Speaking Engagement; and Intellectual Dishonesty in Our Politics

[ahunter3]

On April 29, I presented my talk about gender inversion and being genderqueer to an audience at Baltimore Playhouse. This was fundamentally the same talk I presented at LIFE in Nassau in March of last year

Comments

[anonymous]

I enjoyed your talk and learned a lot.

[mallorys_camera]

It's frustrating that so many of these people who are trying to obtain the surgery they need can't just get into the program. Instead, we have had to position the need on a biological basis, as correcting a birth defect, and we're trying to show a pattern on MRI of the brain, but that means you have to demonstrate that difference or you would be denied coverage.

Cosmetic surgery isn't covered by insurance unless it's necessitated by some underlying medically verifiable condition.

No doubt I will get flamed for writing this, but I think the whole "medical justification" model of transgender reassignment is bullshit. It goes along with the medical model for depression, which I also think is bullshit in the majority of cases: The brain is a very supple organ that's susceptible to many, many feedback loops, including exercise, full spectrum sunlight, Vitamins B & D, orgasms, and yes, Prozac. But it isn't like diabetes. There are lots of ways to shake it.

Gender reassignment is a body mod. I think, have always thought, that

[ahunter3]

I consider body mods done for any reason to be body mods. Open heart surgery is a body mod

[mallorys_camera]

Open heart surgery is a "body modification" in that it modifies the body, but the distinction I make is that body mods are cosmetic. Open heart surgery is not cosmetic.

Many people might argue that if you feel as though you were born in the wrong body, the need to change that is more than cosmetic, but I don't agree; in fact, I think that kind of biological determinism is cowardly. If you want to be something other than what you were born -- in terms of XX or XY, in terms of genitalia -- own that decision. Don't blame it on biochemistry.

And change it! With my blessing. But not with my monetary subsidy.

Mine is not a popular opinion, of course.

And the reason I brought up "depression" in my posting above is because I've heard variations on that "cleft palate" example with people before, generally in regards to depression although the comparison there is with diabetes. "Diabetics need to take insulin," they'll say, "and that's the exact same thing as me taking SSRIs."

Except that it's notBecause there are lots and lots of

[magentametrix]

I enjoyed your presentation, especially the personal stories at the end. I wonder if moving one of those up to the beginning would capture people's attention more quickly than listing some theoretical issues for later discussion.
Your charts were very helpful. Scatterplots are great storytelling tools! I keep thinking of ways to make them more descriptive (e.g., circles vs. squares for body type), but that wouldn't work as well for a presentation - maybe an article or your book. If you decide to go that direction - let's talk!
Thank you for sharing such a personal issue with us, and for providing the impetus for us to get out and see friends.

[anonymous]

I enjoyed your talk and learned a lot.