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Working Across Difference with Transgender and Transsexual Individuals

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Assessment 3
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Working Across Difference With Transgender
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And Transsexual Individuals
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Student Name:-------------------------------------------------
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Clare J Clayton | -------------------------------------------------
Student Number:-------------------------------------------------
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S2847347 | -------------------------------------------------
Date Submitted: | -------------------------------------------------
1st June 2015 |

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Working Across Difference With Transgender
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and Transsexual Individuals Transgender, transsexual and trans individuals have long experienced multi-layered non-acceptance and need support to work across difference to achieve optimal well-being. An explanation of gender and sex is outlined and a brief history is laid out of the trans population will progression to date. Current difficulties, despite legal changes are reported in two recent cases highlighting that further changes are still necessary. The difficulties the trans community has faced are represented in the mental health figures reflecting that these communities are over-represented in the area of mental illness. With abuse in schools and the workplace, a positive proactive approach is discussed enabling a wholly supportive trans community. The author also reflects on the discrimination allowed in her school, as it is a religious institution, which is currently exempt from anti-discrimination laws against homosexual and trans individuals. However, by using a positive community of practice approach, the author is hopeful that over time change for the better will occur. Transgender and transsexual people are individuals who believe they have been born into the wrong body, that is a biological female who identifies as being male (female-to-male, or FTM), is a transgender man and a biological male who identifies as being female (male-to-female, or MTF) is a transgender woman (Kirk & Belovics, 2008). The title transgender and transsexual seem to be the same umbrella term in some cases, but differs in others (Bockting, 2014; Fleming, 2015; Kirk & Belovics, 2008), so for the purpose of this paper there will be a distinction made between the two, or in parts where discussing the two collectively will be referred to as trans. Transgender will refer to individuals who identify as FTM or MTF and transsexuals who identify similarly but are either prepared to transition or have transitioned medically to their preferred sex. These individuals will be respectfully referred to their preferred sex pronoun as trans etiquette suggests (Stryker, 2008). Likewise, trans people can also be considered gender fluid meaning that they believe they are both male and female gender thus referring to them as he or she may not always be appropriate (Bockting, 2014; Fleming, 2015). As there is no universal term for this pronoun, the neutral terms “they” and adjective “their” will be used. Feldblum (1995) stated that sexual orientation can be described as the emotional or physical attraction a person has to another. Some terms to describe sexual orientation are straight (someone who is attracted to a person of the opposite gender), gay (a term originally used for males attracted to males, but can also be used for females attracted to females), lesbian (females attracted to females), bi-sexual (attracted to either sex), and pan sexual (attraction to a person regardless or sex or gender) but for some they may have their own definition of their sexual orientation and gender identity (Stryker, 2008). Trans people can be any of the above as their sexuality is separate to their gender (Feldblum, 1995; Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2011; Stryker, 2008). Gender Identity Disorder (GID) was introduced into the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) III in 1980 as a sexual disorder (Drescher, 2010). In 2013, the APA’s DSM-5 removed GID as a sexual disorder and created a completely separate category called Gender Dysphoria with sub-categories for children and adolescents/adults (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Drescher, 2010). However the history of trans individuals is likely as old as time but movements in identifying a trans individual occurred at the end of the 19th century (Stryker, 2008). Phellas (2012) and Beemyn (2013) stated that professor of psychiatry, Richard von Krafft-Ebbing, specialized in researching trans people and thus developed the medical field of sexology. Krafft-Ebbing’s Psychopathia Sexualis was posthumously published in 1877 giving rise to further study in this area. Hill (2005) stated that German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld first coined the phrase “transvestite” in 1910 and later developed the first of its kind sexual reassignment operations. Sexual reassignment operations have been conducted since the 1920’s (Hill, 2005; Stryker, 2008). One of Hirschfeld’s students, Harry Benjamin, became an endocrinologist and trained both psychiatrists and psychotherapists in working with trans people. His ideas still remain strong today that hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery are the best forms of treatment (Hill, 2005; Stryker, 2008). Whilst Benjamin, Krafft-Ebbing and Hirschfeld led the way in supporting trans people in transitioning, there was a clear lack of support in the workplace and securing accommodation after transitioning ( Barclay & Scott , 2006; Law, Martinez, Ruggs, Hebl, & Akers, 2011). Cummings (2013) stated that in 1983 in New South Wales, the State Minister of Youth and Community Services, Frank Walker, had heard about the plight of homeless trans people from Roberta Perkins. Perkins had founded the Australian Transsexual Association, and Walker funded a refuge, which immediately housed 12 homeless trans people. The increase in homelessness for trans people, particularly MTF, was often because women’s shelters would refuse to accept trans-women and FTM were often at risk of sexual assault in male shelters. The increase in leading to having to find a new home was often non-acceptance from the trans persons family, or lack of support to help the family through the transition process ( Barclay & Scott , 2006; Cummings, 2013; Law et al., 2011). It would take until 1996 for discrimination laws to add trans people to the anti-discrimination act ( Barclay & Scott , 2006; Law et al., 2011). It would take a further 12 years for discrimination against same-sex couples to be removed from Commonwealth laws (Law et al., 2011). However, it is state dependent as to how you can legally identify yourself as a trans person to access certain agencies and services, and to do so requires that a trans person must have sex reassignment surgery (David & Blight, 2004). For some this is not always possible. An example of the difficulties faced for a trans person is the story of Paige Phoenix reported in the Sydney Morning Herald (Stark & Nicholson, 2014). Paige is a FTM trans individual, and believes that if you had never met him before, you would judge that he is male. Paige has been living as a man for the last seven years, has undergone a double mastectomy, and takes testosterone tablets to encourage more male traits and outward appearance. Going this far allowed Paige to change his passport from female to male with the support of at least one psychologist or psychiatrist. However, when Paige wanted to marry his girlfriend, using his passport as his identity papers, the celebrant conducted the wedding, only for the department of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria to rescinded the marriage certificate citing that marriage is between a man and a woman and Paige’s birth certificate states he is female. Paige is unable to undergo sex reassignment surgery due to a serious medical condition. Paige therefore felt the state of Victoria see that his genitals define him as not a man as he believes himself to be, and this is a source of great turmoil for him. His case was lodged with the United Nations Human Rights Committee arguing that irreversible, invasive surgery (and in his case life threatening) is a violation of human rights. In March 2014, a Bill was debated in the ACT requesting that gender reassignment surgery is no longer necessary as long as either the person is intersex or has received appropriate clinical treatment (A Gender Agenda, 2015). This is a state law, not a federal one, and hopefully in time the law becomes a national one. Recently Norrie (Norrie does not use a surname), a natal male who is gender fluid, won their case in the New South Wales (NSW) Court of Appeal to have “sex not specified” in the Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (Stark & Nicholson, 2014). This landmark case will require all agencies in NSW to add a third box under “sex” in addition to the male and female options. Facebook, however, have changed the word sex to gender and introduced a customizable gender option offering up to 71 terms to better accommodate their gender diverse clientele (Facebook, 2014). In Paige’s case, because Australia currently does not allow same sex marriage, the marriage certificate was rescinded. It is likely however that if same sex marriage was allowed and the certificate reflected that Paige was female, he would challenge the documentation as it states he has same-sex married, and for Paige this does not accurately reflect his sense of self and gender. Even if Paige could undergo sex reassignment surgery, the cost of the surgery, which is tens of thousands of dollars, may financially be unachievable for him. For many trans people the barrier of cost adds to the mental health issues many trans people suffer from. Leonard and Metcalf (2014) report that in Australia trans people are over represented in the area of mental illness mainly anxiety and depression, self-injurious behaviours, suicidal ideation and substance abuse. Out of four thousand gender diverse people, almost 80% reported significant anxiety in the past year. Trans individuals often resort to cutting their breasts and genitals (Department of Health United Kingdom, 2008). The Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing included questions on sexual orientation distinguishing between heterosexual, homosexual and bi-sexual (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008). The step was not enough however to include the fully gender diverse population, nor intersex individuals, thus the data therefore does not allow fully comparable data amongst the gender diverse population. Despite progression in laws and rights for the gender diverse community, violence levels against this cohort remain constant over the last decade, and sadly non-violent abuse is on the increase (Smith et al., 2014). Schools and workplaces are reported to be the most commonly place for abuse (Lombardi, Wilchins, Priesing, & Malouf, 2002). The trans community are again over-represented in school dropout figures (Smith et al., 2014).
The Safe Schools Coalition, launched nationally in 2013, has a mission statement to make schools safer and more inclusive not only for same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse school children but for the whole school community (Radcliffe, Ward, & Scott, 2013). There are staff and student audits to help determine the level of need and support for each school, staff training, best practice resources and free consultation available for any member of the school community. A fully inclusive school should take a strengths-based approach and teach diversity and have policies that explicitly address homophobia and transphobia and acceptance of gender diversity (Bowers, Lewandowski, Savage, & Woitaszewski, 2015). School counsellors should up-skill themselves in the area of gender diversity or at least know how to refer a student/community member to the correct agencies, but it is recorded that many do not have the knowledge to support transgender students (Bowers et al., 2015). The results of the Safe Schools model are showing an increase in self-esteem, attendance and academic achievement, acceptance and better mental and physical well-being (Radcliffe et al., 2013).
Religious schools have an exemption in the anti-discrimination laws where intersex individuals must not be discriminated against as this is seen as a biological anomaly, however homosexual and trans students can be (Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department, 2013). To allow such discrimination suggests that anything other than heterosexuality and intersex individuals must be a choice rather than part of the biological make up of a person. Bailey, Ellingson, and Bailey (2014), Burri, Spector, and Rahman (2015), and Sanders et al., 2015) have found strong evidence to support that non-heterosexuality is determined by a combination of genetics and environmental factors in-utero. The choices therefore for homosexual or trans students in a religious school that wishes to enforce their right to discriminate are to ‘remain in the closet’ or to be open about their gender and sexuality and be excluded from school. Each of these options potentially reinforce poorer mental health as these individuals are likely to feel unsupported and have a sense that they, as a person in our community, are unacceptable and remain at greater risk of mental health issues (Cotton, 2014).
Issues for some schools in supporting gender diversity are raised in the area of ablutions and uniform. Current solutions are to allow the use of disabled toilets, which carries some stigma, or allowing the student to use the toilet of their chosen gender, or building or renaming some toilets as unisex (Smith et al., 2014). As we are discovering, there are more than two sexes (male and female), thus unisex toilets would seem to be a more fully inclusive solution.
The Transgender Law Center (2014) has developed a document called the Model Transgender Employment Policy (MTEP) to ensure an inclusive workplace. The model takes a positive and supportive approach to a fully inclusive workplace for trans people. Specific policies include the right to privacy, amending official records to reflect chosen gender, clarification of preferred pronouns, support through the transitioning period, restroom and locker room accessibility, non-restricting dress codes, a clear discrimination and harassment policy, and counselling for trans individuals and for co-workers. Such proactive policies are supportive not only for the trans individual but are educational and supportive for co-workers, and also reinforces national anti-discrimination laws.
It is common for trans people to go into stealth mode by leaving their home, family and employment re-emerging as their gender preferred self (Herman, 2006). Gaining employment from stealth mode is difficult as there can be no previous work-experience for the new self without disclosure of one’s previous self. By creating, as commonplace, a fully inclusive environment such as the MTEP would ensure that stealth mode for employment is unnecessary, that unemployment and homelessness is reduced for trans people, and the potential for mental well-being increased. It is also helpful for transsexuals who would like to have sex reassignment surgeries to be in employment so they may save up for the surgery they may wish to have.
The author works in a religious school (four R-10 campuses and one 11-12 with nearly 4,000 students in total) as a mental health counsellor where no trans students have transitioned at any level at school. This is not because the school has denied them per se, but the wider supports have never been in place to make school seem like a safe space to proceed. The author is currently working with the hierarchy to discuss a Safe School approach as we have become aware of a junior school student who last year made it known that they wished to transition from FTM and has the family and psychological support to do so. The path ahead will be an interesting one as the school is reacting to this case, as it has not had in place a proactive approach. However, mindful that Australian laws can allow our school, on religious grounds, to eject the student, the future is hopeful in that unisex toilets are being planned in all campuses over the next 5years (one is already commissioned for this year). This would suggest that despite the allowance to discriminate, the board and other leadership members are progressive enough to embrace and begin to support gender diversity. A positive community of practice is developing so that knowledgeable and appropriate support is in place for the student and community. A positive community of practice is a group of people with a common interest and goal (Wenger, 2001); ours is made up of school community members and professional agencies working together with the family. The ideal outcome for this student is that he feels wholly supported within his community and thrives as his preferred gender in mental and physical health, socially and to the best of his academic ability. The ideal outcome for the school would be to develop five Safe Schools with a well-educated community that will proactively provide support for all gender diverse students and community members.

To enable the well-being of all trans individual’s supportive and inclusive environments need to be established from the early years onwards. Government legislation needs to be synchronised across all states so that gender diversity is equal and fair across the nation. Discrimination should not be tolerated and current laws need to be amended so that religious institutions are in line with all government laws so that all trans individuals feel truly a part of their community.

References
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