Date: Sun, 5 May 1996 20:09:41 GMT Subject: TRANSACTIVISTS PROTEST APA - CALL FOR END TO "GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER" From: riki@nyc.pipeline.com (Riki Anne Wilchins) TRANSACTIVISTS PROTEST APA - CALL FOR END TO "GENDER IDENTITY DISORDER" [May 5, 1996 - New York City] This afternoon over a dozen gender activists from the queer community, Transexual Menace (CT), Transexual Menace (NY), Transexual Menace (Men), and TOPS, demonstrated outside the annual meeting of American Psychiatric Association and called for an end to diagnosing transpeople as mentally disordered. The diagnostic category of "Gender Identity Disorder" (GID, also known as "gender dysphoria") is routinely applied to anyone seeking sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Activists handed out over 1,000 leaflets [text follows]. Others held up signs saying "Keep Your Laws OFF My Body" and "Gender Euphoria NOT Gender Dysphoria." The demonstration continued for several hours while attendees arrived, many of whom stopped to chat with demonstrators. Some seemed shocked at the sight of so many black "Transexual Menace" T-shirts outside the convention hall, while others were amused, intrigued or supportive. NY State Police had initially sought to move demonstrators from their site in front of the Jacob Javits Center where the Convention was held. They relented only when several members of TOPS, the national organization for trans peace officers, including Deputy Sherrif Tonye Barreto-Neto and Lt. Janet Aiello, showed their badges and identified themselves as fellow officers. They patiently explained why they were there and negotiated for half an hour, after which Police allowed demontrators to stay. One trooper privately explained to demontrators that he wanted to be supportive, having done papers on transexuality in college. Dissension Over GID Within TransCommunity ----------------------------------------- In spite of the demonstration, removing GID as a psychiatric diagnosis has been a source of continuing dispute within the transcommunity. The diagnosis has enabled many transexuals to obtain insurance reimbursement for the $10-40,000 cost of SRS, without which they could never have afforded it. Notably, most of those at the demonstration who were transidentified were also post-operative. Other activists point out this reimbursement has been accomplished at the expense of pathologizing an entire class of tens of thousands of people, including non-complaining crossdressers and transgendered people who have no desire for surgery. They further maintain the tide on reimbursement is clearly going out in the current political climate. Some have compared "GID" to "homosexuality" when it was a disorder: more a political than a medical category. Since they show no symptoms of mental impairment or disorder, they state they resent the diagnosis. GID Used Against Other GenderQueers ----------------------------------- GID has also come under increasing fire from the larger queer community, which has noted its use in obtaining "corrective treatment" for non-complaining gender-variant children as young as 2-4, as well as against "butchy" teenage lesbians and "nelly" teenage gayboys whose parents simply fear the stigma of queer offspring. This has led some to seek a compromise strategey which, while removing GID as a mental disorder, would retaining some medical basis for reimbursement. They point out intersexed "corrective" [sic] surgery is routinely reimbursed without question, although it is often exclusively and openly cosmetic. In addition, they note that childbirth is also reimbursed but is not a disease or a disorder. Queer Shrinks To Consider GID ----------------------------- Dr. Wynelle Snow, MD, a psychiatrist and member of Transexual Menace (CT), and Riki Anne Wilchins of Transexual Menace (NYC) met with members of the Association of Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Psychiatrists during the convention, to air transgender concerns and seek the association's support. The AGLBP will be taking up the issues in its upcoming meetings. In addition, Dr. Snow is formally requesting the group change its name to include "Transgender." Contact: Wynelle Snow MD, WynelleSnow@mem.po.com Riki Anne Wilchins, Riki@Pipeline.Com [END] [FLIER TEXT BEGINS] FLASH! APA Discovers New Disorder: *** GenderPatho-Philia *** "an unnatural need to pathologize any gender behavior that feels different, unfamiliar or uncomfortable" Did you know: the APA supports pathologizing gender behavior in infants, adolescents. Butch girls & nelly boys have even been put on locked wards? Did you know: "gender identity disorder" is used to treat uncomplaining children as young as 2 or 3 years of age? If your boy plays with dolls or your girl with trucks, you can get them "corrective treatment." Did you know: If youre a woman who enjoys wearing pants, youre "normal," but if youre a man who likes to wear a dress, you suffer from a "disorder?" Has the APA ever heard the word "patriarchy?" Did you know: transpeople are routinely turned down for health and disability coverage because they must answer Yes when asked "Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?" HEY APA! Get Your Laws Off Our Bodies We're not quiet. We're not well-behaved. And we're not going away. The Transexual Menace: Just your average group of guys in dresses and women in pants with poor impulse control. [FLIER TEXT ENDS] (If you received this release as a CC from someone and would like to get future press releases directly, you can join the InYourFace online news service. 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