A friend of mine is studying to be a teacher. For one of his classes he's supposed to prepare some topic and present it like he would if he did in front of an actual class. He chose transsexuality and asked me for some advice. (He doesn't now that I have gender identity issues myself, but knows that I'm rather involved with LGBT matters in general.)

He's an intelligent, tolerant guy, but the topic is still very much taboo in Austria (even more so in the arch-conservative part of it we both grew up in), so misconceptions run rampant and I'm sure, as good as his intentions are, he has his fair share of them.
I think this will be a good opportunity to set him straight (and indirectly give some proper information to the other students in his course as well).

So it would be great if you all could just list some of the common misconceptions that annoy you personally the most, so I won't forget something important.


Some things I will definitely mention:

• Gender identity and sexual orientation are two very different things.
• Not every transgendered person has known it all their life (and that doesn't make their gender identity any less valid).
• How hormone replacement therapy works.
• Why the correct term is "sex reassignment surgery" and not "sex change", and that TS is not nearly as much about surgery than pop culture would let you believe.

Gender identity is not a perversion.
Transpeople are not predators.
Transpeople are not mentally ill.
Transitioning is the only recommended treatment.

The list seems to be corrections of misconceptions, but I can add this if you wish. They are a bit more progressive politically than your friend may wish or need.

Each of us has a right to live as we choose.

None of us has any duty to conform to a sexual norm.

Each of us has an exactly equal right to be here and to be free.

For me it.s always been "someone is putting ideas inyour head" type of thing and "you dream this up" are the ones that I always hear the most from my mom mostly but some times from others. I have been told I was a "pervert" by some as well.

Love being female
Linda Ann
xoxoxo

It is not a phase nor a mental condition.

Reparative Therapy repairs nothing.

It is not a "lifestyle choice". (That one gets me upset the most I think.)

I agree with Poseidon: It is not a choice and it is not a lifestyle.

•   Transsexuality is about gender, not sex.  The "sex" part has to do with our bodies, not the sexual act.
•   Gender identity (what gender you see yourself as) is not the same as sexual orientation (who you are attracted to).  In fact, they really have very little relation to each other.
•   We are born transsexuals (or probably less inflammatory: born with the body of one sex and the brain and soul of the other).  It is a naturally-occurring condition, just as previously-stigmatized conditions are: left-handedness, red hair, homosexuality.  (I use the word "condition" to mean how we are.  I don't know another word to describe it and don't mean this as inflammatory, either.)

- Kate

Might want to mention the (steadily increasing) evidence suggesting that gender identity is in the brain, the hypothalamus to be exact as well as the "fickle-ness" of the system. As in, xx or xy is not a reliable way to tell if someone is male or female, neither is the appearance of their genitals.
Oh and I suggest he watches the Gender Puzzle documentary, it is win and good research.

This is probably the easiest thing I will do all day ! Since most Neanderthal Religious Bible pounders think all trans people think were Child Molesters, I would love to bust their bubble . Course there  are many Gay people that think the same of us too. Ellen

I did not change my body from male to female so I can now have sex with men and call myself "straight".

Transmen are not "just in it for the male privilege"

Pregnant transmen are not women.

Transmen are not "lesbians."

my biggest peev... "Oh, your GAY!!!"

it doesn't automatically make me gay, damn it!

bi maybe,

for FTM's..

- Getting SRS doesnt mean you will just get a penis, and get rid of the vagina, so many people thing that transguys get fully functioning normal penis's, but very many of us just live with what we have, because surgery isnt too good.

-Just because I have a female body doesnt give you the right to call me 'she'... this girl at school says she cant call me he, because I'm NOT a he.

- Just because I'm not on hormones, doesnt mean that I'm "not really a guy YET"

It isn't about sex. It's about fulfillment.

We are all different, and do not all have the exact same goals.

When I asked for hormones, my doctor said I have a right to be happy.  After about six months I reminded him of his statement and told him:
          "It isn't about being happy - it's about being whole."

- Kate

Another misconception people have is that we go into the hospital one day for "the surgery", and presto chango, the next day we come out the other gender.    Unfortunately, I believe that is the misconception that a lot of laws requiring surgery for documentation changes are based on.  The people making these laws don't realize that it is a very long process, and that they are subjecting people to years of potential harassment when we live full time as one gender, but cannot get documentation to support it because we haven't had "the surgery", whatever that is.

I'm sure you can get a wholesome perspective on this from transsexuals, but perhaps you should advise your peer to investigate with every day people?  It's really so simple as listening.  Normal people are often full of questions upon encountering a transsexual, and often times their questions lead to their preconceptions.  Inquiries such as, "so you're gay?  you're a crossdresser?" and such immediately come to mind from my experiences, but nothing beats an eye witness account.

Good luck!

Quote from: Jamie-o on February 02, 2010, 09:26:16 AM
Another misconception people have is that we go into the hospital one day for "the surgery", and presto chango, the next day we come out the other gender.    Unfortunately, I believe that is the misconception that a lot of laws requiring surgery for documentation changes are based on.  The people making these laws don't realize that it is a very long process, and that they are subjecting people to years of potential harassment when we live full time as one gender, but cannot get documentation to support it because we haven't had "the surgery", whatever that is.

Seconded.  I think this is a huge misconception that the general public has.  "The surgery," in the sense of an instantaneous sex change, doesn't exist; transition is a process that can take years before complete.  Also: it should be up to the individual to decide when their own transition is "complete."

This is not done for "fun"!

The process of gender change is painful for either MTF's or FTM's both physically and psychologically.  It is the most difficult of all human endeavors.  It touches every part of our lives, everything changes.  It is dangerous and causes us to be separate from others.

But not doing so can, in many cases, be fatal. To my mind, GID is a terminal illness.

Sex is between the legs, gender is between the ears.

Best of luck!  I would be interested in hearing how it goes!

-Sandy

Quote from: Jamie-o on February 02, 2010, 09:26:16 AM
Another misconception people have is that we go into the hospital one day for "the surgery", and presto chango, the next day we come out the other gender. 

I don't think it's just the gen pop who have this misconception.  I've run into it from trans people, too.  ("All my troubles will be over once I have a vagina [or penis]." )

- Kate