An umbrella term coined by activists to describe individuals who are: Heterosexual cross-dressers Homosexual transvestites Transsexuals She-males TRANSGENDER

Second International Conference on Transgender Law and Employment Policy, Houston, Texas, 1993 “All human beings carry within themselves an ever- unfolding idea of who they are and what they are capable of achieving. The individual’s sense of self is not determined by chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role. Thus the individual’s identity and capabilities cannot be circumscribed by what society deems to be masculine or feminine behavior. It is fundamental that individuals have the right to define, and to redefine as their lives unfold, their own gender identity, without regard to chromosomal sex, genitalia, assigned birth sex, or initial gender role.” GENDER BILL OF RIGHTS

Based upon the statement on the previous slide, the following rights are claimed: Free expression of gender identity. Right to control and change one’s body. Competent medical & professional care. Freedom from psychiatric diagnosis or treatment. Right to sexual expression. Right to form committed, loving relationships and enter into marital contracts Right to conceive or adopt children & have custody of children & parental rights GENDER BILL OF RIGHTS

The DSM still lists transsexualism and transvestism as paraphilias. (Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973.) At the APA meeting in San Francisco in 2003, a case was presented that these along with sado-masochism and bestiality should be removed from the DSM since there is no longer a “baseline” for judging normal behavior. However, it has been pointed out by opponents of this idea that sex/gender is determined in the DNA and is essentially unchangeable despite surgeries, hormone therapies and alternate lifestyles. ARE TRANSGENDERS MENTALLY DISORDERED?