Groundwork for the Campaign against the pathologizing of Gender Identity Stop trans pathologizing 2012
From the campaign and its demands
The actions from Oct. 17 were a demonstration in different parts of the world, simultaneously, against trans pathologizing. There were more than 17 cities that participated in the action.
The demonstration called by that date had its origins in the initiative of the manifestations of trans visibility in Paris (called Existrans) that comes from taking to the streets for almost ten years. In this act joined some groups of the Spanish State with the characteristic of being incorporated by this time the fight against gender identity disorder trans. The first actions occurred in 2007, in Madrid and Barcelona parallel with those of Paris, and by 2008 were already 11 cities in the world who were mobilized on 17 October against the pathologizing trans
All these actions point to a single objective: that the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-V), which will appear in 2012, removed from its pages gender identity as "objectively disordered identity.
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) for consideration in this period, possible changes in the content of their textbooks and has been disseminating a survey to collect relevant information. For that reason it is necessary to deepen our actions and disseminate our views on an issue so crucial to us and us.
We must focus efforts on a coordinated expression with as many cities as possible in the following years until 2012 to require trans despatologización identities.
This goal is apparent that the campaign is named "Stop the pathologizing Trans - 2012" (Stop Trans Pathologization), it aims to bring together all possible actions against gender identity disorder. For the case of a concerted effort, without interfering with the autonomy and the characteristics of each space, the slogans of the demonstration may vary between cities, but the sub theme "Stop the pathologizing Trans - 2012" is maintained for all cases
The proposal by the October 17 campaign focuses on five basic requirements:
1. The removal of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) of both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), which are related to the World Health Organization.
2. The removal of the mention of sex in official documents.
3. The abolition of the binary standard treatments intersex people.
4. Free access to hormonal treatments and surgery (without psychiatric care)
5. The fight against transphobia: promoting educational training and social integration and employment of trans people
The justification
The campaign for despatologización trans identity claims a fundamental right to gender identity is recognized as a right and which carries no implication of psychological disorder, so that opens the doors to civil rights.
This campaign comes against the stigma that is disqualifying gender identity in both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association and the International Classification of Diseases.
For the development of DSM IV and ICD-10, the researchers were organized into working groups comprising experts. Subsequently, the views of the working groups were analyzed by a group of advisors. Although there were many people involved in the discussion, it has not got rid of having a biased view about sexual identity, especially if we consider that they have been trained in an approach that reflects the gender binary as a model of health and normality. The average individual in a particular culture, including scientific and academic sector perceive and think by the standards of conduct that validate societies and achieve multiple domains of functioning in the behavioral and psychological,naturalizing their feelings. The specific criteria to guide their observations and systematize, then summarizing the results on average in conduct which sets the benchmark for normalita, does not take into account the ingenuity and creativity that characterizes the person and the freedom to be guided by different paths. These expressions out of bed are constrained by the rigorous process of socialization and qualifies as abnormalities or disorders. The great discoveries of mankind have left knowledge that once were fought because they dind´t correspond to the usual observance average.
It is assumed that the identities they assume men and women within the gender binary framework in which human societies have been strengthened are valid and healthy expressions. These, in their development processes and fixation are comparable with the processes that follows trans identities, but but alternative expressions that duality and that exceed the binary are white fundamentalist bias and disqualified the blazons of disorder, illness, disease or abnormality. It is stigmatized and outlaw identities that break genre boundaries by having internalized personal meanings from their intimate experience that leads to further learning beyond the control of the patriarchal and heteronormative power and end up being demolished by the social moral sanction in terms of mental disorder and pathologies of identity; thereby enacting state control of this iconoclastic population through health institutions and professionals assigned to the services provided. This action policy direction from the centers of power coercively rule inevitably affects our sexuality trans identities, taken in any form, also reaching the intersexed.
Although it must be clear that the construction of identity, whether as a man, woman or trans, are equally valid and has similar learning processes, with the characteristics that gives it the exercise of cultural liberty. We must understand that because of discrimination and social exclusion are generated serious conflicts in social interaction, creating psychological patterns that affect the emotional balance in some and in other. It is the conflict between individual freedom and social norms permeated by gender where are these imbalances, which
Contradictions
It has posed a false dilemma in this campaign, because it says that removing the diagnostic manuals consideration of personality disorder and sexual identity is detrimental to a section of trans people, because it collides with the right to access health that includes within its covers the supply of hormones and provision of services in genital reassignment surgeries. But those who fear the risk of being neglected if the diagnosis that allows attend to is eliminated from the CIE and DSM Manual, who believe a law can displace the other, they forget that the right to sexual identity and respect to freedom expressed in it, is integral to the trans population, not a right that can be mortgaged, because dignity has no price. All rights are universal and therefore be deprived of this right by the use of social recognition is not violating the uniqueness of the person and make it unintelligible to the social environment, why is precluded, reinforcing this measure with the stigmatization of their identity.
Certainly, this issue is more sensitive in developed countries, where there is a health system that provides coverage to its population, situation contrasts with that Third World countries are far from having resources to care for their citizens, in which the privatization of health trends do that right unattainable for trans people and in which these services are given out of control but one that other country.
The same Judith Butler has picked up this dilemma in his book Undoing Gender and has been emphatic in saying that while the pathologizing of gender identity is a tool for access to certain medical services, is also a tool for people transphobic that are right. Therefore, the principle to be demanding is autonomy.
However, Butler has been too cautious in stating that "it would be a mistake to seek its eradication without having previously established a series of frameworks for paying the transition and getting the legal status" (122). Most of the countries where the health system provides services to trans people is precisely because there is a legislative device that recognizes them as Duch, in this sense, the task would be rather separate a thing from the other or that their relationship ceases to be covered on medical grounds.
The right to health and the enjoyment of a physical, mental and social activity is right where the trans community must also make a response against its peculiarities. A section of trans people for whom it is meaningful access to hormones and sex reassignment surgery that crossing the current medical have in these procedures a way for their bodies to fit in socially expected ways, under the watchful oversight of heteronormative society, to avoid confrontation and violence to the general dissent and discrimination that undermines their capabilities. Therefore, emotional disturbances seen in a person of any assumed identity is motivated by violence and transphobia that cripples as a result of this confrontation.
To argue that the account be deleted from sexual identity disorder would be made the trans community's demands as a matter of a luxury is not trae, as the deterioration of mental health is not the result of extraneous variables but with deep roots that are putting down roots in the fundamentalist idea that normalizes the sex-gender relationship determining that the female sex belongs only arguably the ideal woman and the male sex only belongs undoubtedly the ideal man.
That diagnosis must be current and not replaced by another wrong as stated today, so obtuse, stigmatized sexual identity. Someone would think to say that against a demand made by a man or a woman against what they consider amending a significant defect that compromises their sexuality, that the disorder lies in their sexual identity, when what is concerned is one aspect of the conflict caused by not being able to look at the social norm governing bodies on.Then, the corporation itself must bear the consequences of thinking that promotes and expects to internalize a segment of the population of trans and it does not exempt per se pathologizing gender identity and sexual.
It is a fact, in this connection that diagnosed within the category of a pathologizing, as it is now gender identity, produces a very serious disorder in people without any health problems; "Self-diagnosis can cause emotional damage to hurt the self esteem of a child who does not suffer from any mental disorder" (Butler 123). If this effect occurs in people in training, not just the damage they cause also in adults, it introduces a paternalistic structure that undermines the autonomy implicit in the right to identity. The net effect of maintaining gender identity in psychiatric and medical textbooks confuses autonomy with pathology (Butler). For Butler, as for those who support this campaign, there´s no doubt about the need for the right to freedom is free and not coerced by false truths, and that if access to medical services is conditioned for it contradicts the freedom it proclaims, and therefore liberty can not be chained. The campaign against trans pathologizing vindicates our dignity, liberty, integrity and autonomy. The few groups that do not join the campaign have said they disagree with the pathologizing of trans identity. To them and they are saying, then, making our own the questions of Butler, who must wonder if they are willing to adapt to psychological discourse which stipulates gender norms rather than to gender norms in themselves; and must also face that although the diagnosis alleviate their suffering (to allow access to health services they require, as this is possible), while also intensifying the suffering because it is still justified in the disease, rarity, the abnormality.
As Cornelia says Schneider, a member of the Transgender Support Group Transgenre Strasbourg: "the transgendered is not a medical problem but a political one. Claim launched the 17 October is one of the pillars that will have implications in the full enjoyment of our human rights. We realize there is a dilemma because the rights at stake do not collide, the contrary, they reinforce. The struggle we undertake must be vigilant in eradicating discrimination, stigma and transphobia that are settled in our societies from pole to pole, but we must undertake this fight without any crack in a common front.
Final words
We wanted to make this journey through the campaign "Stop the trans pathologizing 2012" to account for its history, but also to try to convince those souls still questionable
Do not be ashamed to demand our rights, or slip into a comfortable attitude of the "lesser evil". It is possible to dream the impossible, possible a different world, trans people are living proof of that. Perhaps the road and walk has been hard, hard enough for us to reject as major confrontations, but these confrontations are what have made us who we are and we can not deny or dismiss its possibility of transformation.
We trust that if they do not fully convinced, at least these sobering words, the continuity of dialogue, debate and exchange of views heights on the subject.
Belissa Andía Pérez
ILGA Trans Secretary
