Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I'm giving a presentation on gender to the students in my Gay Straight alliance. Here is the text of the PowerPoint slides. Any suggestions?

Gender is complicated
Social (how you interact. Choice)

• Gender Presentation: How you look, what you wear, etc.
• 
  Gender Role: Husband/wife, who pays on a date, etc.
• 
  Gender Expression: What kind of man/woman do you want to be (liking target shooting vs. manicures, e.g.)

Psychological (how you feel. Might be changeable)

• Internal gender experience: What gender do you "feel like"?

Physical (how your body is built. Doesn't change easily)

• Physical sex (reproductive organs, body shape)
• 
  Internally wired gender identity (what does your brain "want " you to be).
  

Internal Gender Wiring
Everyone has a part of their brain that is "wired" to be a specific gender.

• Sends "happy" messages when you act according to your gender
• 
  Sends "unhappy" messages when you act according to the other gender

Most people don't notice these

• Rationalize gendered behavior in all sorts of ways
• 
  Many, many people, including a few scientists insist there's no such thing

But there is a consensus developing that there is something in the brain that directs gendered behavior

Transgender

• When gender presentation, roles, expression, or experiences don't match body sex
• 
  Opposite: Cisgender, gender matches body sex
• 
  Thought to happen in many cases because of internally wired gender
• 
  Current thinking is that it's related to hormonal balances during pregnancy
• 
  Not clear that it's always physical
• 
  But medical, psychological, and religious communities have had ZERO success "fixing" transgender people

Categories of being transgender

• MtF – Male bodied, but identify as a female.
• 
  FtM – Female bodied, but identify as a male
• 
  Crossdressers and Gender-Variant – Don't want to live as opposite gender, but adopt presentation, role, or expression.
• 
  Non-Binary – Don't completely identify with either gender

There are many, many ways non-binary people describe their gender

• Androgyne –  In between male and female.
• 
  Bigender – Characterstics of both genders.
• 
  Gender fluid – Periodically changing gender.
• 
  Neutrois – Feeling like a member of some third gender.
• 
  Agender – Having no gender identity at all
• 
  Gender queer – Non-binary gender that's difficult to pin down or define.
• 
  Lots more...

What does being transgender feel like?
"I have  woman's body but I know I'm a man"

• Not everyone feels this way
• 
  Much less common than portrayed in the media
  

"I feel like my gender/life is 'wrong' but don't really know why
"I wish I were/weren't a male/female"
Anger or discomfort around gender issues
Anxiety and depression (over time)

Ways of treating transgender people
Treat the anxiety and depression

• This doesn't seem to be consistently successful

Help the patient feel comfortable while presenting as their gender assigned at birth

• Also meets with mixed results
• 
  Many doctors and therapists opt for this because they're uncomfortable encouraging gender transition
  

Transition to live as member of identified gender

• Very scary. Birth gender is all they know.
• 
  Has a surprisingly high success rate
• 
  In some areas, hard to be accepted

Hi Suzi,

I think it's great you're going out there to educate folks :). I have a small comment about this bit:
"Categories of being transgender
MtF – Male bodied, but identify as a female.
FtM – Female bodied, but identify as a male"

I personally prefer "assigned/designated female/male at birth" because it emphasizes that assigning gender is a social act.

Best of luck with your presentation :)

Suzi,

The presentation looks wonderful.

I like it.