[Controversial]There's a calling out that needs to be: Identity, medical issues, community

[danaelaurm]

There is a tendency among many trans people to label their transness as “strictly a medical issue”, usually as an excuse to insist that they do not identify as trans or that they do not consider being trans as something that can be part of an identity, period, for the less offensive version

Comments

[livelovewrite]

Man, can I relate to this post.

I would like to see transgenderism viewed as a viable and accepted choice. As opposed to a birth defect.

I mean, biology clearly plays a role in the construction of selves. But is there no autonomy in the matter? And why does it matter, anyway?

[danaelaurm]

I do feel trans people make a conscious choice to transition.

[danaelaurm]

True.

[misguidance]

I disagree. For some people it's not a choice at all- unless you consider death to be a viable choice too.

[danaelaurm]

The whole "transition or death" can be seriously hurtful, unless you're at this point in your 20s, you seriously put it off to reach that point. There was a choice made, even if it didn't seem much like one. I'm sure it was a very harsh one, but it was still made at some point :/

[misguidance]

As someone who has faced this choice, I can assure you that it's not really a choice at all.

I'm not saying this is true for all trans people, but having being transgendered classed as a choice isn't strictly accurate. And like moonlitdorian said- no medical action has to happen for an indevidual to be transgendered, so it simply wouldn't be correct.

[livelovewrite]

What if we lived in a culture that viewed transitioning as a valid choice? So that those who consider transitioning life-or-death AND those who choose to transition by choice both have autonomy and respect?

[misguidance]

I would like that, but I still don't think it's accurate to call it a choice. Unless you consider medical intervetion for fatal illnesses to be a choice too.

Like I say, I don't think that this definition applies to all trans people- I just think that saying some people have chosen this is not entirely accurate.

I would prefer a world where we don't have to class it as anything, no more than we have to class someone's hair colour or skin colour as a way of defining who they are inside.

[danaelaurm]

You don't die from being trans, but from putting off transition, seriously. It's not a fatal illness.

[misguidance]

...which means that for some people, forgoing medical treatment is as good as killing them. Which essentially means that they have no choice but to transition.

[danaelaurm]

Which wasn't the point being made.

[misguidance]

You said that you feel that transitioning is a choice. I am trying to explain why I disagree.

[danaelaurm]

IDGI

[gymx]

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