The Trials and Travails of Transness: My Body, My Choice
posted by Guest Blogger | Monday, November 09, 2009
by Shaker Alexmac, a transgender woman studying at the University of Florida.
http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2009/11/trials-and-travails-of-transness-my.html[Part 7 in an ongoing series: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6.]
While transgender people have a large historical and cultural connection to the Cis LGB community, Transgender people (especially transsexuals) also have a lot in common with the feminist movement. Specifically, the reproductive rights movement. Just the most recent example is in health care reform, with Rep. Stupak and his merry band of anti-choice democrats attacking insurance coverage of abortion (apparently successfully...sigh) and a right-wing group attacking potential coverage for transition treatment costs. In fact they are using the same logic to attack it. They don't want to potentially pay to help the "->-bleeped-<-s" or the "dirty sluts" who want access to legal medical procedures. Medical access is extremely important for trans people, especially because any transsexual who desires to be recognized by officials as their target sex must interact with the medical establishment and follow the legal procedures.