Are We Really Out of the DSM?
December 10, 2012 by Matt Kailey
http://tranifesto.com/2012/12/10/are-we-really-out-of-the-dsm/As last week went on, the headlines got curiouser and curiouser, but the general theme seemed to be "transgender is no longer in the DSM" and "being transgender is no longer a disorder" – and this was cause for a lot of celebration on Facebook and elsewhere.
But while there are some minor changes in the DSM-5 that might be cause to crack a small champagne bottle, the reality is that "transgender" never was in the DSM. Gender Identity Disorder, the official mental health diagnosis that leads some people to identify themselves as transgender or transsexual, or that leads some therapists or physicians to do so, was in the DSM (and still is, until the new version comes out next year).
And while GID is being taken out of this new edition, Gender Dysphoria is replacing it, with only some minor adjustments in diagnostic criteria. This could be considered a slight improvement, but most people diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria will likely continue to self-identify as transgender or transsexual, or will be identified as such by mental health professionals. GD appears to be basically the same diagnosis as GID – just with a new coat of paint.
