Today's blog post focuses on one
topic within the larger subject of gender. Gender is defined as the social
and cultural characteristics associated with one's sex, which is
characterized by the biological traits (e.g. breasts or penis) an
individual possesses. Gender is a social construct that is associated
with specific perceptions of self (i.e. how someone and others define the
individual) as well as roles, or sets of behaviors that are prescribed to
specific genders by the culture one lives in. Within American and Western
cultures, the norm is that there are two genders: male and female, but there
exists several different genders around the world and even in the United
States. Transgender is the umbrella term that covers several
non-conventional genders, including heteronormative male/female binary and
others that go beyond it, around the world and has been in the public eye in
recent months due to the media attention on transgendered individuals (e.g. Avery Edison's Story, Challenges of Transgendered Soldiers, Maine Supreme Court Ruling, and Italian Transgender Politician Arrested in Sochi). Today's blog post is meant to introduce readers to
what it means to be transgendered within Western contexts, the challenges faced
by transgendered individuals, and how to assist transgendered individuals both
directly and indirectly.
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| Source Unknown |
Because gender is a socially and
culturally constructed concept, the term transgender has and is continually
being redefined in order to meet the needs and expectations who identify as
transgendered and society as a whole. In its current incarnation,
transgender (or simply trans*) is defined as anyone who does not identify with
the gender identity and gender roles associated with one's sex. This is a
rather simplistic yet complicated definition, however, as not all individuals
who fit this definition will actually be considered transgendered by others or
oneself. For example, the popular Western term "tom-boy" refers
to females who take on masculine characteristics, such as girls and women who
play "like boys", but many of these individuals may still identify as
girls/women (as both sex & gender) and therefore would not fit into the
transgendered category. On the other hand, there may be an individual who
dresses and takes on the roles & behaviors of the gender opposite of
his/her sex and would be considered to be transgendered by many, but the
individual does not identify as transgendered but may instead identify as
either the male or female gender.
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| UC Davis LGBT Resource Center |
Many transgendered individuals
experience all sorts of discrimination from subtle to overt, as well as
individual to institutional. I have unfortunately seen this
discrimination first hand when I was in graduate school. I lived in an
apartment building and one of my neighbors appeared to be a transgendered
individual (I say appeared because the topic never came up and I felt it was
impolite to ask, particularly when this person's gender did not matter to
me). This neighbor was extremely polite and friendly, paid the rent on
time, never disturbed others, and was someone I enjoyed speaking with in the
hall or elevator. Several of my other neighbors, however, took offense to
this neighbor's ambiguous gender category. "Is that a he or is that
a she?" they would ask me, and I would reply with, "Why does it
matter?" Unfortunately, that answer was not sufficient to several
people, who avoided this neighbor as a result. Unfortunately, many
transgendered individuals experience situations such as these on a daily
basis. In addition to this individual discrimination, institutional
discrimination is also common. Transgendered individuals are
discriminated against in regards to employment, medical attention, housing,
education, and judicial systems. Institutional discrimination has largely
been criminalized in matters of race or age, but criminalization of
institutional discrimination in regards to gender identity, particularly
transgendered identity, has not been established. This allows individuals
and institutions to continue to discriminate against transgendered individuals
without consequence.
These injustices, however, do
not have to continue as there are several things that you, as an individual,
can do to assist transgendered individuals. The first and simplest thing
is to educate yourself about what it is to be transgendered and the issues
facing transgendered individuals. As well, if you meet someone you think
is transgendered, refer to them in the ways they want to be identified
as. For example, my neighbor identified as a woman, so when spoke about
my neighbor I said "she" or "her" or called her by her name
(withheld upon request). If you are unsure, politely ask, keeping in mind
social norms of the society and culture you are in. Also, never assume
anything about a transgendered individual, which is good advice for meeting
anyone new. The old adage, "You know what it means to assume,
right? It makes an 'ass' of 'u' and 'me'," very much applies here
because assumptions can and often do lead to inappropriate and false
conclusions, and you manage not only to harm others but yourself, as
well. You could be missing out on meeting someone great, such as the case
with my neighbors.
As necessary, feel! It
is okay to feel uncomfortable. Those feelings are natural and they are
okay. Explore your feelings, your thoughts, your prejudices, and
your ignorance. Figure out where those thoughts are coming from and what
you are most comfortable with. It serves everyone's best interests if you
can be tolerant of everyone's views instead of fighting everyone who disagrees
with you in the slightest. Ultimately, you have to come to terms with how
you feel, and hopefully those terms lead to a peaceful coexistence for yourself
and those around you-regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, race,
ethnicity, etc.
If you feel the need, become
an advocate. Take what you have learned and fight in the best interests
of transgendered individuals. Keep in mind what it is that the
transgendered individual(s) and/or community want and need and focus your efforts
accordingly. There are several organizations you can get involved with if
you are so inclined, including The Center
and GLAAD.
If a more local, grassroots organization is your style, ask around your
community to find out what resources are available and which are interested in
volunteers or advocates. These places are also great locals to learn more
about transgendered issues and educate yourself about transgender identity in
general.
Bibliography:
Gezon, Lisa and Kottak,
Conrad. 2011. Culture. Mc-Graw Hill.
https://www.apa.org/topics/sexuality/transgender.aspx
http://www.wikihow.com/Respect-a-Transgender-Person
http://www.gaycenter.org/gip/transbasics/whatistrans
45 comments:
Nice explanation, Dr. Boston! I think if more people simply understood these facts, much fear and hatred related to gender-identity and sexuality might disappear -- at least I hope it would.
Well said. The hardest part I find is getting people to accept that there is no black or white rule in the past or throughout history. I think it scares people because if gender can be ambiguous than what else could be?
If they don't fit the mold, perhaps the mold is unnecessary.
Speaking of the trans-gender topic, after taking Anth 101 with you and meeting your friend it shed a whole new light on my outlook. My particular friend was notified that one of the boys she had previously been in a relationship with a couple years back had decided that he wanted to be referred to as a women, and start dressing, and taking on the role of a female. She was completely in shock and was almost offended because she believed that it was an insult to her because of her ex boyfriend now referred to as 'Olivia' actions were an insult to there previous intimate relationship. I wanted her to figure it out on her own for her personally I will not share how she handled it but she to accepted it and learned a lot of new things from the situation. I think its truly amazing that we as humans have the choices to be whoever we want to male or female, that what we are born with does not define us as an individual, I can't wait for the day that people respect everyone's choices.
I have met many transgender people. I am indifferent about it, but treating them with just as much respect as anyone else in the world is very important. Interesting blog!
-Cajen
I took great interest on this blog because although it is speaking about transgendered individuals, I feel that it goes much further than that. We are surrounded by discrimination, and it is time to face the facts, people need to be treated with respect, no matter their beliefs or how they choose to identify themselves. Lets treat individuals with the same respect that they show us. Great blog Dr. Boston!!
Thank you, Cristian? I am assuming it is you as there has been a rash of your comments on the blog, which is a good and appreciated thing. Anthropology is all about promoting cultural relativism, or an appreciation of cultures for their uniqueness, and I strive to show that in my posts as applicable.
Everyone deserves to be treated with respect no matter what!
Cheers to that!
I will never understand why people feel the need to apply a label to another individual just so that they can feel comfortable even at the possible expense of the person the are labeling. If I meet someone and I'm unsure as to how they would like to be identified, I introduce myself and ask their name. It's a nice place to start, and really, that's all I need to know.
Your comment reminds me of a meme that recently went on facebook. It said: If you're out in public and you can't figure out a stranger's gender, follow these steps: 1) Don't worry about it. Source: The Trans*Cending Gender Project (www.transcendinggender.org)
That's perfect. How somebody identifies them self is not going to affect me in any way, so I'm not concerned with it. It would be important if I were entering into a relationship with that person, but other than that, it's none of my business.
It is a terrible the things in which a transgendered person has to endure. I can understand not wanting something like that for ones self but, to each their own. Dr. Boston made a a brilliant observation that not only do we need to tolerate them but, we must accept them for who they are as well. Who cares why they decide to take on the role of a man if their sex is female or if a man wants to claim the female gender. It is not hurting anyone. It may not make sense to those stick with your born gender however, look at it from their perspective, transgendered most likely think that people who stay within their own sex are a little bit weird. Different isn't bad, it can open up our minds to new ways and styles of living.
Thank you, James, for that brilliant explanation, but do keep in mind the differences between sex and gender: sex is biological and gender is cultural. You'll need to keep that in mind for your upcoming assignment. :)
Yes, people need to know all the facts first. If a person wants to be a man, but they are a women, let it be. Maybe there is medical reason for this. But also, it could be a trigger in their mind that is setting them for the other gender. All people are different and have different thoughts of who and what they want to be or are to be. A person's life is not set in stone, and is not written for them the moment that they are born. Also, like James stated "Different isn't bad...". No it is not. Sometimes different is better, and it most times will open up the tight minds of those who see evil in different genders.
I understand what you're saying, Amanda, and the intent behind it, but I cringe at the notion of first stating that there is a medical reason behind such a decision. We, as Americans, have a very poor history of saying that things that are "morally wrong" or not typical in society must be due to a medical cause. At one point in our American history, women who had premarital sex were considered psychologically unfit and could be treated as such. We've come a ways from that notion, but I do suggest exercising caution when using that excuse. Many trans individuals do not see anything medically wrong with them, other than having the wrong genitalia.
I see where you are coming from. I did not see that when I wrote this, but I do see that now. Knowing some of the people that I do, I should have known that writing that was not a good assumption. No, there is not something medically wrong with a person that is wanting to be the other. They just choose it. And that is the choice they have to make, and no one else should be able to force them or deny them that choice.
Thank you for this great insight! I especially love the fact that you included the cartoon that breaks down gender roles and how they can mix, mingle and overlap. I feel the last two frames of the cartoon really hit the nail on the head in terms of how we should all be viewing other human beings.
Having grown up in the Midwest in the 80’s and 90’s, LGBT was a group/classification that didn’t really affect myself and my peers, but there were always gender-based slurs circling around that I am almost ashamed to admit that have slipped my lips from time to time. After having moved West to San Francisco, and having been made fun of my first night in SF for NOT being gay, the world really helped put things into perspective for me, almost in the blink of an eye.
Since then I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with groups that focus on women, LGBT and other not-for-profits that have helped me form a broader world view that sees each and every human being, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identification, as just that: a human being. In fact, the majority of people I’ve met that identify within the LGBT classification have been extraordinary individuals that have a lot of love and light to share with the world.
As an added note, my wife and I will be exhibiting her custom floral halo / floral crown designs at the Kitty Katrina booth during the Reno Pride event on August 16th at Wingfield park, for which I’d like to encourage anyone reading this to come stop by and say hello.
Thanks again for the great post and I do hope that as we move forward in time this information will be common knowledge for future generations, negating the need for deeper explanation.
I'm really glad you had this blog post, since education is one of the first steps to acceptance! I was amazed by how little people really knew the difference between sex and gender in an English class I had last year, and that I was the only one who knew what the word cisgender ( someone who identifies as their biological sex) meant. Although we have come a long way with representation and education (Congrats to Laverne Cox for all her awesomeness!), I still hear the slurs "tranny," "transvestite," "he-she," and "it" used when referring to trans*people. I hope that in the future, we can continue the trend towards acceptance for all gender identities.
I am hopeful that with education that people will be less prejudicial and use less hate language. But it is an up hill battle, unfortunately.
I think thats great advice foe everyone to "explore your thoughts, feelings, prejudices and ignorances" and "to become more tolerant" if we all do that the world will become a much better place.
people still to this day have a very affect on this topic. Back then it wasn't as know as it is today. More people are starting to recognize it but are not all for it. Maybe people are not comfortable about this because it is something you haven't seen.
briana banuelos
anthro 102 1001
If I am not mistaken, up until sometime in the last few years identifying oneself as transgender was considered a mental illness, according to the DSM, which is ridiculous. The influence of ethnocentrism was prevalent even in the field of psychology. The stigma is something that is not easy to avoid, even in modern times. I think people express prejudices about things that they don't understand and are uncomfortable with. I also agree that education goes a long way towards acceptance. It really makes no difference how a person identifies; what does matter is who the person is as illustrated in Dr. Boston's graphic above. With all the publicity that Bruce Jenner is getting right now, one would hope that the public would come to understand that figuring out who you are as a person is a journey. Part of that journey may be to change your outward appearance and/or biological sex to reflect how you feel on the inside. What most people want is for others to accept them for who they are, no matter what.
Courteney Hedicke, Anth 101
Very well said, Courteney.
As a social work major, I just did a research paper on the oppression of LGBT youth. I learned how this population gets bullied, harassed and even assaulted sometimes at school. They sometimes get involved with the juvenile justice system where they continue to get discriminated against. Family acceptance was found to be a key factor in the mental health of individuals. Without family support, many youth got kicked out of their homes or ran away. They continue to face oppression once they are homeless. This population has a tremendously high suicide rate. I an and will to be an advocate for this population. With all of the Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner stories in the media recently, I think this has brought more attention to this population. I hope it creates an awareness and people start to become more open and talk about their feelings, even if it may be uncomfortable. -Sheri Whinery, Anth 101
This is such a complicated issue. Equally harmful could be a society who labels a little girl who like "boy's" clothes as wanting to be a boy. There are more women who don't like to wear makeup and high heals than men who want to dress in "women's" clothes. I would guess there are men who feel they are female who have no interest in makeup, heals, dresses just as many women don't. Will they be discriminated against for not really being transgendered? It's a rabbit hole and maybe all the labels need to go...hopefully...humans doing all the things humans do.
Paige Stevenson
Anthro 101
As a retired cop, we tend to look at the Adam's Apple and other facial features to determine the sex. If you end up in jail, sex is determined by whether you "have a hole or a pole" and not by what you are wearing or want to be.
I have has plenty interactions with transgender individuals and most of those interaction have been normal and pleasant. A big part of why I am so accepting of transgender people is because of our generation and how much we progressed as a society. I feel that people are opening up to uncomfortable topics and the millennial generation is a very open and accepting generation.
I have many trans friends, and watching the discrimination they have to go through it painful. If only people would take the time to education themselves, instead of labeling things as they see fit. Only one of my trans friends is very open about his struggle with body dysmorphia. The transphobia isn't needed to worsen the life of living in a body not meant for them.
If you feel very uncomfortable around transgender individuals, that is not the individuals fault. It is your fault. They did nothing to make you feel that way, you just do not accept people for who they are. Open your mind to every human and third gender.
Our country, I hope, is moving towards the more acceptable role, at least in most places. Sadly, mostly in the Southern states that I can tell, are more resistance the acceptableness of the transgender community. Our children, on the other hand, attend the Northern Nevaad Gay Pride events each year, which I believe is extremely important to them because they grow up, knowing that it is ok to be different. They are allowed to play with dolls where there are two husbands, or two wives. They are completely comfortable with couples who are the same sex and have never asked questions, something that I hope we can teach our other youth in this country.
Thank you for this post. There is so much going on in our country right now to discriminate against the Trans community and I find it frightening. The most hated group in America is a Trans black woman. They experience so much violence just because of who they are and it is horrible.
My son has had a slow emergence and we have, as a family, had to deal with quite a bit of ignorance from others and having to explain over and over grows tiresome. My own parents have passed away, which might be the best for our son as I fear they would have never come to terms with their grand"daughter" "becoming" their grandson in his late teens.
This group of people is no different from any other minority, they are as different as the rest of us and deserve the same rights, respect and dignity to live their lives in peace without discrimination or violence.
My son told us he always felt like a boy, but it was never really an issue because of the way he was raised. I think that was the best thing one of my kids ever said to us on our parenting! :-) He had to figure out himself for himself and he is busy doing that.
Thank you for this post. The world needs more education and you are a one woman army fighting to make sure folks are informed!
This conversation really brings me to what I think we should be doing regardless of someone's race, dress, or beliefs. I think that as humans we need to treat everyone with respect. I am only responsible for my own decisions and actions and I am not responsible for anyone else. that statement includes trying to make anyone else conform to how I think they should be. Acceptance, for everyone, however they choose to be. the world would be a better place if more folks adopted it.
Gender is a tough concept with a lot of controversy right now. Facebook actually has over 50 gender options. Most just repeat others (e.i. "Transmale" and "FTM") but there are legitimate alternate options. There is also the issue of public restrooms, though I have no clue how you can tell what sex someone has unless you see it for yourself. Agender individuals, in my opinion, probably find choosing which public bathroom to use difficult, though.
This is a big topic that's been spread through multiple cultures around the world. I believe that you came on this earth one way you should stick to being the way that God created you. However, that depends on religious beliefs though. I agree with some of the previous comments. If the person does a sex change there the ones doing the surgeries and paying for it not yourself so you should keep your private comments to yourself and not start a rucus.
This a topic that most people have a problem talking about but it's something that has to be addressed. We have to accept the fact that some people are different and treat them with the same respect that we'd want if we were in their situation. No one deserves to feel like an outsider. We must learn to keep an open mind and respect the choices that people choose pertaining to their lives.
Well said, Prenesha. Thank you for your clear and succinct comment. :)
This blog is very relevant to todays society with our President Trump. He Is basically banning transgender from enlisting into the military. Courtney fitch
I feel like the world would be drama free if people would mind their business and respect other people decisions. If they are gay let them, if they want to have a gender less baby let them. I feel like when Obama was president he excepted the fact people wanted to love and marry the same sex. To that group of people being able to be gay or be transgender is a relief to them because the president excepted them for who they are. Our new president judges everybody truth be told I don't think he's happy with himself.
-Timyra Edwards
1. Reading on behalf of transgender I learned transgender get discriminated more which similar to homosexual.
2. Reading transgender I learned individual discrimination is acting off what you believe due to race,age,and religion. Example of individual discrimination a professor not letting woman in there class.
3. Reading on behalf of transgender i also learned institutional discrimination is a organization discriminating which is like Brown V. The board of education
The amount of discrimination that is aimed towards transgender people is pitiful. Everyone wants to be comfortable in their own skin, my mom always told me if you don't like something about yourself then change it. Being transgender is their way of doing exactly that and I don't see the big issue in it in fact I admire them for being so strong to do so.
-apreshana page
I was going to work at a summer camp in Colorado, before I chose to leave because it was not in my best interest I had the pleasure of meeting two different individuals who are both transgender. I really enjoyed listening to their stories and getting to know them before and after hearing the truth. One individual had completed their transition and was able to express how great it made them feel to finally be who they were, the other individual was able to express the transition and the challenges they were facing. The lifestyle they endure and go through to be who they really want to be is mind blowing but I commend those who fight through and keep a smile on their face. Very inspirational.
I really can't see how people won't let others to be happy. If being trans if out of the norm for them then go the other way and mind your own. They want to be happy just as everyone else. this article was interesting
- lavonza Marshall
keith mcconell by me having a transgender cousin I see the discrimination against him everyday when we are in public people making fun of him just way he dress and walks also speaks and watching the hate and pain he go through everyday is horrible
So as a girl or a women if you are a "tom boys" is not consider transgender? I feel like if you don't have a ugly heart then we can be cool in my eyes. No matter what you do.
-Jaden Clark
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