'The Cross in the Closet' reinforces transphobia while dealing with homophobia
By Kathy Baldock
Executive Director, CanyonWalker Connections
http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/10/the-cross-in-the-closet-reinforces-transphobia-while-dealing-with-homophobia/ (http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/10/the-cross-in-the-closet-reinforces-transphobia-while-dealing-with-homophobia/)
"The Cross in the Closet" recounts Tim's year-long experiment; the transgender person to whom he beautifully introduces the reader is Albert/Angela. She has a tragic story.
As a young boy, Albert's Mom was mysteriously no longer in the home and he desperately misses her. As the story progresses, Albert finally finds the courage to go into Mom's room and spends time there in the absence of his distant Dad.
Albert comforts himself by putting on his Mom's dress and, in time, realizes he "was his mother's daughter, not son" and "the idea of growing up to be a man felt foreign and wrong and felt like a lie." Years later, there is a tragic scene of the first of many rapes by Albert's own father when he is caught wearing his Mom's dress.
Albert eventually transitioned surgically and with hormones to become Angela.
This effective story telling does evoke empathy, but also unfortunately paints a picture and strongly reinforces ideas that are already firm in the minds of many: transgender people are playing dress up; are victims of sexual abuse by the gender they are trying to "escape"; they lack strong gender models; or perhaps have gender models that are too strong.
I disagree.
Albert realized he was a daughter before the rapes.
And, imho, there is nothing wrong with transitioning due to psychic trauma (such as abandonment, violence, "too strong" role models (another way of saying "emotionally violent role models")). In my mind, a person's mind (and body) has both male and female "parts". Most people are unambiguously male or female in both mind and body...but if the body is born with both sets of physical features, it is ok to choose which gender one will be. (Assuming a binary gender system).
If a person is born with both emotional/mental features, the modifications are often done during adolescence, by the parents, peers, and self--but if trauma in life causes one of the "parts" to be destroyed or irreparably damaged, then the person should be able to choose the opposite gender for the body, to match the surviving portions of the mind...and not be dismissed for "reinforcing a stereotype" of TS people.
A transition is a transition, it doesn't matter the reason why, it matters in the outcome.
If a person is transitioning only because of repressed trauma over sexual abuse, and the person doesn't try to work it out through therapy, then how much will transition help? Will it help at all? Perhaps it will be a complete disaster, more often than not.
What about people like Charles Kane, who appeared to have very questionable reasons for transitioning? In his case, he had more money than sense, and he apparently bought his way around the usual process. That's not good, either.
Then there are some people who really are mentally ill and who are convinced that they need to transition. What happens when they are allowed to?
I guess what I'm saying is that it can matter why a person wants to transition. If he or she transitions for certain reasons, the outcome might not be so rosy.
Quote from: Arch on October 21, 2012, 06:46:25 PM
If a person is transitioning only because of repressed trauma over sexual abuse, and the person doesn't try to work it out through therapy, then how much will transition help? Will it help at all? Perhaps it will be a complete disaster, more often than not.
What about people like Charles Kane, who appeared to have very questionable reasons for transitioning? In his case, he had more money than sense, and he apparently bought his way around the usual process. That's not good, either.
Then there are some people who really are mentally ill and who are convinced that they need to transition. What happens when they are allowed to?
I guess what I'm saying is that it can matter why a person wants to transition. If he or she transitions for certain reasons, the outcome might not be so rosy.
Bad outcomes can happen to anyone, for a number of reasons.
Absolutely, yes, therapy needs to be done before transition--but that also applies to "legitimate" TS's, in order to rule out unhealthy situations and apply treatment to an actual problem.
Once transition is decided on by the person, and confirmed by the therapist(s), that's all that is needed. Given those caveats, once a person begins on their path, I (personally) don't make a hierarchy on the whys and wherefores.
But...ymmv.