I don't really have anything interesting going on so I figured I would post my essay that I'm working on. It's not totally done, I'm going to add some personal stuff (which I'll add into this one when I finish), but I think it's pretty good so far. Sorry for the weird formatting I copy and pasted it over.
UPDATE: Here is my finished essay. I did very well on it and got a 97%. Only one paper left to do this semester. I'm almost done with that one. I chose how harmful certain autism therapies are as my topic. It's coming along nicely.
Transgenderism:
A Mental Condition or Normal Human Variance
Transgender
is an umbrella term denoting people who identify themselves to be of a gender other than the one they were
assigned at birth. For instance, a
female identified person may feel like she was born in a wrong body because her feelings, behavior, clothing, body
characteristics, voice, and hairstyles
are those of a male. Most transgender people go through hormone replacement
therapy in which they are given either estrogen or testosterone in accordance
with their gender identity. Sometimes
transgender people go to the extent of
having surgeries to change their appearance and their sexual organs to align
with their gender identity. Transgender
people try to make their expression of gender
align with the gender they identify with internally. According to recent American polls, quite a
few people understand what to be a transgender person means. Many people
throughout the world overly discriminate and harass transgender people not
knowing that transgenderism is not a mental condition but rather a
normal human variant.
As a mentally ill transgender person
I know a fair bit about both. Along with
being a transgender male I also have depression, anxiety, and autism. To me, being transgender does not in any way
feel like a mental disorder. My mental
disabilities bleed into every aspect of my life, preventing me from going out,
from talking to people, from doing the things that normal people can do without
issue. Being transgender does not
negatively impact a person from within in the same way as a mental
illness. Rather it is society that
places undue hardships onto transgender people.
Most of my family does not acknowledge that I am transgender; every time
I bring it up they pointedly ignore it and change the subject. When I do push them about it, they insist
that I am a woman that I will never be a man.
This is hurtful and it’s not much better out of the house and amongst
strangers. I have had people call me
offensive names, I have had people move as if they were going to assault me,
and I have had people yell at me for trying to go into the bathroom. When out in public I fear for my safety. Transgender people have a one in twelve
chance of being murdered solely for being trans and the people who kill us get
away with it by claiming they were so shocked about us being trans that they
could not help it. This is
unacceptable. Transgenderism is not a
mental illness; we are not sick, or crazy, or dangerous, we are just people
trying to get by the same as everyone else.
Several questions have been raised
as to whether being a transgender person is a mental disorder. The American Psychological Association
recently argued that being a transgender person is not a mental illness. The association made these changes to its manual
known as DSM-5 and instead focused on the people who are usually distressed by
their gender identity (Basu). This idea
is re-emphasized by Dr. Johanna Olson in an interview with ABC News. He says that doctors, therapists and
psychiatrists who have treated transgender people do not align it as a mental disorder.
They believe that it is a normal
variation of gender identity that causes
little distress to a person who does not know how to deal with the world
anymore (Burke).
Many experiences such as
discrimination, assault and being outcasted
are the ones that cause the transgender population to suffer from depression,
anxiety, suicidal thoughts or actions and other common mental health disorders. At a rate of ten times the national average
an estimated 41% of transgender people will attempt suicide at some point in
their life.
Because mental illness
as well as gender non-conformity is still
stigmatized in our society, many transgender
individuals suffering with
depression are in the unfortunate position of having to contend with two
stigmas, which in turn can exacerbate
their mental health problems.
When a people who identifies as trans has internalized society's
negative
view of them, it is often the case that they do not seek out the treatment
they
need (Scutti).
The
APA argued that according to the analytical and statistical guide of mental disorders, those who go through complex gender
incongruence are normally given the diagnosis of gender dysphoria. Ariel Williams,
who is a writer-artist and also a
transgender person, concurs with this argument, saying that some people explain
the diagnosis inappropriately as pathologies gender non-congruence and that it should be
removed. He goes ahead to say
that they are convinced that it is an
essential to hold on the diagnosis to
ensure easy accessibility to care. He
identifies the international classification of diseases (ICD) in undergoing revision, and changes might occur
to the current classification of stubborn,
persistent incongruence. (Steinmetz)
During the 1990s, the transgender population
faced social stigma from society and were placed in the same category as
pedophiles. Williams explains the reason as to why people call transgender
people mentally ill is because before a person
can receive hormone replacement therapy or get surgery, they must receive
at least two years of treatment from a psychologist or therapist to prove that they are not mentally ill. This means that before conducting a surgery the doctor must
assure them that they are not suffering from delusions that could be causing
the difference in their gender identity.
Williams thinks that these issues are the ones that contribute to the
society’s wrong thinking about the transgender. He further believes that it could be very easy
if people took the matter as easier to understand. Dr. Dana Beyer, LGBT civil rights describe a
similar situation, restating that the new development outlines a clear
understanding of transgender people and will help bring an end to the
stigmatization and discrimination with the rest of the community (Basu).
It is not known why transgenderism
occurs. According to the American
Psychological Association, transgender people do not choose to be born
transgender but rather face a situation where their gender identity is not the
same as their birth sex. An article by Time
magazine outlines that a lot should be done
about the transgender rights. If nothing
is done, our cultures may as well
disappear into discrimination and segregation. The transgender population should be given the right to do whatever they want, including
using the restrooms of what they feel they are, male or female. For them having a comfortable and safe place
to go to and people to talk to, transgender people could feel at home and not
feel like strangers when around people. The
Center for American Progress also shares similar views, arguing that a time had
come to embrace change and treat everyone equally, regardless of their gender
or sexual orientation. In a recent
article, the issue was revisited by the Center for American Progress:
State and local
governments should put into place policies and practices
that treat all workers the same,
regardless of sexual orientation or gender
identity. These
policies are good for gay and transgender workers. They are
good for efficient
and effective government. And they are
good for the
American taxpayer.
The time to act is now. (Burns, Graham and
Menefee-Libey 37)
However,
as of today, the debate still continues, and not all scholars and psychiatrists
believe that being transgender is not a mental condition. Dr. Paul R. McHugh, who is the current
Distinguished Service Professor of Psychiatry at John Hopkins Hospital, differs
sharply with the APA, arguing that indeed transgenderism qualifies as a mental
disorder. He continues to explain that
the condition should be treated rather than pursuing alternatives such as sex
change, which according to him is biologically impossible. McHugh emphasizes that the idea of promoting
surgeries aimed at sexual reassignment among transgender people only results in
more harm and promotes a mental disorder. Jim Goad, author and publisher, makes a
similar point, arguing that undergoing surgery to change a person’s sex is not
the solution for transgender people. He
continues to explain that transgender people suffer a disorder of “assumption”
and that this is similar to other mental disorders (“If We Can Be”).
Society
should learn to accept the transgender population as people. Reading of books so as to understand them much
better can help to change people’s views. Language also matters most to the transgender
population. Certain phrases and words should be
avoided when talking to transgender people so as to not say something
offensive or transphobic. The entire
community should embrace the transgender community
so as to move forward in building our nation's
awareness. Therefore, transgender people deserve equality, and they should not
be discriminated or harassed because of their gender identity but rather the
society should accept that every person is different in their unique way.
