Coordinator's Report

by Elizabeth Riley

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

There must be something in the coffee....

The transgender community has certainly not been starved of publicity in recent times. There has, of course, been the usual sensationalist coverage one comes to expect from some of the gutter based American talk shows and that has extended into some of the coverage afforded us by segments of the local press, with two individuals in NSW and one in Victoria finding themselves the unwilling targets of adverse publicity in recent weeks. However, we have also enjoyed some really positive coverage from programs such as "Australian Story" on the ABC and "Mum's the Word" on SBS. Even the advertisers are jumping on the bandwagon. I notice that both Moccona Coffee and Jarrah Coffee are running ads featuring either a cross dresser or a showgirl, and while advertisers can hardly be relied on to deliver the most sensitive coverage, I do believe there are positive benefits to be had from all of this.

Regardless of whether the coverage is positive or negative, we are at least beginning to enjoy a profile in the wider community. We are ceasing to be a hidden community and our increasing visibility, our presence in the consciousness of the wider community, will ultimately lead to fairer and more equitable treatment. Many of us, at one time or another, have been greeted with the shock reaction of a public that is both uninformed and unaware. Most of the time this is not a hostile reaction, it is simply a reaction to a difference that they have not previously encountered. With the increase in public profile, however, these reactions will significantly diminish. While not everyone will necessarily be directly acquainted with someone from our community, most will have developed an awareness of our existence. When we become commonplace in the minds of people we will cease to attract their unwanted attention and curiosity.

I had the privilege recently of attending the opening night of "Becoming Julia" at the Sydney Film Festival. ("Becoming Julia" will feature soon on SBS and is highly recommended viewing). It played to a packed house at the Film Festival and received an incredibly warm welcome from the audience, who were invited to ask questions of the director Ruth Cullen and the film's subject Julia who was featured on the cover of the last edition of Polare. The questions were sensible and sensitive and concluded with a highly emotional moment when Julia was reconciled with one of her family members. There were few dry eyes in the house. This is a beautiful film with an extremely positive message and it is works such as this that will blast through the barriers of prejudice and discrimination in the wider community.

Heart felt congratulations to Ruth and Julia and l particularly commend Julia for her courage and openness in exposing her life to the world. You both deserve a good cup of coffee.

The Great Terminology Debate

The debate over terminologies, particularly in relation to transgender, transsexual and intersex, has been evident in community circles now for some months. I made mention of it in the last edition of Polare, Katherine has referred to it on occasion and the article by Gina Dumas was dedicated to the topic. In this edition the article by norrie mAy welby also raises the issue.

So what is the problem? Fundamentally it is one of identity. Within the intersex community there is a strong voice seeking to make clear distinctions between being intersex and being transsexual; within the transsexual community there is a strong voice seeking to make clear distinctions between transgender and transsexual while also advocating that transsexualism be recognised as an intersex condition and those in the trans gender camp continue to be inclusive of all people in the sex and gender diverse community lies.

Certainly there have evolved a cumbersome range of terminologies by which we define ourselves, transgender, transsexual, intersex, trany, tranny, transman, transwoman, and so on, and this plethora of terminologies is unhelpful when attempting to deal with politicians and legislators in the quest for equality. The need for a single term of reference in this respect is clear, and over the years the Gender Centre and other lobbyists have promoted the term transgender for that purpose. Transgender is now the term used in various state anti­discrimination legislations and is also used in a wide variety of government and non-government organisational policies. Whether or not it should remain so is a valid question that is open to community debate, but if change is sought we need to be clear about the motivation for change and how the community would benefit.

It seems to me, however, that the current debate has more to do with self- interest than with community benefit. The intersex community is engaged in a process of self-determination and I applaud and encourage their efforts in this regard. I am, however, concerned that in the process they seek to exclude transsexualism which is increasingly being recognised as having a biological cause. The right to self-identification has been at the very core of the struggle for equal rights for our communities since that struggle first began. If the intersex community wishes to self-define I fully encourage and support that choice. What I do not support is the premise that in doing so they also have the right to define others. Defining our identity is a matter for each of us alone and is not the province of any other individual or group within the community. The right to self-identification is the single most important right of every one in our community and we should protect that right with unwavering diligence.

The question of making a distinction between transsexual and transgender seems to rest on the premise that transsexualism is a bona fide medical condition and transgender is a lifestyle choice. Each of us will have made our own interpretations of these words in the process of adopting one or the other in respect of identification. In the past, and in environments ranging from legislative change to awareness raising training, I have tended to use the terms interchangeably. However, my personal preference has always been transgender since I believe the term most accurately reflects my experience. Certainly, if we accept the view that our gender is fixed and that the modification of our bodies defines our transition then the there is merit in the term transsexual. However, the defining moment in this transformation occurs in a few hours on the operating table during which we are thankfully sound asleep. For most of us the truly harrowing and exhilarating aspect of our transition occurs in that intense and protracted period when we learn to live in our new gender role. This is the time of experimentation with clothing, make up and accessories. With walking, talking, sitting and eating. With the incredibly complex realities of those vast social interactions in our new identities. Our gender may be fixed but we all still need to learn how to live in our new role and this is a transgender process.

More important, however, is the question of what we are seeking to achieve. Surely for the majority of us it is not to define ourselves as transsexual or transgender or indeed intersex. These terms may reflect our experiences but they do not reflect who we are. These are medical terminologies defining a condition and we should avoid defining ourselves as a medical condition. If someone suffers from appendicitis they do not self define as an appendectomy. If someone suffers from ovarian cancer they do not self define as a hysterectomy. We should follow suit. There may be a period in our lives where our experience is transgender or transsexual or intersex but for most of us the desired and ultimate self identity is simply woman or man.

I am reminded of the comment that Katherine once made to me: "I used to be transsexual but my surgeon cured me." It works for me. If you have views on this question that you would like to express I encourage you to write to Katherine and we will publish your thoughts in Polare.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.