by Marisa Pesa
Thanks to society’s undiagnosed addiction to labels, it has been difficult for transgender people to associate with their true gender without feeling rejected by negative criticism from the masses and lack of legal support from the government. Preconceived notions of what it means to be a man or a woman have skewed, and even taken precedent over, what it means to simply be a human being.
To help combat the lack of transgender awareness, before mid-semester break, Capital’s LGBT club P.R.I.D.E. hosted a Transgender Workshop to inform students on a topic that receives little media attention.
Capital professor Johnnie Peel, who has transitioned from male to female publicly over recent months, appeared as a panel member. She, along with the two other members, was questioned by the audience while supplying them information vital for all living in a progressive world.
There’s a Difference
The panel agreed that most offensive comments transgender people receive are largely due to sheer ignorance or misuse in terminology.
Thus, the panel first established that sex and gender are separate terms. They explained that a person’s sex, whether they are a male or female, is determined by biological characteristics, while gender identity, one’s internal sense of being a man or woman, is determined by the individual.
Another common misconception many people hold is that being transgender and being gay are synonymous. This is, by no means, true.
Peel explained that one of the most important concepts to understand is that gender identity and sexual orientation are not linked. Both categories are personal decisions; thus, transgender people may be straight, gay or bisexual.
“Gender identity is not a binary system,” Peel said. As much as we all like to think in binary terms, another error in mindset occurs when people use the word “normal” to describe themselves as non-trans, when “cis” (pronounced like sis) serves as the correct term. Cissexuals, or cisgender people, are simply those who associate with the sex they were assigned at birth.
The word is not meant to be taken offensively; just as the word straight designates someone who is not gay, cis describes someone who is not trans.
For those who do not necessarily know the best approach to confirming a person’s gender, asking the open question, “What pronoun do you prefer?” instead of the probing question, “Are you a boy or a girl?” is more appropriate.
Nothing hurts more than being addressed by the wrong pronoun, said Ryan, another panel member.
Peel also shared that just like cis people refrain from discussing their private parts, transgender people do not necessarily feel comfortable discussing a personal matter such as genitalia.
Steps to Transitioning
Another crucial point addressed in the workshop was that all trans narratives are different. “Coming out” stories are never the same because everyone’s path toward self-actualization differs.
Peel, who will turn 39 this April, describes herself as a late-transitioner, in comparison to the majority of transgender people. She realized something was wrong with her gender identity during her late twenties, but did not actively seek out a solution for some time.
“For a long time I battled depression,” Peel said. “I battled anxiety.” It was the thought of her 60-year-old self who would never become fully happy with herself that helped push Peel into taking the first steps toward happiness.
“I’ll say that my coming out as trans has been really incremental,” Peel said. “It wasn’t one moment where I was like ‘I’m trans!’ It was almost just like concentric circles that got out wider and wider and wider and wider.
And every moment when I came out to somebody or to a new group of people, the circle got larger. It felt like a boulder on my back was a little bit smaller, it felt a little bit lighter.”
Usually most people first seek out a therapist or psychologist, who will write a letter saying the patient is transgender and fit to undergo transition. An endocrinologist will then prescribe hormones, if desired.
However, it’s important to know that hormones or surgery are not the endpoint for every transgender person.
Peel stressed that bottom surgery, or sex reassignment surgery, is not covered by most insurance providers, causing transitioning to be a class-based issue. Only people who can afford the surgery, which costs thousands of dollars out of pocket, get the social stamp of acceptance.
Receiving Acceptance and Legal Rights
Peel describes herself as being “extremely lucky” with how easily her family and friends have accepted her transition. “My mom is now my biggest bulldog, and my relationship with my girlfriend is stronger than ever,” Peel said.
Capital, as an institution, has also been “unbelievably supportive” during her transition. “They’ve made it so much easier to be my authentic self.”
Yet if you’re trans and living in Columbus, you’re relatively lucky. A particularly trans-friendly city for the Midwest, Columbus instituted anti-discrimination ordinances that protect all LGBT individuals from unfair treatment in employment and housing.
However, when it comes to legal aspects for transgender people, there is still work to be done on a state and national level.
As a whole, the state of Ohio protects its workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not gender identity. Equal marriage rights do not exist yet in the state either, and the lack of unisex restrooms is another major issue.
Peel hopes for the next stage of gender diversity in our culture to reach non-binary gender presentation to side step all the legalities needed to achieve equality: a world void of labels.
While the media has no problem stereotyping gender roles, authentic depictions of the trans-community are hard to come by in pop culture. According to Peel, Orange is the New Black portrays the show’s transgender lead character quite accurately, or at least as accurate as TV can be.
Even celebrities and TV personalities pride themselves on being “trans allies,” but Peel said that making the claim you are an ally is not necessarily as helpful as simply listening to what a transgender person has to say.
mpesa@capital.edu
