My Story Part 108 – Diversity, Isn’t It Beautiful

Most outsiders think that the trans-community is homogeneous but it is really diverse and we do not follow the gender binary. Even though there are some within the community that try to enforce the gender binary. As late as the 90s, the medical community wanted trans-people to fit in a nice little box either male or female. They required trans-women to be attracted to men and they had to be able to blend into the gender norms. So when a trans-woman went before the “Gatekeepers” [therapists] and when the gatekeeper asked who you were sexually attracted to, you answered “men” and they rewarded you with the blessing of hormones. Eventually the gatekeepers found out that they were lied to and they pronounced that all trans-people are liars. They wanted us to fit into their image of what a woman should be. Overtime some gatekeepers have come

to realize that the trans-community reflects that of the general population that some trans-women like women and some trans-men like men. The medical community is also coming to realize that there are many transsexuals who do not want to or cannot pass as women or men, but by allowing them to transition their quality of life improves. The gatekeepers have begun to realize that gender is a continuum and not a binary. For some in the trans-community however, they have not realized that yet, they still live in the world of the binary.

I first was exposed to the binary and the gender pyramid at a First Event conference, this was before I was able to admit to myself that I was transsexual and still identified as a crossdresser. I was sitting in a chair in the lobby of the hotel and a trans-woman sat down across from me. She asked me if I was a transsexual, I said no, she scrunched up her nose and got up and left. For some trans-women there is a pyramid with the post-op passible trans-woman on top, below them are the pre-ops and below them are the non-ops and down near the bottom are the crossdressers. Even lower down in the muck are the drag queens and kings. It does matter if you can’t afford surgery or if you have a medical problem that prohibits surgery, you are not a true “Transsexual” unless you are willing to give up everything in order to reach that mystical ring. To them you will always be “men in dresses”

There is an article in the Huffington Post that talks about this,

Transgender (Mis)Education
Huffington Post
Ira Gray
Posted: 02/28/2012

Something didn't feel right for me anymore, and I couldn't put my finger on it. According to every resource I turned to -- whether it be Tyra Banks' interviews with trans* people, or reading resources by and for transgender individuals -- I was not binary enough in my gender to be transgender. I didn't know from the time I was born, never felt trapped in my body, and would never describe my identity as a trans* person as a "birth defect" like Chaz Bono describes his.
[…]
Fast forward two years, and you'll find me typing this out on a plane to Florida. I just had my chest reconstructed after having been on testosterone for 20 months. Despite taking these medical steps, I would not describe myself as masculine, and my gender goes way beyond the bounds of "man" and reaches genderqueer, femme, and trans* guy.
[…]
Trans* folks have nothing to lose and everything to gain by educating the public about our existence and about the true diversity of our narratives. Within the GSM (gender and/or sexuality minority) community, trans* people are the most likely targets for assault. We have the highest unemployment rate, suicide rate, and homelessness rate. What do we have to lose?

For me before I transitioned, I dreamed of grabbing that golden ring, to be able to pass and no one would guess my history. But since then I have come to realize that it is more important to be yourself, I have found comfort in just being myself. Would I like to have surgery? Yes, it would be icing on the cake, but I can’t afford it on a pension.

Gender is a continuum, a spectrum. Let us embrace diversity.