Comments on: Corvino: Why we need the Transgender Day of Visibility

By: Laura S

Laura S — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:18:43 +0000

It’s an interesting idea because it seems to come from without rather from within any trans community. If one is going to have a “Transgender Day of Visibility” then I would think that people observing that day ought to also observer the “Transgender Day of Remembrance” (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_Day_of_Remembrance).

By: David

David — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:19:13 +0000

I agree understanding, education, awareness are important but why do so many T feel it is appropriate to rip apart any and everyone who tries to be an ally but makes a mistake or slip of the tongue

I do not go ballistic on a lesbian when she refers to gay men as homosexual or queer.

Makes it hard to want be an advocate for T when you scared of being publicly attacked by a T person

By: Monica

Monica — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:06:34 +0000

Is there a day designated for remembering the thousands/millions of gay men lost to hate crimes, violence, addiction, and suicide?

Is there a day designated for remembering the thousands of lesbians lost to hate crimes, violence, addiction, suicide, etc?

Is there a lesbian visibility day?

Is there a gay visibility day?

By: Richard-WI

Richard-WI — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:25:18 +0000

I’d like to address a common “theme” in these comments: Just because you don’t know all there is to know about being Trans doesn’t mean you can be offensive and rule them out altogether. Ignorance is never an excuse, especially because there are PLENTY of websites (just like this one) that you could go to and learn more.

An educated opinion is the only valid one.

By: Zoe Brain

Zoe Brain — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:05:28 +0000

RJLieger – in fact, Johns Hopkins refers patients to surgeons, and has done since their own surgeon left, back in McHugh’s time.

McHugh was the Vatican advisor on sex matters, odd since his speciality was addiction, not gender.

There’s 280 papers in PubMed all showing how surgery works, and other therapies don’t. McHugh’s “eccentric” views aren’t shared by the rest of Johns Hopkins, even though he used to be head of psychiatry there.

Quoting McHugh on gender is like quoting a Flat Earther on cosmology. The reason he’s trotted out all the time is because he’s the only one with such outspoken views, and these days can only get his debunked opinions published in religious journals like “First Things”.

By: Sonam Ben Willow

Sonam Ben Willow — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:02:20 +0000

Dear Dr. Corvino; thanks for your article about transgender and your experiences. One minor quibble…you say you are not a GLBT person…but I hope for us that we all see ourselves under this umbrella. Unity makes us stronger. Having one letter on the inside and 4 or more on the outside…well…why not?
sincerely,
Sonam Ben
LT on the inside
GLBT on the outside

By: john k samuel

john k samuel — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:31:03 +0000

jessey am a gay looking for a gay am 29 and am from kenya please jessy help me to get one

By: Michelle N

Michelle N — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:02:48 +0000

Society needs to throw-away their notions about gender roles regardless of gender, sex, or orientation. If no two snow-flakes are alike, why do we try to conform into stereotypes.

@ Don, Trans people have been going to gay clubs forever. Back in the day, members of the GLBT community faced the possibility of arrest. So GLBT friendly clubs were born since they were a lil’ safer. They participated in Stonewall and all of the early Pride/Civil Right Marches.

By: DeAnimator

DeAnimator — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:34:12 +0000

Transgendered people who identify as straight are not a part of the queer community. If they can pass, what do they care about queer issues? Genderqueer is not part of the community since genderqueer is just another term for being a regular person and not feeling like you are identified by any one binary gender role. And bisexual is not queer because everyone has the capacity to be interested in both sexes (even Lesbians and Gay men).

Hopefully, Trans awareness day will cut down on Trans violence and make the government step up to offer them more protection under the law. And once that happens, maybe gender roles will break down and the reassignment surgery will no longer be needed.

Fingers crossed.

By: KenneyvTX

KenneyvTX — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:07:00 +0000

I find the base concept here, transgender awareness, an excelent idea. The approach has been used with great sucess in the past by other groups. However, in my experience with transgendered people the most common goal I’ve observed is to “pass”. I had the good fortune to be involved with a transgender group via my roommates at the time. I learned a lot about the issues transpeople face on a daily basis and the majority I knew did not want to be known as “T”, they wanted nothing more to settle into their correct gender and disappear. It is no more a choice than sexual orientation, as an aside orientation and gender are seperate issues.
Transgendered people have had to face a question that to most of us is incomprehensible: what is my gender? Gender is so intrinsic from the time we come out of the womb that to question something so basic does not resonate with the population at large. I myself faced that question and found that I am the gender that I was born. Others, face that question, wrestle with that question for years, and find that they are not the gender they were born.
I think articles like this are a good start, particularly with the frank admission of ignorance, and perhaps there will be more visibility due to events like this. The core thing that must be done is education. Gender and orientation must be seperated and society must learn that it takes more than heels and skirt, or wingtips and a beard to make a woman or a man.