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	<title>Comments on: Why not ‘Legalize Transsexualism?’</title>
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	<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/</link>
	<description>the gay community&#039;s news source</description>
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		<title>By: SaintSuelle</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-75185</link>
		<dc:creator>SaintSuelle</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Oct 2012 17:30:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-75185</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#039;Trans&#039; folks are a phenotype, not an &#039;orientation&#039; nor a &#039;sickness&#039;. Get with it folks.
Sad part is having a Trans person taking on &#039;gay legalizing politics&#039;, and tacking on an added stigma of &#039;gay&#039; on top of the already dangerous stigma of &#039;trans&#039;... now haters can &#039;bash&#039; a &#039;tranny&#039; for being a &#039;faggot&#039; too.
it doesn&#039;t take long for &#039;hate&#039; to snowball into more dangerous &#039;double-stigma&#039; bashworthiness, less than 4 months later... here:
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/10/18/bullied-md-trans-student-suspended-after-fight/]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8216;Trans&#8217; folks are a phenotype, not an &#8216;orientation&#8217; nor a &#8216;sickness&#8217;. Get with it folks.<br />
Sad part is having a Trans person taking on &#8216;gay legalizing politics&#8217;, and tacking on an added stigma of &#8216;gay&#8217; on top of the already dangerous stigma of &#8216;trans&#8217;&#8230; now haters can &#8216;bash&#8217; a &#8216;tranny&#8217; for being a &#8216;faggot&#8217; too.<br />
it doesn&#8217;t take long for &#8216;hate&#8217; to snowball into more dangerous &#8216;double-stigma&#8217; bashworthiness, less than 4 months later&#8230; here:<br />
<a href="http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/10/18/bullied-md-trans-student-suspended-after-fight/" rel="nofollow">http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/10/18/bullied-md-trans-student-suspended-after-fight/</a></p>
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		<title>By: Ashley Love, Quit Colonizing Isis King! &#124; The Transadvocate</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-65753</link>
		<dc:creator>Ashley Love, Quit Colonizing Isis King! &#124; The Transadvocate</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Sep 2012 16:49:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-65753</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[...] to believe in the anti-transsexual conspiracy Love believes to be occurring, she recently had a misinformation piece published on the Washington Blade’s website: It’s unethical to enforce sociopolitical opinions [...]]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] to believe in the anti-transsexual conspiracy Love believes to be occurring, she recently had a misinformation piece published on the Washington Blade’s website: It’s unethical to enforce sociopolitical opinions [...]</p>
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		<title>By: This week in queer web content // July 23, 2012 &#171; Queerism</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-59399</link>
		<dc:creator>This week in queer web content // July 23, 2012 &#171; Queerism</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:04:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-59399</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[...] Love of MAGNET (Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual and Transgender People) discusses her organization’s reasons for boycotting GLAAD (Gay &amp; Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). In response, Cristan Williams writesan [...]]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] Love of MAGNET (Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual and Transgender People) discusses her organization’s reasons for boycotting GLAAD (Gay &amp; Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). In response, Cristan Williams writesan [...]</p>
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		<title>By: indi</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-55455</link>
		<dc:creator>indi</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:27:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-55455</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ashley please stop trying to represent us. Your doing it wrong. 

go away]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ashley please stop trying to represent us. Your doing it wrong. </p>
<p>go away</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>By: Nikki</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-55449</link>
		<dc:creator>Nikki</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:08:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-55449</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In response to Cristan&#039;s assertion that Transgender was being used in the UK since 1974, please quantify how many people were using Transgender in the UK back then.  

I can reassure you it was not even close to mainstream. In the late 1970&#039;s/early 1980&#039;s I was a memeber of the Beaumont Society and the Self Help Assocation for Transsexuals aka S.H.A.F.T., the two main national support groups in the UK. There was never any reference to transgender back then. In fact I would suggest that Transgender has only become mainstream in the UK since Mid - late 2000&#039;s.

The terms gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder, in the UK, were only ever used to describe transsexuals and their medical condition. Transsexuality was being generally accepted, up to the mid 2000&#039;s especially by the medical profession and Government bodies, as being caused in the womb during foetal development and transgender did not come into it.  It was only in the mid-late 2000&#039;s that the Transgender &quot;Spectrum&quot; appeared in the UK and they dragged transsexuality into this spectrum purely in an attempt to legitimise their transvestism and crossdressing. The reasoned that if transsexuals had a medical condition so must they however there is no proof of this whatsoever. The Transgender activists, aided and abetted by some LGBT group/charities, have ever since pushed heavily this spectrum nonsense because i) it legitimises their transvestism/cross-dressing,ii) LGBT groups/charities can then demand more charitable funding because they are seen to be &quot;representing&quot; a larger community. Once these LGBT charities get funding, for transsexuals, then they manipulate the funding so the money is used to keep them in jobs especially their LGB work. It is quite blatant when they never give the funding they receive for transsexual related work to transsexuals. Always to peope they control to force across their own agendas yet they know nothing about transsexuals or our issues.

Well the world in general is waking up to what is going on around it. For Banks, Politicians and World Leaders their &quot;chickens are coming home to roost&quot; and the same is happening to the Transgender Activists and some LGBT charities/groups]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In response to Cristan&#8217;s assertion that Transgender was being used in the UK since 1974, please quantify how many people were using Transgender in the UK back then.  </p>
<p>I can reassure you it was not even close to mainstream. In the late 1970&#8242;s/early 1980&#8242;s I was a memeber of the Beaumont Society and the Self Help Assocation for Transsexuals aka S.H.A.F.T., the two main national support groups in the UK. There was never any reference to transgender back then. In fact I would suggest that Transgender has only become mainstream in the UK since Mid &#8211; late 2000&#8242;s.</p>
<p>The terms gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder, in the UK, were only ever used to describe transsexuals and their medical condition. Transsexuality was being generally accepted, up to the mid 2000&#8242;s especially by the medical profession and Government bodies, as being caused in the womb during foetal development and transgender did not come into it.  It was only in the mid-late 2000&#8242;s that the Transgender &#8220;Spectrum&#8221; appeared in the UK and they dragged transsexuality into this spectrum purely in an attempt to legitimise their transvestism and crossdressing. The reasoned that if transsexuals had a medical condition so must they however there is no proof of this whatsoever. The Transgender activists, aided and abetted by some LGBT group/charities, have ever since pushed heavily this spectrum nonsense because i) it legitimises their transvestism/cross-dressing,ii) LGBT groups/charities can then demand more charitable funding because they are seen to be &#8220;representing&#8221; a larger community. Once these LGBT charities get funding, for transsexuals, then they manipulate the funding so the money is used to keep them in jobs especially their LGB work. It is quite blatant when they never give the funding they receive for transsexual related work to transsexuals. Always to peope they control to force across their own agendas yet they know nothing about transsexuals or our issues.</p>
<p>Well the world in general is waking up to what is going on around it. For Banks, Politicians and World Leaders their &#8220;chickens are coming home to roost&#8221; and the same is happening to the Transgender Activists and some LGBT charities/groups</p>
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		<title>By: Ashley Love, Quit Colonizing Isis and Erasing Her Identity! &#124; Ehipassiko</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-55183</link>
		<dc:creator>Ashley Love, Quit Colonizing Isis and Erasing Her Identity! &#124; Ehipassiko</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:37:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-55183</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[...] to believe in the anti-transsexual conspiracy Love believes to be occurring, she recently had a misinformation piece published on the Washington Blade&#8217;s website: It’s unethical to enforce sociopolitical [...]]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[...] to believe in the anti-transsexual conspiracy Love believes to be occurring, she recently had a misinformation piece published on the Washington Blade&#8217;s website: It’s unethical to enforce sociopolitical [...]</p>
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		<title>By: Cristan Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-55153</link>
		<dc:creator>Cristan Williams</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:06:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-55153</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Did you bother to check the citations of the wiki article? Transgender was in use as early as 1965 and was used in the modern sense in the both the UK and US in 1974. Either that&#039;s true or it is not. If it&#039;s not true, then make your reasoned argument explaining how those documented uses didn&#039;t really happen.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Did you bother to check the citations of the wiki article? Transgender was in use as early as 1965 and was used in the modern sense in the both the UK and US in 1974. Either that&#8217;s true or it is not. If it&#8217;s not true, then make your reasoned argument explaining how those documented uses didn&#8217;t really happen.</p>
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		<title>By: Someone trans</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-55144</link>
		<dc:creator>Someone trans</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jul 2012 18:43:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-55144</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am a woman. I was born as a healthy male. I used to be transsexual when I was in transition between genders. I transitioned to be a woman, not to be a transsexual woman. Transsexual is not a gender identity within itself, unless you want it to be, and some do want to be known as transsexual, while others do not. I did not go through everything I did to be known as transsexual. I did all that to be a woman I felt I was on the inside. 

However, my sexual orientation is lesbian, the female equivalent of gay. Yes I am a gay woman now. That&#039;s how I self-identify. A woman who was born as a healthy normal male who was in transition and hence was transsexual is now a gay woman. 

I am seeking a woman as my partner and I want to have my own genetic kids using the sperm I stored pre-transition. I will genetically be my kids&#039; father or dad, but they would probably call me mom or some variation of that name. In other words, a gay woman with her gay woman partner will have their own biological kids. 

Yes, you can look at this from another angle, but however you look at it, it&#039;s right from that angle. 

Likewise, there&#039;s nothing wrong with Isis being a gay ally. Perhaps she is gay, as a woman who now dates women (if she is lesbian) or as a woman who used to be a man who now dates men (if she is straight), whatever her orientation and your angle of looking at her. 

Enough with the labels! Greater acceptance of variations within the LGBT community will lead to greater acceptance outside our community. 

Let&#039;s all cherish our unity in diversity, instead of creating more tiny categories of people.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am a woman. I was born as a healthy male. I used to be transsexual when I was in transition between genders. I transitioned to be a woman, not to be a transsexual woman. Transsexual is not a gender identity within itself, unless you want it to be, and some do want to be known as transsexual, while others do not. I did not go through everything I did to be known as transsexual. I did all that to be a woman I felt I was on the inside. </p>
<p>However, my sexual orientation is lesbian, the female equivalent of gay. Yes I am a gay woman now. That&#8217;s how I self-identify. A woman who was born as a healthy normal male who was in transition and hence was transsexual is now a gay woman. </p>
<p>I am seeking a woman as my partner and I want to have my own genetic kids using the sperm I stored pre-transition. I will genetically be my kids&#8217; father or dad, but they would probably call me mom or some variation of that name. In other words, a gay woman with her gay woman partner will have their own biological kids. </p>
<p>Yes, you can look at this from another angle, but however you look at it, it&#8217;s right from that angle. </p>
<p>Likewise, there&#8217;s nothing wrong with Isis being a gay ally. Perhaps she is gay, as a woman who now dates women (if she is lesbian) or as a woman who used to be a man who now dates men (if she is straight), whatever her orientation and your angle of looking at her. </p>
<p>Enough with the labels! Greater acceptance of variations within the LGBT community will lead to greater acceptance outside our community. </p>
<p>Let&#8217;s all cherish our unity in diversity, instead of creating more tiny categories of people.</p>
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		<title>By: Jamison Green</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-54911</link>
		<dc:creator>Jamison Green</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2012 23:59:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-54911</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Andie, I appreciate most of what you say, but I feel strongly that adopting the nomenclature in the DSM of a mental health disorder as an identity label is not the way to go.  Transsexualism appeared in the DSM in 1980, was replaced by Gender Identity Disorder (largely in name only) in 1994, and GID may very well also be erased from the DSM in 2013 (or whenever the American Psychiatric Association releases DSM-5). Gender dysphoria is a term that has long been associated with transsexualism, though it is possible to have gender dysphoria without being transsexual, and to be transsexual without having gender dysphoria.  Transsexual people have existed far longer than the DSM, and even though a mental health condition has been used to diagnose us and provide a pathway to needed medical treatment, many scientists and scholars do not believe that transsexualism is a mental disorder. Most transsexual people identify as women or men, as the case may be, but we must acknowledge that our bodies have some measure of difference from non-transsexual peoples&#039; (standard issue) bodies, so it is important to make the world safe for people like us, and to ensure that we can receive competent and supportive medical care.  I believe that building alliances with other groups is crucial to achieving these ends.  I also agree that it is wrong to subsume transsexual people under any particular label (not all transsexual people are heterosexual, not all transsexual people are women, and not all transsexual people are comfortable in LGB or even T space!).  Yet there certainly ARE transsexual people who are gay or lesbian (or bisexual) identified, and they have the right to all aspects of their identities, too. Transsexual people must self-advocate from wherever they are.  I only hope that we can all learn to cooperate and support each other in achieving our human and civil rights, health care, and social safety without belittling or castigating as the enemy those who are not *exactly* like us.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Andie, I appreciate most of what you say, but I feel strongly that adopting the nomenclature in the DSM of a mental health disorder as an identity label is not the way to go.  Transsexualism appeared in the DSM in 1980, was replaced by Gender Identity Disorder (largely in name only) in 1994, and GID may very well also be erased from the DSM in 2013 (or whenever the American Psychiatric Association releases DSM-5). Gender dysphoria is a term that has long been associated with transsexualism, though it is possible to have gender dysphoria without being transsexual, and to be transsexual without having gender dysphoria.  Transsexual people have existed far longer than the DSM, and even though a mental health condition has been used to diagnose us and provide a pathway to needed medical treatment, many scientists and scholars do not believe that transsexualism is a mental disorder. Most transsexual people identify as women or men, as the case may be, but we must acknowledge that our bodies have some measure of difference from non-transsexual peoples&#8217; (standard issue) bodies, so it is important to make the world safe for people like us, and to ensure that we can receive competent and supportive medical care.  I believe that building alliances with other groups is crucial to achieving these ends.  I also agree that it is wrong to subsume transsexual people under any particular label (not all transsexual people are heterosexual, not all transsexual people are women, and not all transsexual people are comfortable in LGB or even T space!).  Yet there certainly ARE transsexual people who are gay or lesbian (or bisexual) identified, and they have the right to all aspects of their identities, too. Transsexual people must self-advocate from wherever they are.  I only hope that we can all learn to cooperate and support each other in achieving our human and civil rights, health care, and social safety without belittling or castigating as the enemy those who are not *exactly* like us.</p>
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		<title>By: Chris</title>
		<link>http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/06/28/why-not-legalize-transsexualism/#comment-54832</link>
		<dc:creator>Chris</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:38:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.washingtonblade.com/?p=44198#comment-54832</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Interesting article and comments.  I think the opening sentence of the article says it all: &quot;The medical condition transsexualism is [not] equivalent to gay, lesbian or bisexual sexual orientations.&quot;  I agree with that statement and have always wondered how transsexuals got combined with gay/lesbian/bisexual people who merely have a different sexual orientation than the heterosexual majority.  Transsexuals are a community unto themselves, with completely different issues than those of us who are GLB.  The trans community should break from the GLB coalition so that each movement can pursue its own agenda without conflict.]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Interesting article and comments.  I think the opening sentence of the article says it all: &#8220;The medical condition transsexualism is [not] equivalent to gay, lesbian or bisexual sexual orientations.&#8221;  I agree with that statement and have always wondered how transsexuals got combined with gay/lesbian/bisexual people who merely have a different sexual orientation than the heterosexual majority.  Transsexuals are a community unto themselves, with completely different issues than those of us who are GLB.  The trans community should break from the GLB coalition so that each movement can pursue its own agenda without conflict.</p>
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