Is Transgender Just an Extreme Form of Envy?

Scott Strozier | Guest Article |The Daily Knight

Before the main point is elaborated on a distinction must be made in the definition of transgender. A delicate topic to say the least, transgender is loosely defined as:

“Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personnel identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex.”

However, this definition fails to provide an accurate description of this topic. It should be understood transgender can be separated into three distinct categories: the fist are those born differently gendered. These individuals are born with various sexual disorders and can possess aspects of both genders. As this category is specifically assorted medical conditions and not involving choice of the individual it will not be discussed in this paper.

The other two categories will be the main discussion of this paper. The first of these are those who choose to identify as the opposite gender from which they were born. The third and final category are those individuals who undergo surgical modification to reassign their gender to the desired opposite. One point that should be noted in the cases of gender reassignment surgery is that the individuals who select to have this surgery will elect to go from one gender to another and do not request surgical modification to become a member of the first category of differently gendered individuals.

These individual who choose this surgical undertaking have been questioned as to their reasoning behind such a drastic change. While the wording can differ the explanation is varying forms of:

“I feel deep down that I have always been a man/woman”

A statement which bears some issues. To be taken at face value this declaration implies that at birth these individuals knew what gender they were meant to be. There are two primary faults with this line of thought.

· The implication that any individual can know exactly who they are or supposed to be. Acquiring any form of identity is a complicated process which many will spend their entire lives attempting to discover, with some arguably never finding out.

· Children do not possess a notion of gender identity. With the exception of very rare cases the minds of a majority of children are focused on more simplistic wants or needs. More often than not children are focused on learning about the world around them, what makes them sad or happy and the events that lead to these outcomes. To children, they simply are, children are told they are a boy or girl and why and the answer is accepted.

This is not an early form of brainwashing as to the child it has little meaning. As a child, being a boy or girl is just another label, no different than their own name. The title does not, and should not, change their personality but simply offers a method in which to accurately describe themselves. So to say an individual has always been aware that they are the wrong gender seems highly unlikely. Yet perhaps this statement is being taken too literally.

Perhaps what this statement implies is that when these individuals have taken a moment to reflect on their lives, they have come to the realization that they would have been better suited to a life as the opposite gender. Or, perhaps they believe in earnest that society would have been more accepting of their personality traits if they were born the opposing gender. If so, then the real question becomes, what specifically makes these individuals feel that their birth gender was wrong?

For most the answer to this question is personal comport. In feeling more at ease in the company of the opposite gender while engaging in activities typically associated with stated gender. Does this not imply that the reason these individuals believe themselves to be the wrong gender is because they enjoy pastimes correlating with their opposing gender more that those which conform to their appropriate or biological gender? Could it be possible that this gender transformation desire stems not from misgiven gender but from a desire to conform to the social norm of appropriate gender activity?

A far more relatable situation, there is no person alive who has not wanted to be socially accepted at some point in their life. There is a great deal of pressure on everyone to keep to what is considered the social norm. A system in which, if an individual does not fit into this idealized mold only offers two choices:

· To pretend to be someone they are not just to be accepted by others.

· To be themselves and accept a majority of social isolation.

Neither option is particularly ideal and, in the case of children, can be rather damaging to a person’s psyche. The end result of either choice normally being a person who feels both ostracized and abnormal. Spending the vast majority of your life hiding who you are is it any wonder that some would eventually go to extreme measures just to feel “normal?” Anyone who has ever felt even the slightest bit different could understand and sympathize with this desire.

Individuals who have reached this point should not be made to feel further ostracized, especially when all they have ever desired is acceptance from society. Acceptance for these individuals being the primary objective of the transgender movement. Among other goals, they strive to alter society’s views and behavior towards these individuals. Undeniably a commendable intent and it is not the purpose of this discussion to condemn these groups in any way shape or form. The question that is attempting to be addressed is if this group may be focusing on the wrong issue.

As previously mentioned the primary rational of gender reassignment surgery lies within the belief that an individual was born the wrong gender. The surgery is therefore meant to correct this assumed biological mishap. However, while many aspects of this surgical transformation have been explored in depth, there is one that is often overlooked… Does gender reassignment surgery actually solve the negative feelings expressed by the individual?

While extensive surgery can give someone the physical attributes of the opposite sex it does not provide the same biologically functionality. For instance:

· A man who has been surgically altered to be a woman cannot produce eggs and therefore is incapable of becoming pregnant.

· A man who has been surgically altered to be a man cannot produce sperm cells or get an erection.

· The man turned woman or woman turned man must take supplements of estrogen or testosterone respectively as their bodies do not naturally produce the required amounts.

· A man who undergoes the surgery must use a set of dilation devices in order to ensure the surgically constructed vaginal canal does not lose internal length or structural integrity.

· These represent the most common issues with gender reassignment surgery though by no means denotes all of them.

While gender reassignment surgery is both a lengthy and costly process, credit should be given to the surgeons whose work can be stated as nothing less than exceptional. Yet, there is one point that is rarely, and at times can even be considered taboo, to address. However feminine or masculine a doctor can make a man or woman, the genetic distinction, specifically the “X” and “Y” chromosome tagged onto every strand of every single person’s respective DNA is not, and cannot, be altered. Or, if preferred, no amount of surgery can genetically change an individual’s sex.

In-spite of this people who choose to undergo this risky surgical process claim to be happier because of it. Assuming this data correct, and the truthfulness of the individuals being asked, it suggests that the happiness of these individuals is quite literally skin-deep. Which, when considered, seems to undermine the very essence of the transgender movement.

At its core transgender organizations main priority is the promotion of acceptance for individuals identifying as transgender just as they are without conforming to societal demands.

Therefore doesn’t the promotion of a surgery go against the very idea of being accepted as you are? Is not surgically altering one’s body to conform to an image deemed “more acceptable” by society or the individual in direct contrast to the very definition of personal acceptance?

Perhaps these questions are irrelevant, perhaps all that really matters is the personal feelings of the individuals. Which is in no way a bad thing but does highlight a point that should be given greater deliberation. The point being that, for these individuals, it is not enough that they simply look like the opposite gender, but these individuals also demand to be treated as the opposite gender as well. A position which encompasses the primary opposition to the transgender movement. Not that these individuals wish to change their appearance to reflect the gender of their choice, not even their desire to be identified as the opposite gender.

The two primary points of opposition against transgender individuals are these:

· Transgender individuals demand to have the same rights as the gender they have transitioned too.

· Transgender individuals demand everyone else to also identify then as the opposite gender.

The prominent proclamation of the transgender movement is that everyone has the right to choose how they look and identify. Which is true, people do have the right to identify as they want, however they do not have the right to force that belief on others. The transgender movement seems to forget, or blatantly ignore, the rights of non-transgender individuals. Freedom of speech works both ways and just as a transgender has the right to identify as the opposite sex, so do others have the right not to accept that identification.

Constitutional or moral value aside this argument brings a very important fact to light, and one that needs to be asked by both participants of this debate. Why is it so important that others identify transgender people as the opposite sex?

If asked this question, those on the transgender side of the argument would offer some variation of “it’s about social acceptance.” While seemingly a good answer it possesses a large logical flaw. That being their definition of acceptance is the validation of others and not themselves. This is a very important factor, and it is one that is very often overlooked. While the acceptance of others is an important milestone, it should never be the primary goal. The single most important part of acceptance is accepting who you are in-spite of what others think.

The happiest and most content people in the world are those individuals who don’t care what anyone else thinks of them. This can be seen in children who are too young to even have the notion that they should care about the opinion of others. Now considering the transgender movement’s entire platform is about gaining rights so that people who are transgender can be happy and lead fulfilling lives, why are they insisting on the validation of others?

To expand on that further, why do transgender people require others to acknowledge their personal choice? If these individuals claim that being the opposite gender will make them happy and that identifying or surgically altering themselves will accomplish this then why do they need the affirmation of others? The reason these seemingly trivial questions should be asked goes back to the very definition of acceptance. If all transgender people wanted was to personally identify as the opposite gender there would be far less opposition.