Myths About Gender Confirmation Surgery

The Blog | Brynn Tannehill

Recently I attended training on lobbying for transgender issues. One of the big "no-no's" was talking about medical care for transgender people. The reason is pretty simple: people have a visceral negative reaction to the idea of genital surgery. In many ways, the reaction the idea of Gender Confirmation Surgeries (GCS) resembles the reaction people have to the thought of two men having sex.

The problem is that the lack of understanding about GCS for transgender people is the biggest impediment to actually receiving care. When I read the comments section of a recent article on an individual who is resorting to crowd funding her GCS, I saw the same misconceptions popping up over and over again. As a result, I wanted to address the most common comments on the subject.

[Note: each of the following myths is discussed in the body of the article]

1. "It's not life or death"
2. "These people need therapy, not surgery."
3. "It's cosmetic."
4. "Transgender people are just wimps because they can't handle the mental strain"
5. "It's not like being born with one arm."
6. "Suicidality has nothing to do with your physical body"
7. "Treat the depression, not the gender dysphoria."
8. "The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) pays for this."
9. "I don't want to pay for that."
10. "It's mutilation of healthy tissue."
11. "I'm actually a feline trapped in a human's body. Can I get can surgery to make me a cat?"
12. "I don't like the term Gender Confirmation Surgery (GCS)."
13."Eww. Ick."
14. "They should pay for it themselves."
15. "It doesn't change your DNA"
16. "Gay people should distance themselves from people like this before they lose some of the progress and acceptance they have received over the last 20 years."

Excellent.

Just Excellent.

This blog should be printed out and widely distributed. I was going to be more explicit but I'm conscious of my responsibilities.

Yes, great article.

I'm disappointed that it shows up in a blog written by a transgender woman whose readers are probably overwhelmingly transgender and already know and keenly understand the excellent points she's making.

The public themselves, those who will actually vote on policy makers, are very unlikely to see this.

Quote from: suzifrommd on December 09, 2013, 06:11:30 AM
Yes, great article.

I'm disappointed that it shows up in a blog written by a transgender woman whose readers are probably overwhelmingly transgender and already know and keenly understand the excellent points she's making.

The public themselves, those who will actually vote on policy makers, are very unlikely to see this.

Perhaps it is time we change that.

See my comment.

Post it to people, send it to politicians, nail it to the doors of the bigoted religious places

Keep the answers the author provided in mind.  And when you engage someone who brings up some or all of the myths, and you will, you will have a reasoned response.

There's one that I think she really really really missed and could have fit in or took something else out...

Wanting Surgery is what makes you transgendered or That it's all about 'the surgery'.

I think that's the biggest myth about GCS and I'm surprised she missed it.

I sent this tweet:

Quote@OPMDirector @insurefeds @USOPM It IS important and the cost is 1/231 of DOMA repeal benefits http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brynn-tannehill/myths-gender-confirmation-surgery_b_4384701.html

Really great article.  I particularly liked the part about Ramachandaran and the comparison to phantom limb syndrome.

It makes sense that if the body map in the sensory cortex contains a blueprint for a female and you have a male body, then you would feel really wrong about what you see, and even mourn the parts you don't have.

There is a NOVA video from about ten years ago, and he explains phantom limb syndrome really well.  It's called "Secrets of the Mind."

Thank You,  I missed the article in Huffington, very nice to get a second chance. I work for the Federal Government and the explicit trans exclusion was dropped from our 2014 Health Insurance (GEHA).  However when I called to query about the available benefits I was advised that treatment was still excluded under the "Not explicitly listed clause" in the published literature.  My doc and I intend to challenge this preliminary ruling.  It will be interesting to see what shakes out.

I had the Blue Cross Blue Shield FEHP when I was in the Federal Service. 

It was pretty good, but now it might be considered a "Cadillac" plan under the new rules.

Thanks for an excellent article Jamie D.   Brynn wrote another article "Holding the line on transgender student protections" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brynn-tannehill/holding-the-line-on-transgender-student-protections_b_4296672.html  A reference I will bring to Washington DC for further lobbying efforts in February.


Yikes, I just entered the 700 Club:-)