In Conclusion - My Personal Thoughts and Backstory

This is where I bring this blog to a close. I know one or two of you mentioned me continuing it, but my online life lies more in Livejournal and Tumblr than in Blogger. Besides, I'd rather leave these issues to people who are further invested in it than I am. If you would like to continue reading and learning more about trans people, here are a couple good sites to frequent: The Transadvocate and Genderqueer Identities.

There really is no reason for my posting this except I find it absolutely hilarious. Cookies if you get it.

Ever since I was a child, I've dabbled in blurring the lines of the gender binary. When my brother, cousin, and I would play "make believe" or "pretend" I always acted as a male character. This continued into my teenage and adult life in my roleplaying (which is creating a character and acting/reacting as they would to various situations; think kind of like improv writing or acting). I solely write as male characters. In the live action roleplay I participate in, I have two male characters. When I write, I love, love, love gender bending. I have several characters of an ambiguous gender, much to my father's chagrin.

As for myself, I have a very complicated gender identity. Well, not terribly so. I fall under "genderqueer" in that I feel male-minded, but female-bodied. I am (mostly) okay with this. I only have one friend (out of the few I've "come out" to) who treats me like a guy and uses male pronouns and I absolutely love it. Will I ever use testosterone and get surgery? Probably not. I don't need to conform to a certain gender code to feel happy with who I am.

  

Thanks again for all of your wonderful comments and for reading. I wish you all the best as we go through finals. Merry Christmas! Have a happy holiday season!

The Sad Truth of It - Hate Crimes Against Transgender People

This is something that, though upsetting, needs to be talked about. According to Transgender Law and Policy Institute "an estimated 2 to 5% of the population are transgender (i.e., experience some degree of gender dysphoria). The number of people who identify as transsexual and undergo sex-reassignment is smaller. Recent statistics from the Netherlands indicate that about 1 in 12,000 natal males undergo sex reassignment and about 1 in 34,000 natal females. Over time, the gap between the reported numbers of MTFs and FTMs transsexuals is closing."

As you can see, the numbers are staggering. It is the purpose of this blog to inform you of these issues. Even if only 15-20 people have read this, that's 15-20 who are now more knowledgeable of a minority group than before. Comments, such as the ones you guys have left me, are truly uplifting and knowing that you are even thinking and processing what you've read means I've done my job. Thank you. Thank you so very much for that.

Third Gender Options in Other Countries

Earlier this year, two major accomplishments occurred regarding transgender people.

Beauty pageant in Nepal

 For the first time during their census, Nepal took information on third gender people as well as men and women. A recent Supreme Court decision has allowed for a third gender choice on official government paperwork. Even with these steps forward, there is still some brutality against the LGBT community in Nepal. However, many members keep their hopes up due to the Court decision and the fact that Nepal is currently in the process of rewriting their constitution.

In Australia, people now have the ability to use a third gender marker on their passport. They now have the choice of male (M), female (F), or indeterminate (X). This allows transgender and gender variant people to travel without anxiety about their identification.


"There have been very many cases of people being detained at airports by immigration in foreign countries simply because their passports don't reflect what they look like," Louise Pratt, an Australian senator, told Australian radio. "It's very distressing, highly inconvenient and frankly sometimes dangerous."

Now, if only we could implement something like these countries have here in the U.S.

Third Gender - Fa'afafine and Hijra

After making the post about Andrej, I thought it would be neat to research third gender ideas from different cultures. Francessa pointed out the Fa'afafine culture in Samoa.
 

I love this picture on multiple levels.

Fa'afafine are biological males who exhibit a female gender orientation. They aren't always raised as females or the third gender, but neither are they encouraged or discouraged to act in a feminine way. While they are not limited to traditional female roles, it is common for them to do the same tasks as other women.

In India, there is a group known as the Hijra. Again, they are born males who now identify as females or neither gender. They sometimes live in self contained communities led by a guru.

Sadly, Hijra are seen as being of a low status, often having to beg or prostitute for money. Sometimes, they perform at ceremonies such as weddings or births. The people there cannot turn them away and will even pay them for fear the Hijra will release bad wuju on the infant or future infants. This comes from a myth where Ramayana left his devoted followers in a forest where they waited 14 years for him to return. Touched by their love, he gave them the ability to grant blessings on people during special occasions.

~*~

This is only a brief glimpse into how other countries view third gender or gender variant people. I could honestly start a whole other blog about them.