wonder whether they were discriminated against because of their gender identity or gender expression, another sociocultural identity, or some combination of all of these. According to the study, while discrimination is pervasive for the majority of transgender people, the intersection of anti-transgender bias and persistent, structural racism is especially severe. People of color in general fare worse than White transgender people, with African American transgender individuals faring far worse than all other transgender populations examined. Many transgender people are the targets of hate crimes. They are also the victims of subtle discrimination—which includes everything from glances or glares of disapproval or discomfort to invasive questions about their body parts.

Key Issues Facing Trans People Today SOCIAL Sex-Segregated Facilities Dating / Relationships Disclosure and Support Networks

MEDICAL/HEALTHCARE General Access Transphobia in Medical Establishment Insurance Dealing with “Diagnosis Stigma” in order to be who you are

LEGAL Housing Employment Identity Documents Violence, Policing, Prison System Immigration

Findings of the

NATIONAL TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION SURVEY

by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Ohio Results There were 194 respondents from Ohio. Workplace Discrimination Rates of discrimination were alarming in Ohio, indicating widespread discrimination based on gender identity/expression: 81% reported experiencing harassment or mistreatment on the job 28% lost a job 27% were denied a promotion 46% were not hired 50% experienced an adverse job action, such as being fired, not hired, or denied a promotion

Harassment and Discrimination at School Those who expressed a transgender identity or gender non-conformity while in grades K-12 reported alarming rates of harassment (86%), physical assault (40%) and sexual violence (14%) Harassment was so severe that it led 15% to leave a school in K-12 settings or leave higher education

Economic Insecurity Likely due to employment discrimination and discrimination in school, survey respondents experienced poverty and unemployment at higher rates than the general population: 17% of respondents had a household income of $10,000 or less, compared to 4% of the general population1 17% were unemployed compared to 7% in the nation at the time of the survey 2

Housing Discrimination and Instability Survey respondents experienced blatant housing discrimination, as well as housing instability, much of which appears to stem from the challenges they face in employment. 10% were evicted 11% were denied a home/apartment 13% had become homeless because of their gender identity/expression 18% had to find temporary space to stay/sleep 25% had to move back in with family or friends 32% reported owning their home compared to 67% of the general population3 U.S. Census Bureau, “Current Population Survey,” Annual Social and Economic Supplement (Washington, DC: GPO, 2008). Seven percent (7%) is the rounded weighted average unemployment rate for the general population during the six months the survey was in the field, based on which month questionnaires were completed. For monthly rates, see National Conference of State Legislatures. See U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “National Unemployment Summary: Unemployment Increases to 9.8% for November,” (Washington, DC: GPO, 2010): http://www.ncsl.org/?tabid=13307. 1 2

Harassment and Discrimination in Accommodations and Services 50% were verbally harassed or disrespected in a place of public accommodation or service, including hotels, restaurants, buses, airports and government agencies. 15% were denied equal treatment by a government agency or official 24% were denied equal treatment or harassed by judges or court officials. 12% of those who have interacted with police reported harassment by officers 39% reported being uncomfortable seeking police assistance

Health Care Discrimination and Health Outcomes

21% were refused medical care due to their gender identity/expression 1.03% were HIV positive, compared to the general population rate of 0.6%4 27% postponed needed medical care, when they were sick or injured, due to discrimination Only 34% of the respondents had employer-based health insurance, compared to 59% of the general population at the time of the survey.5 44% reported attempting suicide at some point in their life, over 27 times the rate of the general population of 1.6%6

Note: In the full report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, we found that discrimination was pervasive throughout the entire sample, yet the combination of anti-transgender bias and persistent, structural racism was especially devastating. One of our most important findings was that people of color in general fared worse than white participants across the board, with African American transgender respondents faring far worse than all others in nearly every area examined. Due to the sample size of respondents from this state, we were unable to break these state results down by race/ethnicity without creating small sample size problems. However, we expect that people of color in this state would exhibit the same national pattern.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “U.S. Housing Market Conditions, 2 nd Quarter, 2009” (Washington, DC: GPO, 2009): http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/ushmc/summer09/nat_data.pdf. 4 United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and World Health Organization (WHO), “2007 AIDS Epidemic Update” (2007): http://data.unaids.org/pub/EPISlides/2007/2007_epiupdate_en.pdf. 5 DeNavas-Walt, Carmen, Bernadette D. Proctor, and Jessica C. Smith, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, P60236, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC (2009): http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p60-236.pdf. 6 “U.S.A. Suicide: 2002 Official Final Data,” prepared for the American Association of Suicidology by John L. McIntosh, Ph.D. Official data source: Kochanek, K.D., Murphy, S.L., Anderson, R.N., & Scott, C. (2004). Deaths: Final data for 2002. National Vital Statistics Reports, 53 (5). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 2005-1120. Population figures source: table I, p.108. of the National Center for Health Statistics (Kochanek et al., 2004), see http://www.sprc.org/library/event_kit/2002datapgv1.pdf 3

ACTUALLY, TRANS PEOPLE ARE STILL LABELED AS “DISORDERED” IN THE DSM-V By Jos Truitt, Feministing.com

On December 3, a lot of the internet, including this site, got very excited that the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), which is used by mental health professional and folks in related fields, no longer labeled trans people as “disordered.” This would be a great win to celebrate. The problem is, it’s not actually true. It is true that Gender Identity Disorder, the main diagnosis put on trans folks, was changed to Gender Dysphoria. This is a big deal, and hopefully matches the goal of a lot of trans organizers in this struggle: to make sure trans folks can access the medical care we need without being labeled as disordered. That would be in the hands of competent health professionals, of course – the diagnostic criteria are still coming from a pathologizing place, and are still very much a problem. Kelley Winters, who’s played a central role in the trans community’s response to the DSM, explains: On the negative side, the proposed diagnostic criteria for Gender Dysphoria still contradict social and medical transition and describe transition itself as symptomatic of mental illness. The criteria for children are particularly troubling, retaining much of the archaic sexist language of the DSM-IV that pathologizes gender nonconformity rather than distress of gender dsyphoria. Moreover, children who have socially transitioned continue to be disrespected by misgendering language in the diagnostic criteria and dimensional assessment questions. There is very plainly no exit from the diagnosis for those who have completed transition and are happy with their bodies and lives. In other words, the only way to exit the GD label, once diagnosed, is to follow the course of gender conversion/reparative therapies, designed to shame trans people into the closets of assigned birth roles. While supportive care providers will continue to make the diagnosis work for their clients, intolerant clinicians will exploit contradictory language in the diagnostic criteria to deny transition care access and promote unethical gender conversion treatments. However, GID wasn’t the only possible diagnosis for trans folks in the DSM. Transvestic Fetishism has always been the most dangerous diagnosis, and it only became stronger in the new DSM. And now it’s been renamed as a disorder. Again, from Kelley Winters: Like its predecessor, Transvestic Fetishism, in the [former] DSM, Transvestic Disorder is authored by Dr. Ray Blanchard, of the Toronto Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH, formerly known as the Clarke Institute). Blanchard has drawn outrage from the transcommunity for his defamatory theory of autogynephilia, asserting that all transsexual women who are not exclusively attracted to males are motivated to transition by self-obsessed sexual fetishism (Winters 2008A). He is canonizing this harmful stereotype of transsexual women in the DSM-5 by adding an autogynephilia specifier to the Transvestic Fetishism diagnosis (APA 2011) . Worse yet, Blanchard has broadly expanded the diagnosis to implicate gender nonconforming people of all sexes and all sexual orientations, even inventing an autoandrophilia specifier to smear transsexual men. Most recently, he has added an “In Remission” specifier to preclude the possibility of exit from diagnosis. Like a roach motel, there may be no way out of the Transvestic Disorder diagnosis, once ensnared. Transvestic Disorder probably won’t be an issue for folks like me, living in a city like San Francisco where I have access to knowledgeable medical and mental health professionals. Hopefully it won’t cause problems for folks who crossdress but already have access to a kink or crossdressing-friendly therapist. Just looking at the diagnosis at face value, it’s a real problem that folks who do get off on crossdressing are being labeled as disordered. And Transvestic Disorder could prove disastrous for, say, a rural trans girl who only has access to one or two medical professionals. If those doctors happen to be ignorant and/or bigots, this diagnosis will be there for them to slap on her.

I see this as a super feminist issue. Being sexualized and labeled as disordered because of the medical care I need as a woman resonates strongly for me with the idea of hysteria, a diagnosis that sexualized women and saw them as disordered because of their gendered bodies. Yeah, the trans community is still stuck fighting hundred year old feminist battles. For more on this issue, Julia Serano has a great overview of the struggle around Tranvestic Disorder, chock full of useful links. And of course Kelley Winters has a ton of useful material on the subject. DSM reform, and the larger project of ensuring trans folks can access the medical care we need without barriers, is a huge project. And unfortunately, the work is still far from over.

Gender Dysphoria (DSM-5),

Respecting the Patient, Ensuring Access to Care

Characteristics of the Condition

Need for Change

Gender Dysphoria

Paraphilic Disorders In the

Characteristics of Paraphilic Disorders -

Additional Changes to Paraphilic Disorders

Paraphilic Disorders

Working Definitions LGBT Center “Queertionary” combined with “Jesper’s Big List of Gender Terms” by Jesper Beckholt, Education Assistant, OHIO LGBT Center)

These are short working definitions for a basic understanding of LGBTQIA issues and concerns. You are encouraged to seek additional information for a better understanding of the many aspects of each term.

Terms related to Gender AFAB/AMAB: Acronyms that stand for “Assigned Female at Birth” and “Assigned Male at Birth” respectively. These term refers to what gender you were labeled at birth. If one is labeled male as a baby they will usually be expected to be a boy/man and will be raised as such and if one is labeled female they will likely be expected to be a girl/woman and will be raised as such. These terms are important because many trans people use this as a way to talk about their gender identity without being pinned down to more essentialist narratives about their “sex” or what gender they “used to be”. Agender: Some agender people would define their identity as being neither a man nor a woman while others would define agender as not having any gender. Ally / Advocate: A person who supports LGBTQIA people; allies and advocates can be both heterosexual and cisgender (non-LGBTQ) as well as LGBTQ people supporting each other. Someone who confronts heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heterosexual and cisgender privilege in themselves and others; has a concern for the well-being of LGBTQIA people; and a belief that heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, monosexism, transphobia, and cissexism are social justice issues. An ally actively works to end intolerance, educates others, and supports LGBTQIA issues, concerns, equal rights legislation, etc. Androgyne: As a gender identity it can overlap with an androgynous gender expression but not always. Androgynes may define their identity in a variety of ways, feeling as if they are between man and woman or a totally separate identity. Androgynous: Having neither a clearly masculine of feminine appearance or blending masculine and feminine. Bigender/Trigender/Pangender: People who feel they are two, three, or all genders. They may shift between these genders or be all of them at the same time. Boi: This is a term used in a variety of ways by a variety of communities though it generally communicates a level of identification with maleness and/or masculinity. However, because of the versatility of this word this isn't always the case. Bottom surgery: Any of a variety of gender-related surgeries dealing with genitalia. They can include: vaginoplasty, phalloplasty, vaginectomy, metoidoplasty, orchidectomy, scrotoplasty and others. Butch: A masculine gender expression which can be used to describe people of any gender. Butch can also be a gender identity to some. CAFAB/CAMAB: Acronyms which stand for “Coercively Assigned Female at Birth” and “Coercively Assigned Male at Birth” respectively. Some trans people prefer these terms to AFAB and AMAB as they better communicate the way in which a certain gender if forced upon us at birth.

Cisgender Privilege: The privileges cisgender people have because their gender identities match their assigned gender and because they are considered “normal”. For example, cis-people don't have to worry about violence and institutionalized discrimination due to their gender identities. Cisgender/cis: Someone whose gender identity is the same as the gender/”sex” they were assigned at birth, someone who is not trans. Cissexism: Erasing trans people and their stories, lived experiences, history, bodies, and identities. Cissexual: Sometimes this term is used synonymously with cisgender, other times it functions as an opposite to transexual in referring to someone who has done nothing to physically change gendered parts their body. Some find this term to be inaccurate or questionable as it puts a lot of the focus of trans identity on physical transition. Cross dresser: Someone who dresses as and presents themselves as a gender other than the one they typically identify with or regularly present as. Cross dressing can be purely aesthetic, sexual, a facet of someone's gender identity, or have other meanings. Some cross dressers identify as transgender and some do not. Demigirl: Someone who identifies with being a girl or a woman on some level but not completely. Demiguy: Someone who identifies with being a boy, guy, or a man on some level but not completely. Drag: Taking on the appearance and characteristics associated with a certain gender, usually for entertainment purposes and often to expose the humorous and performative elements of gender. Drag Queen-a person who consciously performs femininity and/or womanhood. Drag King-a person who consciously performs masculinity and/or manhood. Dyadic: Used as an adjective, this refers to non-intersex people. Dysphoria: Unhappiness or sadness with all or some gendered aspects of one's body, or in response to social misgendering. Some trans people experience dysphoria, some don't. Female bodied: A term for someone assigned female at birth. Though still occasionally used this term is very problematic as it genders bodies non-consensually and plays into cissexism (in that breasts or a vulva, for example, are considered inherently female). Femme: A feminine gender expression which can be used to describe people of any gender. Ftm/f2m/female to male: A term usually synonymous with trans man but also occasionally used by other AFAB trans people. This term is problematic to some AFAB trans people as they feel they were never female and because X to Y terms can put too much focus on traditional means of physical transition. Full Time: Living as and attempting to pass as your true gender identity one hundred percent of the time. This term is problematic to some because it can put a lot of the focus on the physical aspects of trans identity and ignore the processes many people go through to accept themselves and to come out if they choose to. It is also a term that is getting to be a bit outdated but it's still used in some communities. Gender assignment: The gender we are labeled at birth, usually based on genitals alone. It is assumed that our identities should and will match this assignment but this isn't the case for trans people.

Gender attribution: The act of categorizing people we come into contact with as male, female, or unknown. Gender attribution is questionable because it can lead to misgendering people unintentionally because one can never know a person's gender identity just by looking at them. Gender binary: The pervasive social system that tells us there can only be masculine cis men and feminine cis women, and that there can be no alternatives in terms of gender identity or expression. Gender expression: How one expresses their gender outwardly and/or the facets of a person's expression which have gendered connotations in our culture. There is no right or wrong way to express your gender. Gender f--k: The act of messing with gendered expectations on purpose; the intentional crossing, mixing, and blending of gender-specific signals. Gender gifted: This term can be used very broadly to include any and all trans and/or gender nonconforming people. It is a celebratory word that highlights how amazing it can be to have a unique and non-normative gender. Gender identity: An individual’s internal sense of their gender. One's gender identity may or may be the same as their assigned gender, and one's gender identity is not visible to others. Gender neutral pronouns: Pronouns other than the usually gendered he or she. Some examples are ze/hir/hirs, and they/them/their but there are many others. Gender nonconforming (GNC): Not fully conforming to gendered social expectations, whether that be in terms of expression, roles, or performance. Gender panic: The fear and revulsion some experience when presented with a person who does not meet their expectations for gender performance, expression, identity or roles. Gender role: Cultural expectations for what people should do with their lives, what activities they should enjoy or excel at, and how they should behave, based on what their gender is. Gender: A complex combination of roles, expressions, identities, performances, and more which is assigned gendered meaning. Gender is self-defined as well as defined by our larger society and how gender is embodied and defined varies from culture to culture and from person to person. Genderfluid: This term can be used as a specific identity or as a way of articulating the changing nature of one's gender identity or expression. People who are genderfluid may feel that their gender identity or expression is constantly changing, or that it switches back and forth. Genderless: A term very similar to agender but sometimes with more of a focus on not having a gender Genderqueer: This term can be used as an umbrella term for all people who queer gender, as a specific nonbinary gender identity, or as a political identity. As a specific identity it can generally be understood as a gender that is neither man nor woman exclusively, or that is in between the two. Genital Reconstruction Surgery: A term used by some medical professionals to refer to a group of surgical options that alter genitalia in a gender affirming manner. In some states, one or multiple surgeries are required to achieve legal recognition of one's gender identity. Also known as “Gender Confirming Surgery” or “bottom surgery”.

Intergender: Those who feel their gender identity is in between man and woman, is both man and woman, or is outside of the binary of man and woman. This term is sometimes used by intersex people who are also non-binary. Intersex: A person born with any manner of â&#x20AC;&#x153;ambiguityâ&#x20AC;? in terms of gendered physical characteristics. This can include genitals, reproductive organs, hormones, chromosomes, or any combination thereof. Intersex is a more modern term that replaces the out of date term 'hermaphrodite'. Many intersex people believe that early childhood surgical intervention is not only unnecessary but cruel, and advocate counseling and support for children and families. Male bodied: A term for someone assigned male at birth. Though still occasionally used this term is very problematic as it genders bodies non-consensually and plays into cissexism (in that a flat chest or a penis, for example, are considered inherently male). Misgender: The act of attributing a person to a gender they do not identify as. So if you were to call someone a man but they were in fact non-binary, you would have misgendered them. You can cut down on misgendering people by trying to not practice gender attribution, and by asking people their preferred pronouns and terms when appropriate. Mtf/m2f/male to female: A term usually synonymous with trans woman but also occasionally used by other AMAB trans people. This term is problematic to some AMAB trans people as they feel they were never male and because X to Y terms can put too much focus on traditional means of physical transition. Neutrois: This is an identity generally having to do with feeling one does not have a gender, a gender identity, or a defined gender. Some people who identify as neutrois also identify as agender or genderless, and some neutrois people desire to minimize their physical gender markers and to have a more gender-neutral appearance. Nonbinary: Nonbinary people are those who identify as a gender that is neither man nor woman or who are not men or women exclusively. Nonbinary can refer to a specific gender identity or it can function as an umbrella term which can include (though not always) people who are genderqueer, agender, bigender, neutrois, and more. Passing: When used by trans people it can either mean that one is being read as the gender they identify as or that one is being read as cisgender. For example, a trans man who people read as a man, most likely a cis man. Pre-op/post-op/non-op: These terms refer to what gender-related surgeries a person has had, plans to have, or does not want to have. Pre-op (pre-operative) means the person plans to or wants to have some form of gender-related surgery but has not yet, post-op means they already have had some form of gender-related surgery, and non-op refers to trans people who do not desire any gender-related surgeries. These terms should not be used to define a trans person nor should they be applied to trans people without their consent. Preferred pronouns: The pronouns one prefers to be called, whether they be he, she, they, it, ze, ey, or any other. It is preferable to always ask someone their preferred pronouns if possible, and to not make assumptions about a person's pronouns. Always be sure to respect a person's preferred pronouns, use them, and apologize if you slip up.

Sex: One's sex usually refers to the gender one was assigned at birth based on the gendered parts of one's body such as genitals and sometimes chromosomes. The category of sex is still used in trans spaces but some feel it is a limiting and inherently cissexist classification because it genders people and their bodies non-consensually. Some who feel gender is socially constructed see sex as just as constructed. Stealth: To be stealth is to live as the gender you identify as but to not be out as trans, in affect it means passing as cisgender. Often people go stealth for safety reasons or so that they can have things like job and home security, something a lot of trans people don't have. Stud: A term used by people of color, and primarily by African Americans, referring to female assigned at birth people who are masculine or butch. Many studs identify as women and with the lesbian community, but not all. Third Gender: In some cultures third (and fourth and so on) genders may be commonly accepted alongside man and woman. Some people in western cultures may identify as third gender as well, however it's important not to erase the multitudes of genders present in the world. Top surgery: This term can refer to any gender-related surgery dealing with a person's chest such as breast implants, mastectomies, and breast reduction surgeries. This term is more commonly associated with mastectomy procedures however. Trans man: A man who was assigned female at birth. What this means is that they were medically and legally designated as female and likely raised as such, but then realized they were a man, and began identifying as such. Trans woman: A woman who was assigned male at birth. What this means is that they were medically and legally designated as male and likely raised as such, but then realized they are a woman, and began identifying as such. Transfeminine: Usually a AMAB trans person who identifies more with a female and/or feminine identity/experience. This word is also sometimes used as an umbrella term for most or all AMAB trans people, however this is problematic as not all AMAB trans people are feminine identified. Transgender/trans: An umbrella term for people whose gender identity is not the same as the gender/”sex” they were assigned at birth. “Transgender” can include transsexuals, cross dressers, trans men, trans women, genderqueers, non-binary people, and more. Some people use “trans*” to mean the same thing, but the added asterisk is meant to show a more inclusive attitude towards the multitude of people under the transgender umbrella. Transition: To transition can mean a lot of things but a broad definition is the process some trans people go through to become comfortable in terms of their gender. Transitioning may include social, physical, mental, and emotional components and may not fit into the narrative we are used to seeing. Transition may or may not include things like changing one’s name, taking hormones or going off of them, having various surgeries, changing legal documents to reflect one's gender identity, coming out to loved ones, dressing as one chooses, and accepting oneself among many other things. Transition in an individual process. Transmasculine: Usually a AFAB trans person who identifies more with a male and/or masculine identity/experience. This word is also sometimes used as an umbrella term for most or all AFAB trans people, however this is problematic as not all AFAB trans people are masculine identified.

Transmisogyny: Originally coined by the author Julia Serano, this term highlights the intersectionality of misogyny and transphobia and how they are often experienced as a duel form of oppression by trans women and some other AMAB trans people. Transphobia: The irrational fear of those who are transgender, due to the inability to deal with gender ambiguity or diversity. Transphobia manifests itself in many ways, from personal interactions, to physical violence, to legal rights and more. Transsexual: This term often refers to binary trans people (trans men and trans women), or to trans people who physically transition in any way. While still a preferred term for many, some people dislike the term because of its connection to the medicalization of trans people and the focus it can put on physical transition. Transvestite: Often used synonymously with cross dresser this term is usually derogatory and isn't preferred by most people today. Two Spirit: A term specific to Native/First Nations cultures and people which some LGB, queer, pansexual, transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming people identify as. Womyn: some womyn spell the word with a “y” as a form of empowerment to move away from the “men” in the “traditional” spelling of women.

General LGBTQ, Sexuality, and Relationship Terms Asexual: A person who lacks sexual attraction to others and/or lacks interest in sex. Asexuality is distinct from abstention from sexual activity and celibacy, which are behavioral and generally motivated by factors such as an individual's personal or religious beliefs. Some asexual people may engage in sexual activity for various reasons including to please romantic partners. BDSM: (Bondage and Discipline, Domination and Submission, Sadism and Masochism) The terms ‘sadism’ and ‘masochism’ refer to deriving pleasure from inflicting or receiving pain, often in a sexual context. The terms ‘bondage’ and ‘domination’ refer to playing with various power roles, in both sexual and social context. These practices are often misunderstood as abusive, but when practiced in a safe, sane, and consensual manner can be a part of healthy sex life. (Sometimes referred to as ‘leather.’) Biphobia: The fear of, discrimination against, or hatred of bisexuals, which is oftentimes related to the current binary standard. Biphobia can be seen within the LGBTQIA community, as well as in general society. Bisexual: A person who is emotionally, physically, spiritually, and sexually attracted to members of more than one gender. Some prefer less binary based terms such as omnisexual and pansexual. Bear: The most common definition of a ‘bear’ is a man who has facial/body hair, and a cuddly body. However, the word ‘bear’ means many things to different people, even within the bear movement. Many people who do not have one or all of these characteristics define themselves as bears, making the term a very loose one. ‘Bear’ is often defined as more of an attitude and a sense of comfort with natural masculinity and bodies.

Closeted/In the Closet: Refers to an LGBTQIA person who will not or cannot disclose their sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status to their friends, family, co-workers, or society. It can also refer to one who has come out to only a few people. There are varying degrees of being “in the closet”; for example, a person can be out in their social life, but in the closet at work, or with their family. Also known as on the ‘”Downlow” or on the DL. Coming Out: The life-long process of discovering, defining, and proclaiming one’s own sexual orientation, gender identity, or status as an intersex person to oneself, family, friends and others. Gay: Can refer to homosexual men or to homosexual people generally GRSM: Acronym preferred by some groups for being more inclusive of diversity of sexual orientation. Gender, Romantic, and Sexual Minorities. GRSM is a useful term as it is succinct and it is very inclusive, including people who are gay, queer, bisexual, intersex, pansexual, asexual, lesbians, transgender/trans*, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, kink, polyamorous, and more. Heteronormativity: The assumption, in individuals or in institutions, that everyone is heterosexual, and that heterosexuality is superior to all other sexual orientations such as gay, bisexual, pansexual, etc. Heterosexism: The belief that all people are heterosexual, the assumption and/or belief that heterosexual relationships and behavior are superior, and the actions based on this assumption. Usually used to the advantage of majority culture, Any attitude, action, or practice – backed by institutional power – that subordinates people because of their non-heterosexual sexual orientation. Heterosexual Privilege: Advantages and benefits that come automatically by being heterosexual; i.e.: Marriage and all the benefits that go along with it, acceptance from family, safety, and acceptance in one’s chosen career field. Also, can refer to the benefits LGBQ people receive as a result of claiming a heterosexual identity or denying homosexual or bisexual identity. Heterosexual: A man who has emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual attractions to women or vice versa. This is also the sexuality that dominant discourse prescribes. Homophobia: Fear, anger, discomfort, intolerance, or lack of acceptance toward LGBQ people, homosexuality, or any behavior or belief that does not conform to rigid sex role stereotypes. The internalized version of this is having these feelings about one’s own non-heterosexual orientation. Homosexual: A person who has emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual attraction to persons of the same gender. More of a medical term, it is considered outdated when referring to gay people or communities. In Community Language/Out of Community Language: The use of terms that may be allowed or more accepted when used by a member of a cultural community that should not used by those who are not part of the community; ie: Dyke: Derogatory slang term for lesbians, Fag/Faggot: Derogatory slang term for gay men, Queer: Derogatory slang term for LGBTQ people. Tr*nny: Derogatory slang term for trans women and some other AMAB trans people. These terms, especially Queer, have been embraced and reinvented as positive, proud, political identifiers when used by and about some LGBTQIA people. • Individual Level: beliefs or behaviors of an individual person; conscious or unconscious actions or attitudes that maintain oppression. • Institutional Level: institutions such as family, government, industry, education, and religion are shapers of, as well as shaped by, the other two levels. The application of institutional policies and procedures in an oppressive society run by individuals or groups who advocate or collude with social oppression produces oppressive consequences.

Lesbian: A woman who has emotional, physical, spiritual, and sexual attractions to other women. LGBTQIA: An acronym which stands for 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual.' Lifestyle: How a person lives or chooses to live and behave. Because LGBTQIA people are so varied and diverse it is a misnomer to call all sexual and gender difference a “lifestyle” since there is no one way to be an LGBTQIA person. Examples of life styles would instead include: athletic, vegan, hobbies, rural/urban, etc. Monosexism: The belief that all people are, or should be attracted to only one gender. Monosexism affects people who are attracted to two or more genders such as bisexuals, polysexuals, pansexuals, and omnisexuals. Outing: The involuntary disclosure of one’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or intersex status. It is also the political act of declaring a person’s identity publicly without their permission/consent. Allies must take care not into inadvertently out someone. Pansexual: A person who is emotionally, physically, spiritually, and sexually attracted to members of all genders. Pansexual is distinct from bisexual because the root-word 'pan' means all whereas 'bi' means two, thus pansexuals recognize the many genders that exist and are attracted to all of them. Some pansexual people may also describe themselves as gender blind, meaning gender does not play any role in who they are attracted to. Polyamory: Refers to having honest, usually non-possessive, relationships with multiple partners and can include: open relationships, polyfidelity (which involves multiple romantic relationships with sexual contact restricted to those), and sub- relationships (which denote distinguishing between a ‘primary" relationship or relationships and various "secondary" relationships). Pride: Not being ashamed of oneself and/or showing one’s pride to others by coming out, speaking out, marching, etc. Being open, honest and comfortable with oneself. Queer: Used as an umbrella identity term encompassing lesbian, questioning people, gay men, bisexuals, non-labeling people, transgender folks, and anyone else who does not strictly identify as heterosexual. “Queer” originated as a derogatory word. Currently, it is being reclaimed by some people and used as a statement of empowerment. Some people identify as “queer” to distance themselves from the rigid categorization of “straight” and “gay”. Questioning: The process of exploring one’s own sexual and/or gender identity. QUILTBAG: Acronym used by communities in place of LGBT. Q - Queer and Questioning; U – Unidentified; I – Intersex; L – Lesbian; T - Transgender, Transexual; B – Bisexual; A – Asexual; G - Gay, Genderqueer. Rainbow Flag: San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker designed a flag for the city’s 1978 Gay Freedom celebration. LGBTQ movements worldwide have since adopted it as a symbol of LGBTQ identity and pride. It has six stripes in the traditional form, but can be seen as streamers, etc, which run in the order of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. The flag also symbolizes diversity within unity. Sexual orientation: The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, both, or multiple genders. It is based on whom a person is emotionally, physically and sexually attracted to.

SOFFA: SOFFA stands for Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies. Everyone has a SOFFA circle. In this context, SOFFA refers to individuals who have a personal connection with someone whose gender identity or expression transcends societal norms. FORGE includes SOFFAs under the transgender umbrella. SOFFAs may experience some of the same challenges, questions, discrimination, and violence that transgender people face. The ratio of trans people to SOFFAs is approximately 1:30. SOGI: Acronym used in place of LGBT, especially outside of the United States. Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Minorities. Same Gender Loving: A term from the African American/Black LGBTQIA community and used by people of color who may see 'gay' and 'lesbian' as terms of the white LGBTQIA community. Sexual Orientation: The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, both, or multiple genders. It is based on whom a person is emotionally, physically and sexually attracted to. Sexuality: A person’s exploration of sexual acts, sexual orientation, sexual pleasure, and desire. Societal/Cultural Level: society’s cultural norms perpetuate implicit and explicit values that bind institutions and individuals; cultural guidelines, such as philosophies of life, definitions of good, normal, health, deviance, and sickness, often serve the primary function of providing individuals and institutions with the justification for social oppression. Stonewall: On June 28, 1969, NYC police attempted a routine raid on the Stonewall Inn, a working class gay and lesbian bar in Greenwich Village. Unexpectedly the patrons resisted, and the incident escalated into a riot that continued for several days. Most people look to this event as the beginning of the American Gay Liberation movement and all subsequent LGBTQIA movements.

General Oppression Terms Oppression: exists when one social group, whether knowingly or unconsciously, exploits another social group for its own benefit. Ableism: The pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people who have mental, emotional and physical disabilities. Ageism: Any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age. Classism: differential treatment based on social class or perceived social class. Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. It’s the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class. Racism: The systematic subordination of targeted racial groups (Blacks, Latin@s, Native Americans, Chican@s, API, etc.) who have relatively little social power in the United States, by members of the agent racial group who have relatively more social power (Whites). Sexism: The cultural, institutional, and individual set of beliefs and practices that privilege men, subordinate women, and denigrate values and practices associated with women.

Defining Transgender “Transgender Basics” by The Center: The lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender community center

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Transgender, at its most basic level, is a word that applies to someone who doesn't fit within society's standards of how a woman or a man is supposed to look or act. Transgender may be used to describe someone who was assigned female or male at birth, but later realizes that label doesn't accurately reflect who they feel they are inside. This person may now live life as a man or woman, or may feel that their gender identity can't be truly summed up by either of the two options we're usually given (male or female). They might feel like they're in between those two options; both male and female; or outside the two-gender system entirely—neither male nor female. In this sense, it applies to those who feel they don’t fit within society's standards of how women and men are supposed to look and act (gender non-conforming). Transgender is a relatively new word, but it’s not a new concept. Gender non-conforming people have existed in many time periods and cultures. A transgender identity is not dependent upon medical procedures. Some transgender people have surgeries, or take hormones, to bring their body into alignment with their gender identity. But, many do not and that doesn't mean they're not transgender. You might think someone is transgender, but this is a personal identity that some people claim and others do not. Wait to see how someone self-identifies (or ask, respectfully) before assuming.

Transgender 101 Adapted from GLAAD’s “Trans 101”

What does transgender mean? Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex/gender they were assigned at birth. Gender identity is someone's internal, personal sense of being a man or a woman (or as someone outside of that gender binary). Trying to change a person's gender identity is no more successful than trying to change a person's sexual orientation -- it doesn't work. Most transgender people seek to be affirmed in their identity, and some may pursue physical transition so that their bodies are more aligned with their self image. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one (or more) of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, transsexual, and genderqueer. Always use the descriptive term preferred by the individual. Transgender people may or may not alter their bodies hormonally and/or surgically, and it's important to know that being transgender is not dependent upon medical procedures. Transgender is an adjective and should never be used as a noun. Rather than saying "Max is a transgender," say "Max is a transgender person." And transgender never needs an "-ed" at the end, as that makes being trans sound like a condition or effect. How is sexual orientation different from gender identity? We use the acronym LGBT to describe the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The first three letters (LGB) refer to sexual orientation. The 'T' refers to gender identity. Gender identity is your own, internal, personal sense of being a man or a woman (or as someone outside of that gender binary).

Sexual orientation describes a person's enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person (for example: straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual). Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual or differently identified. For example, a trans woman, a woman who was assigned male at birth, who is attracted solely to men would typically identify as a straight woman. Why is transgender equality important? Transgender people face staggering levels of discrimination and violence. In 2012, 53% of anti-LGBT homicide victims were transgender women. According to "Injustice at Every Turn," a report by the National Center for Transgender Equality and The Task Force: • Transgender people are four times more likely to live in poverty. • Transgender people experience unemployment at twice the rate of the general population, with rates for people of color up to four times the national unemployment rate. • 90% of transgender people report experiencing harassment, mistreatment or discrimination on the job. • 22% of respondents who have interacted with police reported harassment by police, with much higher rates reported by people of color. Almost half of the respondents (46%) reported being uncomfortable seeking police assistance. • 41% of respondents reported attempting suicide, compared to 1.6% of the general population. • 64% of trans people have been sexually assaulted. • 61% have been physically assaulted. • Transgender people still cannot serve in the US Military. Transgender people, particularly transgender women of color, face shockingly high rates of murder, homelessness, and incarceration. Most states and countries offer no legal protections in housing, employment, health care, and other areas where individuals experience discrimination based on their gender identity or expression. Learn more about transgender people and history In spite of the tremendous challenges that come with living in a culture that does not treat transgender people equally, transgender people have made - and are making - significant contributions to society. You can read about some strong transgender advocates in the annual Trans 100 list. For a look at the history of transgender people in America, please check out Transgender History by Susan Stryker.

What is a Gender Binary system? from GSANetwork.org A social system that requires that everyone be raised as a boy or girl (dependent on what sex you are assigned at birth), which in turn forms the basis for how you are educated, what jobs you can do (or are expected to do), how you are expected to behave, what you are expected to wear, what your gender and gender presentation should be, and who you should be attracted to/love/marry, etc.

Illustrated by Jesper Beckholt

What Determines Gender Identity? By Jesper Beckholt

What makes you a man or a woman or something else? Our culture tells us we are what we are because we have to be, because it’s all we ever could have been. Our culture also gives gendered meaning to all sorts of things in connection with this; how we dress, who we love, what we enjoy, if and how we have sex, how we express ourselves, if we can produce children, the shape of our bodies, and even how others perceive us. This list is meant to get you thinking about what gender is, and what it isn’t. •

Who you are attracted to? Who you have sex with or how? o Does being queer change your gender identity or would it? o Does being asexual? o Being the “receptive” partner? o Being the submissive partner?

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How you expresses yourself? o Do your clothes and accessories determine your gender? o What about make up or a lack there of? o Your mannerisms? o Does your masculine, feminine, or androgynous expression dictate how you identify?

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The activities you enjoy/take part in? Gender roles? o Do you have hobbies that are labeled more masculine or feminine, like sewing, or fixing cars? Do these interests change your gender? o What about other activities like caring for children, cooking, or being handy around the house? Would any of these change your gender identity?

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Your chromosomes? o Firstly, do you know what “sex” chromosomes you have? Most people assume they know since most people have XX or XY, but those are far from the only possibilities (some people have just one sex chromosome, some three or more). People can also have XX chromosomes when they thought they should have XY, and vice versa. o DO your chromosomes effect your gender? Would your gender change if you discovered your chromosomes aren’t what you’d expected?

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Your hormone levels? o Do the levels of estrogen and testosterone in your body decide your gender? o Do you know what your hormone levels are? Would your gender change if they weren’t what you expected? o As we grow older our hormones are likely to change, does this change our genders? o If someone takes hormones for whatever reason, does this mean their gender is different now?

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Your "secondary sex characteristics", audible/visible differences like your chest, build, facial structure, and voice? o Does how your body look decide your gender? o What about how others perceive it? o What if your body changes? Does your gender change if/when you shave for instance? Or if your voice changed? Or if your body shape shifts over time?

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Your genitalia? o Does the presence or absence of a penis define your identity? o If something happened and your genitals looked different would this cause you to no longer be the gender you are now?

•

Your reproductive organs/capabilities? o Does your ability or inability to have children make you identify yourself a certain way? o What if this situation changed? If you no longer had (or currently do not have) these reproductive organs would your gender change?

•

Socialization or how you were raised? o Did the gendered messages you heard as a child decide your gender identity for you? o Are the messages you’ve internalized set in stone? Can you never unlearn ideas about women being frail and men having to be emotionless for instance? o Did what you were assigned at birth and how you were treated because of it make you identify a certain way?

All of this has been meant to make you think about what gender is. Often people assume that these aspects of ourselves decide how we will, or should identify, but to me it seems best that each individual decide what their gender identity is for themself. There is no singular and consistent set of characteristics that ALL men, ALL women, or ALL people of any other gender have- we are diverse. No one has the ability or right to tell another person what their gender identity is. But every person has the right to decide how they identify and what their gender is, and then from there express and affirm it individually as they need. YOU have the right.

What [Cisgender People] have in Common with Transgender People by Sandra Kim, Founder & Editor of Everyday Feminism

How much do you know about transgender people? If your answer is, “very little,” “does RuPaul count?” or uh...trans what now?,” then you’re not alone. Unfortunately, you’re like most people. Most of us know very little or know only stereotypes when it comes to them. So even people who are transgender friendly are often transgender ignorant. So let’s share with you the single most important thing to know about transgender people. Transgender People Are People Too That’s the big secret. Behind this big myth of how bizarre, confused, and just wrong transgender people are, the truth is they’re people too. They do people things just like you and me. They eat, sleep, work, and love. They want what we all want. They want to be true to themselves, love and be loved, and lead full, free lives. They’re different from most people just because they’re assigned one sex but feel they are the other. Some people who are assigned the male gender feel like women and girls on the inside and some people who are assigned the female gender feel they’re men and boys on the inside. Over time, they claim the other gender for themselves and adapt their appearance to reflect the gender they identify with. But Our Society Tries To Not Acknowledge They’re Human Beings Too What makes being transgender really different from other people is not that they feel they were assigned the wrong gender. What makes being transgender so different is how much hatred, judgment, discrimination, and fear society has for them. They have to deal with a level of social rejection, persecution, and ignorance that’s unimaginable to most of us – just to be able to show who they really are on the inside. But in some ways, that’s not that different from the rest of us actually. What We Have in Common with Transgender People Without a doubt, transgender people face a much bigger battle in society to freely express who they are than most people. But in many ways, they fight a similar battle that many other people fight as well. • • • • • •

Do you believe you shouldn’t be judged for how you look? Do you struggle with believing you’re good enough because your body doesn’t match the social ideal? Do people try to put you in a box because of your gender, sexual orientation, race, class, religion, age, etc? Has the fear of other people laughing at you and thinking something’s wrong with you ever made you want to hide a part of who you are? Have you ever struggled to accept something about yourself that others thought was wrong? Do you want to stand up and show the world who you really are, how beautiful you are inside?

If you said yes to any of these questions, then we’re all in the fight against a society that tells us to fit a certain mold. Or else. And this is what needs to change. We need to change our society so everyone, including transgender people, can walk down the street without fear of ridicule and attack. Where we can look in the mirror and not wish we looked different because of what others will say. Where people’s right to determine who they are is respected and encouraged. Remember that when someone says something transphobic. Our transgender brothers and sisters need our support and understanding as they find their true voice in a society that condemns them. Just like you need support and understanding as you find your true voice.

Misconceptions debunked From “TransWhat: A Guide Towards Allyship

All trans people have surgeries and go on hormones. This is simply inaccurate. Many do, and many don't, for many different reasons. All trans people view themselves as being part of a "third gender."   Same answer as the first. Some trans people say that they're third-gender. Some live quite happily as either a man or a woman. Some don't fit into either of those categories, and it'd be wise to not assume anything either way. All trans men are very masculine, all trans women are very feminine, and all genderqueer people are completely androgynous.  Trans men can be feminine, even flamboyantly so — just like other men can! If someone identifies as a guy, that doesn't automatically mean that he has a super-macho personality. The only thing it implies is that he is much more comfortable living as a man. There is no Big Trans Rulebook that declares, "If you want to be a male, you must be a very manly male, or else don't bother transitioning." The femininity, masculinity, and androgyny of trans people can vary widely, as much as it varies in cisgender people. (Oh, and if you're thinking about a masculine trans woman, just switch the words and pronouns that I've used in this example.) It's really easy to tell a trans person from a cisgender person.  Nope, not always! You've probably walked by countless trans folks in your lifetime, but the only ones who stood out to you were the ones who didn't pass (in your view) as one gender or the other. Trans people are just "extra gay" — so gay that they "go over the edge" into the other gender.  Er, not really. The majority of gay people are quite comfortable with the genders in which they live, the genders assigned to them at birth. They may present as more feminine than the average man, or more masculine than the average woman — but, by and large, they are content cisgender people who simply happen to be attracted to the same sex. Trans people, on the other hand, have gender identities that definitely vary from the labels that were given to them as babies. Besides, plenty of trans women are lesbian-identified, and trans men gay-identified. Those lesbian women aren't guys who "were so attracted to other guys that they decided to become female" — they're lesbians! Trans people are gay people who are so deeply in denial that they'd rather transition (thereby "becoming" straight in their chosen identities) than face their own gayness.  Transition would be a huge step to take just to avoid your internalized homophobia, and it's even less socially accepted than being gay is, so this logic doesn't really work out. And, like I said before, many trans people can be classified as gay or bisexual within their true, affirmed genders. If someone is a trans woman and she likes women, why not just stay straight? It's easier.  Okay, fine, this is a question that implies a misconception. Answer: gender identity is separate from sexual orientation, as I said before. Trans women are women, and most of them do prefer to consistently live as women, and that's the bottom line. Would you tell a cisgender lesbian, "You should get a sex change, because most women are straight"? No. It's the same sort of thing. Genderqueer/androgyny isn't a real identity. Everybody is really a man or a woman, deep down, even if they happen to be really femmey guys or butch women.   Genderqueer people do experience their identities as very real. Many of them are in quite a difficult position; while they live in a society that is profoundly two-gendered, that system just doesn't work in their cases. Genderqueerness is not just about trying to get attention, or trying to be "edgy," or trying to be

part of a political movement. Neither of those two familiar choices — no matter how feminine the man's role or how masculine the woman's — is entirely comfortable for a genderqueer individual. There are plenty of genderqueer folks, for instance, who experience emotional pain when they are called either "he" or "she." There are plenty of them who need to take a gender-neutral name, or to modify their bodies to be more androgynous, in order to stave off a pervasive sense of dysphoria. People who don't think of themselves as male or female are just confused, undecided; they'll settle on something eventually.  As genderqueerness is a legitimate identity in its own right, it is just as long-lasting — just as integral a part of someone's self-knowledge — as any other description that people use in reference to themselves. Non-male non-female identities do not necessarily serve as impermanent states of questioning; in some people they do, and in many they don't. Transitional surgeries and hormone therapies are simply cosmetic in nature, and aren't medically necessary per se. Many people report that surgery and hormones have improved their quality of life enormously; without medical assistance, these people experience a very real sense of depression, and sometimes suicidal thoughts. In such cases, ostensibly "cosmetic" work is a literal lifesaver. Sure, it's true that these treatments do alter the surface of the body, which is what many trans folks are looking for. However, they can often improve a trans person's emotional state as well (sometimes dramatically!) in a way that cannot be duplicated by any other method. Other folks, of course, get along very well without it. Depends on the individual. Transgender/transsexuality are not accepted as valid conditions by prominent scientists; that is, people may claim that they're members of [gender], but they'll really be members of [sex] all along.  It's true that people can't change things like genetic makeup, production of sperm vs. eggs, and so forth. That doesn't happen. But it is a general consensus within psychological communities, and backed up by some scientific evidence, that trans people do exhibit "masculine" or "feminine" behaviors distinct from the typical traits of their physical sex. There are a number of interesting books and articles that deal with this subject: searching for "transgender" in academic databases can yield a fair bit of information. Trans people all share a particular value system . . . share a political ideology . . . share a certain set of ideas about gender.  There is one thing that all trans people definitely have in common: they're trans. That's the one thing. Politics and philosophies vary, as in other human populations. Not all people with diabetes agree on things, not all librarians agree, not all gay people, etc. There's no reason why that should be different for trans people. Trans people are buying into the false idea that there's some ultimate abstracted difference between male and female. They're essentialists. If they were really enlightened about gender, they would feel comfortable just being "people," without identifying themselves as "men" or "women" or anything. And then they wouldn't need to transition.  This sort of comment neglects the actual experience of being trans, instead choosing to focus on pure theory. Living as a man (male body and/or presentation and/or social role) is very different from living as a woman (ditto). And both of these are quite different from living ambiguously or in-between. That's the way it is. When people experience discomfort with their bodies, when they consistently feel happier with a certain balance of hormones in their system, when a particular pronoun keeps opening some painful wound of dysphoria . . . That's real emotion and genuine self-ness, not some sociological construction. It's what a person is inherently, and it doesn't go away by sheer power of thought.

If people don't immediately disclose that they're trans, that means that they're lying or being deceptive. It's only fair that you tell people you "used to be a man/woman"; it's dishonest not to mention your transition, particularly if you don't even talk about it with close friends or sexual partners.â&#x20AC;¨ The first correction is easy: a trans woman (for instance) didn't "used to be a man." She may have lived in a man's social role, her sex at birth may have been classified as male, but that doesn't mean she's ever been a man. It means she's a woman who was miscategorized. Secondly: some folks are very open, freely discussing almost all aspects of their lives, including gender stuff. Some happen to be quieter or more selective. But remember the refrain â&#x20AC;&#x201D; there's not just one right way to be trans. Omitting mention of their histories can feel like "hiding" to some trans people, but others prefer keeping the information to themselves, for a variety of reasons. People may think of you differently after you disclose. They might scrutinize your behavior, talk about you behind your back, or exclude you socially. And it's not like people have a right to know, anyway; privacy is privacy. For these reasons, and a lot more, it's perfectly reasonable for people to not mention they're trans.

What's the difference between being transgender or transsexual and having an intersex condition? From the Intersex Society of North America

People who identify as transgender or transsexual are usually people who are born with typical male or female anatomies but feel as though they’ve been born into the “wrong body.” For example, a person who identifies as transgender or transsexual may have typical female anatomy but feel like a male and seek to become male by taking hormones or electing to have sex reassignment surgeries. People who have intersex conditions have anatomy that is not considered typically male or female. Most people with intersex conditions come to medical attention because doctors or parents notice something unusual about their bodies. In contrast, people who are transgendered have an internal experience of gender identity that is different from most people. Many people confuse transgender and transsexual people with people with intersex conditions because they see two groups of people who would like to choose their own gender identity and sometimes those choices require hormonal treatments and/or surgery. These are similarities. It’s also true, albeit rare, that some people who have intersex conditions also decide to change genders at some point in their life, so some people with intersex conditions might also identify themselves as transgender or transsexual. In spite of these similarities, these two groups should not be and cannot be thought of as one. The truth is that the vast majority of people with intersex conditions identify as male or female rather than transgender or transsexual. Thus, where all people who identify as transgender or transsexual experience problems with their gender identity, only a small portion of intersex people experience these problems. It’s also important to understand the differences between these two groups because in spite of some similarities they face many different struggles, including different forms of discrimination. The differences between transgender and transsexual and intersex have been understood by lawmakers in countries such as Australia where lawmakers have publicly acknowledged that people with intersex conditions have distinct needs from people who identify as transgender or transsexual. People who identify as transgender or transsexual also face discrimination and deserve equality. We also believe that people with intersex conditions and folks who identify as transgender or transsexual can and should continue to work together on human rights issues; however, there are important differences to keep in mind so that both groups can work toward a better future.

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oiiKusa.org

Coming Out The term “coming out” (of the closet) refers to the life long process of developing a positive LGB and/or T identity. Coming out can be a long and difficult struggle for many LGBT individuals because they often have to confront the homophobia, biphobia, and/or transphobia they learned growing up. Before they can feel good about themselves, they have to challenge their own attitudes. For some, it takes years of painful work to develop a positive LGB and/or T identity, for others it may not seem to take as long because it is an individualized journey. Each LGBT individual needs to decide when, how and to whom they will disclose their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Trans* people often experience “two coming out” experiences—coming out in terms of their sexual orientation and in terms of their gender identity/expression (sometimes separately and sometimes together). What might trans* people be afraid of? • Losing friendships and family connections, closeness in relationships/friendships, their job, their children, and/or financial support from family members. • Being the subject of gossip, harassed, physically assaulted, and/or thrown out of the house. Why might trans* people want to come out to others? • To end the secrecy and to stop wasting energy by hiding an essential part of themselves. • To feel closer to those people, like they have integrity, and/or “whole” around them. • To make a statement by being an example to others. How might trans* people feel about coming out to someone? • Scared, vulnerable, relieved, concerned about how the person will react • Proud How might an individual feel after someone has come out to them? • Disbelieving, uncomfortable, scared, shocked, angry, disgusted • Supportive, flattered, honored • Not sure what to say or do next • Wondering why the person came out What do trans* people want from the people they come out to? • Acceptance, support, understanding, comfort, a closer relationship • Hearing that disclosure will not negatively affect the relationship • An acknowledgement of their feelings • A smile and a hug Ways that you can help when someone comes out to you: • Remember that the person has not changed. They are still the same person you knew; you just have more information about them now than you did before. If you are shocked, don’t let the shock lead you to view the person as suddenly different. • Don’t ask questions that would have been considered inappropriate before their disclosure. • If you would like more information, ask in an honest and considerate way. If you show a genuine and respectful interest in their life, they will most likely appreciate it. • Don’t assume that you know what it means for the person to be LGB and/or T. Every person’s experience is different. • They may not want you to do anything necessarily. They may just need someone to listen.

• • •

Consider it an honor that they have trusted you with this very personal information. Thank them for trusting you. Clarify with them what level of confidentiality they expect from you. They may not want you to tell anyone else, or they may be out to others and not be concerned with who finds out. If you don’t understand something or have questions remember that people who are LGB and/or T are often willing to help you understand their life experiences.

What do I do if someone comes out to me? Adapted from University of California, Davis Safe Zone Training

1. Listen. Coming out is often the result of years of coming to terms with one self, and the fact that they have decided to tell you means that they want to include you in their life. 2. Remain neutral and non-judgmental. They’ve come to you because they trust you, this should not be seen as the time to advocate a particular way of life or discuss the moral ramifications of being LGBT. 3. Ask sensitive questions and be willing to learn. Avoid questions that imply that there is something wrong with being LGBT, such as “Have you seen somebody about this issue?” Also, avoid questions that would have been considered rude within the relationship before this disclosure. 4. Be supportive. Let them know that you are there to talk with, or listen. For those just coming out, they may need resources that you will find in the back of this resource manual. Being supportive means being open-minded. 5. Don’t ignore it. Make an effort to take an interest in this part of their lives; they came to you because they are tired of living in secrecy. 6. Don’t make their sexuality the extent of your interactions. It is important to remember that this person has not changed, you may be shocked by their revelation, but they’re the same person as before. 7. Be honest and open. It’s okay to admit that you don’t know everything about this subject, or even anything. It is also okay to be uncomfortable with this subject, just be honest! Your discomfort with the subject may come across as discomfort with the person or their sexuality. If you feel uncomfortable you can suggest that they speak to someone more educated on the subject. 8. Keep it confidential: This is not yours to reveal to others. Show the person you are trustworthy, and let that person decide if and when to tell certain people. Referring someone should be done in a constructive, positive way. 1. It took a lot of courage for them to come to you, don’t desert them! 2. If they are struggling beyond your skills to help them, encourage them to speak to a counselor with the understanding that their problem is not being LGBT but the pressures put on LGBT people because of homophobia. Be sure to convey to them that counseling is a tool for their use and not that there is something wrong with them. 3. Communicate that you are not abandoning them, invite them to return anytime.

Coming Out FAQ From Matt Kailey's Tranifesto’s Transgender & Transsexual Issues, Information, Advice, & Opinion

Should I come out? The decision to come out – and to whom – is as individual as you are. Certainly, if you are going through a physical transition, including hormones and/or surgery, those people close to you are going to notice changes, and eventually, they will either catch on or become concerned about your physical health. It is likely that you will have to come out to those people closest to you and those people you see frequently, like coworkers. However, being publicly out – as an activist or as anyone in the public eye – is a decision you must weigh. Once you are out publicly – in the media and especially on the Internet – it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to go back into the closet, or to “live stealth,” again. There is no rush to come out publicly, and many people never do. If you’re unsure, wait. If you’re starting your transition, and you think you want to be out as an activist, as a blogger, on Facebook, or in any other capacity, it’s okay to give yourself some time. You can always come out – but again, once you’re out, you can’t always go back in. Only you know what’s right for you. When should I come out? I can’t tell you when to come out, because each person’s situation is different, but I can give you some things to think about and to weigh against your own coming-out timetable. Here are my thoughts on coming out to: • Supervisors, staff, and coworkers: I think your supervisor should be told first and should be consulted about how he or she wants you to handle coming out to your own staff and coworkers. You’ll have an easier time at work if you make a cooperative plan with the higher-ups. But with my own experience as a guide (I waited too long, and my coworkers and staff thought that I had cancer because I cut my hair and stopped wearing makeup), I suggest that you do it before making any major changes in your appearance. Staff and coworkers are going to gossip enough – make sure they’re gossiping about the right thing. •

Friends and family: Only you know your friends and family well enough to know an appropriate time frame for coming out to them. Again, however, I suggest that you do it before making any major changes in your appearance or before the hormones you’re taking, if you’re taking them, start to have a major effect. The problem with hormones is that, while you know in general what they will do, you have no idea how they will interact with your specific genetic programming and physiology. You can only fool your mom for so long by telling her you have a cold before that voice change will become too apparent to hide – especially if it’s accompanied by a beard that rivals Rip Van Winkle’s.

•

Potential partners: Again, this depends on your situation. And I don’t believe that you have to come out to every coffee date you have – in fact, I would advise against it, especially in a small community. I personally come out if there’s any hint that the encounter will lead to intimacy – and personal safety is paramount. So before you leave the bar, the coffee shop, or the party, consider coming out. You may go home alone, but at least you know you’ll get home. It is best to come out in a public place, and you should always consider your safety options. If it appears that coming out might be unsafe in a particular situation, then don’t do it.

•

Strangers: I live my life completely out, but I don’t introduce myself as Matt Kailey, transsexual. It would make for interesting small talk, however. There is really no need to come out to most strangers. And, as with potential partners, sexual or otherwise, your safety is the most important factor.

Remember that you’re not “tricking” anyone by not coming out to them. If someone feels “betrayed” because they think that you waited too long or because they found out from someone other than you (and in this case, ask your friends why they’re outing you), that’s their problem, not yours. Stay safe and live your life. You’re already authentic. How should I come out? How to come out is like when to come out – it really depends on you and your individual situation. However, I can suggest a “template” that might make it easier for you to plan your coming-out adventures (and, yes, they are adventures – make it easy on yourself and try to look at them that way). These are my seven steps to talking trans – whether you’re presenting to a large group or coming out one-on-one. You can obviously adapt this “template” any way you want to make it work for you. Your “audience” could consist of many people or of one person. 1. Define yourself: The better you know yourself, the better you will be able to communicate about that self to other people. Do some soul searching and think about these questions: o Do you have a label? Do you have a definition for that label? What does it mean to you to be that label? o How do you describe yourself to yourself? How would you describe yourself to other people so that they would understand what you mean? o How you see yourself is most often how other people see you. How you present yourself is most often what they will respond to. Do you see yourself as mentally ill? As medically ill? As a victim? As a survivor? Do you see yourself as normal? How do you define normal? Do you see yourself as special? Gifted? Lucky? What do you want other people to see? 2. Define your goal: The clearer your goal is for this interaction, the more you will be able to control it and the more successful it will be. Is your goal to: o come out? o educate without taking a position? o defend a position? o change minds? o keep your job? o act as an advocate? o act as an activist? 3. Define your terms: The language you use will determine how well you are understood and received. Decide on the terms you will use and decide on your definition of those terms. Define those terms to your audience, making it clear that these are your terms and your definitions. Don’t assume that their definitions will match yours. 4. Start where they are: Know your audience – and your goal – beforehand. Start where they are and bring them up to speed. Different audiences require different handling, as do different goals. o Is your audience: a child/children; parent/parents; sibling(s)/relative(s); a current friend or partner; a potential friend or partner; an employer/coworkers; a large group? If it is a group, what group? o Where might your audience be in terms of knowledge about you? About trans issues in general? o What are possible barriers to your communication? Examples might be the potential for denial, religious convictions, emotional reactions, shock, disgust, or embarrassment.

5. Control the interaction: You decide how the interaction goes and how you will manage it. o Anticipate possible responses and how you will respond in turn. Try to anticipate responses you might not expect. o Anticipate possible questions. If there are questions you will not answer, make that clear early on in the interaction. o Steer the interaction toward your goal. o Know when to stop. If the situation is too emotional, if your audience needs time to digest what you’ve said, if your audience is becoming uncomfortable, then it might be time for a breather. Remember to start where they are and don’t go beyond the breaking point. You want to be heard. 6. Finish where you want them to be: If at all possible, bring them to where you want them to be when the interaction is over. You do this by controlling the interaction. If you have to end it before you are ready, leave them with something that you want, such as a time to continue or the anticipated next step. If you are talking to a large audience, leave them with a thought, an idea, or a challenge that they can take with them that will get them to where you want them to be. 7. Use humor whenever possible: Don’t take yourself or your situation too seriously. Humor eases anxiety or embarrassment. It relaxes people. They appreciate it. They will be more likely to hear you if they are relaxed and don’t feel threatened. The most important thing is that your listener will take his or her cues from you. How you feel about yourself and what you project will influence how you are seen. If you feel good about yourself and if you’re happy with who you are and what you have decided, you will get more positive responses – not always, but it helps.

What is Transition? From Wikipedia.com

A complicated, multi-step process that can take years as transgender people align their anatomy with their sex identity and/or their gender expression with their gender identity. Transitioning is the process of changing one's gender presentation permanently to accord with one's internal sense of one's gender the idea of what it means to be a man or a woman,[1] or in-between. For transsexual people, this process typically involves sex reassignment therapy (which may include hormone replacement therapy and sex reassignment surgery), and their new sex is "opposite" that of their birth-assigned sex; for intersex people it is different from how they were raised; for genderqueer people it is neither solely female nor male. Cross-dressers, drag queens, and drag kings tend not to transition, since their variant gender presentations are (usually) only adopted temporarily. Transition must begin with a personal decision to transition, prompted by the feeling that one's gender identity does not match the gender that one was assigned at birth. One of the most significant parts of transitioning for many transgender people is coming out for the first time.[1] Transitioning is a process, not an event, that takes anywhere between several months and several years. Some people, especially genderqueer people, may spend their whole life transitioning as they redefine and re-interpret their gender as time passes. Transitioning generally begins where the person feels comfortable: for some, this begins with their family with whom they are intimate and reaches to friends later or may begin with friends first and family later. Sometimes transitioning is at different levels between different spheres of life. For example, someone may transition far with family and friends before even coming out at work.

Terminology • Transitioning is sometimes confused with sex reassignment surgery (SRS), but that is only one possible element of transitioning. Many people who transition choose not to have SRS, or do not have the means to do so. Whereas SRS is a surgical procedure, transitioning is more holistic and usually includes physical, psychological, social, and emotional changes. Some genderqueer and intersex people have little or no desire to undergo surgery to change their body but will transition in other ways. •

Passing refers to being perceived and accepted by other people as a desired gender identity. This can be one aspect of transitioning, though genderqueer people may choose to purposely not pass. Someone observing, for example, a trans woman passing may know of her trans status but still consider her a woman.

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Going full-time refers to a person living one's everyday life as one's chosen gender identity. One's passing can be limited by safety, legal or bodily restraints. For instance, someone who has worked at a job as female may feel one cannot safely present as male and may switch jobs instead. Mental health professionals who go by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People will normally require a patient to go full-time for at least a year (a period of time generally referred to as the "Real-Life Experience" or "Real-Life Test") before recommending surgery.[2]

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Going stealth means to live as a gender without other people realising a person is transgender. Trans people often go stealth in public but not with family, partners, or intimate friends. There have been many cases of people who have lived and worked as a gender identity opposite of their birth gender.

Various aspects Transitioning is a complicated process that involves any or all of the gendered aspects of a person's life. Below are some common parts of transitioning. People may choose elements based on their own gender identity, body image, personality, finances, and sometimes the attitudes of others. A degree of experimentation is used to know what changes best fit them. Transitioning also varies between cultures and subcultures according to differences in the societies' views of gender. • Social, psychological, and legal o Coming out o Gender role changes o Passing or going stealth o Legally and/or socially changing their name to something consistent with their gender identity o Asking others to use a set of pronouns different from before o Having one's legal gender changed on their driver's license, ID, birth certificate, etc. o Personal relationships take on different dynamics in accordance with gender o Altering objects worn to better represent gender identity o Adopting mannerisms consistent with the new gender role o Adopting a new sexual role and/or performing new sexual acts, especially if the body's sex organs have changed o A person's ideas about gender in general may change which may affect their religious, philosophical and/or political beliefs

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Physical o Surgical procedures, including on the genitals, face, Adam's apple, chest, vocal cords, and others o Hormone replacement therapy o Epilation with laser hair removal and/or electrolysis o Changing one's speaking and/or singing voice with voice training

Social transition From TransWhat: A Guide Towards Allyship

Social transition refers a number of changes that can be made in a trans person's social life and situation, including: • Use of a different name • Use of different pronouns • Surface transformations of the physical appearance (e.g. dressing in the preferred style, adopting a different haircut) • Use of a bathroom that suits the person's gender more accurately • Other differences in social role, living situation, and so forth (e.g. moving to a college dorm whose residents are members of the trans person's true gender) If a person that you know begins to transition socially, it may be necessary for you to actively change your behavior, or to help bring about changes that will ensure the person's comfort in their new gender role. These can be downright difficult; switching pronouns, for example, is often not an intuitive change. Some appropriate ways to aid friends and family through social transitions: First: while a new name and pronouns can be a challenge for everyone, it's very important that you try your best in this area. Don't beat yourself up overmuch over slip-ups, but do remember this: if you're a woman, you'd probably be downright offended if someone called you "he." Trans people have experienced this discomfort daily, and often for many years; it is a constant sharp edge that drags on the ends of conversations, and though they are more accustomed to it than you are, it is nonetheless a basic courtesy to use the language that better suits their identities. Second: if someone begins to dress differently from how they used to, this may seem a shock, and your level of ease around that person may decrease sharply. If your initial response is to say "You look terrible!" or "But that boy isn't who she really is!", please try to hold off on that impulse for a while! Write it down, and return to it later with a clear head and a rested eye. You'll generally find that this feeling is based on an initial jolt of fear, which ebbs as you grow more understanding of the person's sense of self. Third: Begin — and you can go about this a little slowly, if necessary — to learn to see and treat this person, in your mind's eye and your emotional knowledge, as a member of their preferred gender. This doesn't mean falling back on simple sterotypes (e.g. I shouldn't open the door for him, since he's a man now); I'm instead referring to a subtle shift in world-view, one which colors your social interactions with everyone. Just: this is what the person is. Really. Yes. Just dwell on that a while, even if on the back burner, so that it sinks in and becomes more natural for you. Finally, one last note: you may notice that, in the link that led you here, I referred to social transition as sometimes being called "Real Life Experience." Real Life Experience is part of a set of medical guidelines — called the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care — that are sometimes used in the treatment of transitioning people. Some folks use the terms "Real Life Experience" and "social transition" roughly interchangeably, with the following differences distinguishing them:

Sometimes people view hormonal treatment as a part of RLE, whereas by "social transition" I'm talking about strictly social changes. RLE is a defined period of time, ranging from three months to a year, whereas social transition is a simple descriptor of actions that can take place over any length of time. When people have, according to their personal standards, made a full social transition in every aspect of their lives — those people are then described as living fulltime

Legal transition From TransWhat: A Guide Towards Allyship

Some steps that may be taken in terms of legal transition from one gender to another: • Changing the listed sex on a birth certificate • Changing the listed sex on a driving license or learner's permit • Changing the listed sex on a passport • Changing the listed sex on various other identity cards or miscellaneous governmental records, such as (in some countries) insurance records, or (in the U.S.) Social Security card • Having a marriage license with the person's proper gender on it • Being listed as either a father or mother, as appropriate, of the person's child(ren) • A legal name change, and changes of all the documents on which the name appears Some of these steps may not be applicable to particular people, and some are not possible in certain areas, or somehow restricted; for example, many U.S. states require proof of "irreversible sex change surgery" for a legal change to be made "valid." In some places, people are flat-out not allowed to change their birth certificates or other records — period. Dealings with the law are often expensive and tiresome, and some don't even turn out to be fruitful. Unless you'd like to advocate for legal change, however, there is often little you can do in such matters. I'm providing this information as a means of clarification, but I don't have many suggestions for dealing with these specific circumstances, beyond the ever-useful "Be supportive and respectful."

Words that are Transphobic and Why By Jesper Beckholt

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Transgenders: Transgender is an adjective, not a noun. It’s best to say “transgender person”, or “a person who is transgender” since “transgenders” can be dehumanizing. Transgendered: Being transgender is not a condition or an effect, thus “transgender” is preferred. An example: If a piece of paper turns yellow from age it is yellowed, but if it was that color from the beginning it’s just yellow. “Both genders”: There are more than two genders so saying “both genders” wrongly communicates that only two genders really exist or matter. Saying “all genders” instead reflects that there are many genders. Biowoman/man, “real” woman/man (when referring to cis people): Saying that only cis men and women are truly their gender is transphobic as it misgenders trans people. Trans people are whatever gender they say they are and are no less legitimate because they are trans. Bioman and biowoman are out of date terms that wrongly communicate that only cis men and women are “biologically” their gender/sex. In reality gender, sex, and biology are quite complicated. Transgenderism, transsexualism: These terms make being trans sound like a medical condition, and often like a problem. The medicalization of trans identity helps to stigmatize trans people as disordered or broken. Referring to trans people as crossdressers or drag kings/queens when that is nor how they identify: You should never use terms for a person’s identity that they haven’t used for themselves. Some use these terms in particular nonconsensually in order to delegitimize trans people’s identities, painting transness as a costume or performance. Tr*nny: A derogatory term used against trans women and some other AMAB trans people. Some AMAB trans people are interested in reclaiming this word but as a general rule, if you're not a person who faces transmisogyny, don't say it. Sh*male: A transmisogynistic and fetishizing term for trans women, often used in pornography. This term misgenders and thirdgenders trans women as something other than “real” women. L*dyboy: A transmisogynistic and racially fetishizing term for Asian trans women and trans feminine people. Shim: Combination of “she” and “him” pronouns. Meant to be third gendering and othering. He-she: Combination of “he” and “she” pronouns. Meant to be third gendering and othering. Berdache: An offensive term for Native Americans/Indian Americans/First Nations people who do not identify with a traditional “straight”, male or female identity. This term was coined by white colonialists to talk about First Nations people. Two Spirit is the preferred term created by First Nations people for themselves. Transvestite: An out of date term for cross dressers. Generally considered to be offensive due to negative connotations associated with the term. Hermaphrodite: An out of date and generally offensive term for intersex people. Some intersex people may seek to reclaim this term but as a rule, if you're not intersex don't use it.

Cisgender Privilege Privilege: Rights, opportunities or resources that one group has access to and that other groups are denied. If you are cisgender (or in some cases, perceived to be), you can live without ever having to think twice about, face, confront, engage, or cope with anything listed below. 1. Strangers don’t assume they can ask me what my genitals look like and how I have sex. 2. My validity as a man/woman/human is not based upon how much surgery I’ve had or how accurately other people view my gender. 3. Strangers do not ask me what my “real name” is and then assume that they have a right to call me by that name. 4. If I tell people about my gender, I don’t have to hear “so have you had THE surgery?” or “oh, so you’re REALLY a [incorrect sex or gender]? 5. I am not expected to explain to friends, family, or strangers what it means to be my gender, how I knew what my gender was, or whether my gender is just a “phase”. 6. I don’t need to prove how long I have identified as my gender in order to have my health needs taken seriously. 7. The medical establishment does not serve as a “gatekeeper” denying my self-determination of what happens to my body, nor requiring me to undergo extensive psychological evaluation in order to receive basic medical care. 8. I do not have to worry that life-saving treatment will be withheld from me due to my gender, nor will all of my medical issues be seen as a product of my gender. 9. I do not have to worry whether my gender will be questioned by others seeing/hearing: pictures from my childhood, my identification or official documents, others’ language used to refer to me, my speaking and singing voice, or any of my body parts. 10. If someone mistakes my gender, it will rarely continue to the point of an argument. A simple assertion of my gender will generally be enough to convince the other person. 11. Bodies like mine are represented in the media and the arts. It is easily possible for representations of my naked body to pass obscenity restrictions. 12. If I am attacked by a lover, no one will excuse my attacker because they were “deceived” by my gender. 13. I do not have to worry about whether I will be able to find a bathroom to use or whether I will be safe changing in a locker room. I can use public showers without fear of being attacked for my genitalia. 14. I don’t need to be constantly aware of how others perceive my gender. 15. I can expect my government-issued identification to accurately represent who I am. If my identification does not, I expect to be able to remedy this quickly and easily, without added expense, undue delay, arbitrary criteria, or a necessity to present evidence or medical documents. 16. My gender does not make me necessarily unfit to be a parent in the eyes of the law, regardless of what state I’m in. 17. I expect my gender to not unduly affect my ability to travel internationally. 18. I expect access to, and fair treatment within sex segregated facilities such as: homeless shelters, domestic shelters, drug rehab programs, prisons, hostels, and dorms. 19. I never have to wonder what to put down on legal or official forms when they ask for “sex” or “gender.”

20. When I express my internal identities in my daily life, I am not considered “mentally ill” by the medical establishment 21. I am not told that my sexual orientation and gender identity are mutually exclusive.

Cisgender Privilege Checklist From the Ball State University’s Trans Safe Zone Program

Casual Offenses • Strangers do not assume they can ask me what my genitals look like and how I have sex. • My validity as a man/woman/human is not based upon how much surgery I have had or how accurately other people view my gender. • Strangers do not ask me what my “real name” is and then assume that they have a right to call me by that name. • People do not disrespect me by purposefully using incorrect pronouns even after they have been corrected. • If I tell people about my gender, I do not have to hear “so have you had THE surgery?” or “oh, so you’re REALLY a [incorrect sex or gender]?” • I am not expected to explain to friends, family, or strangers what it means to be my gender, how I knew what my gender was, or whether my gender is just a “phase.” Medical Issues • I expect that I will be able to access necessary medical care without lying. • If I need hormone injections due to an inability to produce them on my own, it will be considered an “obvious” need. • If I have them, my desires for various cosmetic surgeries are considered normal. • I do not need to prove how long I have identified as my gender in order to have my health needs taken seriously. • I cannot be denied health insurance on the basis of my gender. My health insurance does not specifically exclude me from receiving benefits or treatments available to others because of my gender. • The medical establishment does not serve as a “gatekeeper” denying my self-determination of what happens to my body, nor requiring me to undergo extensive psychological evaluation in order to receive basic medical care. • I expect that if I am treated inappropriately by a doctor, my concerns will be taken seriously, and I will be able to find another doctor who will treat me appropriately. • Treatments which are medically necessary for me are generally covered by insurance. • People of my gender are not considered inherently “sneaky” by health/helping professions. • I expect that medical professionals competent to treat my conditions exist outside of major cities, and in proportion to the demand for them. I expect no undue delay in access to routine medical services, and for such services to be available throughout the work day/week. • I will not be required to have a “gender appropriate” sexual orientation in order to be treated by doctors and mental health providers. • I expect that medical care will be crafted to suit my own particular needs. I expect to be able to access treatment A without accessing treatment B, if treatment B will do nothing to advance my particular needs. • I do not have to worry that life-saving treatment will be withheld from me due to my gender, nor will all of my medical issues be seen as a product of my gender.

Other’s Perceptions • If someone inaccurately genders me, I do not need to be afraid. I can assume it reflects more on them than on me. I can be amused or angry without calling into question what my “true” gender is. • I do not have to worry whether my gender will be questioned by others seeing pictures from my childhood, seeing my identification or official documents, hearing others’ language used to refer to me, hearing my speaking and singing voice, or seeing any of my body parts. • I can expect to be appropriately gendered by others without having to worry about my clothing, whether I like certain colors or styles, whether I am passive or aggressive, wearing specially designed clothing, or if I am willing to lose sensation in my genitals and/or chest. • I have never had someone tell me what my gender is, regardless of what I say my gender is. If someone mistakes my gender, it will rarely continue to the point of an argument. A simple assertion of my gender will generally be enough to convince the other person. • When initiating sex with someone, I do not have to worry that they will not be able to deal with my parts or that having sex with me will cause my partner to question zir own sexual orientation. • Bodies like mine are represented in the media and the arts. It is easily possible for representations of my naked body to pass obscenity restrictions. • Others’ appropriate understanding of my gender is not dependent on how rich I am. • My gender is acknowledged universally, immediately, and without hesitation. Safety • If I am attacked by a lover, no one will excuse my attacker because ze was “deceived” by my gender. • I do not have to worry about whether I will be able to find a bathroom to use or whether I will be safe changing in a locker room. I can use public showers without fear of being attacked for my genitalia. • When engaging in political action, I do not have to worry about the gendered repercussions of being arrested. • If I am unable to find clothing that fits me well, I will still feel safe and recognizable as my gender. • I do not need to be constantly aware of how others perceive my gender. Government/Bureaucratic Issues • When there are boxes to check on various forms, my gender will definitely be included. I do not even need to acknowledge that there are other genders than those listed. • I can expect my government-issued identification to accurately represent who I am. If my identification does not, I expect to be able to remedy this quickly and easily, without added expense, undue delay, arbitrary criteria, or a necessity to present evidence or medical documents. • My gender is not dragged into everything that happens to me. If I am involved in a lawsuit or attempt to access government-services that are not related to my gender, I can assume my gender will not be brought up. If it is, it will generally not be a hindrance. • My gender will not make me immediately suspect to those with government sanctioned power (lawyers, judges, police, bureaucrats, etc.) • My gender does not make me necessarily unfit to be a parent in the eyes of the law, regardless of what state I am in. • I expect my gender to not unduly affect my ability to travel internationally. • I expect access to, and fair treatment within sex segregated facilities such as homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, drug rehab program, prisons, hostels, and dorms. • I never have to wonder what to put down on legal or official forms when they as for “sex” or “gender.” • In no country in the world is it illegal to be my gender.

Emotional Issues • When I express my internal identities in my daily life, I am not considered “mentally ill” by the medical establishment. • My experience of gender (or gendered spaces) is not viewed as “baggage” by others of the gender in which I live. • I do not have to choose between ether invisibility (“passing”) or being consistently “othered” and/or tokenized based on my gender. • I am not told that my sexual orientation and gender identity are mutually exclusive. • I can attend “women-only” or “male-only” events or group (if I identify as the gender listed) without fear of being seen as an interloper. • I was never forced to wear gender inappropriate clothing in order to “fix” my gender, nor was I refused permission to engage in hobbies or behaviors I was interested in because others did not approve of my gender. • Those who wrong me are expected to know that it is hurtful, and are considered blameworthy whether or not they intended to wrong me. • I was trained into whatever gender was appropriate for me, and so I am prepared to live in my current gender, without having to go back and learn vital skills I was not taught when I was young. • Commonly used terminology that differentiates my gender from other genders/sexes implies that I am normal, and that I have unquestionable right to the gender/sex I identify with. • Those who tell jokes about my gender are assumed to be sexist. • The sex/gender dichotomy does not have consequences in my life.

What Transmisogyny Looks Like By Tobi Hill-Meyer

This is a topic that has been vital to my understanding of the world over the past few years, but it's still relatively unknown outside certain circles of activists. When I mention it as an area of my work, I almost invariably have to explain what it is. The short answer is that it is the intersection of transphobia and misogyny that specifically targets trans women. But that dry academic answer never communicates the visceral and intense experience that it is. Here's a limited list of examples of what transmisogyny looks like. Every example on this list has a story (or dozens of stories) behind it. Relationship and Sexual Violence When trans women desperately in need of sexual assault or domestic violence services are turned away because their needs are considered less important than the hypothetical discomfort their presence might cause for others, that's transmisogyny. When activists encourage people not even to try to fight for trans women's access to sexual assault and domestic violence services because of the possibility that it could leave trans men unable to access those services, that's transmisogyny. When I, personally, sought out support after being abused by my trans male partner and was told by a prominent genderqueer activist that because I'm a trans woman and felt validation in talking with cis women who have experienced abuse, I must have invented the abuse in an attempt to feel more like a woman by having an abusive boyfriend, that's transmisogyny. When a trans woman is brave enough to talk openly about surviving childhood violence and experiencing rape, only to be told that her pain is less valid or important than cis women's experience of sexism, that's transmisogyny. Gender Expression When trans women who present femininely or assert a binary identity are blamed for perpetuating binary gender roles, while it's forgotten that many or even more cis women do the same, that's transmisogyny. (When cis women who present femininely are also blamed for perpetuating binary gender roles, that's femmephobia) When trans women have every aspect of their presentation examined and labeled either hyperfeminine and therefore fake or not feminine enough and therefore male, while the same traits would be seen as normal in cis women, that's transmisogyny. When trans masculine spaces allows cis butch women to attend but turn away trans butch women, that's transmisogyny. (When femme trans men are also turned away from those spaces, that's femmephobia.) Politics and Activism When trans women and transfeminine genderqueers are assumed to be conformist, apolitical, and weak while trans men and transmasculine genderqueers are assumed to be radical, with it, and hip, that's transmisogyny (and femmephobia, and subversivism). Specifically, when I present in a butch or genderfuck way and people assume I'm radical, politically knowledgeable and pay attention to me, but when I present femininely I am ignored, that's transmisogyny (and femmephobia and subversivism). When trans women are told that they are politically ignorant when they object to trans men "reclaiming" a derogatory term that has been used specifically against trans women and not against trans men, that's transmisogyny. When almost every local trans group in my state (and likely a majority in other states) are run by trans men and attended by a significant majority of trans men, yet people still complain about trans women dominating groups and point to inappropriate behavior by Virginia Prince and other transfeminine activists from decades ago as if it's representative of what's happening today, that's transmisogyny. When there's only one trans support group in town and it's for transmale folks only, or only one comprehensive online network to discuss surgery results and it's for transmale folks only, or only one foundation offering financial help accessing surgery and it's for transmale folks only, that's transmisogyny.

"Male Privilege" When trans women are told that they need to stop being assertive and strong because it is a sign of male privilege - invariably by "feminists" who, of course, encourage cis women to be assertive and strong - that's transmisogyny. When trans women are pressured into being silent, rarely offering their opinion, and refusing leadership roles for fear of being seen as male or accused of having male privilege, that's transmisogyny. When trans women are afraid to analyze or discuss the role of male privilege in their life because of the way accusations of male privilege have been used as weapons to silence, shame, and misgender trans women, that's transmisogyny. When trans women do analyze and discuss the role of male privilege in their lives and come to different conclusions than the dominant cis feminist perspective and are told it is because they simply don't understand privilege or are ignorant of feminism, that's transmisogyny. Community and relationships When "women and trans" space allows everyone on a transmale spectrum to attend unquestioned (because even if their trans status is not respected, they would still be welcomed as a woman) yet people on a transfemale spectrum are subjected to scrutiny and those who are not "trans enough" are asked to leave, that's transmisogyny. When those same "women and trans" spaces, or even the ones that don't police entrance, are attended by a dozen or so trans men yet zero or only one or two trans women, that's transmisogyny. (It obviously indicates that they don't feel welcome, don't trust the organizers, or weren't outreached to.) When queer women's spaces have trans women inclusive policies, yet any trans women who attend are generally ignored or not included in discussions, that's transmisogyny. While it's true that individual preferences in partners are complicated, when large swaths of queer women's community exotify trans men or identify as trans-sensual or even "tranny chasers" while being clear that they will not consider trans women as potential partners, that's transmisogyny (and in some cases, general transphobia or cissexist exotification as well). When people who are attracted to women and have met only a few trans women announce that they would never date a trans women, that's transmisogyny. (Think about it, if a white person announced that they'd never date a black woman, especially if they had only met 2-3 black women in their life, we'd name that as being influenced by racism.) Sexualization When the main way to diagnose fetishistic transvestitism or autogynophilia is to look for the presence of sexual enjoyment, and trans women who enjoy their sexuality risk being given one of those diagnoses and denied trans related health care, that's transmisogyny. When being sexually available to men and not interested in your own sexual gratification is another way to prove that you are not a fetishistic transvestite or autogynophile, that's transmisogyny. When doctors encourage target testosterone levels significantly lower than cis women's average levels requiring high doses of testosterone blockers, and when the most common testosterone blocker reduces sexuality in addition to blocking testosterone, that's transmisogyny. (When that's something that trans women are asking for themselves, it's more complex, but probably still influenced by transmisogyny somewhere.) And that's just what I came up with last night. I haven't even mentioned issues around law enforcement and prisons. What other experiences of transmisogyny have you seen or experienced?

Using Privilege to Create Change From the work of Sheri Atkinson, Coordinator GLBT Services, St. Cloud State University

Knowing that we have privilege often can lead heterosexuals to have feelings of guilt and defensiveness. These feelings of are understandable because we did not ask to be privileged because of our sexual orientation. However, the reality is: if we are heterosexual, we receive a great deal of privilege in our society. So, now the ball is in our court – how can heterosexuals use their heterosexual privilege to create change? •

Awareness: Become aware of the daily exclusions that affect those who are not heterosexual, male, upper/middle class, able-bodied, and/or white. Become aware of the advantages and conveniences you experience in your daily activities due to your social status. Become more aware of how you may transition between being effected by a form of oppression and how you may be the perpetrator of oppression. Analyze and critique the messages you have been taught. See what is happening around you.

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Knowledge: Understand how oppression permeates the systems and institutions in society. Understand how you may be contributing (consciously or unconsciously) to an environment that fosters oppression. Educate yourself to understand the experiences of those who have not been afforded the privileges that you have through reading and talking to others.

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Skills: Form strategies to confront and counteract oppression. Form coalitions with others who are working to end individual and institutional oppression. As a member of a privileged group, you generally have access to individuals with similar experiences; use your credibility to create opportunities to educate others about oppression and privilege.

Beyond Tolerance: Towards Understanding, Appreciation, and Affirmation An eight-stage model representing a continuum of responses to transphobia and cissexism. Adapted from a model by Washington, J. (1991)

1) Actively Participating in Oppression: Actions that directly support the oppression of trans individuals: may include participating in jokes that denigrate trans persons, physically or verbally harassing persons who do not conform to traditional stereotypes of masculine or feminine behavior, avoiding people who are (or might be) trans; or supporting anti-trans legislation. 2) Denying or Ignoring: Inaction that supports trans oppression coupled with an unwillingness to consider or an inability to understand the effects of transphobia and cissexism. Characterized by a laissez-faire attitude. While not actively or directly transphobic or cissexist, the passive acceptance of these actions by others serves to support trans oppression. 3) Recognizing, But Not Taking Action: Recognizing oppression and its harmful effects, but taking no actions to stop transphobic behavior, because of fear, lack of information, or confusion about what to do; often accompanied by a discomfort due to the lack of congruence between recognizing transphobia or cissexism yet failing to act on this recognition. 4) Recognizing and Interrupting: Recognizing oppression and taking action to stop it. Though the response may go no further than objecting to transphobic behavior, this is an important step in the transition from silent disapproval of transphobic actions to choosing to speak out against them. May

include intervening with others who are engaging in transphobia or cissexism, or actively choosing to participate in an activity that one previously avoided from concern that others might perceive them as trans by their participation/association. 5) Educating Self: Taking action to learn more about trans individuals, transphobia, and cissexism. This includes reading books, attending workshops, participating in discussion groups, joining organizations, and attending trans-focused events. This stage is a prerequisite to the last three, all of which involve interactions with others about transphobia and cissexism. In order to do this confidently and comfortably, people first need to learn more. 6) Supporting and Encouraging: Includes actions that support and encourage the efforts of others who are working to end transphobia and cissexism. 7) Dialoguing: Involves an attempt to begin directly educating others about transphobia and cissexism. Goes beyond interrupting transphobic and cissexist interactions to actually engaging others in dialogue about these issues. 8) Initiating and Preventing: Working to change individual and institutional actions that exclude or denigrate people because of their sexual orientationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for example, planning educational programs; including sexual orientation in institutional nondiscrimination statements; explicitly inviting LGBTQQI people to become open and appreciated members of a community.

Combat Transphobia From TransWhat: A Guide Towards Allyship

Ways to counter transphobia at all levels of society include: ... in the law • legal identification — what do people need to change their sexes? • Some locations — for example, X, Y, and Z — do not allow people to change their names to ones that are "confusing" or that "misrepresent their sex." If a woman has a birth certificate that says M on it, she'd be prevented from changing her name to one that's typically female. Even if she's presenting as female. So forth with other genders, too. • inequalities in jail • marriage • issues with children • anti-discrimination laws: housing, work, etc. • immigrants' issues ... in schools • transitioning in school • locker rooms and bathrooms • school sports • dress code issues • training teachers and other students • A person identifying with a particular gender should be allowed to live in gender-specific housing in residential schools. It is unethical to require that a trans woman, say, should have a male roommate or live on a male floor just because of her birth-assigned sex. • harassment, discrimination • confidentiality ... in your social circle • Make it clear that derogatory jokes/remarks will not be tolerated. And really make sure to follow up on this, alerting people when you hear that kind of language, clearly and effectively stating why it's not funny or okay. • not respecting your trans friend/family member's identification • discouraging you against supporting your friend/family member • When you hear an inappropriate use of language — calling a trans woman a "man," etc. • Discourage friends and acquaintances from trying to "figure out" androgynous people's genders. When people are faced with someone they can't classify as male or female at first glance, they sometimes resort to staring and speculation, which is not acceptable. A person's gender is that person's private matter, and they can choose to share it if they like, but they can also keep it under the radar. It's a privilege to know how someone identifies, not a right. ... in news reporting • Some newspapers, magazines, or other media tend to use gender-inappropriate names or pronouns — or generally offensively language — when describing trans people. Calling a woman "he" because of her birth-assigned sex is one example; in other places they may put quotation marks around certain words, implying that trans people's genders are artificial. For example, "Freshman 'Mike' Biers, a transsexual student at Sample University, says 'he' wants to be able to use the men's locker room." • sensationalizing, esp. making transness the focus of the article • generalizations about all trans people

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not reporting hate crimes, or not reporting the "hate" part general inaccuracy ("trans people are really just gay," "trans people rarely pass")

... in fictional and other media • Movies and TV shows often portray trans people in one of three slots: either they're perverted psychos (e.g. Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs), or are shown as tragic victims (e.g. on crime shows like CSI), or are objects of comic relief. Seriously, you'd have to be pretty dense not to get why these are transphobic motifs. A lot of people flare up defensively on the subject — and, yeah, an individual movie may be good — but it still might also perpetuate stereotypes, not bringing in much content that's new or fresh or human. Be conscious of it. • transness a "surprise" gimmick • It isn't okay for a film to have a cis male actor play a trans woman, or vice versa with a cis female actor and a trans guy. in film: having cis people of the opposite gender play trans people • representation as unable to ever pass • essentialism • Many movies and advertisements use the idea of a "manly man in drag" — a burly, hairy guy pretending to be a woman — as an easy laugh. Hmm. How come we view this as funny? The easy answer is a dude! in a dress! It's just incongruent, weird, and that's what makes it entertaining. Well, yeah, but if you followed that argument you'd have to agree that a woman in men's clothes is "incongruent" too. And that reversal isn't often meant to be humor. The main substance of the dude-in-drag laughs is this: femininity in men is supposed to be amusing. It's kind of crappy to make a gender presentation into the butt of a joke. And it's a weird double standard that male femininity is so humiliated in this culture, while female masculinity rarely receives similar attention. • general inaccuracy • Much of advertising is based on narrowed gender roles and very limited ideas of body attractiveness. ... in the doctor's office • Since medical transition's earliest beginnings, various forms of gatekeeping have been placed upon those who wish to make the changes. Doctors often have preconceived notions of "people who should transition" and "people who should not," and act accordingly. The ideal trans man, according to this theory, has known of his trans status since he was small; is masculine and heterosexual; hates his breasts, genitals, hips, and other sex characteristics. He wishes only to be absorbed into society as an average male, and wants to leave all trans communities once his transition is complete. Similar standards go for women. The reality is, of course, that there are many trans people who fit this framework very well — and there are many who definitely do not. It isn't that these others are less trans, less deserving of whatever treatment they request. Some trans people's stories happen to face more resistance from the cis medical community, and cissexual doctors are less likely to give them what they need. Why would physicians deny someone treatment? Arbitrary and transphobic standards, that's why. But those standards go beyond just removing someone's access; for lots of folks, you still can't pass Go and steam ahead. Many clinics want a trans client to undergo months of psychotherapy, evaluating and reevaluating their genders. An endocrinologist may overcontrol hormone quantities, prescribing much less than is wanted, even when a higher dosage is safe. Some places will only intervene medically after extensive "real life experience" (social transition), which can be traumatizing for someone who doesn't pass without the correct hormones. letters, psychiatry, overcontrolling hormone dosage, RLE requirements • the "one true way" of transition • As with homosexuality, misguided doctors have tried to change a trans person's identity using reparative therapy. These techniques are particularly common in treatment of gender-variant children. Some psychiatrists encourage removing "cross-gender" toys, restricting "cross-gender"

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play, and disciplining the child for not following gender stereotypes. An adult woman may find that, if her medical practitioners don't believe she's actually trans (or don't believe she can pass as female), they'll encourage her to amp up the masculinity. Suppress these instincts that come to you naturally, as they are disordered; change who you are; line yourself up with a narrow group of gendered behaviors. Being transgender is not a condition that can be removed, only repressed. patronization socialized health systems — issues Vast amounts of insurance policies don't cover anything that's related to sex transition. Some of them describe sex reassignment surgery as "cosmetic," refuse to pay for hormones even in part, and so forth. Transition is medically necessary — it is, if you want to think of it this way, the only effective treatment for a chronic pain condition. That pain (called body dysphoria; "dysphoria" means "severe unhappiness," roughly) often goes unrecognized by society. But that doesn't make it any less real. If anything, it makes more of a sting. Trans people are underemployed and often underpaid compared to the rest of the population. We are, as a group, in great need for insurance; we are, as a group, less likely to be aided in fundamental areas of our healthcare. This is backwards and inside out, and it needs to change very soon. doctors being invasive of bodies General practitioners of medicine are often surprisingly undereducated about trans-unique needs, and even trans people's fundamental rights, like correct pronouns and dignified treatment. A physician needs to know (at least) how to behave respectfully towards and regarding trans people. He or she should grasp the definitions of "transgender," "transsexual/ity," and "gender identity"; understand what hormone therapy is and how it works; also understand, albeit less indepth, the basics of sex reassignment surgeries. Medical transition isn't an issue most doctors think about every day, but it's not some once-in-a-career thing either. early intervention issues in trans kids

... in other issues of social interest • homelessness • HIV/AIDS, safer sex, etc. • substance abuse • mental health issues, suicidal ideation • unemployment, lessened ability to get employment • dating, relationships • violence (transphobia-related) prevention; prevention of sexual assault • community-wide awareness of basic respect and terminology • identities respected in foster care, homeless shelters, other housing • If you are responsible for the creation of a form, used in research or for profiling or some other reason, think about the way it describes gender. An ideal form would avoid asking "What gender are you?", if at all possible, or not require the answer to be filled in. If gender selection is necessary, the choices should be along the lines of "Male/Female/Do not wish to specify/Other (explain below)"; it may be helpful to phrase the question as as "With what gender do you identify?" It is not appropriate to present "Male/Female/Transgender" as three choices, as some people identify as transgender men or transgender women, and would have to check two boxes. Worse still is "Male/Female/FTM trans/MTF trans," which implies that trans people are not real members of their own genders, and must instead have special categories that segregate them from the cissexual.

Ways to be a Good Trans Ally From University of California, Davis Transgender Safe Zone

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Don’t ever out a trans person. This is dangerous to their safety & can invalidate their identity. Likewise, be aware of your surroundings when discussing trans issues with a transperson. For their safety & comfort, they may prefer not to discuss these topics in public places or among strangers. Always use the pronouns & name the person wants you to use. If you’re unsure, ASK! If you make a mistake, correct yourself, & politely (& subtly, if possible) correct others if they use the wrong pronoun. Ask when & where it’s safe to use their chosen name & pronouns (e.g., if a trans person is not out at home, ask them how you should refer to them around their family, etc). Don’t ask trans people what their “real” name is (i.e., the one they were born with). If you know their birth name, do not divulge it to others. Instead of using prefixes like bio- or real- to designate that someone is not trans, use “non-trans” or the prefix “cis-”. Two reasons for this: one, using “real” or “bio” sets up a dichotomy in which trans people are not considered “real” or “biological.” Two, using the terms trans & non-trans or cis- alters the framework so that trans people are the default rather than the Other. Setting up trans as the norm can help make trans phobia & gender privilege more obvious. Instead of saying someone was born a boy (or a girl), try saying they were assigned male at birth (or were female-assigned). These terms recognize the difference between sex & gender, and emphasize the ways in which sex & gender are assigned to individuals at birth, rather than being innate, binary or immutable qualities. Don’t confuse gender with sexual preference. Trans people, like non-trans people, are straight, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, etc. Gender is not tied to sexual preference, & there are a million ways to express desire. Don’t fetishize. Trans people’s bodies are not a public forum. “Creatures with cunts,” “the best of both worlds” & “chicks with dicks” are all inappropriate ways of describing trans people’s bodies. Don’t ask trans people about their bodies, how they have sex, what their genitals are like, etc. It’s rude & none of your business. It can help to think about whether you would ask these questions of a non-trans person. Don’t ask about surgery or hormone status; don’t ask “when are you going to have the surgery?” or “are you on hormones?” Like non-trans people, our medical histories & bodies can be intensely personal & private. If trans people want to share these details with you, allow them to do so on their own terms. Don’t assume the only way to transition is through hormones/surgery, & understand that medical transition is very often based on economic status. Recognize the classism inherent in associating medical transition with “authentic” trans identities. Don’t assume all trans people want hormones and/or surgery, or to transition at all. Don’t assume all trans people feel “trapped in the wrong body.” This is an oversimplification and not the way (all) trans people feel. Don’t assume all trans people identify as “men” or “women.” Many trans people and genderqueer people identify as both, neither, or something altogether different. Don’t tell trans people what is appropriate to their gender (e.g., trans women should grow their hair out & wear dresses). Like non-trans people, we have varying forms of gender expression. Recognize the diversity of trans & genderqueer lives. Remember that these identities are part of other identities, and intersect with race, class, sexual preference, age, etc. Do listen if a trans person chooses to talk to you about their gender identity. Be honest about things you don’t understand—don’t try to fake it!

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Be aware of places trans people may not be able to go (pun intended). Be understanding if a trans person doesn’t feel safe using a gendered bathroom or locker room. If your organization is holding an event, designate a gender-neutral bathroom in the building. Recognize that not all trans people or genderqueer folks are out there trying to smash the gender binary. Recognize that it’s not their responsibility. If you want to smash the gender binary, then you do it! Don’t ask trans people to educate you. Do your own homework & research. Understand that there is a difference between talking to individuals about their preferences/perspectives and forcing someone to be your educator. Try not to view individuals as spokespeople; the trans communities are diverse, not one monolithic voice or viewpoint. Don’t assume trans men are exempt from male privilege, misogyny, sexism, etc, just because of a so-called “girl past.” Recognize that trans women deal with sexism in a very real way (on top of transphobia). Recognize that trans women deserve access to “women-only” spaces/programs/shelters/etc. Recognize your privilege & prejudices as a normatively gendered person. Think about what makes you uncomfortable & why. Don’t let transphobia slide. Confront it as you would confront all other forms of oppression. Trans issues are rarely discussed & when they are it is often in a negative light. Transphobia is equally oppressive as (& works in conjunction with) sexism, homophobia, racism, classism, etc. Talk about trans issues/rights. Engage people in discussions & share your knowledge. The majority of “information” people have about trans issues is based on stereotypes & assumptions. To most people, trans folks are the freaks from Jerry Springer. Be aware of the vital role you play as a non-trans person. Remember that the way you talk about trans people (e.g., using the right pronouns) influences how others perceive us & can make a difference in whether we pass, & whether we feel safe/comfortable. Always remember that people may be more likely to listen to & take cues from non-trans people than from transpeople. What you say & do matters! Don’t just mourn or take action when trans people are murdered. Celebrate trans lives & work at making trans & genderqueer issues more visible on a day-to-day basis. Don’t tokenize. Simply adding the “T” to LGB doesn’t make you or your organization hip, progressive, or an ally. Make sure you have the resources, information & understanding to deserve that T. Above all respect and support trans people in their lives & choices.

5 Ways Using Correct Gender Pronouns Will Make You a Better Trans Ally By Laura Kacere, Everyday Feminism

Try having a conversation without using a pronoun: he, she, his, hers, they, theirs. You’ll find it’s nearly impossible. In the English language, if you’re referring to one person, you have to gender them. As such, pronouns are an important part of our language. And yet their role in understanding gender can easily go unnoticed. So what happens when someone identifies as a gender other than that which they were assigned at birth, or has no gender at all? Trans* people often ask that they be referred to using a different gendered pronoun, and this can be a big part of coming into one’s identity. New singular pronouns have been invented for folks who may not want to use he or she: ze and hir being the most commonly used, although using the plural pronouns they and them can also be used to refer to a single person. Changing the pronouns to which someone is referred can be a major part of coming out as trans*. Asking those around you to refer to you with different pronouns may seem like a simple task, but it can often be met with confusion, apathy, and anger. We live in a country with horribly high amounts of violence against trans* people. Trans* folks face a host of systemic forms of violence as well, including discrimination in housing and employment. There’s another layer of violence, and this comes through the way our culture views and speaks about trans* people. The delegitimization and invisibility of trans* identities and their struggle is evident in and perpetuated through language. While using the right pronouns may seem insignificant, it is a major step in fighting for trans justice. Here’s why: 1. Language Shapes Culture: Because pronouns are so engrained in our language, we often take for granted how necessary they are. In this way, the issue of using the correct gender pronouns is often disregarded, even by allies, as vain or as a waste of time. But language has power. When we use a pronoun that assigns someone a gender with which they do not identify (for example, referring to a self-identified trans man as she), the use of that pronoun can serve to invalidate who that person is and undermine their transition. Our language is also constantly evolving – and spreading fast, thanks to the Internet – to match the evolution of our culture. The fact that new pronouns (ze, hir, and many others) have been added and are being used by many trans* people and their allies is really cool and speaks to the fluidity of language and its ability to reflect our ongoing experiences. In this way, culture shapes language. But language also shapes culture. The words we use can shape how we see the world. When we use and invent new words to describe people who identify outside of a strict gender binary, we legitimize those ways of being, and participate in the larger struggle for trans* visibility. We should always be sure to use the words we’re asked to by our trans* friends, even when we’re not around them. The more we use the correct gender pronouns, the faster the words and their meanings will spread through our communities. 2. Respect Others’ Realities: Trans* people are constantly faced with people and systems who think they know that person’s gender better than they know it themselves. Doctors, reporters, and politicians often participate in denying trans* people’s realities by labeling them with a gender identifier or name that undermines and negates who they really are. This is why it’s so important to remember that you do not know more about someone’s gender identity than they do, so it’s not up to you to decide who they are, what to call them, or to make assumptions about their body. Sometimes, especially when you’re in a position of privilege – and if you identify with the gender you were assigned at birth, you are – it’s best to check that privilege and listen. Some people (including many in the medical establishment) argue that a trans* person should be referred to by the pronouns of the gender which they were assigned at birth until they have undergone physical surgery or begun receiving hormones to transition. They see the physical change as the marker, or proof, of gender change rather than taking a person at their word. But this

problematic thinking doesn’t consider that these procedures are, to many, inaccessible, invasive, and not necessarily a part of a person’s plan for transitioning. Further, why must a person alter and modify their body to perfectly fit into another gender category before others will consider calling them by their chosen name? A discussion around the physical transition assumes that a person wants their body to change – and many do not. Even then, there’s an assumption that there are only two genders. Many people occupy all different spaces on the gender spectrum, including gender ambiguity and other lovely spaces beyond fixed categories. It is so important to never make assumptions about a person’s body or to base a gender pronoun on whether or not they have or will transition physically. In this way, using the pronouns and gender signifiers that someone asks you to use can do a lot in showing your trans* friends (and everyone else) that you respect their reality and their right to decide for themselves who they are how they will be referred. 3. Hold the Media Accountable: The issue of gendered pronouns has been a major topic in the media lately, as mainstream media outlets have seriously struggled to report on the news that Chelsea Manning announced after her trial that she identifies as a woman and would like to be referred to as such. Although she made it very clear how she would like to be referred, most news outlets continued to report on her story using male pronouns, and many questioned her request. Thanks to an outpouring of response from trans* activists and allies, many news organizations have since changed their protocol on gender pronouns, setting a precedent for future reporting on trans* people to better fit the needs of the people they’re reporting on. This is a good thing, considering we’re still seeing dehumanizing and misgendering headlines about trans* people like these: Oddly Dressed Man Found in Olmsted Township Pond Identified, Two Men Shot by Pr. George’s Officer Were Dressed as Women, He-She: FDNY Ex Beat Me. These headlines are not anomalies. There are scores of headlines and articles referring to “he-shes,” “men dressed as women,” and “transsexual hookers” (regardless of whether they are actually sex workers), and countless articles and news reports referring to trans* women using the pronoun he and to trans men with she. The media’s often confusing and demeaning reporting on trans* people reflects and perpetuates our larger transphobic culture where language can be used to dehumanize people who act outside their assigned gender. But as we’ve seen with Chelsea Manning and others, when reporters are called out, they’re likely to change. When you see a news story about a trans* person that uses incorrect and offensive gender identifiers, call them out! Write a letter to the editor, write a blog, tell your community. Draw attention to it and encourage them to change. It’s up to us to challenge the media and hold them accountable to a set of standards that respects people’s gender identities. 4. Fight Transphobia and Sexism: A lot of mis-gendering stems from a general lack of understanding around what it’s like to be transgender, and there’s fear and insecurity around this cultural gap. But there is also a very real oppression based in systemic sexism around maintaining the male/female binary according to rigid constructs of what those categories mean. Our culture teaches us that there is something wrong with those who act outside of their culturally assigned gender. This leads to a policing of trans* bodies – an effort to control and “normalize” people by using pronouns that match a person’s biological sex or their assigned gender rather than those that correspond with their identity. In this way, actively choosing one’s own gender pronoun and identifier can be a very radical act. Think about it: The more we challenge the repressive cultural concept that gender roles are natural – that if you are born with a set of genitals then your personality, your interests, and your desires are all predestined accordingly – the more freedom we all have to move about freely within or outside of our culture’s prescribed gender roles and just be who we are. Being a trans* activist/ally means you’re also working for gender equality. Encourage your feminist friends to understand how using gender pronouns is also a feminist issue, and why when we stand up for our trans* friends, we’re fighting for a better world for people of all genders.

5. Educate Our Communities: I’m frustrated by the number of times I’ve heard fellow activists exclaim that the pronouns they’re being asked to use by trans* friends confuse them. There is, of course, some genuine confusion, and that’s why it’s important to be patient when educating others. But it’s also not that hard to get right, and sometimes it seems people work themselves up over pronouns because they just don’t understand how someone could be trans*. That’s why it’s so important that we speak up! Start an ongoing dialogue with the people around you about the issues facing trans* folks and why it’s so important to use the pronouns they’re asked to use. And of course, allies must always use them. By using terms that are honest and reflect a person’s gender, allies help legitimize those identities and perpetuate the use of those pronouns in our communities. Trans* folks are doing a lot of hard and necessary work to be seen and respected. It’s the job of allies to support that work by not only maintaining the language that is requested of us, but to call out others. Using the right pronouns in our own daily language and asking others to do the same isn’t enough to change the extreme transphobia, discrimination, and violence that trans* people experience, but it’s a simple way to use language to show respect for our friends, to make trans* issues visible, and to challenge gender-based oppression. He, she, ze, they – it’s well worth the work of getting it right

Just a few steps would make any campus a more welcoming place by Genny Beemyn, Campus Pride

Let’s face it: most colleges and universities do not do enough to support trans students. To their credit, more than 620 colleges have added “gender identity or expression” to their nondiscrimination policies. But beyond a nondiscrimination clause, few campuses have taken further steps to ensure that trans students do not experience institutional discrimination. For a campus to be truly trans-inclusive, it must change policies and practices that exclude trans students or place them in unsafe or uncomfortable situations. This August, Campus Pride launched the Trans Policy Clearinghouse to identify trans-supportive policies and practices being implemented at colleges and universities across the country. It also provides resources to help students better advocate for trans-supportive changes at their colleges. The following six best practices come directly from research determining what campuses are doing to become more trans-friendly as well as from the detailed resource listing provided on the policy clearinghouse. 1. Gender-Inclusive Bathrooms ~ Colleges should create and publicize the location of gender-inclusive bathrooms — that is, restrooms available to people of all genders — in order to provide a safe, comfortable place for trans people to “pee in peace.” At the University of Oregon, most buildings have gender-inclusive bathrooms, and a new initiative will place signage below the gendered bathrooms directing people to the gender-inclusive ones. Ithaca College has developed a mobile app for people to be able to find all-gender bathrooms more easily, while other colleges, including the University of California, Los Angeles; North Carolina State University; and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, offer an online map to trans-friendly campus bathrooms. To identify its inclusive bathrooms, Macalester College has created signage that uses an image of a toilet rather than the gender binary of male and female stick figures: 2. Gender-Inclusive Housing ~ Along with safe bathrooms, trans students need a welcoming place to live. Currently, more than 120 colleges offer a gender-inclusive housing option, in which students can choose to live with other students of any gender on campus. This option should be open to both incoming and returning students and offered in different parts of campus and, if possible, in all types of housing. Gender-inclusive housing should also be separate from an LGBTQ-themed floor or living community, as not all trans students identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer, and would feel at home in such an environment. Ithaca College, for example, offers both LGBTQ and gender-inclusive floors, and encourages trans students to live anywhere on campus through a special housing process. In this way, trans students can choose their best living situation, such as a single-sex floor, a first-year residence hall, or a living-learning community for students in their major, and need not be separate from other students. Similarly, Amherst College makes gender-inclusive housing available in all residence halls. 3. Hormone and Gender-Affirming Surgery Coverage ~ With more and more youth coming out publicly as trans, those who want to modify their bodies through hormones and surgery are often looking to do so in college. Colleges need to remove the standard clause that excludes coverage for transitionrelated expenses in student health insurance policies and add language that provides coverage for mental health care, hormones, and surgery for trans students without a cap. More than 40 colleges currently offer such coverage, including Emory University, where students have been able to see both innetwork and out-of-network providers, including some of the country’s leading trans health care specialists, without a coverage limit. Other colleges that provide gender-affirming surgeries with no annual or lifetime cap include UCLA and Pennsylvania State University.

4. Name and Gender Change on Records and Documents ~ Trans students who go by a name other than their legal one should be able to use that name on college documents, such as course and grade rosters, online directory listings, unofficial transcripts, and ID cards. Otherwise, the student is at risk of being outed as trans. Students should also be able to easily change the gender marker on college records, so that they are recognized as the gender with which they identify in choosing housing, joining fraternities and sororities, and participating on intramural teams, or other situations where gender might come into play. Currently, 70 colleges offer a non-legal name option, and more than 40 will change the gender maker on internal student records without requiring evidence of medical intervention. The University of Vermont was one of the first schools to change to its management system software to enable students to use a name other than their legal first name on campus records, and the university offers the software it developed for free so that other colleges can follow its example and not be deterred by the expense. The school also allows students to specify the pronoun they use, which will appear on class rosters and adviser lists. Students can choose from “she,” “ze,” “he,” and “prefer name only.” At Princeton University; the University of Texas, Austin; the University of Minnesota, Duluth; and the University of California, Riverside, students can change the gender on their campus records simply by requesting it; they do not need to provide supporting documentation or have changed the gender on other forms of identification first. Case Western Reserve University allows students not only to change their gender marker but also to choose “other” instead of just “male” or “female.” 5. Gender-Inclusive Recreational Facilities and Intramural Sports ~ Trans students should have safe and convenient access to bathrooms and locker rooms in rec centers and other athletic facilities and have the right to participate in intramural and rec sports programs in keeping with their gender identity. Miami University of Ohio has a model policy, which states that trans individuals “shall not be forced to use the locker room corresponding to their gender assigned at birth” but be able to use “accommodations that best meets the needs and privacy concerns of all involved.” Miami University as well as Bates College, Emory University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, have policies that allow trans students to compete in intramural sports in accordance with their gender identity. 6. Educating About Trans People ~ Students, staff, and faculty are generally much less aware of the experiences of trans people than they are of cisgender LGB people. As a result, colleges should develop trans-specific ally trainings and programs and not just rely on an LGBTQ Safe Space or Safe Zone programs to address the educational needs of the campus community. For example, the University of California, Riverside, has created an additional Trans Allies Safe Zone Seminar for individuals who have attended an LGBTQ allies training session to learn more about supporting trans people. The University of Illinois at Chicago offers a Safe Zone certificate, which individuals can earn after attending four trainings, one of which is “Transgender Safe Zone 102,” a session that provides a more in-depth discussion of trans communities and experiences.

trans@mit

http://web.mit.edu/trans

Resources for transsexual, transgender, and gender questioning people and allies at MIT

TRANS@MIT ALLIES TOOLKIT

Action Tips for Allies of Trans People The following are several actions tips that can be used as you move toward becoming a better trans ally. Of course, this list is not exhaustive and cannot include all the “right” things to do or say—because often there is no single, easy, or “right” answer to every situation a person might encounter! Hopefully this list will provide you with food for thought and a starting place as you learn more about trans people, gender identities/presentations, and gender differences. Before reading this list, it may be helpful to first read the “What is Transgender” brochure included in the Allies Toolkit.

Don’t assume you can tell if someone is transgender.

“truth” about the trans person is that they are somehow more fundamentally a member of their birth sex, rather than the gender/sex they have chosen to live in. In other words, sometimes “coming out” makes it more difficult for a trans person to be fully recognized as the sex/gender they are living in.

Don’t make assumptions about a trans person’s sexual orientation.

Do not tolerate anti-trans remarks or humor in public spaces.

Transgender and transsexual people don’t all look a certain way or come from the same background, and many may not appear “visibly trans.” Indeed, many trans people live most of their lives with very few people knowing their trans status.

Consider strategies to best confront anti-trans remarks or jokes in your classroom, lab, office, living group, or organization. Seek out other allies who will support you in this effort.

Gender identity is different than sexual orientation. Sexual orientation is about who we’re attracted to. Gender identity is about how we know our own gender. Trans people can identify as gay, straight, bisexual, or asexual.

If you don’t know what pronouns to use, ask.

Be polite and respectful when you ask a person which pronoun they prefer. Then use that pronoun and encourage others to do so.

Be careful about confidentiality, disclosure, and “outing.”

Some trans people feel comfortable disclosing their trans status to others, and some do not. Knowing a trans person’s status is personal information and it is up to them to share it with others. Do not casually share this information, or “gossip” about a person you know or think is trans. Not only is this an invasion of privacy, it also can have negative consequences in a world that is very intolerant of gender difference—trans people can lose jobs, housing, friends, and sadly have even been killed upon revelation of their trans status.

Be patient with a person who is questioning their gender identity.

A person who is questioning their gender identity might shift back and forth as they find out what identity and/or gender presentation is best for them. They might, for example, choose a new name or pronoun, and then decide at a later time to change the name or pronoun again. Do your best to be respectful and use the name and/or pronoun requested.

Understand the differences between “coming out”as lesbian,bisexual,or gay (LBG) and “coming out”as trans.

Don’t try to tell a person what “category” or “identity” they fit into.

Unlike “coming out” in a LBG context, where the act of disclosing one’s sexuality reveals a “truth” about that person’s sexual orientation, disclosing one’s trans status often has the opposite effect. That is, when a person “comes out” as trans, the listener often assumes the

Do not apply labels or identities to a person that they have not chosen for themselves. If a person is not sure of which identity or path fits them best, give them the time and space to decide for themselves. over, please...

TRANS@MIT ALLIES TOOLKIT

Action Tips for Allies of Trans People, continued http://web.mit.edu/trans Don't assume what path a trans person is on regarding surgery or hormones, and don’t privilege one path over another.

Don't just add the “T” without doing work.

“LBGT” is now a commonplace acronym that joins lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgender under the same umbrella. To be an ally to trans people, gays, lesbians and bisexuals need to examine their own gender stereotypes, their own prejudices and fears about trans people, and be willing to defend and celebrate trans lives.

Affirm the many ways all of us can and do transcend gender boundaries, including the choices some of us make to use medical technology to change our bodies. Some trans people wish to be recognized as their gender of choice without surgery or hormones; some need support and advocacy to get respectful medical care, hormones, and/or surgery.

Know your own limits as an ally.

Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know everything! When dealing with a trans person who may have sought you out for support or guidance, be sure to point that person to appropriate resources when you’ve reached the limit of your knowledge or ability to handle the situation. It is better to admit you don’t know something than to provide information that may be incorrect or hurtful.

Don’t ask a trans person what their “real name” is.

For some trans people, being associated with their birth name is a tremendous source of anxiety, or it is simply a part of their life they wish to leave behind. Respect the name a trans person is currently using.

Don’t ask about a trans person’s genitals or surgical status.

Listen to trans voices.

Think about it—it wouldn’t be considered appropriate to ask a non-trans person about the appearance or status of their genitalia, so it isn’t appropriate to ask a trans person that question either. Likewise, don’t ask if a trans person has had “the surgery.” If a trans person wants to talk to you about such matters, let them bring it up.

The best way to be an ally is to listen with an open mind to trans people themselves. They are the experts on their own lives! Talk to trans people in your community. Consult the reading and film lists of this Allies Toolkit to find out where to learn more about trans lives.

Don’t ask a trans person how they have sex.

WHERE TO LEARN MORE AT MIT

Go the Trans@MIT web site (http://web.mit.edu/trans), download the resources in our Allies Toolkit, and/or sign up for one of our trans awareness workshops:

Similar to the questions above about genitalia and surgery—it wouldn’t be considered appropriate to ask a non-trans person about how they have sex, so the same courtesy should be extended to trans people.

Helping your Living Group or Student Group to be More Trans Friendly

Don't police public restrooms.

Recognize that gender variant people may not match the little signs on the restroom door—or your expectations! Encourage schools, businesses and agencies to have unisex bathroom options, and offer to accompany a trans person to the bathroom, in a “buddy system,” so they are less vulnerable.

Supporting Transgender People at MIT: A Workshop for Staff, Administrators, and Faculty Learning about Transition: When a student or colleague makes a change in their gender designation or presentation

last modified on March 31, 2006

Some of the above items were adapted from the following resources: “Action Steps for Being a Trans Ally” by Samuel Lurie, and “Ideas for Allies of the Transgender and Intersex Communities” by Elizabeth R. Green and Eric N. Peterson of the University of California Riverside.

On Building a Trans-Inclusive Feminist Movement By Laura Kacere, Everyday Feminism Despite what we like to think, feminism is not always the inclusive space that we want it to be. It can actually be an unsafe place for those seen as outsiders. While trans* people deserve a central role in the feminist movement, they have been viewed by a small (but vocal!) minority as antithetical to the movement’s goals, purposefully excluding – historically and currently – trans* struggles from feminism. Throughout the second wave in the 1970s and continuing today, trans* people have experienced exclusion, hate speech, threats, and harassment at the hands of the feminist movement. For example, Germaine Greer, a feminist voice in the 1970s and well known for her books on sexuality and gender, writes now about trans women being “ghastly parodies” of women, saying that “other delusions may be challenged, but not a man’s delusions that he is female.” (She was glitter-bombed last year by queer activists for her continued transphobic comments.) Another, more hateful so-called feminist, is Janice Raymond, who argues in her book The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the He-She that “all transsexuals rape women’s bodies by reducing the real female form to an artifact, appropriating the body for themselves.” Others include Mary Daly, Sheila Jeffreys, and Julie Bindel – all prominent feminist voices who use feminism as a vehicle to harass trans* people as they argue that their very existence does not line up with feminist ideology. It is truly tragic that some of the most hateful speech against transgender people has come from within feminist movement. This continues today in the form of Twitter wars, in the physical exclusion of trans women from women-only spaces, and in the theory behind a branch of feminism known as Radical Feminism. While transphobic feminists are a minority, they have been able to be heard and manufacture power, often teaming up with right-wing Conservatives in affecting policy, and contributing to the culture of violence and harassment against trans* people. Their arguments range from the belief that male-assigned people identify as women “in order to rape women” and “to co-opt and infiltrate women’s spaces,” to the concept that female- assigned people identify as men in order to “escape sexism and attain male privilege.” There are speeches, websites, and entire books devoted to dehumanizing, outing, and shaming trans* people from a supposedly feminist perspective. This behavior is not only hurtful to the trans* community, it is destructive to the feminist movement. Transgender people face institutional discrimination, oppression, and violence as a result of transphobia as well as sexism – due to a structural obsession with the gender binary, with a cultural and political policing of gender roles, and an overall devaluation of feminine qualities. Trans* issues are feminist issues – and if we are to build an intersectional and effective feminist movement, it is imperative that we work to make feminism not just trans-inclusive, but a movement that places trans* voices and experiences at the center. Trans Exclusion A common form of transphobia seen within the feminist movement is the exclusion of trans women from women-only spaces. Trans women are often excluded from domestic violence shelters, women’s homeless shelters, and other supportive women’s spaces, leaving trans* women to battle abuse, homeslessness, and misogyny in men’s shelters, abusive homes, and in the streets. Trans women are also excluded from many women’s colleges. Trans women have and continue to be excluded from women-only feminist spaces. The most wellknown is the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, a women-only music festival which arose in the 1970s as a safe-haven for women to share music and serve as a space for political consciousness-raising and

empowerment. But after kicking out a trans woman from the festival in 1991, the festival has stood by an exclusionary policy towards trans women. Many artists and festival-goers have spoken out against this, boycotting and petitioning the festival, yet the festival organizers continue each year to stand by their policy. What their exclusionary argument comes down to is really an understanding of what women- only space means, that is, that women-only space means cis-women-only. Women-Only Spaces Women-only spaces can be empowering and important in creating spaces where women feel safe – so long as it commits to including all women, in particular those marginalized by class status, race, ability, sexuality, and trans* status. Because trans women are women, they should be included in women-only spaces. And yet somehow the concept of women-only spaces has been used to exclude trans women from these intentional safe spaces. The Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival justifies their intentional trans exclusion by arguing that that growing up as a cis woman is “a unique perspective that trans women could not ever understand.” Because trans women do not have this experience, they argue, they have no place in women-only space. This argument is insulting to trans and cis women alike. It assumes a universal women’s experience, some unifying quality that all cis women share. There is a complete disregard for intersectionality here – insinuating that all women, regardless of socioeconomic class, race, ethnicity and nationality, sexual orientation, ability, and so on have had the same experiences in life, and that that experience is unique and that leads to the creation of a space that is safe. There is also an assumption here that trans* people have not been discriminated against in their own right and have not faced major vulnerabilities and struggles in the process of growing up and coming out as trans. Trans women have the particular experience of facing both transphobia and misogyny. And who’s to say that women-only spaces, by being women-only, are inherently safe spaces? This concept assumes that oppression and interpersonal violence are always perpetuated by men against women. But white women have historically and continue to violate the safety of women of color, upper class women continue to exploit and benefit from the labor of working-class women, and heterosexist women participate in the discrimination against queer women. I see the need for spaces that are exclusionary and marked specifically for marginalized groups to discuss particular issues they face, but we should inclusively consider the boundaries of these groups – who is in and who is out? Those who want women-only spaces to mean cis-women-only have adopted the term “women- born women.” This term presents a sort of authenticy war, in which the boundaries of womanhood are policed. Real womanhood is thus defined as having been “born that way,” or rather, as having the correlating genitalia. Under this arbitrary and inaccurate categorization, trans women are disqualified from authenticity of womanhood and thus from feminist/women’s spaces on a whole. If a cis-womenonly spaces needs to exist, then call it that. But when a women-only space is read as cis-women-only, the groups’ very existence serves to delegitimize trans women’s gender identities and experiences. The Anti-Trans Analysis The analysis put forth by some trans-exclusionary radical feminists (or TERFs, as they are often called) tends to fall along the lines of biological determinism, arguing that biology is destiny, that women are born second-class citizens, and that men are the underlying problem of all oppression. They see the solution as ending the gender binary. They argue that trans people reinforce the gender binary, and thus are a threat to gender equality. I have always found this argument odd, because it makes no sense to me how trans* people reinforce the gender binary.

If anything, trans* people make it more acceptable to break out of that binary, to subvert gender assignments and socialization, and to create a more fluid understanding of gender. Gender is as simple as this analysis would claim – it is complex, fluid, and relies on a host of cultural assumptions and characteristics that vary from culture to culture and intersect with other variables and identities. The problem is not that the gender binary exists, but rather that gender is assigned non- consensually, and that anyone who steps outside of the culturally-defined boundaries are marginalized and experience systemic oppression and violence. The problem isn’t femininity or masculinity. It is compulsory femininity and masculinity tied to a value system that devalues all things feminine. Denying the existence of cis privilege, the analyses put forth by TERFs oversimplifies the lived experiences of women in a society that devalues those experiences. Even if their analyses made sense logically, any theory that supports the subordination of a group of people, that asks us to sacrifice the needs of a marginalized group, must be rejected. People are more important than theory. But because these analyses are couched within feminist rhetoric, trans-exclusionary feminism is often given another seat at the table – as just another perspective within feminism. We have to be careful about noticing when this happens, calling attention to feminist spaces that do this in an attempt to be inclusive. Inclusivity should never mean including hate speech, and that is precisely what this is. If transphobia is allowed to exist and pass itself off as feminism, then this is a cause that all feminists must take up as their own. On Building a Trans-Inclusive Feminist Movement Despite the title of this blog post, our struggle should not focus only on making the feminist movement more inclusive – this is about making trans* people and other marginalized members of the feminist movement a central part of it. We can’t just call out transphobic attitudes – we have to allow trans* people a non-tokenized voice and space in our movement. In her book Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive, Julia Serano states, “We all have a mutual goal: to find a support network outside of the hetero male-centric mainstream where we can finally feel empowered and affirmed as women.” Our goal thus becomes, she notes, building communities that celebrate difference rather than sameness, where everyone is listened to, where everyone is seen as a legitimate object of desire, where gender expressions and presentations are not policed, and where trans women are not viewed as less legitimate than cis women. We have to recognize trans women as women (and include them in women’s spaces!), recognize trans men as men, and recognize genderqueer and non-binary identifying people as being outside of or in between those categories, defined by their own experiences and expression on the gender spectrum. We can learn to respect the legitimacy of people’s gender. We can open ourselves up to the complexity of gender, going beyond our own limited understanding and lived experiences of it. We can respect that each person is the authority of their own experiences. Cis and trans women are allies – a part of the same movement to fight sexism – and we absolutely need an inclusive movement that supports and fights for one another if we are to truly understand and overcome the problems we face today.

5 Ways to Amplify the Voices of Trans women, Cis women, Non-binary folks, and Trans men in the #BlackLivesMatter Movement By Dominique, Disrupting Dinner Parties: Feminism for Everyone

I’ll be honest, the last week (month? year? decade?) or so has not been fun. The U.S. “justice” system is intent on communicating its lack of regard for black life. But, the silver lining has been witnessing the growth of a persistent and powerful nationwide movement to declare that #blacklivesmatter. What we don’t need in this moment of pain and opportunity is a movement that ignores trans women, cis women, gender nonconforming/non-binary folks, and trans men who are impacted by state enacted and state sanctioned violence. We also don’t need a movement that silences the voices of all the bad ass people from those communities who are fighting against it. If you are part of this movement- on social media, in the streets, in your cubicle, or anywhere else- here are some steps you can take to make sure these voices are amplified: 1. If people talk about how black “(cis) men and children” are dying from state sanctioned violence, correct them. If the names of women or trans people or gender nonconforming folks are missing from a list of victims, add them. Add them to your tweets and your Facebook posts. Add them to your rally posters. Add them to your cries of grief and the names you speak when you call out to the ancestors. If you don’t know their namesnames like Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Duanna Johnson, Rekia Boyd, Kathryn Johnston, and Yvette Smithmake it your business to learn them. Tell other people to add them too. At a Mike Brown action in DC last week, a friend of mine saw protesters carrying a bed sheet covered with names. No trans people were on it. She tapped them on the shoulder and informed them of the issue; in just a few minutes cell phones were whipped out, googling occurred, and names were added. 2. If people refer to a group of gender diverse organizers as men, correct them. At the same Mike Brown action, a speaker took out time to commend and encourage the “young brothers” who had planned the die-in. Because our group of organizers for that event could have included non-binary people (although, problematically, it did not), “young people” would have been a much better phrase for that speaker to use. About ten people yelled out “AND SISTERS!” and the speaker quickly corrected his statement to reflect the full gender diversity of our planning team. If we (and particularly the men among us) had not spoken, our silence would have made an equally loud statement. 3. Be aware of who you look to for direction. We all drink the patriarchal punch on a daily basis, so it’s easy to assume that the tallest, loudest, or most charismatic man in the crowd is the leader of an action, a rally, or a teach-in. But…. don’t. 4. Bring people who are not cis men into conversation with media. Members of the media drink the punch too! Often reporters on the scene will be drawn towards interviewing the (literal) hypemen in the crowd. You can’t help that, but you can smoothly turn a solo interview into a joint interview between you and your femme friend who’s standing next to you. You can decline your third interview, and point the reporter in the direction of someone else who you know will do an equally great job.

5. Literally amplify the voices of people, especially women, who are speaking but cannot be heard. At a recent rally I attended, a fierce black woman and labor organizer stepped up to the stage to talk to a crowd of at least 1,000 people. Several men had gone before her with no problem. As she began to speak, it became clear that no matter how loud she screamed, her voice simply was not carrying to the back of the crowd. People started yelling “speak up!”, unrest grew, and at some point the back half of the crowd stopped listening entirely and broke into chants. But then, something beautiful happened: after each sentence she spoke, hundreds of people in the front of the rally began repeating her words in unison so that everyone could hear them. The crowd had collectively decided that this woman would be heard. This strategy is called the Human Megaphone. When this type of dynamic becomes apparent, it only takes one person to begin amplifying a voice. That person can be you. These suggestions are just some of the low hanging fruit, starting points on the long road of building a freedom movement that is truly inclusive and intersectional. But they are something. Black trans women, cis women, non-binary folks, and trans men are criminalized, and they are at the forefront of this movement. Let’s make sure that when we say #blacklivesmatter, we mean all of them.

Trans Socialization By: Tumblr user whencylonsdream

Gonna be another one of my rants~ so we’ll see where this goes. Also note that this is all my personal experience, and if it’s similar to yours that’s great, but if not then that’s okay too. Basically I’ve noticed how a bunch of people want to say CAMAB trans people have experienced male socialization and CAFAB trans people have experienced female socialization. Usually when I see this it’s when cis people say how they can’t feel safe around CAMAB trans people due to our apparent male socialization. Most commonly with trans women in an effort to find some rational for keeping trans women out of women spaces. I’ll also see this same thing used as justification for trans men to be in women’s spaces because of their apparent female socialization and ‘shared girlhood’. Now if you’re a CAMAB trans person who feels they have had male socialization that’s fine (same with CAFAB trans people vice versa). But I really don’t like this trend of implying that all trans people experience socialization in the same way. So now to get to the meat of this post, I’ll be talking about how I personally view my own socialization. As a trans woman looking at any part of my socialization as ‘male’ seems bizarre and completely wrong to me. I’m female so my socialization was female. However I also don’t buy into the whole ‘shared girlhood’ nonsense since everyone is raised so differently and in so many different circumstances. Growing up I feel everyone is bombarded with different social expectations but whether or not we actually internalize any of that depends on our own personal identities. I saw things directed at girls and women and internalized what I felt should be directed at me. The thing about my socialization though is that I feel waaaaay too many people look at socialization through entirely a cis point of view. Imagine from a trans point of view how conflicted a little girl would be when she’s told by society that she needs to be feminine, she needs to like ‘girly’ stuff, she needs to be softspoken, etc, etc. And internalizing all that. But then having the people around you telling you that you need to be more assertive, that you can’t be feminine, that we’ll hurt you with physical violence if you are any of those ‘girly’ things. And just not getting that at all.

My socialization was a society telling me how girls and women should act but then also threatening me with violence if I did so. And this isn’t male socialization at all. This is something completely different from male socialization. This is how I was socialized as a young trans girl. I hate that we have to talk about our socialization in cis terms. I had female socialization because I’m female. But my experiences, and my continuing experiences are not the same as a cis woman’s. Much like how any marginalized (insert adjective - trans, neuroatypical, queer, fat, etc ) woman’s experiences are not the same as a skinny, hetero, cis, white woman’s experiences. And yet we hold that as some sort of standard to measure all others. What the hell. Let’s stop buying into this cis narrative that we have to measure our worth and our experiences by what they’ve been through. So yeah. I definitely had female socialization. But I also had trans socialization. And queer socialization. And a huge number of other internalized socialization all intersecting with each other and making my experiences my own. The one thing I can say I didn’t have was male socialization.

Laverne Cox Explains the Intersection of Transphobia, Racism, and Misogyny (And What to Do About It) By Laverne Cox, Everyday Feminism

Trans women of color are the most targeted victims of violence in the LGBTQIA+ community. Trans women make up 72% of anti-LGBTQIA+ homicide victims, and 89% of these victims were people of color. Statistics like that cannot be ignored. Yet why are these women so disproportionately targeted? Laverne Cox explains the unique positionality and context behind being a Black trans woman in the United States and propose a solution for this injustice. There was a moment about 10 years ago when I was walking to the subway on the Upper West Side. It was the Fourth of July, and I was wearing a red, white and blue dress. I was feeling very patriotic, and it was really tight. I passed these two men. One appeared to be Latino, and the other appeared to be black. The Latin guy says “Yo, mama, can I holla at you?” And the black guy said “Yo dude, that’s an n word.” Then, the Latin guy says “No, man, that’s a bitch.” The black guy said “No, that’s an n word.” They began to argue about whether I was the b word or the n word. What lovely options. I was just standing there at the light, waiting for it to change “Please let it change so I can cross the street”, ’cause I needed to cross the street. At one point the Latin guy turns to me and says “You ain’t an n word, are you?” That moment is indicative of a lot of the street harassment that I have had to endure. Street harassment started first because these men found me attractive, because I’m a woman. Then they realized that I was trans, and it became something else. It turned into something else. So many trans women have to experience this. Just last month in New York City, a young girl named Islan Nettles was walking down the street in Harlem with her friend and she was catcalled by a few guys. They realized that she was trans, and then they beat her to death. In 2001, a trans woman named Amanda Milan, who I knew but not very well, something similar happened to her in the Times Square area, and she was stabbed to death. Our lives are often in danger, simply for being who we are, when we are trans women. There are a lot of intersecting identities and intersecting oppressions that make that happen. That moment when I was called the b or the n word, it was a moment where misogyny was intersecting with trans-phobia, was

intersecting with some racist stuff. The racial piece is actually really important, because I’ve talked to a lot of white trans women who haven’t experienced quite the level of street harassment that I have. I’ve gotten in trouble by saying this publicly, that most of the street harassment I’ve experienced has been from other black folks. That’s not to suggest that black folks are more homophobic or trans-phobic than everybody else, ’cause I don’t believe that. But there are some homophobic and trans-phobic black folks. I think the reason for that is there a collective trauma that a lot of black folks are dealing with in this country that dates back to slavery and to the Jim Crow South. Most of us know that during slavery and during Jim Crow, black bodies, usually black male bodies were often lynched. In these lynchings, the men’s genitals were cut off. Sometimes they were pickled and sometimes they were sold. There was this sort of historic fear and fascination with black male sexuality. I believe that a lot of black folks feel that there is this historic emasculation that has been happening in white supremacy of black male bodies. I think a lot of black folks dealing with a lot of post-traumatic stress see trans, my trans women’s body, and feel that I’m the embodiment of this historic emasculation come to life. So often when I am called out of the street, it’s as if I am a disgrace to the race because I am trans. I understand that as trauma. I have love. I have so much love for my black brothers and sisters who might call me out on the street, ’cause I get it. I understand. They’re in pain. I feel so often our oppressors are in a lot of, lot of pain. I think whenever someone needs to call out someone else for who they are, and make fun of them, it’s because they don’t feel comfortable with who they are. If anyone ever has a problem with someone else, I ask you to look at yourselves first. What is it about you that you have a problem with? What is it about you that you have a problem with? I also think it’s important that when we talk about bullying, we understand that when kids LGBT/QI kids are bullied, oftentimes it is because of their gender expression. We hear the gay slurs, the anti-gay slurs, and it’s really about these kids not conforming to the sex that they were assigned at birth. Gender expression is not meeting the expectations of society, so we have to begin to create spaces where we can express our gender in ways that are true to ourselves. The gender binary model, most of us don’t fit that, and that’s OK. I think too, the violence so many trans women experience, trans women of color are disproportionately victims of violence. Our homicide rate is the highest in the LGBT community. It went from 43% in 2011 to almost 54% of all LGBTQ homicides were trans women, and mostly trans women of color. There is a link between the bullying that we inflict on our LGBTQ youth, and the violence that so many trans women experience. What are we going to do about that? I think love is the answer. Cornell West reminds us that justice is what love looks like in public. I love that, because I feel that love, if we can love trans gender people, that will be a revolutionary act.

Ways to support your partner’s gender transition By Ashley / Johnny Jonte Boucher, from the Dallas Morning News’ LGBTQ Blog

My spouse, Ashley Jonte Boucher, has been unbelievably supportive of my gender journey (ftm). She is a genderqueer trans woman. She created the following list based on a recent conversation we had regarding what it takes to keep a relationship strong through gender transition. You may notice Ashley using the gender neutral pronoun “they” to refer to the partner, a common convention in our community. 1. Do some personal myth-busting: Even though I am a trans woman, I was holding on to a lot myths about female-to-male transition. Once my partner started hormone replacement therapy, I still had the same misinformation about what testosterone does to you. Even though I take estrogen and know there are all kinds of trans myths about that, I had believed testosterone would change their personality, make their libido insane, or make them aggressive. So, even being trans myself, I still had to debunk the myths I picked up without realizing. In retrospect, I feel bad I bought into it. No, their personality is the same, the intimacy and chemistry are just as great as ever, and they are the same kind person I fell in love with at the start. My other concern was the value that I placed on my own identifier, like whether lesbian was a description of who I was with or whether it was an ideal that I lived my life by. Would I be okay giving that up? Evaluate the words you use for your sexual orientation: Initially, it felt like I was going to give up a lot of community. But was lesbian a description of who I was with, who I was, or an ideal? I thought I would no longer be asked to “the party,” like Sue’s wasn’t my bar anymore, and lesbian movies didn’t apply to me. You look for representation of yourself in media. For a second, I could see myself represented on screen in lesbian films, and after my partner’s gender expression changed there would be no more representation of my relationship. But then, for me personally, to give up “lesbian,” lesbian was something that I always felt was a de facto identifier. I used to be considered straight, when I was being raised as a male. I have always been attracted to women. It isn’t as though I gave up a lifelong identity. Lesbian was a passing part of my story. 2. Be prepared to see other people in new ways: I hadn’t been interested in men before. Through a lot of soul-searching, I see it is mostly because gender dysphoria had colored my experience with masculinity so negatively. Now, approaching men from a congruent, female space is different. At this point, my partner’s gender variance has helped me find qualities in men that I can enjoy and be attracted to without it making me feel instantly dysphoric. This is new, but I find myself attracted to about 30 percent of the male population. I’m probably more attracted to women on a large scale, but there is a certain kind of man that’s so appealing now. At the bottom of it, I needed to have the definition of man broadened for me. And that understanding only arose after I spent a lot of time thinking about it. Indulge in imagination: The few changes that I’ve seen so far, I have been enthusiastic to see. Even without knowing exactly where my partner landed on the gender spectrum, I knew that for me to keep going in this relationship, I needed to be prepared for full masculine. I love the feminine expression, but I had to get used to masculinity in my head. I imagined a beard, bottom surgery, and the whole nine yards. I transposed all of that onto the person I love. Once I realized that I would be okay with those things, I realized that anything along that spectrum would be beautiful, too. Language plays a big part in that. 3. Practice using their preferred pronoun in your own head: I talked about my partner out loud using their new pronoun. It is how I internalized my partner’s gender identity and solidified those ideas in my head. I actively practiced variations. I imagined them being even more masculinized than I could see at that point. Since my partner is non-binary, understanding their feminine expression was easy for me, but I needed practice thinking about them in a masculine space. I played out the dialog that I wanted other people to use, so that it wouldn’t sound strange when others started to use it. 4. Be prepared to support your family understanding the change: My family was broken in, having had so much experience with me being transgender, and it hasn’t been super easy for them. But they have been courteous about it, which is a lot more than most families. I can say they still have a ways to

go about mentally acclimating to this, but it takes time. Whatever words you want to use for transition, your family has likely never used those words before, even to the point of “transgender” or “transition,” so you’ll have to keep your explanations simpler and more broad. You need definitions ready for them for what all these words mean. When I told my mother that I was transgender, she said, “What does that mean? What will be different for me?” You have to be able to explain what is going to change for them. Telling them, “She is becoming a woman,” or, “He is becoming a man,” or even, “Johnny’s gender is somewhere in the middle,” is not enough. You have to tell them something like, “You should use female pronouns from now on. Call me this name.” They may not be able to guess that without help. 5. You may have to help with injections and caregiving: I have given testosterone injections to help my partner catch up on androgens. So, after years of therapy, collecting letters from medical professionals, and researching our insurance coverage for gender confirming medications, we get all the stuff home — the testosterone, needles, alcohol, band-aids. We second guessed ourselves for like 20 minutes about the proper injections site. Did we need to squeeze the skin? Was there enough muscle here? We had it all figured out in theory, but when the needle is there over the skin, it is so difficult to stick a needle in your partner’s body! So, I held their hand for that first needle — the eye contact at that moment was unforgettable. And, for the matter of the public record, we did this on the fourth anniversary of the day of my own gender confirming surgery. 6. Be a generous fashion consultant: I have given masculine clothing advice, as well as basic information about unfamiliar clothing. Oh, you know, dress shirts button on the opposite side, and line up the seam of the belt buckle with the shirt; how to tie a tie; how to wear the collars. Any of that you could look up online, though. Be generous with compliments — your partner may not be as concerned with looking male or female sometimes as much as they are with wanting to look attractive to you. Mention things you notice they’re doing well. It may be a little awkward at first while they get the hang of what works for their body type, and the body will shift around. It will let them know you are engaged with every step. 7. Give emotional support often: Let your partner know that they’re not crazy. (It can feel like it when you think no one in the world gets it.) You have to be a sanctuary of understanding. This is a journey, and while it’s a scary one, it’s also fun, important, and rewarding, albeit very difficult. Transition has a unique set of difficulties. As a trans person, I have had the advantage of understanding so many of those difficulties without a lot of explaining. I understand exactly what the sigh means when Johnny takes off bindings after a long day — I’ve been there. During transition, gender is a huge part of your life. You think about it all the time. How you fit in the world and how you relate to it is going to be the biggest thing on your mind. But those conversations need to happen and often happen out loud, while you are both solidifying your thoughts on the issue. It may be a constant topic of conversation for a while between the two of you. Don’t worry, this isn’t permanent. But, don’t think you have to be the one on the other end of this conversation all the time. It’s okay to engage friends on the topic. Don’t try to go it alone. 8. Find your people: It was very hard for me to find community when I was transitioning. I understand now that to find your people, you need to find the language. Use the Internet — Facebook groups, Tumblr, whatever. Look for words like “non-binary,” “trans*,” “trans-queer,” “trans woman,” “trans man,” “mtf” and “ftm,” to start, depending on where you fall. For me, I saw an ad for a queerlesque show that advertised looking for people of the “trans* experience.” It has been a vibrant community of gender nonconformity. Our local LGBTQ Resource Center in Dallas is great, too. We love the GEAR meet-ups. Even if you don’t see anything advertising the specific kind of group you need, there may be room for a new group. Ask people you meet what groups they know about. Sometimes if you can’t find the right group for you, you have to make one. It could be as easy as the suggestion, and people will come out. Now that we have found our people, we don’t have to answer 20 questions about gender upon meeting. It seems counterintuitive, but having a similar gender experience has let gender fade into the background as a less important thing in our lives, and close friendships build on a strong foundation of understanding and other interests emerge. Don’t give up. Your people are out there.

Ten things every ally should know about Transgender Day of Remembrance By Chris Paige from TransFaith Online

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is a very unusual "holiday." The tone and intention of the day can easily be misunderstood, especially by those who may be well-meaning, but new to transgender communities. Here are ten things every ally and TDOR planner should know about Transgender Day of Remembrance. Transgender Day of Remembrance... • is commemorated on November 20 each year. However, observances may take place on the days or weekend before and/or after November 20, depending on the day of the week on which November 20 occurs. • is the single most significant observance on the calendar for transgender communities. TDOR is generally much more significant by far for transgender communities than other LGBT observances such as Pride Month or Coming Out Day. • is more like a memorial or funeral than any other kind of observance. The tone of TDOR observances reflect the impact that murder has on the tapestry of the transgender community and the very real lives represented by the names of those who have been lost. The first response when loved ones are lost is grief and TDOR creates a space to acknowledge that grief publicly, in a way that is similar to a funeral, memorial service, or wake. • is also an act of resistance and a way to restore dignity. Too often, the murders of transgender people (especially of transgender women of color and those perceived as such) have included extreme violence, such as disfiguring and/or dismembering the victim. The rage apparent in such murders often embodies a hateful, terroristic impact that reverberates beyond the particular victim to humiliate and degrade the entire community. This is the definition of a "hate crime." TDOR services are a place to acknowledge both the individual and collective impact of such extreme and humiliating violence -- as well as to build resistance and restore dignity. • is a protest or vigil for justice. When transgender people are murdered, public outcry is often lacking. The cases all too often go unsolved. Even when the perpetrator is known, the criminal justice system may mark our lives as disposable by blaming the victim (e.g. allowing the "transpanic defense"). TDOR services are opportunities to respond collectively to the neglect and uncaring attitudes of both the culture at large as well as authorities such as police and judicial systems. TDOR services offer a place for outrage. They demand accountability from authorities who have too often failed to protect our communities. • provides a way to become aware of who is most vulnerable in our communities. In more than a decade of compiling names for TDOR, the annual lists of those who have been mudered have overwhelmingly shown that transgender women of color bear the particular brunt of antitransgender violence. TDOR is an opportunity to repent of our own racism and sexism and think again about how we might break out of singular ways of thinking. • is an opportunity to rise up out of our isolation for support. Those among us who have lost loved ones or survived assault themselves are especially traumatized by these events. Those of us who have not been directly impacted by these murders still often live in fear, suffer secondary trauma, and are in need of support as we process the too familiar narrative of lives lost. TDOR is an opportunity to come together and support one another as we face the challenges of ignorance, bigotry, and hatred aimed at people of transgender experience. It is important to recognize that the content of TDOR services may be triggering, so sensitive emotional support should be a part of what is offered to those present. • is an opportunity to recommit our lives to live with defiance, determination, and hope, despite the trauma we may have experienced and the fear that may haunt us. To say that TDOR may be inspiring is to first acknowledge the deep impact that violence has had on us and our

•

communities. At TDOR, we reconnect with a warrior spirit that draws on courage from the ancestors to carry on for the children. is not a fundraiser or an outreach opportunity. As the most significant transgender observance of the year, it may be tempting to infuse all of one's hopes and dreams for connecting with the transgender community into this one day. Yet, TDOR is laced with a potent mix of grief and anger, fear and determination that ought not be conflated with other goals, no matter how noble or relevant. The vulnerability of TDOR should be acknowledged with sensitive support, not exploited for other ends. is an opportunity to connect with others who we might not otherwise get to know. For those of us who live in relative security and privilege, it is an opportunity to reach out to those who are most impacted by transphobia (and racism, sexism, etc), nurturing authentic relationship, solidarity, and understanding. The connections made in or around TDOR services are beginnings that invite us to reinforce our connections throughout the rest of the year.

Critical Questions for Organizers of TDOR By J Mase III is a Black/Trans/Queer/Rowdy-as-Hell Poet with a capital [P], currently based in New York City

Many LGBTQ and other allied organizations have begun to recognize the importance of Transgender Day of Remembrance -- which is a wonderful thing! Yet, when entering into a leadership role around this observance, there are a few important questions to consider. What are the trends in anti-transgender violence? Over the last few years I have been to many vigils and funerals for LGBTQ folks who were murdered. Ninety-nine percent of the folks in those coffins and urns have been trans women of color under the age of 30. While anti-trans aggressors rarely understand the distinction between the L, the G, the B, and the T, some statisticians are beginning to. According to the 2011 GLSEN School Climate survey of LGBTIA students, about 80% of transgender students felt physically unsafe at school making them the most likely to encounter or perceive a hostile environment out of those surveyed. To break it down even further, the National Coalition of AntiViolence Programs found that trans women make up 53% of anti-LGBTQ murders (2012 Hate Violence Report). This means that transgender women are brutalized more than transgender men, gay men, lesbian women, and bisexual people put together. Perceived gender -- and the way we are thought to portray gender “appropriately” -- has an impact on who gets targeted the most regarding physical violence. Your actual or perceived gender identity has huge implications on the violence you may experience in the world around you. Over more than a decade, the names that are read on Transgender Day of Remembrance are overwhelmingly transgender women of color. In order to appropriately address this violence, we need to take these trends very seriously. Many transfeminine people are impacted daily by this violence differently than even their transmasculine counterparts as they move in a world that devalues womanhood. People of color are impacted by this violence differently that their non-POC counterparts as they move in a world that privileges whiteness. Differently-abled folks experience this violence uniquely as they move in a world that denies the personal agency of many based on perceived or actual physical and/or mental ability. What is my relationship with the communities most impacted by anti-transgender violence? The reality is that, even within LGBTQ community, the realities of trans people's lives are often ignored. Transgender Day of Remembrance is an opportunity for all of our communities to take an important step towards being honest about the emotional, spiritual and physical violence plaguing the trans* community.

As a trans person of color, it would be really easy for me to put myself in the center of TDOR. I could talk about the street harassment I get as a visibly gender-nonconforming person. I could talk about all the times I have been made to feel unwelcome and physically unsafe. But the reality is that even though I am constantly at risk of criminalization just for being black and male, I am still less likely to be murdered than my trans woman/transfeminine counterparts. This has everything to do with factors like access to jobs and housing, passibility, misogyny, the policing of masculinity, and more. In order to respond appropriately to these realities of anti-transgender violence, I have to be collaborating with trans women of color -- in general and especially on Transgender Day of Remembrance. I need to ensure that the people I invite to speak or share stories can represent the complexity of the experiences we bring to the table -- and really reflect the lives we are mourning. I need to be supporting the voices of colleagues that may be silenced or ignored in other arenas the rest of the year. Some good questions to ask yourself include: • How will your service be connected to the trans* community in your area? • Does it have to be you to lead this service and share these stories of loss? • Are there trans* organizations in your area that will be hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance event? • If so, is it possible that you and/or your organization could support their efforts? • If there are no Transgender Day of Remembrance services in your area, do you understand why? We need to do better for those in our community who are most at risk. Remember to keep the reverence of this day, but also think about how your efforts can build a more inclusive and dynamic resistance among the living. We must work to put out the fire, rather than merely watching the smoke rise. I cannot wait for the amazing work, collaboration and healing I know that I will witness on Transgender Day of Remembrance -- and in the year that follows. Thank you for doing your part.

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EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION AND TRANSGENDER PEOPLE Updated July 2014

Federal courts and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces federal job discrimination laws, have concluded that discrimination because a person is transgender or gender non-conforming constitutes illegal sex discrimination. Many states and localities also expressly prohibit job discrimination based on gender identity and/or expression. This resource outlines the rights and procedures transgender employees have to address discrimination. While NCTE does not provide legal services, we encourage any employee who cannot resolve workplace issues through their employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal human resources procedures to seek legal counsel. We also encourage workers to share their experiences with NCTE to aid our advocacy efforts on behalf of all transgender employees. WHAT LAWS PROTECT YOU?

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

State and local laws in many jurisdictions

State or local government employees are protected by state constitutions and laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in employment.

â&#x20AC;? for Executive Order 13762 WHAT ARE YOUR EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS?

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WHAT ARE YOUR EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS? (CONTINUED)

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION? Try to resolve it within your company

Weigh your options

File a charge of sex discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

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WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION? (CONTINUED)

File a lawsuit

File a complaint with a state or local civil or human rights agency

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GET HELP

SHARE YOUR STORY

Additional Resources U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidance on Sex-Discrimination: How to File a Charge with the EEOC: EEOC Assessment System: Links to State and Local Human Rights Agencies: Links to LGBT Legal Organizations: Links to Legal Services Organizations: National Employment Lawyers Association: NCTE Resources on Federal Government Employment and Other Issues:

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Resource Roundup Books: • Bornstein, Kate. Gender Outlaw, Routledge, 1995. • Boylan, Jennifer F. She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders. Broadway, 2004. • Califia, Patrick. Sex Changes: Transgender Politics, Cleis Press; 2nd edition, 2003 • Feinberg, Leslie. Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman, Beacon Press, 1997. • Mackenzie, Gordene. Transgender Nation, Bowling Green University Press, 1994 • Nestle, Joan, Clare Howell, & Riki Wilchins (editors). GenderQueer, Alyson Publications, 2002. • O’Keefe, T & K. Fox (Editors). Finding the Real Me: True Tales of Sex and Gender Diversity, Jossey-Bass, 2003 • Preves, Sharon E. Intersex & Identity: The Contested Self. Rutgers University Press, 2003. • Rankin, Sue & Genny Beemyn. The Lives of Transgender People. Columbia University Press, 2011 • Serano, Julia. Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, 2007 • Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender noncomforming People. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, 7th version. www.wpath.org. • Sycamore, Mattilda Bernstein. Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity. Seal, 2005 • Sycamore, Mattilda Bernstein. That’s Revolting: Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation. Seal, 2007 OHIO Trans* Organizations and Efforts • Asterisk: Athens Area Trans* Advocates - This newly-formed group advocates for trans* and gender variant people and concerns. They also work to educate the campus about trans* and gender non-confirming individuals. The name Asterisk comes from the asterisk in trans* which is added to signify the wide variety of identities contained under the transgender umbrella. • Gender Neutral Housing Project: OHIO is one of 55 schools nationwide that offer gender neutral housing. Gender neutral housing (GNH) communities focus on creating an inclusive environment where students can live in the same room with any student - regardless of sex, gender, gender identity/expression, or sexual orientation. This is one of the specialized living communities where participation is voluntary. Gender neutral housing is now a permanent housing option at OHIO, and is available to all residential students. To learn more: http://www.ohio.edu/housing/resed/gnh_faq.cfm • SPECTRUM: A support group for Gender Variant-Transgender-Gender Queer students & community members. Offered by OHIO's Counseling & Psychological Services. • Policies: o Transgender Healthcare – Student Senate passed in June 2013 that services related to transitioning would be covered under the student healthcare plan (this coverage is NOT included for university employees). o University is beginning conversation on adopting a “Preferred Name and Pronoun Policy.” o OUPD changed police badges 2014 to gender neutral wording.

Hotlines: Trevor Lifeline ~ 866-488-7386 Trans Lifeline ~ 877-565-8860 105

Local Trans* Affirming Organizations • • • • • •

PFLAG Athens Area (Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays) Appalachian Peace and Justice Network United Campus Ministry Hillel Trans Conversation Circle Athens Book Supply

Ohio LGBT Organizations Equality Ohio: “Equality Ohio advocates and educates to achieve fair treatment and equal opportunity for all Ohioans regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.” For more information visit: http://www.equalityohio.org TransOhio: TransOhio serves the Ohio transgender and ally communities by providing services, education, support and advocacy which promotes and improves the health, safety and life experience of the Ohio transgender individual and community. For more information visit: http://www.transohio.org Heartland Trans* Wellness Group: “The Cincinnati, Ohio based project dedicated to creating accessible, affirming community resources for Midwestern trans*, queer, and LGBTQPIA people. The Trans* Wellness Group provides accessible, inclusive, and affirming resources to community members and service providers through comprehensive educational programming, community building, creative cultural growth, and socially just activism.” For more information visit: http://transqueerwellness.org Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO): BRAVO works to eliminate violence perpetrated on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identification, domestic violence, and sexual assault through prevention, education, advocacy, violence documentation, and survivor services, both within and on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. For more information visit: http://www.bravo-ohio.org Kaleidoscope Youth Center: “Kaleidoscope Youth Center is the only organization in Ohio solely dedicated to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and their allies. The mission of Kaleidoscope Youth Center is to work in partnership with young people in Central Ohio to create safe and empowering environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth through advocacy, education and support.” For more information visit: http://www.kycohio.org

National Resource Roundup The listing below is far from being an exhaustive list, however, it provides a good starting point for individuals interested in the dynamics of gender, identity, expression, and sexuality. Gender Identity • Anti-Violence Project • Center for Gender Sanity • FORGE • Gender Spectrum • International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) • National Center for Transgender Equality • Sylvia Rivera Law Project

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Transgender Law Center Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund Transgender Oral History Project Trans Student Educational Resources TransWhat: A Guide Towards Allyship YES Institute

Sexual Orientation • All Things Bi • American Institute of Bisexuality • Asexual Awareness Week • Asexual Visibility and Education Network • BiNet USA • Bisexual Organizing Project • Bisexual Resource Center • Sexuality Education Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) • The Kinsey Institute Intersex • Organization Intersex International in the United States of America (OII-USA : Intersex in America) • The Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) Healthcare • CDC ~ LGBT Health • Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (University of California, San Francisco) • GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality (formerly Gay and Lesbian Medical Association) • National Coalition for LGBT Health • National LGBT Health Education Center (Fenway Institute) • Project HEALTH / TransLine • World Professional Association for Transgender Health Youth and Campus Focused • Advocates for Youth / Amplify your Voice • The Ali Forney Center • Ambiente Joven • Break the Cycle • Campus Pride • Coalition for Positive Sexuality • COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) • Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals • Courage Campaign • Draw Your Line • FIERCE

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Race and Ethnicity / International • Asian Pacific Gays and Friends • Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice • Audre Lorde Project • Blacklight • Brown Boi Project • Causes in Common • Council for Global Equality • Gay Asian Pacific Support Network • Global Respect In Education Campaign

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Gay Teen Resources GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network) It Gets Better Make It Better Oasis Magazine Operation Shine America TransKids TransYouth Family Allies Trevor Project TrueColors Youth Guard

Immigration Equality International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission International Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association International LGBT Association

• • • •

International LGBTQ Youth and Student Organization National Black Justice Coalition National Council of La Raza National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance

Activism • ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) • Center for American Progress • GetEQUAL • GLAAD • GLAD: LGBT Legal Advocates • Human Rights Campaign • Lambda Legal • National Center for Lesbian Rights • National GLBT Help Center

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Northeast TwoSpirit Society Queer Women of Color Media Wire Unid@s: The National Latin@ LGBT Human Rights Organization

•

National Immigrant Justice Center's National Asylum Partnership on Sexual Minorities (NAPSM) National LGBTQ Taskforce Out and Equal Queer Rising Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP) Southerners On New Ground Truth Wins Out

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Family Focused • Families Like Mine • Family Acceptance Project • Family Diversity Project • Family Equality Council • PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) • SAGE (Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders) Faith/Religious • Affirmations (Mormon) • Believe Out Loud (Christian) • Call To Action (Catholic) • Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry • Coalition of LGBT Concerns (UCC) • Dignity USA (Catholic) • Emergence International (Christian Science) • Equally Blessed (Catholic) • Fellowship of the Spiral Path • Fortunate Families (Catholic) • Gay and Lesbian Vaishnava Association (Vaishnava and Hindu) • Institute of Welcoming Resources (Christian) • Integrity (Episcopalian) • Interfaith Alliance • Jewish Community Federation – LGBT Coalition • Jewish Mosaic – National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity

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Kinship International (Seventh Day Adventist) LGBT Humanist Council More Light Presbyterians Muslims for Progressive Values Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality New Ways Ministry (Catholic) Other Sheep: Multicultural Ministries with Sexual Minorities Queer Muslim Working Group Reconciling Ministries Network (United Methodist) Reconciling Works (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) Religious Institute Ritual Well (Jewish) Soulforce Standing on the Side of Love The Evangelical Network The Muslim Alliance for Sexual and Gender Diversity TransFaith Online