Notes for ‘How do I know if I’m trans?’
Here are the numbered [1–5] notes for the story How do I know if I’m trans? Find the original story here.
Notes
[1] This is the fundamental flaw in the practice of requiring validation of gender identity by gatekeepers before permitting transition: People need to be allowed to transition if they choose to transition; it’s that simple. No one outside the self is qualified to make that determination. This is body autonomy. This is called ‘informed consent’. (advocate website) http://www.icath.org/
I disagree pretty strongly with the positions of the gatekeepers quoted in the following article, but the piece does a fair job of describing the tension, as it stands. (article) http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2016/03/11/transgender_patients_and_informed_consent_who_decides_when_transition_treatment.html
[2] The essay is long, but I recommend working through it if you’re struggling with the drive to rationalise and validate your transition choices. The best part is always at the end but, as with transition, you need the middle to get there. (essay)
http://freethoughtblogs.com/nataliereed/2013/03/17/how-do-i-know-if-im-trans/
[3] This is a variant of a common ‘mindfulness body scan’ technique, intended to centre one in one’s body, and in this case specifically, in the gendered parts of the body (face, chest, pelvis). There are many versions available on the web; here is one three minute version. (video) http://elishagoldstein.com/videos/3-minute-body-scan/
[4] I’ve chosen to use the typical social constructs ‘woman and ‘man’ because, as a binary woman myself, this is how I understand and identify my gender. I appreciate that you may experience your gender differently, and in that case perhaps substituting something like ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ may work better for you.
[5] This is not to suggest in any way that this is how the range of nonbinary gender is experienced or expressed — that would be absurd. This is a simplified imagining/experiencing exercise, not a map to one’s future life, in all its complexities.
Some resources for further exploring the nonbinary spectrum include —
‘Help! I Think I Might Be Non-Binary, But How Can I Know?’ (article) http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/07/am-i-non-binary/
‘How do I know if I’m genderqueer? / How do I know if I’m [insert identity here]?’ (tips and guidance) http://genderqueerid.com/gq-faq#0000C
Beyond the Binary (online magazine) http://beyondthebinary.co.uk/
I make a spare living doing this. You can support my work and get draft previews and my frequent ‘Letters Home’ for less than the cost of a coffee.
