Ask a trans person!

[Nadeest]

The way that I understand and use the term 'transgender' is that it is someone who is gendervariant in some way. It is an all inclusive term including, but not limited to: transsexuals, drag queens, drag kings, tranvestites, and genderqueer people. Transsexual, on the other hand, is a much more restricted term, whose meaning is limited to people whose gender identity is different then what is presumed, when looking at their body. However, not everyone in the transgender world agrees with these useages/meanings. Yep, things get kinda confusing around transfolk, sometime. :P

[agape]

I would like to ask a question if anyone would like to give your thoughts about this: I wonder how you view "masculinity" as in clothes, behavior, energy etc in regards to someone identifying as male (I realize that what is considered "masculine" is relative but still...).
For example: how would you view a person identifying as male but still behaving/dressing in feminine ways, would you consider that confusing? The reason I ask is because I have encountered this issue when discussing transgender-issues, that gender and gender expression seem to be viewed by many ppl as almost one and the same. So when someone id's as male they are expected to dress, behave in a masculine way. (The same when someone id's as female...)
Personally, after both my own inner journey and also after doing some research/reading, I feel that gender and gender expression are two separate things... Meaning that it's possible for someone to id as male and still be very feminine.
I also feel that masculinity and femininity are more of a sort of energy/personality and don't have much to do with clothes, haircut and so on (but it could of course be expressed through those things).
I'm very curious to hear what others think about this!

[macele]

Originally Posted by harleycat

Got a question for you, Leigh... why do you have down that you're femme but yet you posted that you are an out FTM?

what agape and harleycat have questions about, ... seem to be along the same lines. which is, a person can be butch or femme and male.

i'm hope i'm not out of place.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by agape

I would like to ask a question if anyone would like to give your thoughts about this: I wonder how you view "masculinity" as in clothes, behavior, energy etc in regards to someone identifying as male (I realize that what is considered "masculine" is relative but still...).
For example: how would you view a person identifying as male but still behaving/dressing in feminine ways, would you consider that confusing? The reason I ask is because I have encountered this issue when discussing transgender-issues, that gender and gender expression seem to be viewed by many ppl as almost one and the same. So when someone id's as male they are expected to dress, behave in a masculine way. (The same when someone id's as female...)
Personally, after both my own inner journey and also after doing some research/reading, I feel that gender and gender expression are two separate things... Meaning that it's possible for someone to id as male and still be very feminine.
I also feel that masculinity and femininity are more of a sort of energy/personality and don't have much to do with clothes, haircut and so on (but it could of course be expressed through those things).
I'm very curious to hear what others think about this!

I agree with you. Male does not = masculine nor Female = feminine. Therefore, yes a male can be feminine.

Originally Posted by macele

what agape and harleycat have questions about, ... seem to be along the same lines. which is, a person can be butch or femme and male.

i'm hope i'm not out of place.

Some people say that the terms butch and femme should be reserved for the butch/femme community, but there are gay males who define as "butch", but it is a different type of butch.

Leigh's issue is not the same thing. Her sex/gender has shifted since the beginning of this thread. Perhaps she will come in and explain.

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by agape

I would like to ask a question if anyone would like to give your thoughts about this: I wonder how you view "masculinity" as in clothes, behavior, energy etc in regards to someone identifying as male (I realize that what is considered "masculine" is relative but still...).
For example: how would you view a person identifying as male but still behaving/dressing in feminine ways, would you consider that confusing? The reason I ask is because I have encountered this issue when discussing transgender-issues, that gender and gender expression seem to be viewed by many ppl as almost one and the same. So when someone id's as male they are expected to dress, behave in a masculine way. (The same when someone id's as female...)
Personally, after both my own inner journey and also after doing some research/reading, I feel that gender and gender expression are two separate things... Meaning that it's possible for someone to id as male and still be very feminine.
I also feel that masculinity and femininity are more of a sort of energy/personality and don't have much to do with clothes, haircut and so on (but it could of course be expressed through those things).
I'm very curious to hear what others think about this!

Cloths don't make the person. One can be male ID'd and still wear whatever the hell one wants. When we as a society make cloths more important than people we fail at being humans. Labels are just a way of putting people into boxes. I don't fit nicely into boxes. Many here sure don't fit well into boxes, but how one self identifies is their business. I'll respect however one ID's, that's my responsibility as a human being.
Self discovery means that gender is fluid, and being fluid ones gender can not be boxed. Be who you are, however that expression develops, you are the master of your life. I obviously don't pay much attention to what other people think when it comes to how I express myself. That comes with being comfortable in my own skin, your milage may vary.

[Sheridan]

1) When did you begin feeling like you were different?

I personally never felt like a little girl when I was a very young child. I did not like dresses or the color pink. I was into toy cars and trucks; I had no interests in dolls. Girls were playing house, dress-up, and were having tea parties and loved everything that was non-active play. I was playing cops and robbers or superheroes, climbing stuff (swings, trees, monkey bars, jumping off things…), I ran and played outside all day long, and rode my bicycle everywhere (it was my favorite thing that was mine). I still have the old bike and it shows every scar of experience (especially the wrecks). I watched action and science fiction TV shows while my girlfriends watched shows on girl stuff and how to be more feminine that I had no interest in. I loved science and finding out how things work (my mother's alarm clocks and my hand-held radios were just some of the victims). Going through puberty was not a happy time for me but I was lucky (I got small breasts and no PMS).

As an adult my behavior did not changed. I still dress only in male clothing. I am not into shoes (I have a couple of pairs of tennis shoes, a pair of dress shoes, and a pair of good boots that is all, simple). I am not into sharing my feelings (not a talker), though I can be caring if someone needs me. I am still a science geek. I still do not like any activities deemed feminine. I am still a very physical person (bicycling, weightlifting, walking, running, aerobics, yoga…) And if I do not have some time outside, I feel hyper and I do not feel well. I do not enjoy shopping (I find it a horrible chore) . I still watch science fiction and action TV shows and movies.

2) Did you always know that you should have been born the opposite sex, or did that come abit later though you always knew you were different?

Yes, for many internal and external facts:

Biological: Though, I have functioning female organs I have not had any of the hormonal side effects or pain that naturally comes from having them. I have never had PMS, I have light period, my uterus is smaller than normal, I have never had uncontrolled weight gain and gain muscle quickly instead…Nothing says it’s a true female body and it’s like my body is not really preparing for reproduction just faking it (I think my brain and body processes testosterone and estrogen differently giving me my own unique balance or something). I have never been tested and they say some differences cannot be found until an autopsy on the brain and reproductive organs are done (not wanting one of those).

Behavior: I have never acted feminine at anything. I am an alpha personality.

Society: I have been mistaken for a boy or a man all my life and I fit none of the gender roles that society puts on the female gender.

3) When did you decide to come out, and how did you come out?

I do not think I have ever been in. I either have been seen as a very butch lesbian or a boy or man (which I prefer, but the butch lesbian thing does not insult me either).

[always2late]

I have a question...and I guess this is the forum to ask...I recently started grad school (yay!). Although classes started earlier this week, our class orientation for my cohort was today. During orientation we were taught how to use a new computer system contracted by the school in order to keep track of our clinical hours. As a Speech-language Pathology grad student, I will be seeing clients in a variety of settings. The new computer program allows us to enter information about the client, such as age, gender, etc... When it came to the prompt for gender, there was a drop down box containing the three acceptable responses. They were "male," "female," and "transgender." So...my question is, do you think this is appropriate? My thoughts on the matter are that if your client states they are male, or female, shouldn't that be how you identify their gender? Is it necessary to identify them as transgender when they identify as a particular gender? What are your thoughts?

[DJ4321]

I'm in the same boat

[Liam]

Originally Posted by always2late

I have a question...and I guess this is the forum to ask...I recently started grad school (yay!). Although classes started earlier this week, our class orientation for my cohort was today. During orientation we were taught how to use a new computer system contracted by the school in order to keep track of our clinical hours. As a Speech-language Pathology grad student, I will be seeing clients in a variety of settings. The new computer program allows us to enter information about the client, such as age, gender, etc... When it came to the prompt for gender, there was a drop down box containing the three acceptable responses. They were "male," "female," and "transgender." So...my question is, do you think this is appropriate? My thoughts on the matter are that if your client states they are male, or female, shouldn't that be how you identify their gender? Is it necessary to identify them as transgender when they identify as a particular gender? What are your thoughts?

Perhaps the school is tracking this population for potential income and/or services that might be available in the future. With the recent overturn with Medicaid regarding medical transitional services, I can see where there might be federal funding available for transgender folks, in the near future. My other thought is that perhaps they are trying to address students who have not transitioned physically and/or they are intersexed or don't necessarily feel comfortable with the usual two choices for gender. In my experience there are more and more transgender folks preferring the gender neutral pronoun, they.

[DapperButch]

Hi, always2late, good to see you!

I think I am a bit thrown off. If this is for tracking clinical hours, isn't this something you fill in yourself after seeing the client? Is there a reason why you can't identify them in the way that they identify?

There are certainly people who after they "transition' (however they define that word), no longer identify as transgender as they see that as a brigde to male or female. Once they cross that bridge, so to speak, the term transgender no longer applies (I think this is what you were referring to).

As an aside, I'm surprised they didn't use the term "other". Liam referenced intersex folks and my experience is that many of them do not identify as transgender and would prefer the option "other" (along with all the other sexual minority groups who use bigender, non-binary, etc).

Interesting stuff.

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Liam

Perhaps the school is tracking this population for potential income and/or services that might be available in the future. With the recent overturn with Medicaid regarding medical transitional services, I can see where there might be federal funding available for transgender folks, in the near future. My other thought is that perhaps they are trying to address students who have not transitioned physically and/or they are intersexed or don't necessarily feel comfortable with the usual two choices for gender. In my experience there are more and more transgender folks preferring the gender neutral pronoun, they.

Ban lifting applies to Medicare, not Medicaid-at least for now

The appeals board's decisions are binding on HHS unless they are appealed in federal court. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency within HHS that manages Medicare, opted not to defend the transgender surgery exclusion before the five-member board and had initiated the process for lifting it on its own before Mallon filed her complaint.

The ruling does not apply to Medicaid, which provides health coverage for individuals and families with low-incomes and is regulated by the states. Some states have exclusions on sex reassignment surgeries and the sex hormones transgender people often take during their transitions, while others evaluate claims on a case-by-case basis.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medicare...urgery-lifted/

[Martina]

My assumption is that you shouldn't second guess your clients. If they say, male, then it's male. If they say female, then it's female. If they say something else, then transgender would be the umbrella term. I don't think you're supposed to choose transgender just because you can see or you guess that someone is trans. Just go down the questionnaire and ask, "Do you ID as male, female, or transgender?" Most people will answer with a "duh" in their tone. But so what?

I cannot imagine why this is relevant to speech pathology, but whatever. Good luck with your program. We need more SLPs out there.

[Martina]

Originally Posted by *Anya*

Ban lifting applies to Medicare, not Medicaid-at least for now

The appeals board's decisions are binding on HHS unless they are appealed in federal court. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency within HHS that manages Medicare, opted not to defend the transgender surgery exclusion before the five-member board and had initiated the process for lifting it on its own before Mallon filed her complaint.

The ruling does not apply to Medicaid, which provides health coverage for individuals and families with low-incomes and is regulated by the states. Some states have exclusions on sex reassignment surgeries and the sex hormones transgender people often take during their transitions, while others evaluate claims on a case-by-case basis.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/medicare...urgery-lifted/

I heard on the radio that it applies to people who get their insurance because they receive disability? I thought that was medicaid too. But that's what I heard.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by Martina

I heard on the radio that it applies to people who get their insurance because they receive disability? I thought that was medicaid too. But that's what I heard.

Medicare is for the disabled and those over age 65. Medicaid is for the indigent, it has nothing to do with one's health.

Regardless, I think that Liam meant Medicare when he said Medicaid.

[Corkey]

This just in:
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/...nment-surgery/

[Greyson]

Originally Posted by always2late

I have a question...and I guess this is the forum to ask...I recently started grad school (yay!). Although classes started earlier this week, our class orientation for my cohort was today. During orientation we were taught how to use a new computer system contracted by the school in order to keep track of our clinical hours. As a Speech-language Pathology grad student, I will be seeing clients in a variety of settings. The new computer program allows us to enter information about the client, such as age, gender, etc... When it came to the prompt for gender, there was a drop down box containing the three acceptable responses. They were "male," "female," and "transgender." So...my question is, do you think this is appropriate? My thoughts on the matter are that if your client states they are male, or female, shouldn't that be how you identify their gender? Is it necessary to identify them as transgender when they identify as a particular gender? What are your thoughts?

Hi always. Congratulations on begging Graduate school. I have just completed my first year in a very progressive seminary where we have many Trans students. Many of the students use various gender identifications such as gender queer, transmasculine, transman, male, transwoman, woman. I have transmen friends that what to be identified as Trans even though they are now legally identified as "male." I also know men that were born in a female body have transitioned and refer to their gender as male. I also know another transguy that has transitioned and still identifies as butch.

If I were in your position, I would identify their gender as they identify their gender. If they say they are male then they are male. If they say they are a transman, then trangender would be appropriate. If genderqueer, then perhaps male and female? If you are unsure as to what box to fill in, tell them what the options are on the form you are filling out and ask them would they choose any one or a number of the boxes. I hope this helps.

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Martina

I heard on the radio that it applies to people who get their insurance because they receive disability? I thought that was medicaid too. But that's what I heard.

If you are on Medicare because of a (Social Security Disability or SSD) disability, this would apply to *you*.

Medicaid or in California, Medi-Cal; are need/income based.

They are two separate programs though a person could have Medicare and Medicaid at the same time.

My parents are on Medicare but do not qualify for Medicaid as their income is higher than the criteria.

As far as the ban lifting, so far, it is just Medicare , not Medicaid but it may not be far behind.

It is a beginning and for that; I am glad.

Medicare vs. Medicaid, is very confusing and hopefully I got it right-anyone with a better understanding, please jump in.

[DapperButch]

Anya, you got it right.

[Greyson]

Originally Posted by Greyson

Hi always. Congratulations on begging Graduate school. I have just completed my first year in a very progressive seminary where we have many Trans students. Many of the students use various gender identifications such as gender queer, transmasculine, transman, male, transwoman, woman. I have transmen friends that what to be identified as Trans even though they are now legally identified as "male." I also know men that were born in a female body have transitioned and refer to their gender as male. I also know another transguy that has transitioned and still identifies as butch.

If I were in your position, I would identify their gender as they identify their gender. If they say they are male then they are male. If they say they are a transman, then trangender would be appropriate. If genderqueer, then perhaps male and female? If you are unsure as to what box to fill in, tell them what the options are on the form you are filling out and ask them would they choose any one or a number of the boxes. I hope this helps.

After one year of graduate school and writing papers all year using Chicago style, I am embarrassed to see just how many spelling and grammatical errors were in my post. It was late.

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by always2late

I have a question...and I guess this is the forum to ask...I recently started grad school (yay!). Although classes started earlier this week, our class orientation for my cohort was today. During orientation we were taught how to use a new computer system contracted by the school in order to keep track of our clinical hours. As a Speech-language Pathology grad student, I will be seeing clients in a variety of settings. The new computer program allows us to enter information about the client, such as age, gender, etc... When it came to the prompt for gender, there was a drop down box containing the three acceptable responses. They were "male," "female," and "transgender." So...my question is, do you think this is appropriate? My thoughts on the matter are that if your client states they are male, or female, shouldn't that be how you identify their gender? Is it necessary to identify them as transgender when they identify as a particular gender? What are your thoughts?

I think its only right to identify a client as transgender if they explicitly identify themselves that way or say they're comfortable being identified that way on the drop down. Could be some trans people would prefer to just put in the sex they identify as rather than just "transgender." Some might like it, others might not.

But overall I think those drop down options are limited. Putting someone simply down as "transgender" isn't going to tell much about them as far as their identity to begin with, since many people under the trans umbrella will identify as transmale/transfemale/gender neutral/genderqueer. A lot of places seem to be changing their options to put in a transgender one, but I really think it needs to be expanded beyond that, otherwise its pretty pointless and almost stigmatising in my opinion. What I like at a few clinics I've been to lately is that they let you pen in your own identity under some kind of "other" option. So you basically get to put in whatever detail you feel comfortable with, if you feel like it at all. Others will actually have trans man, trans woman, intersex and gender queer/gender neutral categories in addition to male/female. I think that's better as it doesn't just lump all trans people into a faceless "transgender" category.