How Does One Identify A Transgender Person In Public?

June 03-2007:

http://thethingsthatmatter.blogspot.com/

How Does One Identify A Transgender Person In Public?

I have heard several Transgender persons claim that they are very often lumped in the category of Gay or Homosexual men. And this can be very difficult for them to meet fellow Transgenders for love, relationships, or even friendship. Some also claim that accessing medical services at hospitals, clinics, and private medical doctors, are also very troubling for them.

Because many medical doctors (male and female alike), do not want to deal with them. And filling out the traditional forms for such service still carry the heterosexual categories of Male and Female. And does not cater to Transgenders as another category.

How Do You Recognize A Tansgender Person In Public?

Some Transgenders in transition, may have acquired some amount of Hormonal IV therapy, causing the development of their breasts, hips, and overall shape. But most of them still look like MEN or Gay men.

Others who underwent the total transformation or gender transformation, still have semblance of the male or female accent or voice hitherto the change. And this puzzles most people in determining who or what they are, and how to address these individuals personally.

* Do you refer to someone who may or may not look male or female, Mister or Misses?

* And if you are able to recognize some physical changes or alterations in the physical structure of the individual, how do you refer to them by gender?

* And how many people would ever consider asking that person how does he or she want to be addressed?

These are troubling questions for society generally. And Transgenders or those who have taken the total transformation, must realize, that mainstream society will always be guided by the traditional concept of Male and Female identity. And until there is a RECOGNIZEABLE way in which the layman, laywoman, or society generally, can determine what to look for, or generally accept as a GENDER category.

The traditional category of (Male and Female), will always be used as the criteria for determining gender, and possibly sexual preferences!

Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator-Advocate & Blogger.