Mr. Smith.
Your enquiries are laudable if their purpose is as you seem to believe and say. But this sentence:
QuoteUnfortunately, transgender research is dominated by two camps, the pathologists who make unfounded generalizations based on case studies of their own patients, and the social service providers who make unfounded generalizations based on service recipients
,
tends to indicate that you have disturbing preconceptions. Mainly concerning sexual motivations.
If I may, I will attempt to illustrate the point.
There is a norm in human relationships, namely that which pertains to the majority, generally. It tends to go under the term, heterosexuality. Men and women, seek out relationships with the opposite sex, quite spontaneously. Their motivations include a number of emotional needs, which include sex but also social. Otherwise, any contact between men and women would be sex then they go their separate ways.
Indeed, in any cross gender relationship, any 'normal' relationship, the sexual motive becomes increasingly less significant. What tends to become more and more significant is the mutual emotional validations they give to each other. The reinforcing of self-esteem. The complimenting of minds and ideas.
In almost every 'normal' relationship, sexual contact becomes less and less important, less frequent. The joke, that people get married to stop having sex, while a little rye, contains a grain of truth.
Now some people, find they prefer relationships with partners of the same sex. The relationships, in the long term are almost identical, complimenting of minds and ideas, reinforcing self-esteem. The emphasis upon sex is from outside observers, usually along with often preposterous and invariably impertinent notions of what sort of sexual contact they might have.
The insecurities, the continual affirmation of sexual identity that is associated with homosexual couples, often inaccurately, are created by the insecurity the couple will generally feel, living such an unconventional relationship, within a community of couples in 'normal' relationships. The anticipation of having to deal with hostility from some who may take it upon themselves to attack what is seen as abnormal, is threatening. It's like living in a house which you continually suspect, is going to fall down. Even though it never does.
That insecurity is normal, of course. It will take a big leap in social evolution before any resolution.
People who seek to change their gender do so because they feel uncomfortable in relationships and in their relationship with society, from the perspective of their given gender. (I appreciate that some transgender people make passionate claims about how they had no choice. While not wishing to undermine these noble sentiments, given the historical evidence of the perpetuating examples of transgender people, such passions are self deceiving). But the presumption that their motivations are sexual are to dismiss the entire venture into a sexual fetish, done for gratification of a sexual desire. That is clearly and self evidently, untrue. The motivation people people who actively seek to alter the perception society has of their gender and so the position they will assume in society, is based upon a similar and complex attempt to integrate into greater society in a manner more compatible with their feelings and conscience.
Do you understand?
The list of questions you seek to pose are based upon the assumption, however unconscionably, that transgender is a fetish. It isn't. It's an attempt to adapt the physical presentation to fit in with the social aspirations.
There will be many examples of transgender people people who are, ultimately unsuccessful in achieving their social objectives. But the problem for these people are the same as for any individual who seeks to alter their life prospects with an affirmative act, that their expect ions were unrealistic.
I have a niece who returned to university and eventually gained a masters degree. After some time, she eventually decided to return to the office work she was doing before.
I appreciate that many transgender people don't seem to have that choice. If you think about it, no-one does. The man who comes out as gay, will always be known as the guy who use to be a bit, you know?. The woman who gets a tattoo.
If the social service issues need to be examined, it is how those expressing transgender notions need to be supported, if at all. Both while proceeding toward that goal and how they will deal with it, once the physical goal has been achieved.
For professionals to claim they have post-op transgender patients who deeply regret their decision is evidence of their failure. Large, I suggest, based upon their assumptions that the physical transformation could be the ultimate goal.
So, the first question I suggest, should be, what, if any, interventions should be made for people expressing transgender notions? How should these be designed? To what extend should those health professionals see it as their responsibility to intervene and potentially prevent someone from transition?
Any sexual motivations seem to be, frankly, gratuitous.
