Identifying As A Transsexual

Many people live their entire life assuming that gender identity remains an aspect hooked onto a man’s or woman’s sense of self from birth throughout the whole, normal development of one’s life. In other words, such people will not even conceive of a term such as transgender or transsexual. This does not mean that they are against the ideas of transgenderism and transsexuality; they simply ignore the existence of such facts because they have been educated in a traditional gender manner that generally neglects the complementary dimensions of gender identity.

However, just being unaware of such aspects does not mean they are unreal. On the contrary, transgender and transsexual individuals are becoming more and more visible nowadays. If you compare the current level of transsexual awareness with the one registered just 10 or 20 years ago, you come to realize that it has increased along with the numbers of transsexuals or TGs who choose to make an unequivocal statement of their identity.


What is the first assumption people generally make when considering gender? Well, the widespread hypothesis is that gender identity is an issue strictly connected to one’s description in terms of his or her genitalia. However, if that were true, we would no longer be talking about notions such as “a woman trapped inside a man’s body” or “a man trapped inside a woman’s body”. What we mean is that the aspects that contribute to a complete definition of gender identity are far more complex than mere genitalia considerations. Many view transgender and transsexual dimensions associated with a blend of psychological, spiritual and, finally, physical factors.

In other words, transgenderism and transsexuality are here to confirm that gender identity and gender roles can be flexible. In this manner, the rigidity of gender functions becomes an obsolete approach. The current increase in visibility of transsexual and transgender communities takes place as one of the immediate consequences of women’s movements, as well as of gay and lesbian movements. The result is natural if you associate it with the need to express freely sexual and gender concerns.

In fact, such free expression is the consequence of another development – this time at the level of technology and of the tools to use for transitioning from the gender given at birth to the gender you feel you belong to at least psychologically. In this manner, people can operate the transition from one gender to another fully. Generally, this type of physical transition secures the complete desired transformation.

Indeed, surgical procedures do operate at the strict level of the genitalia. However, this does not bring the discussion of transsexuality and of transgenderism back to the perspective rigidly fixed on the definition through genitalia. The best argument to support our position is that no physical transition would occur unless at the psychological level the transition hadn’t already taken place.

Subsequently, contemplating transgenderism and transsexuality as one-dimensional social events would mean restricting them unfairly to a view biased by merely sexual considerations. Such prejudices could bring a lot of damage, the same as any other type of prejudice.

Transsexuality may imply male-to-female or female-to-male transition. Transgenderism doesn’t always imply such transitions. However, the point is that as long as, from an emotional and psychological point of view, you identify as “the other”, there is nothing wrong in carrying out this identification at the physical level as well.

By: Ken Wilson

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Transgender and transsexual individuals have found their way of becoming visible. They stay hidden no longer. This is a fact that speaks a lot about the diversity of identities (not only gender identities) that are characteristics to our society.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

# of Ratings = 3 | Rating = 4.3/5