When Simms started talking about gender as a disorder, we often relate trans-genderism and homosexuals together even though they are completely different. However calling both of them disorders is a stretch of the imagination. When the gender in your head doesn't match the one you own, how can you call that a disorder? There is nothing mentally hadi-capped with this. They aren't crazy or delusional in any way, these are kids and they can't be anything but blunt about there feelings at such an age where society is less likely to shelter their true feelings and preferences.
B) I believe Simms decision literally could have gone either way. Because she is beginning to let her son live as a girl (which he could just as easily gone through life with male genitals and found love and prospered dressed as a female/and or living like a female.) In my personal opinion i believe she is doing the right thing. You know that this wasn't a phase of Brandon's life but a feeling he cant control or deny. Brandon had technically been living like a girl his entire life anyways so would changing his gender really make much of a difference. Also, the rebel part of me thinks getting a sex change is that person conforming to the normal traits of: this boy is particularly feminine therefor: they should live as a woman, in-sted of a cross-dressing man. Society will give them a job blah blah blah. Im not saying that trans-genderism is wrong in any scenes. Its helped a lot of people truly be themselves, but how much of a difference would it be to have the genitals of the opposite sex you live as? Is society really making such an impact on whole gender schemas that someone who feels like they are a woman inside needs to put that on the out? Rosin's decision however i think was fueled less by her beliefs and more by her daughters happiness. She knows very well that her son is in the wrong body and really feels that she was alone for a long time. After visiting a gathering of transgender kids, she realized that this wasn't something wrong or a disease.
Heya, Holly.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts.
Indeed, labeling transgenderism a disorder is a tricky, perhaps dangerous, act. However, the "disorder" label perhaps relates to the amount of pain and strife endurred by the transgendered individual. How much does it interfere with the quality of life? Perhaps a lot--thus medical professionals label it a disorder so as to treat it. How can it be treated pharmaceutically/biologically if its not labeled a disordor? There are definate drawbacks, too, though--think self-esteem, society's stigmatization, etc.
Nice work, Girl!