Proposed DSM-5 Changes: Derogatory Labeling & Pathologizing The Identity Of Trans Persons

http://dgsma.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/proposed-dsm-5-changes-derogatory-labeling-pathologizing-the-identity-of-trans-persons/
6/2/11
by D Gregory Smith

On May 5th, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released a second round of proposed diagnostic criteria for the 5th Edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). These include two diagnostic categories that impact the trans communities, Gender Dysphoria (formerly Gender Identity Disorder, or GID) and Transvestic Disorder (Formerly Transvestic Fetishism). While GID has received a great deal of attention in the press and from GLBTQ advocates, the second Transvestic category is too often overlooked. This is unfortunate, because the Transvestic Disorder diagnosis is designed to punish social and sexual gender nonconformity and enforce binary stereotypes of assigned birth sex.

Generally speaking, cross-dressing only causes distress because other people decide they don't like it. From that perspective, it's no different from not being straight or cis. It's only a problem because enough of the culture treats it as culturally unacceptable.