Transsexual Awareness

1
Transsexual Awareness

• Christine Burns
• Former Vice-President, Press for Change
• Member of Parliamentary Forum on Transsexualism
• Trans Rights Campaigner and Educator
• (Sep 2004)

2
Background
Some funny (and not so funny) ideas and beliefs
Pressing for Change Whitehall Oct 1997
3
Stereotypes
4
Stereotypes
Women dont want to be men
Theyre unemployable of course.
It is extremely rare
You can always tell
Its all about sex
Theyre Gay
5
Real Trans People
6
Basic Points

• Trans people have existed throughout history and
  in every culture
• Western perceptions differ markedly from other
  civilisations
• Sex is not as either/or as commonly thought
• There are many factors involved in determining
  the physical and behavioural aspects of our sex
  and ones sense of self genetic, hormonal,
  environmental and developmental
• There are estimated to be about 5000 transsexual
  people in the UK (1 in 11,900)
• Intersex conditions affect 1 in 100 people

7
History and Cultures Revisited

• Joan of Arc
• Chevalier dEon
• Billy Tipton
• Dr James Barry

• Chukchi of Siberia
• Berdache (North America)
• Polynesian Mahu, Faa Fine Wakawawine
• Hijra of India
• Muxe of Oaxaca

Abubakar Hamza has become a big celebrity in
northern Nigeria - BBC
8
In The Public Eye
9
Caught In The Crossfire
10
Headline Heaven

• Portugeezer (Portu-Gal)
• Gender Bender
• Sex Swap

Bobby with no nobby loses jobby The Sun
They voted for the Bearded Lady The
Independent
11
Media Images in Fiction
12
A Quick History - 1
Corbett v Corbett (1971)April Ashleys divorce
case
The term Transsexual iscoined by Harry
Benjamin (1954)UK trans women like Roberta
Cowell are routinely able to correct their birth
certificates and marry
R v Tan (1974) Extends discrimination to the
criminal law
First experiments with cross-sex hormones
First Gender Reassignment Surgery(Lili Elbe)
Mark Rees(1984)
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
Caroline Cossey(1989)
Sweden (1972)
Holland (1985)
South Africa (1973)
Germany (1981)
Italy (1982)
13
A Quick History - 1

• 1920s First experiments in use of cross-sex
  hormones
• 1930s First gender reassignment (Lily Elbe)
• 1954 The term Transsexual is coined by Harry
  Benjamin. UK trans women like Roberta Cowell are
  routinely able to correct their birth
  certificates and marry
• 1971 Corbett v Corbett April Ashleys divorce
  case
• 1972 Sweden legally recognises trans people
• 1973 South Africa legislates
• 1974 R v Tan Extends discrimination to the
  criminal law
• 1981 Germany legislates
• 1982 Italy legislates
• 1984 First ECHR case (Mark Rees) begins fight
  back (Lost)
• 1985 Holland legislates
• 1989 Caroline Cossey tries again (Lost)

14
The Last Decade
All but four of 39 European Countries have
legislated
Press for Change is born in a Westminster Tea Shop
Press for Change delivers a 10,000 signature
petition to 10 Downing Street
Liz and Mike Bellinger seek ruling on their
marriage
Draft Gender Recognition Bill
1992
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2002
2003
Government Policy Announced
Goodwin I vs UK
X Y and Z vs UK (Lost)
P vs S and Cornwall County Council (Won)
Sheffield Horsham vs UK (Lost)
A. D. G. vs NW Lancs Health Authority tackles
the right to NHS Treatment
Parliament Debates a Private Members Bill on
Recognition
The Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment)
Regulations)
Interdepartmental Working Group Reports to
Parliament
15
A quick history - 2

• 1992 Press for Change is born in a Westminster
  Tea Shop
• 1995 P vs S and Cornwall County Council (Won)
• 1995 Parliament debates a Private Members Bill
  on recognition
• 1996 X.Y.Z. vs UK (Lost)
• 1997 PFC delivers a 10,000 signature petition
  to 10 Downing Street
• 1997 All but four of 39 European countries have
  legislated
• 1998 Sheffield Horsham try again in the ECHR
  (Lost by 1 vote)
• 1999 The Sex Discrimination (Gender
  Reassignment) Regulations
• 1999 A.D. G. vs N.W. Lancs HA tackles the
  right to NHS treatment
• 2000 Liz and Mike Bellinger seek ruling on
  their marriage
• 2000 The Interdepartmental Working Group
  reports to Parliament
• 2002 Goodwin I win unanimously in the ECHR on
  Articles 8 and 12
• 2002 Government Policy announced
• 2004 The Gender Recognition Act

16
The Law Today

• Sex Discrimination Act (1999)
• A.D.G vs N.W. Lancs Health Authority
• Gender Recognition Act 2004

17
The Gender Recognition Act

• Provides legal recognition for ALL purposes
• Administrative process
• Medical evidence
• Corrects birth certificate
• Enables marriage
• Protects privacy

18
Questions
19
Further Reading Resources

• Press for Change httpwww.pfc.org.uk
• Department for Constitutional Affairs
  http//www.dca.gov.uk/constitution/transsex/index.
  htm
• Progress towards legislation http//www.pfc.org.uk
  /gr-bill
• Transsexual people in the workplace A code of
  practice http//www.pfc.org.uk/employ/empguide.htm
  
• True Selves Understanding Transsexualism - For
  Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping
  Professionals (By Mildred L. Brown Chloe Ann
  Rounsley Hardcover (November 1996) JB Jossey-Bass
  Publishers ISBN 0787902713)
• Other web sites http//www.pfc.org.uk/links/index.
  htm