...Enlgish 101A Mary Jaffe- Sullivan 1/19/2011 Laura Klein Let him Dance The word transgender seems to have stirred a whirlwind of controversy that has everyone burning up the phone lines, blogging, tweeting and using every form of media to argue whether or a not a man should be able to dance with a woman on a national dance competition. Chaz Bono should be able to partake in Dancing with the Stars without ridicule and be judged solely on his dancing technique. Activists are calling for boycotts of this number one rated show because Chaz Bono is one of many contestants this season. The controversy here is Chaz’s right to compete in peace on the show so that he will be judged by his dancing abilities only and not by his transgender identity. What is it that has everyone scared? Is it the fear of the unknown and lack of understanding of what being transgendered means? Transgender by definition is a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the persons sex at birth according to Webster’s, or simply put the inside doesn’t match the outside appearance of a man or women. There are a multitude of debates circulating around Chaz Bono dancing on this season’s Dancing with The Stars that it needs to be addressed. The “anti-Chaz” organizations state “he could be contagious to our children”, also that it will affect children negatively and is anti-Christian. These reasons are simply invalid and uneducated. Therefore Chaz Bono should...
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...chains.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau Termed as the ‘Third Gender’, Transgenders are often mistreated and mocked at. Let’s first take a look at the definition of the term ‘Transgenders’. According to Oxford “Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex.” Transgenders, many people assume came to this world only recently and out of nowhere. But in fact they have existed since the beginning of time. During the Mughal Era of 1500 – 1600s Transgenders had powerful roles in the administration, but the British striped them off their roles and status in politics and the society. According to the SWTEN report “85% of Transgenders knew by the time they were 8 years of age that their gender identity deferred from that at birth and of what the society expected from them.” As technology has now advanced to unimaginable levels people can now medically change their gender if they wish to or feel like they belong to a different gender. One such example in recent times is that of Caitlyn Jenner. Biologically born as a man named Kris Jenner, Caitlyn decided to undergo a sex change operation...
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...When It Comes To Transgender Everyone is assigned a gender when born. It is how we act and look like, and it also revolves around everything that we do in life. Gender is what describes the characteristics that a society or culture depicts as masculine or feminine. Today, most countries define gender by the genetic reference at birth. Transgender: according to Merriam-Webster, the definition of being transgender is: of, relating to, or being a person (as a transsexual or transvestite) who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person's sex at birth. People who identify as transgender have to go through serious procedures to be the person they are. They first have to go through therapy to be identified as transgender and also be diagnosed with Gender Identity. After therapy they have to go through hormonal therapy, and from there some people get surgery. Society discriminates the transgender community because they will not conform to society. Most people who identify as transgender, but cannot pursue treatment because they either cannot get accepted for health care or cannot afford it go through the extreme just to try to be happy. According to Amy D. Ronner from the article Let’s get the “trans” and “sex” out of it and free us all, some people who identify as transgender die because of a lack of resources. They either perform risky procedures on their own, or are so unhappy with themselves that they cannot live with...
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...negative response from the public. This is just one of the challenges transgender people face on a daily bases. I remember growing up and hearing things such as “why can’t they just except who they are and move on” or “all they want is attention if they don’t watch out they are going to get the kind they don’t want”. Sadly some of these things I heard growing up came from people that I loved, respect and even admired. Transgender people are constantly under fire, they are accused of being mentally unstable, morally bankrupt, and even misguided souls by delusional parents. People who are born naturally male and views themselves as female or born as a female but views themselves as male are not the same as gay or lesbian. According to Kathy Kreitler in her article “Top 10 Myths About Transgender People” she shares with us that sexual orientation is defined as the preference an individual is attracted to but gender identity is what a person actually believes what their gender is (Kreitler, 2012). One does not have to be engaged in a homosexual act or even passed the age of puberty to be considered transgender. Many people who consider themselves homosexual love the gender they were born with and wouldn’t change it for the world. While transgender people feel trapped in a body that they feel they are not. Some people find transgender people as a group of people with a mental disorder. The only cure for a transgender person is to give them what they want which is surgery to become...
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... gay, bisexual, and transgender community is one of the most unique subcultures out there because it focuses on something that most people take for granted: their identity. For most in this community, questioning that identity starts at a young age. They will notice that something is different about them, and some know right away how they are different. For others, it can take years to find themselves. Even if someone does know from a young age who they are, they can be met by obstacles in the form of society, their culture, and even their parents. Though LGBT community has faced a lot of discrimination and prejudice, through the building LGBT community and positive media representation, the community has seen a lot of improvement....
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...Abstract The world of a person who identifies as transgender is complex and challenging. In today’s America, when a person’s gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation deviates from their biological make-up, they are at risk of rejection or physical harm. Many will struggle with the challenges as a result of a world that medicalizes and stigmatizes gender non-conformity. The transgender population needs more understanding, support and protection as they face the many psychological, social and economic issues during their life time. Our Federal and State governments are reluctant to pass laws that protect the rights of transgender people. Far too often, given this lack of legal protection, society is able to discriminate against...
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...Natalie Duran Frisone Period 3 5 May 2015 Conversion Therapy “More than 50% of the transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday” (Youth Suicide Prevention Program). For anyone transgender, gay, or one who identifies on the LGBTQ spectrum, a range of sexualities and gender identities, living and surviving in the world blissfully is challenging. Without support or acceptance within your kin it could lead to even more complications or even an unwanted and forced response, being sent to conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is an option a great deal of parents or legal guardians use in an attempt to change one’s gender or sexual orientation they don’t agree...
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...Discrimination against Transgender Individuals Outline I. Introduction A. Opener: B. Thesis Statement: This research paper will be discussing about discrimination against transgender individuals in society, at work, and in marriage as well as in family. II. First of all, there are discrimination against transgender individuals in society. A . Transgender individuals face discriminatory barriers to full equality 1. face difficulties meeting their basic needs 2. having their gender identity respected B. Transgender individuals face more severe discrimination than LGB individuals III. Besides that, there are also discrimination against transgender workers. A. Costs of discrimination 1. transgender individuals were fired without reason 2. transgender workers experienced unfairness A. B. High risk of unemployment and poverty IV. There are discrimination in marriage and in family. A. Discrimination in marriage 1. cannot stay in a marriage if gender is changed 2. parenting issues after transition B. Discrimination by family members V. Conclusion: Discrimination against Transgender Individuals What is LGBT? LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. Lesbian stands for a woman who is romantically, sexually or emotionally attracted to woman, gay stands for a man who is romantically, sexually or emotionally attracted to man while bisexual stands for an individual who attracted...
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...Born This Way - A Research Paper on Transgender Everyone has a gender; it is a thing affects everything in our lives. It affects how we act like and look like every day. However, have you ever thought about what is gender? Gender is the thing that describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine (Nobelius). Today, most of the countries define gender base on the physical and genetic sexuality at birth. There is at least one transgender person, whose self-gender identity is different from the assigned gender sex at birth, in each 100 people (NCTE). Under the rules of our society, there are at least 70 million people living in the world without their identity. Loss of identity also comes with life-threatening discriminations and inequities to them. To solve this serious problem and to improve the harmony of the society, gender’s definition should be redefined to include transgender and not only base on the physical sexuality at birth. Before everything else, the most important question is: what is transgender? From the definition of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, transgender is the state of one's self gender identity not matching one's assigned sex which based on physical sexuality at birth (GLAAD). To be easier to imagine, I would use a simple example. Imagine that your name is Tom. One day, while you are sleeping, someone assigns “Peter” as your name. After that, everyone starts calling you “Peter” while you can never...
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...not even an element of it. Transgender is actually when somebody is born into what they recognize as the wrong body. They feel as if they identify with the opposite sex rather than their own. This essay will focus on only one side, the trans-masculine side, which is usually assigned female at birth people identifying as transgender. It will talk about physical and mental struggles, social relations, and supporting transgender people. Initially, there are several struggles we face, physical...
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...jail? Transgender individuals in the right facility are a major concern of prisoners going through transgender change. As a refugee from Nicaragua, Luisa Espinosa was required to walk a gauntlet bare-chested while other inmates laughed, leered and made insults to her breasts. Espinoza stated many times inmates and officers made fun of her and making homophobic slurs. She had received this type of abuse in Nicaragua; she did not expect it here (Garvin, 2003). Espinoza was born male but had not yet completed the surgery to become a woman. She identified as a female her whole life. She has dressed as a female, wears her hair as a female and speaks femininely. She sits in jail awaiting the Immigration and Naturalization Service makes every effort to send her back to Nicaragua where she faces the same ridicule (Garvin, 2003). Formal complaints have been lodged with the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors by Espinoza and other transgender prisoners. They are stating the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department habitually violates the rights of transgenders. The grievances are the beginning to civil lawsuits and outline constant incidences of discrimination against Espinoza and other transgender inmates, prejudiced comments by jail employees and steady sexual harassment. This paints a picture of transgender people singled out for cruel and unusual chastisement in Sacramento’s main jail. Espinoza stated the San Francisco jail has more experience in housing transgender inmates...
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...Transgender Rights I have been drawn to the moral and social issue of transgender rights from suicides like Leelah Acorn to the outing of celebrity Bruce Jenner, the awareness has raised a dream of equallity for the gender as any other, including being a female or male as desired and getting treated as one (such as bathrooms, marriege, adoptions, etc.). According to research, only 22 states have taken action for the transgender citizens of America by passing LGBT laws. These states even have health care options for treatments for those feeling they know they aren't meant to be the sex they were born and stamped to. Therefore, the health care offers hormone pills for those in need, and certain procedures for conversion. Although LGBT laws are passed in 22 states only 15 have states have placed laws for harrassment or any kind of discrimination in public and 19 states consisting of school safe laws, allowing transgender children to enter shool as the sex they truly feel. I propose seeking more support by government by allowing a trial of some sort to pass federal laws in favor to the transgender community, and raising community awareness with events and websites, all for the beautiful transgender people of america. I will be interviewing Bruce Jenner if things go through and ask him thoroughly about the life of a person who has to be hidden from society due to the brutality of people and those in unsupport of transgender men and women in America. If not, I will survey people...
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...Far worse than rejection by society, some transgenders faced rejection by their families. One transgender woman hid her gender identity from her parents. She told her mother that her drag ball trophies were from men’s basketball games. When the transgender woman’s father found out the truth, he revealed the truth to the mother. The mother burnt all of the transgender woman’s clothing out of devastation and embarrassment. This story provided personal insight into the pain and hardship that transgenders faced within their families — a place meant to provide comfort and safety. Although the people could not control the way they were born, they were forced to deal with the unpredictable reactions of their loved ones. The circuit ball provided...
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...Bathrooms are a place where an individual uses everyday with little to no thought. As for people who don't identify by gender lies a whole world of complications. Transgender people get harassed and bullied everyday because they use the "wrong" bathroom but which bathroom is exactly the "right" one? In a recent poll, 59 percent of Americans believe that transgender individuals should use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender they were assigned at birth, while 26 percent are comfortable with self-determination when it comes to choosing which bathroom to use. Some people believe that if you are born a girl but identity as a man, you should still use the room based on your genitalia. Others believe if you identify as a man, you should use the men's room. Either way, someone in either bathroom is upset. Stereotypes from the past as well as what genitals people are born with are major contributors to the labeling of bathrooms. This presents a problem in today’s society where gender and sex is no longer the same thing. This is where the controversy lies. Until not too long ago, the racial separation of bathrooms was an important civil rights issue in the United States. Since there were unlikely to be four separate bathrooms, only white women and men could depend on having someplace to pee when traveling (Cooper and Ruth, 1999, Pages 12-13). People of other races had no where to use a restroom and were seen as wrong if they were to ever use a whites only bathroom. Twenty years...
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...Should the Girl Scouts of America be Allowed to Include Transgenders? The Girl Scouts of America has recently issued a statement allowing transgenders—associated as a girl—will be accepted as a member. There has been a continuous argument with right-wing conservatives throughout the entire country but specifically in Louisiana. Upon the release of the statement, many donors have stopped funding the program considering they believe transgenders shouldn’t be allowed in the gender specific society. There have been only a few stipulations considering transgender entry and portray the purpose to be for the well being and safety of the member. Changes in something that is correlated as traditional has caused a stir throughout the balance of equality and proves ideas can be changed in an instance upon someone or something being too insensitive about a subject. Therefore, Girl Scouts of America has just begun a revolution within the transgender youth community and should be ceased regarding they are straying away from their foundational beliefs. The origin of Girl Scouts was brought to life within the state of Georgia. Girl Scouts of America was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 claiming that her idea spawned from the creators of Boy Scouts. She believed that there should be an organization girls could be involved Humphreys 2 in where they “had a place to grow and develop their leadership skills.” Therefore, her legacy would...
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