Article: An Introduction to the "Transgender Community"

What and Where is the "Transgender Community?"

If you go into most major cities you find "ethnic neighborhoods." You will also usually find a neighborhood that is knowns as the "gay part of town." Within that gay subculture you will often find at least some people who are transgendered, but it is rare to have an area of a city which is known exclusively for its transgender inhabitants (Paris, France and Los Angeles, California notwithstanding).

"Transgender" is un umbrella term used to describe anyone who has an identity or presentation which is not what would be socially expected of them, based on their birthsex (or sex of rearing). It includes an incredibly diverse collection of people that includes, but is not limited to, "gender queers," "Drag Queens/Kings," "Transvestic Fethishists," "Heterosexual Crossdressers," "Transgenderists," "Transsexuals," and "Intersexed" people.

The concept of "community" for this diverse collection of people is possibly fictitious. Rarely would you find all those included under the term "transgender" collected in one part of town, nor would you find their motivations, concerns, fears, needs, desires, etc., to be the same. If transgendered people are not in geographic proximity, if they do not have a similar background, interests, or motivations it's hard to define them as a "community." The only characteristic this diverse collection of people seem to share is some degree of socially non-conformist expression or belief about their own gender. Certainly they aren't an "ethnic" nor "religious" community, nor are they a community bound by similar interests or locality - it would probably be a stretch to even consider them a "Transgender Demographic." So, you may be asking from where the idea comes that these groups of people form a "community?"

The idea that transgendered groups form a community may be partially rooted in mainstream social misunderstanding of the individual groups. If one were to say the word "transsexual" to an average person on the street, it is likely the image conjured in thier minds would be of a gay Drag Queen instead. By and large mainstream society only sees the superficial similarities at play with these diverse groups - the main similarity being that they see a person (usually male) who dresses or behaves like the opposite sex (as a female). To the casual observer all transgendered people are crossdressers (i.e, "men in drag").

The other major contributing factor to the concept of a "Transgender Community" is probably political activism. The lobbying groups favoring what they call "Trans Rights" have found it expedient to bolster their constituency by including diverse groups under the term "transgender." The idea is that, by swelling the ranks with as many people as possible, the movement for Trans Rights will be deemed "worthy" of serious consideration by lawmakers.

The Transgender Community on the Internet

Probably the best place to experience the Transgender Community is online. The anonymity and global nature of the Internet provides a relatively "safe" place for gender-variant people to initially explore their gender identities and to share experiences with other like-minded people. Even if a person is isolated and believes they are the ONLY transgendered person in thier area, they can - with relative anonymity - go online and connect with other people in similar situations. Furthermore it is a wonderful forum in which those who comprise the diverse groups under the Transgender Community can exchange ideas and learn about the experiences of others. While this might serve to factionalize some as they realize they have less in common with some groups than others, it can also help individuals better define their own identity within the community.

Admirers, Trolls & Tranny Chasers

Whether in real life or on the Internet, people in the Transgender Community often have to deal with males (though to be fair there are women who do this too) who make unwanted overtures toward transgendered people. Within the community they are often referred to as "Admirerers," "Trolls" (as in "trolling for dates") or "Tranny Chasers." Their reasons for seeking out transgendered people are varied, but often it seems they are attracted to transgendered people simply because of the social "taboo." The prospect of a relationship with a "T-girl" (or "T-boi") is considered "exotic" and very sexually arousing. In that respect the "trolls" and "chasers" have a sex fetish for transgendered people. Some also admit they are gay but do not want to be percieved publicly as gay, and dating a transgendered person maintains the "illusion" of a heterosexual relationship. Trolls and chasers rarely are able to see transgendered people as anything other than sex objects. On those occasions when a relationship does occur it often doesn't last once a transsexual undergoes SRS and becomes "less exotic." The more insidious trolls and chasers are actually attracted to the vulnerability of many transgendered people - seeking to exploit them for their own needs and desires.

Some trolls and tranny chasers are transgendered themselves but afraid to exhibit the behavior for whatever reasons, seeking instead to live vicariously through another transgendered person. Though such people are not exactly part of the Transgender Community, they are ever-present on the fringes of it in all but the most judiciously policed transgender spaces. By and large their kind of attention is not solicited nor appreciated by transgendered people - usually due to the initial assumption by trolls and chasers that ALL transgendered people are sexual deviants, which leads to highly inappropriate and often graphic introductions.

Problems within the Transgender Community

One of the chief problems within the so-called Transgender Community is that the individual groups which are perceived as comprising it have little common ground in actuality, nor did they exactly group together under the Transgender umbrella term by choice and some people who find themselves lumped into this classification are not happy about it.

This trends toward in-fighting and splintering to form factions with their own narrowly focused agendas leading to a lack of focus on larger issues. The individual groups within the Transgender Community cannot even agree what those larger issues are, much less the best way to address them.

Adding to this fracturing of the "community" are those within it who would prefer the creation of a social "third gender" where they would not be expected to conform to social norms of "male" nor "female." This is particularly problematic for other Trans Rights activists because it would require an uphill battle to re-engineer a society which is firmly rooted in a binary concept of sex and gender.

There are also charges from transsexual groups that the entire Trans Rights movement is dominated by the crossdressers agenda - and how their agenda may actually be hindering transsexual rights. The argument goes something like this: Heterosexual crossdressers maintain their male lives and jobs, they have the financial security to contribute money to lobbying efforts, but in exchange they demand "Trans Rights" include establishing their legal right to crossdress any time and any place they desire. The transsexual groups argue they do not have the resources to contribute to political activism because of the staggering costs of transition and a right to change birth records and protections from being fired, and legal status as their target gender are more important. These things are of little interest to crossdressers who do not need to change their legal documentation nor require legal recognition as the opposite sex. In many cases their jobs are also secure - with the minor exception that they'd like to be protected from firings if they are seen crossdressed OFF the job.

For those crossdressers who DO wish to come into the workplace crossdressed, many transsexuals argue that fighting for the right to do so is hampering efforts for transsexuals by creating unnecessary opposition from the business community - who have visions of Drag Queens in fishnet stockings and stiletto heels coming in and disrupting their workplace or making them look foolish in front of business partners or customers. Transsexual people simply want to be able to come into work dressed in the appropriate work wear of their target gender.

Many of these problems stem from the simple fact that - other than clothing - transsexuals and transvestites have little in common! Which brings me to the next topic. . .

The "Pecking Order" in the Transgender Community

The term "True Transsexual" is no longer used in medical circles - though the term is still very much in use within the Transgender Community. One complaint about the Benjamin Scale is that it is based on the biases of non-transgendered people - including Benjamin himself. An illustration of this bias is that "Type 0" is a so-called "Normal" heterosexual, non-crossdressing person while a post-operative transsexual would be categorized as far from "normal" as possible - thus lending credence to mainstream social bias toward transsexuality as a major devience from normality.

The continued use of the out-dated terminology "True Transsexual" within the Transgender Community highlights one of the other negative aspects of the Benjamin Scale. Many choose to believe it establishes a "hierarchy" for the Transgender Community itself - which is also slightly modified:

Level 0. Intersexed Transsexual ^[1]
Level I. True Transsexual (post-operative)
Level II. True Transsexual (pre-operative)
Level III. Transsexual (non-operative)
Level IV. Transgenderist (full-time crossdresser, non-operative)
Level V. Crossdresser (part-time, "hobbyist" for relaxation)
Level VI. Drag Queens/Kings (gay crossdressers, may be full or part time, usually performers)
Level VII. Transvestite (fetish assumed)
Level VIII. Gender Queer (very loosely defined - usually part of the gay community that would include effeminate gay males or "butch lesbians." Or anyone else who likes to "play" with social expectations of gender roles or appearance)

There are many in the Transgender Community who consider a "Non-Operative Transsexual" and a "Transgenderist" to be one in the same, usually as a way of pushing someone who identifies (or is even officially diagnosed) as transsexual "down" into the "lesser realm" of crossdressers - who are not welcome in some transsexual circles. There are post-operative transsexuals who view ANYONE who doesn't seek surgical reassignment as "illigitimately" transsexual or misdiagnosed. This is possibly because some of them are older post-ops who went through treatment in the days when "True Transsexual" was an accepted diagnostic term which they erroneously continue to apply to others today, or they may not wish to entertain the possibility they could have transitioned successfully WITHOUT undergoing surgical reassignment, or they are simply putting others down to raise themselves up as "superior;" a common bullying technique utilized by people with their own low self-esteem issues.

Intersexed Transsexuals (those who are born with an intersex condition or anomolies but choose to live in a gender role opposite from that in which they were raised) often see themselves as "above" other transgendered people. This is likely because many transgendered and non-transgendered people alike view changing genders as more "legitimate" if there is some PHYSICAL "reason" for doing so. Further fragmenting the tenuous Transgender Community is the fact that many intersexed people want NO association whatsoever with transsexuals or transvestites.

[Editor's Note: technically speaking no intersexed person can be diagnosed as "transsexual," as those with intersex conditions are SPECIFICALLY exempted from diagnosis under the diagnostic criteria for "transsexualism" and would be classified under "Gender Identity Disorders Not Otherwise Specified." For this reason some intersexed people who have changed gender roles do not like to use the word "transsexual" because it is inaccurate, not because they wish to disassociate themselves from transsexuals. Socially and legally, however, there is usually little or no distinction made between an intersexed person who has changed gender roles and an individual who has done so under a diagnosis of transsexualism].

Even among "transvestites" there is further fragmentation and positioning within the social order. Those who crossdress for relaxation - usually considering it a "hobby" - often identify as "Crossdressers" and do not want to be associated with "transvestic fetishists" (i.e. "Transvestites"), who are those who crossdress for sexual gratification. This is likely because "transvestic fetishism" is included in a list of "paraphilias" alongside "pedophilia" in the DSM-IV-TR. In other words the Crossdressers want to distance themselves from what mainstream society considers a fetishistic "perversion."

Another example would be the acceptance in the Gay Community of "butch lesbians" or "effeminate males" (or other self-proclaimed "gender queers"), yet many homosexuals want no association with transgendered people. Oddly enough, many within the Transgender Community are just as uncomfortable with the ambiguity of "gender queers" as mainstream heterosexual society is. Those who like to "gender bend" or live "androgynously" often exist on the fringes of the Gay-Trans subculture, and are even considered by some to THREATEN the subculture by introducing greater confusion making it even more difficult for mainstream society to understand (and hopefully one day accept) gay and/or transgendered people.

Mainstream straight society often accuses those in the Transgender Community of seeking to undermine social concepts of "male" and "female," when the reality is quite the opposite - many within the Transgender Community are entrenched in the social concepts of "male" and "female" and work dilegently to CONFORM to those social expectations - albeit in the opposite role of their rearing. This underlying desire to conform and gain acceptance in mainstream straight society leads many transsexual people to live in "stealth" (never disclosing their transsexual status). Another illustration of this desire to conform can be seen in the sexual orientations, for example a male-to-female transsexual attracted to men considers herself to be "straight" (even though mainstream society would, by and large, consider them to be "gay").

These conflicts and hierarchies are not readily apparent to people who are outside these "communities" so there is a false assumption that transgender equals gay and transvestite equals transsexual - which is clearly NOT the case at all! One of the main misperceptions is that the Benjamin Scale indicates a logical progression of intensity for the SAME gender identity disorder. Although many transsexual people may initially identify as transvestites or crossdressers, not everyone who crossdresses is destined to "become" transsexual. In fact, anyone who has spent any amount of time at all speaking with transgendered people about thier motivations, concerns, and desires would quickly realize that there is little similarity between transvesticism and transsexuality beyond the most superficial considerations (i.e., wearing clothing of the opposite sex).

This web site is NOT endorsing these perceived "pecking orders" within these communities, but they DO exist and can, for some people, be just as judgemental and demeaning as mainstream social attitudes. Possibly even MORE damaging because many individuals assume they will receive support, understanding, and encouragement from others who have suffered similar experiences only to find they are despised and ostracized from the one group of people they'd ASSUMED would accept them for who they are. These communities of people, like all communities, have their fare share of bigots, idiots, and jerks as well. The Benjamin Scale was NEVER intended to classify one type of person as being "better" than another!

Primary & Secondary Transsexuals

These terms apply to both female-to-male (F2M) and male-to-female (M2F) transsexuals.

Primary Transsexuals: Usually behave like their target sex from childhood. They feel they are (or should be) members of the 'opposite' sex before puberty. They rarely doubt their convictions that they are/should be a member of their target sex. If they do and try to conform to their biological sex's gender role, they don't do very well at blending into the expected gender role. Primary transsexuals are often sexually attracted to their biological sex (i.e., classified as "homosexual" by most doctors). Primary transsexuals are either living as their target sex or requesting sex reassignment surgery (SRS) by the time they are 25 years old. With very supportive parents they sometimes even have SRS at 18 years old. Primary M2F transsexuals are usually obviously feminine and primary F2M transsexuals are quite masculine. Many primary transsexuals are ill received by secondary transsexuals for playing into gender stereotypes or because primary transsexuals tend to transition at a younger age with better physical results and socialization in their target gender role than secondaries usually achieve.

Secondary Transsexuals: Usually don't 'come out' until almost 40 years old or later, often in the midst of a mid-life crisis. The most striking feature of secondary transsexuals is how, despite a deep conviction of being their target sex, their gender behavior is still quite a lot like that of their biological sex. They say they went into deep, long-term denial and they often highly successful in the gender role of their biological sex. Even after transitioning their gender behavior still isn't all that much like their target sex. Especially in the case of M2F secondary transsexuals there are often charges that they simply aren't "trying hard enough" to fit into a female gender role, or that they want to "have thier cake and eat it too" by trying to maintain the patriarchal power they enjoyed while living as men.

These two terms are ALSO often used within the Transgender Community to either elevate some transsexuals or put down others. That was never the intention of such categorizations and these generalized models do not apply to the experiences of EVERY transsexual person.

Political Challenges for the Transgender Community

The Transgender Community & The Gay Community

There is an assumption, especially among mainstream society, that "transgenderism" is a form of homosexuality. It is true that transgendered people often find some acceptance among gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, but "sexual orientation" is distinct and seperate from "gender identity."

Again, on a superficial level it would seem they are related issues, and compounding this confusion is the fact that the Transgender Community borrows terminology from the Gay Community such as "being in the closet" or "coming out." Nonetheless, transgenderism is NOT a sexual orientation.

One possible source of this confusion is the existence of Drag Queens. A Drag Queen is usually a gay male who crossdresses for entertainment - many actually perform in Drag Shows or participate in Drag Beauty Contests. Drag Queens usually dress in an "over the top" glamorous fashion, many claiming they are "celebrating femininity" while others border on parody. Another hallmark of Drag Queens is they tend to crave the attention they attract by their extravagant dressing and flamboyant behavior. Consequently, they are probably the most visible sector of the Transgender Community.

There are others who are in the "crossover" area between the two "communities" as well. Effeminate gay males who occasionally crossdress (but are not drag queens, per se), "butch" lesbians, fembois, and other self-described "gender queers." There are also many transsexual people who consider themselves gay or lesbian if they are attracted to the same sex as their target gender.

This isn't to say, however, that the Gay Community has whole-heartedly accepted transgendered people into its fold. The two groups have a long and rocky history together (or apart, as the case may be). In pre-Nazi Germany there was one of the first Gay Rights movements. This movement was led by gay males who believed in the so-called "Greek Ideal" of homosexuality. The concept of which was that they be very masculine males. The leaders of this rights movement abhored the effeminate gay men and even more disliked the transvestites, who were assumed to be EXTREMELY effeminate gay men (though in reality most transvestites are not gay). Note: This was exclusively a gay MALE movement, lesbians were still largely invisible. Obviously once the Nazi Party came to power the German Gay Rights movement was crushed, but it is a poigniant example of a a gay rights community that wished to exclude transgendered people.

The situation, unfortunately, has changed little. In the United States the Transgender Rights lobby ceded the effort to Gay Rights groups who promised to include "transgender inclusive language" in legislation they were presenting to lawmakers. When it appeared that the broadly worded transgender inclusive language threatened passage of the bills, the Gay Rights lobbyists were quick to remove transgender inclusion - with a weak promise that once gays had secured their civil rights they would help transgender activists gain thiers. This occurred during efforts for both the Federal Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) and the New York State Sexual Orienation Non Discrimination Act (SONDA).

In the New York case a new bill has been introduced called the "Gender Expression Non Discrimination Act" (GENDA) that is exclusively focused on transgender rights, which is similar to the wording of the proposed ammendment ot SONDA. It remains to be seen how much help Trans Rights activists actually receive from the Gay Community.

Another downside to acquiesing the Trans Rights effort to Gay Rights groups is that the Trans Rights lobbyists claim they have lost some of their people, some of their momentum, contacts, and relationships with policymakers. The abandonment of transgendered people in lobbying efforts is seen by many in the Transgender Community as yet another "betrayal" by Gay Rights activists.

Transgendered people have always existed on the fringes of the Gay Community, and are NOT well accepted by all gays and lesbians. In some quarters of the Gay Community there is just as much animosity toward transgendered people as from mainstream straight society.

Nevertheless, many in the Gay Community DO support Trans Rights and welcome the addition of the "T" for "tansgender" to GLBT, as it adds numbers to their political clout as well. That being said, some may be a little too over zealous in adopting transgendered people into the definition of "gay." An example of this could be seen in the murder case of Private Barry Winchell, who was the boyfriend of transgender woman Calpernia Adams. Though Winchell and Adams were publicly like any other heterosexual couple, and Adams lives and works as a woman, gay activists - perhaps over-eager for another martyr - insisted on portraying Calpernia Adams as a man (instead of a transgendered woman) so they could portray the victim, Barry Winchell, as a GAY man. By all accounts, including those of Adams, Winchell considered her a WOMAN and was attracted to women, NOT men! The story of their relationship was made into a Showtime movie titled "Soldier's Girl." While Adams and Winchell's family were pleased with the film, Adams had reservations about the unfortunate tagline used on the posters which read "She was the only man he ever loved." [see poster] There is little doubt Barry Winchell was murdered by people who BELIEVED he was gay, so homophobia WAS the motivation for the crime, but Winchell was not a gay man nor is Calpernia Adams.

The Transgendered Community and Feminists

One would think that feminists would welcome with open arms male-to-female transsexuals. What could be better for the feminist cause than "men" who live as women? Unfortunately this isn't how some feminists see transsexuals, especially those feminists on the radical end of the spectrum.

Some of these "Rad Fems" view female-to-male transsexuals as "traitors to feminism" by switching sides to a male existence. They view male-to-female transsexuals as "interlopers" and "spies" within their ranks.

These feminists are usually the ones who are accused of being "militant man-haters" and some wear that label as a badge of honor. From within their group stems the term "Womyn Born Womyn" (WBW). This is a term used to distinguish themselves from transsexual women. Though it is, in principle, the same as terminology used within the Transgender Community like "natal women" or "genetic girl," the intention is quite different. According to these self-proclaimed "Womyn Born Womyn" nobody can claim to be female who is not genetically and chromosomally female, born and raised female (having a female "life experience" whatever that is), and having female reproductive organs. In thier view no person who EVER had a penis, no person who has not experienced menstration, can be considered a woman. The lightning rod for this conflict has been the anti-transgender policy in place at the Michican Women's Music Festival. Though there are varying stories on what exactly prompted the transphobic policy at the feminist "women only" gathering, organizers have made it clear that pre-operative transsexuals are not welcome at the event.

Given the gender-biased workplace issues faced by transsexuals it seems, at first blush, that male-to-female transsexuals would have much to offer the feminist goals of gender equality. Unfortunately, the KINDS of problems faced by "natal women" and transsexual women are a bit different. The days are happily gone when a woman could be fired for how she dressed, yet it is still not uncommon for a transsexual woman to lose her job for the same reason. Natal women don't have to worry about identity issues such as having a discrepency between one's employee record and Social Security information. Natal women in the workplace are, in large part, responsible for the problems transsexual women face in gaining simple access to the appropriate washroom (for those who are easily confused that would be the LADIES' room). We live in an age when women can't legally be fired from a job simply for being female, yet in most places a transsexual woman can be.

Another major issue - the issue that has become the main focus of feminist activism - is reproductive rights. A legal right to abortion has come under increased attack by politically powerful pro-lifers. Feminists initially feel that transsexual women have little stake in the debate, as they cannot conceive nor bear children. However the base level of the pro-choice position has long been summed up in "My body, My choice." Many transsexual women know something of surrendering control of their bodies to someone else's judgement through the requirement for "permission letters" to obtain gender reassignment surgery - and a power-structure in government, medicine, and the insurance industry that actively discourages transsexuals from seeking/obtaining SRS.

What it boils down to is that the agenda of feminism doesn't see that Trans Rights is a banner they need to take up alongside (or under) their own.

CONCLUSIONS

Essentially the problem with the Feminists and the Gay Rights groups is echoed in the political fracturing of the Transgender Rights movement. When fighting for civil rights resources are limited and need to be focused on the concerns and goals of the core constituency. Transgender Rights do not speak to the core agendas of either the Gay or Women's Rights movements. Further undermining the political efforts is the lack of a coherant agenda from the Transgender Community. Another major problem is that many of the people who fall under the umbrella of the Transgender Community remain silent and hidden. Heterosexual crossdressers often only dress in private and see no advantages to becoming vocal or visible, nor do they see a need for civil rights protections since they do not engage in their crossdressing activity in a public setting. Also silent and hidden are the many transsexuals who live in "stealth" fully accepted as thier target gender. If nobody KNOWS you're a transsexual, they will not discriminate against you on the basis of BEING a transsexual. Being "out" and vocal members of the Transgender Community holds little or no benefit for the transsexual person living a stealthy life. Therefore the only voices and visibility come from those who either do not mind publicity or those who have little hope of blending unnoticed into society as thier target gender.

[ Editor's Note: The information on this page is compiled from my own personal experience and the related experiences shared with me of others in the Transgender Community. It is not meant to be representative of all trans-inclusive social groups. I wrote this to provide people who would never be involved with the community an "insider's viewpoint" and for those who are newly exploring thier gender identities and seeking support and understanding from others in the community. I certainly didn't have any idea of the social order of the Transgender Community prior to my involvement with it so I hope this introduction to some of the "local customs" is useful.]

^[1] "Intersexed Transsexual" technically is not a correct term, because medically and psychologically speaking an intersex condition precludes a diagnosis as transsexual. However, as it is referred to here, it mean someone with an intersex condition who is rejecting the gender role in which they were raised and undergoing transition to live in the gender role opposite to that in which they were raised.