I knew this day would come sometime!

Backstory: I have to do a persuasive speech for my Public Speaking class (which I really didn't want to take in the first place), and I was considering doing the speech on the rights of transgendered people/students, and my friend convinced me to do it. The reason I didn't want to do it is because I don't think I have the courage to.

So, here I am. I need to come up with a persuasive speech telling why transgendered people/students should have certain rights. Obviously I need counterexamples and things like that. The speech has to be at least 4 minutes.

Here's where you all come in. I just want some general ideas on what topics to discuss and some advice. Some reassurance would also be accepted! 

Here's the ideas I have so far:
Intersex children getting automatically assigned a gender by the doctor/parents and not being told
Transsexual students having to be a part of gendered locker rooms, bathrooms, and school activities
Transgendered people being excluded from some LGBT groups (our school's group is the Gay-Straight Alliance)

So, questions? Comments? Advice? Etc.? (By the way, by 'students' I mean mostly K-12 students, but I suppose it applies to college as well)

I just finished a persuasive speech for my speech class and I did pretty good because I shot down many counter arguements. Here are some counter arguments I thought of that might be helpful to bring up:

First, what does it mean to be transgendered? (most people might think it means intersexed, homosexual, or something else)
Why should anybody transgendered have extra rights?
Why can't they just dress like the sex they were born?
Having a transgendered person included in bathrooms/lockerooms would make others feel uncomfortable.

I would make sure to clearly define what transgendered means and how it feels (emotional appeal can really help). And reveal myths like its not all about wishing to chop off sex organs.

Good luck! I know how scary it is to stand up there and have to speak, especially about so important but you definately have a great topic and people will surely be fascinated in what you have to say.

Quote from: uni on May 11, 2010, 10:11:35 PM
Good luck! I know how scary it is to stand up there and have to speak, especially about so important but you definately have a great topic and people will surely be fascinated in what you have to say.

Not if they're ignorant teenagers! 

Those are some good counterarguments! I don't think I can do an emotional appeal though, since I don't want to directly reveal that I'm transgendered. My friend suggested that I use my own experiences but talk about them as though they are someone else's.

Thanks for those ideas! I think I'll use some of those.

I believe you should not use the phrase 'extra rights'. Ideally, we want the exact same rights as everyone else.

The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We would like to not be judged.

Rather than 'extra rights', there may be a point to be made for 'extra protection' of our rights. The reasoning behind this are the statistics concerning the rate and brutality of hate crimes. Not that you should necessarily get into hate crime territory. I can see where, in 4 minutes, you might want to address the topics stated by Uni. But please don't use the term 'extra rights'

Individual freedom.
freedom in the expression and representation of one's gender.

The same rights as the people in the class who are passing through what may be their only puberty, as opposed to a trans-person who tends to have 2 puberties. The first one and then the transitional one.

Just my thoughts.

Quote from: Rebis on May 11, 2010, 11:48:22 PM
I believe you should not use the phrase 'extra rights'. Ideally, we want the exact same rights as everyone else.

These are only misconceptions I would anticipate uniformed teenagers to believe about trangendered people, of course they wouldn't want extra rights. That is why it is so important to bring up.

For example one might say in the speech: "I know some of you may think transgendered people will have extra rights if they are protected by the same rights everyone else has, but here are reasons why that is not the case..."

I think that you might devote a short section of your speech to define exactly what a transgendered person is. If these are kids then they probably have no knowledge of this subject, other than possibly some locker room talk and other teenage innuendo.

Explain that a TG person is just like any other person, except that their gender (oops, you'll have to explain that as well) can run all the way from the binaries to somewhere in between.

Your goal is to make transgendered people "real" to these kids, and help them understand that they are not freaks or perverts.

THEN, make your rights arguments  Since TG people are now more "real" to these kids, your arguments for equal rights and treatments will resonate much better.

Quote from: uni on May 13, 2010, 06:12:26 PM
These are only misconceptions I would anticipate uniformed teenagers to believe about trangendered people, of course they wouldn't want extra rights. That is why it is so important to bring up.

For example one might say in the speech: "I know some of you may think transgendered people will have extra rights if they are protected by the same rights everyone else has, but here are reasons why that is not the case..."

that works for me. Good thinking

I do not know who wrote this. And of course it is their copyright.
But maybe it can give you some ideas.
Cindy

We start out early being ostracized by the other kids
because they know we are different.  If our brain is female the boys
don't want to hang around a girl and the girls don't want to be with an
icky boy.  If we have a male brain and a female body the girls don't want
to be with a pushy boy and the boys see just a girl.  Occasionally there
may be a girl who sees the girl in us, or a boy who sees the boy in us
and becomes our friend.

As time goes by we get verbally and physically abused.  This abuse comes
from "friends," peers, siblings and parents.  It may occur from total
strangers and often goes a far as rape and murder.

We question ourselves with "What's wrong with me?", knowing, but still
not accepting the unthinkable cruelty of being in the "wrong body."  We
are alone thinking that we are the only person alive who has this kind of
feelings.

We pray and ask God or another deity to change us or we try to use magic
so what is between our legs finally matches our mind.  Disappointed and
frustrated, we are still in the wrong body.

We also get that "What's wrong with you?" "discussion" that is really a
speech, resulting in being coerced into playing football and learning how
to fight because dad wants to "make a man" out of us or mom makes us
learn how to cook, sew, clean house and other feminine things so we will
become good housewives.  Sometimes trying to fit in, we do it to
ourselves, usually without success.  But that doesn't mean we can fight
our way out of a paper bag or boil water without burning it.

Then our bodies betray us.  We become that big hairy clod instead of the
pretty petite girl we see in our mind's eye.  For a male in a female body
we are still 5' 2", 98 lbs. soaking wet after bodybuilding.

Many of us learn to hide our true selves by pretending to be the sex our
body says we are.  Often we marry and have children.  But we are not
honest.  We are false witnesses.  Internally, the male and female parts
of our bodies and minds are constantly fighting so we never get that
inner peace called contentment.

Some of us suppress our need so strongly that we tell the world that we
are not transgendered.  Yet, we feel a need to crossdress. Some of us may
need to have someone else tell us, or even force us to crossdress.

We hide in other ways, too.  Some hide with death.  I am proud of those
who have kept their promise to me not to commit suicide.  One recently
asked me to release her from that promise.  I had to tell her only if she
had a medical condition that warrants "Do Not Resuscitate."  We might
also do self harm, a "minor" form of suicide.  I have heard of some of us
that cut off their testicles, or tried to.  Some of us hide by having
unsafe sex resulting in gonorrhea, syphilis, or AIDS.  In other words: a
slow form of suicide.

Or we hide behind drugs.  Hopefully those of us that go that route end up
in Alcoholics Anonymous, other treatment centers before we
either end up in jail or die.

We often develop various forms of mental illness, as a product of the
extreme shame or bewilderment we have.  We are admitted to psychiatric
treatment centers or at least, being driven by guilt or unable to accept
the unacceptable, we talk to psychologists or psychiatrists.  Many of us
are depressed and end up on anti depressants.

We also don't know how to relate to others.  We are alone so we don't
pick up the interrelationship clues that other teens learn because they
are with friends.  As adults we don't know how to deal with people so
find ourselves alone or, because we are afraid of people gravitate
towards rural areas because there are less people to deal with or major
urban areas because there everyone is anonymous.

Many of us are "read" and caught out partially because we are fearful of
being read and caught out.  We also might be read because there are few
genetic 6' 2" women.  Even after transition we may be mentally looking
over our shoulders to see if anyone is outing us, either maliciously or
unintentionally.  Either way we could be hurt and humiliated if it
happens.


We are also more likely to have heart attacks and other diseases caused
by stress due to the never ending battle between the male and female
within us.  This stress, beginning in early age, can result in poor
education that leads to low paying jobs with low or no medical coverage.
This leads to our inability to get proper medical care, even for medical
issues not connected to transgender or age dysphoria, creating still more
stress.  Our desperation to transition is so great and our finances so
small we may resort to self medication, sometimes through the internet.
Yet, the use of these drugs needs to be monitored or we run the risk of
hurting ourselves or dying.

In the end some of us decide to transition, trying to make our bodies
match our minds, even though it is like building a house starting on the
second floor.  Others decide not to.  That is O. K., too.  As noted
before many of us cannot afford the many expensive procedures that are
necessary to truly transition.  We often transition with great
difficulty. The woman trapped in a male body has to somehow hide her
beard.  A female to male still has breasts to deal with.

Yet at this time we begin to choose life, and most of us gain that inner
peace because we can be our true selves.  It is strange that this is the
time others tell us we are going to Hell when, in reality, we have just
gotten out of it.  The hate they give us is sometimes greater than the
contempt that should be reserved for murderers.  But they forget that "we
have not come into being to hate and destroy, (but instead) to praise, to
labor and to love." The hate goes so far that some religious institutions
have barred us from even entering their houses of worship or require us
to wear "gender neutral" clothing.

Sometimes there is the issue of how we are addressed.  For example, some
of us have been asked, "What does your son or daughter call you?"  One
child of a male to female woman stated that she is his father.  Both are
proud of that statement.  The daughter of another referred to her now
female father as mom and both were happy with the reference.  The pronoun
used by the child, parent or sibling may give pride, as in these
examples, or it may hurt the transgendered individual.

In public the male or female reference to us may be at times different.
To the same individual sometimes the "sir" or "madam" may not be
important other times it is.  It could even hurt, especially when it
comes from "friends" and family.
.  I AM asking
you to follow the words that are almost in the center of the Torah: to
love your neighbor as you love yourself.  It is a hallmark of the Western
religions and many of the others.  The rest is just commentary.


Notes: References

Biblical quotes paragraphing and references: Haphtarah reading: Isaiah:
51:12-52:12, specifically: 51:21-22 and Mona Vu 52:7
Others: Exodus 20:13   Leviticus 19:18   Numbers 6:25   Deuteronomy 30:
15-19

"The rest is just commentary" is from a quote in the Talmud from Hillel
the Great who lived about 2300 years ago.  A man went to Hillel as
challenged, "If you can tell me the whole of the Torah while standing on
one foot I will become a Jew."  Hillel responded, "What is hateful to
thee do not do to another.  That is the whole of the torah.  The rest is
just commentary.  Now go study."

"To hate and destroy ..." is a slightly rephrasing of part of the prayer
for peace by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov as told by Rabbi Nathan.

"Building a house ...": a comment by Kaitlin Thompson, an author of
transgender fiction and a member of the "Family"

True Selves: is a book by Mildred L Brown and Chloe Ann Rounsley.  I have
been told it is one of the best of many books on the transgendered
condition.  I have not read it.

Accepting the unacceptable/Enduring the unendurable: is part of and
paraphrasing a quote by Hirohito in his message of surrender ending WWII:
"We have resolved to endure the unendurable and suffer what is
insufferable."

I thank Holly Hart, Allysson de Merel, Nori Herras, Angela Rasch, Donna
Riley and Heather Rose Brown for their comments, suggestions, editing and
proofing.

Cindy.

That pretty well says it.

I remember, as a child, praying every night that I would wake with a female body. I equally remember thinking that the body I was given is some sort of trial, or test.

As for medical, I've been through that mill as well. Sorry to say, it's one of the more painful aspects of my life that I haven't yet come to terms with, sufficiently to discuss, even with myself. But every time I've stood, alone, punching the air has been over that, or its consequences.

Wow, that's a good speech, Cindy! Where did you find it?

That did give me a few ideas on how to go about constructing this speech. I think I'll mention about depression and other mental problems that being trans causes, since I myself was depressed for 2 years and wanted to kill myself the whole time. I still can't focus on keeping my grades up. 

So far, I've only finished the first minute or so, which I used to explain the definition of transgender, transsexual, androgynous, and intersex. I have to give the speech on Thursday, and I have one more class period to work on it before then. I'm a little bit behind, but I'm going to work hard (if I can) on getting it done, and done well. I'll post it up here when I'm done!

Thanks for all your help! More suggestions are still welcome!

Oh, and one last question. Do you think that Gender Identity Disorder should be an actual diagnosable disorder? I was thinking about addressing this topic in my speech, but I'm not sure if it really should be counted as a disorder or not. How do you all feel about it?

Regarding the "extra rights", I think that if you can portray a transgendered person as being born as such - that this is not a choice or a "lifestyle" or phase or whim - you can point out that transgendered people just want to be allowed to have the same rights as anyone else.  Most people these days understand it is not right to discriminate against people for how they were born - with dark skin or pale skin, gay or straight, differently abled, transgendered.

I think a speech can be persuasive by just detailing the problems a transgendered person faces coming to terms with how they were born and dealing with the ignorance and prejudice around them without asking for specific remedies.

I'm glad you are doing this.  We aren't given courage but learn it through doing.

- Kate

Quote from: The Unforgiven on May 16, 2010, 03:05:16 PM
Wow, that's a good speech, Cindy! Where did you find it?

That did give me a few ideas on how to go about constructing this speech. I think I'll mention about depression and other mental problems that being trans causes, since I myself was depressed for 2 years and wanted to kill myself the whole time. I still can't focus on keeping my grades up. 

So far, I've only finished the first minute or so, which I used to explain the definition of transgender, transsexual, androgynous, and intersex. I have to give the speech on Thursday, and I have one more class period to work on it before then. I'm a little bit behind, but I'm going to work hard (if I can) on getting it done, and done well. I'll post it up here when I'm done!

Thanks for all your help! More suggestions are still welcome!

Oh, and one last question. Do you think that Gender Identity Disorder should be an actual diagnosable disorder? I was thinking about addressing this topic in my speech, but I'm not sure if it really should be counted as a disorder or not. How do you all feel about it?

I have no idea where it came from it was sent to me a few years ago. I think we just have to attribute it as copyright unknown It certainly wasn't written by me

Good luck on your talk.

Here's what I ended up with for my speech. I ended up not including some parts, since this one is already 6 minutes. Thanks for all of your help with this! I have to give the speech tomorrow. Wish me luck!



   You all have the right to be who you want, so why should transgendered people not have that right? Every day, hundreds of transgendered teenagers are out on the streets because they expressed who they really are. Still others are brutally beaten and murdered for being themselves.
   But before I begin explaining these things, something else needs to be understood. In order to understand what transgender and its subcategories, transsexual and intersex, mean, you must first understand the difference between sex and gender. Sex refers to the physical sex; male, female, or in-between both; whereas gender is the perceived sex; also male, female, or in-between. It is taken for granted that the perceived gender and physical sex match. But what would happen if they didn't match? This is where transgendered people arise from.
   Transgender is an umbrella term referring to transsexual and intersexed people. Transsexuals are people whose physical sex and perceived gender don't match. The result is a person who feels they are the opposite gender of what their body tells them they are; a boy who feels he's a girl, or a girl who feels she's a boy. Transsexuals can also be androgynous, which means they feel they are both genders or neither gender. Intersexed people are people who are born with bodies that are both male and female. Transsexuals are often extremely unhappy with their bodies, and seek to change them through surgery into something they can live with.
   Transsexualism is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition, under the name Gender Identity Disorder, or GID. Many people—myself included—think that GID should not be in this manual on the grounds that gender is something defined by society, and therefore straying from it does not mean that there is something wrong with your brain. How can it be a physical disorder of the mind when the rules of gender—as defined by the society you are born to—aren't learned until after the brain has formed and you have been born? Children don't have a full concept of gender until they are at least two years old, maybe even three. Some say that transsexualism is a mental disorder because transsexuals are unable to understand the difference between girls and boys. This, however, is untrue, because transsexuals understand the difference, but feel that they are the wrong gender. As Kelley Winters said, "Behavior that would be ordinary or even exemplary for gender-conforming boys and girls are presented as symptomatic of a mental disorder for gender non-conforming children." Homosexuality was removed from this manual several years ago, and so some people feel that GID should be removed as well. Many countries agree that GID is not a mental disorder. These countries include Great Britain, Canada, and France. A point has also been made that transsexualism can only be alleviated by changing the body, not the mind, and so it cannot be a mental disorder based on the fact that almost every mental disorder can be cured by fixing the mind.
   This brings me to the issue of intersexed children. Is it right to decide their gender for them? I think that babies born intersexed should not be changed. They should be left alone until they are at the age where they can decide for themselves if they want to be male or female, or if they want to stay the way they are. It may cause some problems, trying to figure out paperwork or other things like that, but ultimately, it would be the best for the child. Also, papers that require you to mark your gender should have a box for unisex, which would solve the problem of paperwork for intersexed kids.
   One of the biggest problems faced by transgendered people today is the segregation of genders. Almost everything is made specifically for boys or girls; bathrooms, locker rooms, clothes, uniforms, even shoes. How do you think you would feel if you could only use things that you feel belong to the opposite gender of what you are? And all the while having the body that you feel is also the opposite gender of what you are. This is a very troublesome problem for a lot of transgendered people—students in particular—but it is hard to come up with a compromise for it. One of the best things to do to create a compromise in this situation is to make unisex bathrooms that only one person can use at a time. This way, anyone can use the bathroom, but there is no problem with boys and girls being in a bathroom together. As long as the bathroom is kept clean, no conflicting problems should arise. As for locker rooms, if students feel uncomfortable there, they should be allowed to change in a bathroom or other area. This way, any transgendered student could change in a private area, instead in front of other people. Some might say that this is giving transgendered students special treatment, but if any student felt that they wanted to be able to change clothes in private, they should be able to do so, as well. The point is that everyone should be comfortable. Transgendered students have this condition that would make them uncomfortable in gendered locker rooms, or changing in front of other people, and so they should be allowed to use a separate room, but this extends to all students, not just those that are transgendered. Similarly, if there are separate uniforms for boys and girls, each person should be able to decide which uniform they want to wear. No one should be forced to wear clothes that make them uncomfortable. The point is that everyone—transgendered or otherwise—should be comfortable in the environment they are in.
   Which brings me to the most important point of all—equality. This country and this world have struggled through the evils of racism, and we've come out on the other side where everyone can live together regardless of their race. Now it's time to fight for the equality of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, so that maybe one day, everyone in the world can be accepted for who they are. Our own Declaration of Independence states this best; "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Everyone in the world needs these things. Everyone in the world has a right to these things. But it seems some are still being denied them.

One suggestion. You say:

"Sex refers to the physical sex; male, female, or in-between both; whereas gender is the perceived sex; also male, female, or in-between. It is taken for granted that the perceived gender and physical sex match. But what would happen if they didn't match? This is where transgendered people arise from."

To me that makes sense, but some people might struggle with the concept of "perceived gender". You are a boy/girl, right? That's the way the cis people think.

Maybe if you simply say that (this is a crude way to say it but i'm tired) sex is what's between the legs, while gender is what's between the ears - that might clarify things. And maybe people could better understand the disconnect.

Thanks for the suggestion, riven1, but too late now. Oh well, it seems like everyone understood what I was saying for the most part.

The speech went really well! My hands were shaking a bit in the beginning, but I got over it as I went on. I was able to say everything I needed to say at a decent pace (which is the hardest part for me; I always want to talk a mile a minute  ), and was able to maintain some good eye contact with the audience as well. Which made me notice all the funny expressions. Some people were staring at me, either interested or zoned out, and others were just listening. I was able to keep everybody's attention, at least, talking about sex and stuff    .

I got an A+ on my speech, and my teacher congratulated me on doing such a unique and difficult topic, and said that I convinced him to think about it more and to see things from a different perspective. Hooray! This also means I get an A for the semester! 

Well, congrats on a speech well given (riven has bad memories of speech class  ). You done good