SRS in definitions of "transsexual"

[Asche]

I'm in the process of coming out at work, and I've been given various materials, some of which contain definitions of gender- and transgender-related terms.  Two of them define "transsexual", and both include surgery as part of the definition.

straightforequality.org's definition:

Transsexual: A term used to describe those who have undergone some form of gender-related surgery. Some people who identify as transsexual do not identify as transgender and vice versa.

A certain company's (not mine) gender transition document has:

TRANSSEXUAL is a medical term meaning a person who has undergone Gender Reassignment Surgery, or is in the process of changing their sexual characteristics for the purpose of living legally as a sex other than that assigned at birth.

Wikipedia says "... usually seeking medical assistance ..."

Is this in fact what people in the field usually use?  Would they say that someone who transitions and lives full-time as their (binary) non-birth gender but does not do surgery (or doesn't do HRT or surgery) can't legitimately call themselves transsexual?

I can't help remembering that in Julia Serano's Whipping Girl, she refered to herself and people like her as "transsexuals" but also said that she had not had SRS.

Personally, this bothers me because it means that if I use the term that I think clearly describes me (I am transitioning to live full-time as a woman), I will be telling people that I have had or will have surgery, which I don't think is anybody's business.

My company has indicated they will bring someone in to do training prior to my starting work as a woman, and I want to know if I'm reasonable in asking them to not use this definition.  (More specifically: to leave out the "medical" and "surgery" parts.)

[Michelle_P]

Since this term, "transsexual" is normally used by me in a medical context, I simply use the medical definition.  That way various professionals and I are all speaking words with a common set of definitions.

Note that this web side has its own set of definitions, recommended for use in discussions here.

The APA description is reasonably easy to understand and matches what medical professionals generally interpret the word to mean. 

The term transsexual refers to people whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex. Often, transsexual people alter or wish to alter their bodies through hormones, surgery, and other means to make their bodies as congruent as possible with their gender identities. This process of transition through medical intervention is often referred to as sex or gender reassignment, but more recently is also referred to as gender affirmation. People who were assigned female, but identify and live as male and alter or wish to alter their bodies through medical intervention to more closely resemble their gender identity are known as transsexual men or transmen (also known as female-to-male or FTM). Conversely, people who were assigned male, but identify and live as female and alter or wish to alter their bodies through medical intervention to more closely resemble their gender identity are known as transsexual women or transwomen (also known as male-to-female or MTF). Some individuals who transition from one gender to another prefer to be referred to as a man or a woman, rather than as transgender.

I am a transsexual woman, or a transwoman. I am currently receiving medical intervention in the form of hormone replacement therapy, and am working on getting into the surgical queue.

Yes, I realize that other members here will disagree with this.  Not my problem.  I need a common language to speak with my medical providers, and really can't go through a 'redefinition of terms' at the start of every professional contact.

[Asche]

The definition you quoted is ambiguous as to whether someone "whose gender identity is different from their assigned sex" but does not wish to use medical interventions to live as the gender they identify with is a transsexual.

The first sentence implies that they are.

Later sentences such as "People who were assigned female, but identify and live as male and alter or wish to alter their bodies through medical intervention to more closely resemble their gender identity are known as transsexual men" imply that people who don't want medical interventions are not.

[AnxietyDisord3r]

I think as the term is commonly used, transsexual refers to those who seek medical interventions or at least those who could benefit from them because not everyone who wants such treatment can realistically access it. Transgender is an umbrella term which can easily encompass a social transition without medical treatment. The term trans could be short for transgender or transsexual and seems to be used broadly for those who suffer dysphoria of some kind. I think any document that specifically refers to genital or reproductive surgeries as the definitive aspect of transsexuality is hopelessly out of date. There are many people who call themselves trans and are accepted as such who are in the process of or who have completed a social transition but have never had any surgery and have only taken hormones.

For many trans people hormones are the most effective medical intervention (to relieve dysphoria) that they will ever obtain (this doesn't describe everyone but it does describe many). The focus on genital surgery reveals the biases, preconceptions, and insecurities of cis people.

[Devlyn]

We can assume that transsexuals have been around since the beginning of our species. Surgery has been around for about a hundred years. Safe to say that surgery is not a requirement to being transsexual.

Hugs, Devlyn

[AnxietyDisord3r]

I beg to differ, Devlyn--crude surgery in the form of castration has been around for thousands of years (that we know of).

[Devlyn]

I meant the kind that usually leaves the patient alive! 

[Sophia Sage]

The nice thing about the word "trans" is that it's ambiguous enough that you can present it however you like. 

That said, in the larger world, there's certainly the perception that "going all the way" is what it will take for full acceptance in one's goals for transition.  Which isn't the case -- acceptance has much more to do with passing than anything else, and HRT/surgery is simply what's usually necessary to achieve that, followed by adapting to the social expectations of your target gender. 

You might want to review Laverne Cox's interview on TV recently on how to address prying questions that properly fall under medical privacy.  She's quite right, it isn't anyone's business. And she can make it stick, because she looks and acts the part.

If you're visibly transgendered, with no intention of ameliorating basic things like voice and beard shadow and social niceties, there's probably going to be great resistance on the part of your coworkers to properly gendering you, regardless of what terminology you want to use.

[Miss Clara]

I refer to myself as a 'transsexual woman' or simply 'trans woman'.  If it's important to make clear that I have undergone GRS, I will say 'post-op transsexual woman'.  I think there should be a term for those of us who physically transform from male to female.  I know that many disagree, and that's fine.

I think of my sex as consisting of two parts:  1) My 'subconscious sex' (per Julia Serano), and 2) my 'physical sex' (anatomy and physiology).  My subconscious sex has always been female.  It was imprinted on my brain before birth.  It can differ from my 'gender identity' which was for years boy/man due to social influences, wanting to conform to the expectations of others, as well as my own attempts to deny and suppress my subconscious sex.

My transition has been a long journey to finally acknowledge and accept my subconscious sex, align my physical sex (hormones + primary and secondary sex characteristics), and change my social gender from man to woman (name, gender code, presentation) in order to relieve my gender dysphoria. 

It is the need to align my physical and subconscious sex to achieve mental peace which distinguishes me from others under the transgender umbrella.

[Rachel]

Transsexual is an older term. You need not have such precise definitions in the training. The salient points are:

You are transgender,
your name is ______, and your pronoun is ______ and _____,
You will be using wxyz bathrooms,
you are the same person and are expressing your gender,
any discrimination will result is severe disciplinary action up to and including termination,
Any questions.

What you are or are not doing medically is your HIPPA protected information. It is not to be shared for general consumption.

I got a lot of questions at work that are inappropriate. I shared everything with people at work and did not hold back. When peoples questions were answered they became extremely supportive.

[AnxietyDisord3r]

I think of my sex as consisting of two parts:  1) My 'subconscious sex' (per Julia Serano), and 2) my 'physical sex' (anatomy and physiology).  My subconscious sex has always been female.  It was imprinted on my brain before birth.  It can differ from my 'gender identity' which was for years boy/man due to social influences, wanting to conform to the expectations of others, as well as my own attempts to deny and suppress my subconscious sex.

I totally agree with you about "gender identity" which is why I find it a bit problematic as the legal non discrimination language. After I "came out" at age 2 my parents went to great lengths to insure that I had a female gender identity ... and that conditioning is hard to break. My subconscious sex (per Serano) is still there, making me miserable when I'm misgendered and happy when I'm correctly gendered, but I'm still emotionally struggling with the social transition because of the way I was raised. I feel guilty and like a bad person for deciding to make the change.

[kelly_aus]

Transsexual is an older term. You need not have such precise definitions in the training. The salient points are:

An older term according to whom? You? Must be you, as the medical profession does not agree with you.

You are transgender,

I'm a transsexual. I'm not transgender - I'm not a drag queen, ->-bleeped-<- or cross dresser as the transgender label can imply. Transgender is an umbrella term that covers things that I am not - transsexual is the correct term for me.

your name is ______, and your pronoun is ______ and _____,
You will be using wxyz bathrooms,
you are the same person and are expressing your gender,
any discrimination will result is severe disciplinary action up to and including termination,
Any questions.

I found this works just fine:

Hi, I'm Kelly.

No embellishments needed, no threats and no anger. I am who I am. I've had no workplace issues relating to my gender..

As far as the definitions of transsexual being ambiguous, stop and think for a moment that it might be somewhat deliverate, as the ambiguity allows for a choice in what medical procedures you may have.

[Asche]

My concern is this:

It now looks like my company would like to have this outside trainer (or group) come in and get everyone all trained up before I actually come out to everyone.

If the trainers come in and say "a transsexual is someone who gets surgeries  to change their bodies to correspond to their identity" (which seems to be what these definition sheets say), and I come along and say, "I'm a transsexual woman," then I may end up having them assume I had "the surgery" or having to explain that I haven't and whether I intend to.

I'd like to ask the trainers to not get into surgeries and make it clear that whatever surgeries I may or may not have had in the past or have in the future is not relevant or appropriate for work, and that asking about them is not okay unless the trans person clearly invites a discussion of it.  Presenting definitions which involve whether someone has had or will have surgery seems to contradict that.

Please note: this has nothing to do with what definitions doctors may use, since I'm not going to any of my co-workers for gender-related medical treatment.

[Sophia Sage]

If the trainers come in and say "a transsexual is someone who gets surgeries  to change their bodies to correspond to their identity" (which seems to be what these definition sheets say), and I come along and say, "I'm a transsexual woman," then I may end up having them assume I had "the surgery" or having to explain that I haven't and whether I intend to.

Doesn't matter if they assume it or not. In fact, it's probably better for them to assume it, regardless.  Don't worry about what people will assume, because:

I'd like to ask the trainers to not get into surgeries and make it clear that whatever surgeries I may or may not have had in the past or have in the future is not relevant or appropriate for work, and that asking about them is not okay unless the trans person clearly invites a discussion of it.  Presenting definitions which involve whether someone has had or will have surgery seems to contradict that.

First off, the bold italics are absolutely perfect -- have them bring this up, that it's a medical condition and it's not appropriate to ask about it.  Bring up HIPAA regulations if necessary. 

However, it's not bad for surgery to be discussed in a general training scenario.  First off, you might change your mind about surgery, in which case it'll be easier to get time off for it. Second, what about transitioners other than yourself?  Having that groundwork laid will help them, even if it's not applicable to you personally.