Transsexual panel at high school

CAUTION: VERY GROSS AND DISTURBING. The descriptions and photos below are extremely disturbing. We are presenting them here because this panel discussion was given to children at a public high school, taxpayer funded. The picture at the bottom was in a homosexual newspaper and very graphically illustrates exactly where this movement is going.

Graphic talk on transsexuality / transgenderism given to children by homosexual activists.

Note from course attendee: There were 25 children (apparently of middle to high-school age) and 8-10 adults attending this session. It was heartbreaking to hear the panelists' stories and to see the reactions of the children. There was a chart written on the blackboard, but no handouts were given. However, the diagrammatic handouts on intersex/trans-sexuality from the Planned Parenthood "trans" session issues fit much of what was said here.

It strains the mind to believe that people would do this with children - and that public school officials would sanction this.

PRESENTERS

Group Leader:

Grace Sterling Stowell, Executive Director of BAGLY. Trans male-to-female. Dressed as woman, with masculine voice and features. Grace lectured first [lecture notes below], followed by personal stories of three panelists. BAGLY is acronym for "Boston Area Gay and Lesbian Youth", a homosexual / transsexual organization catering to kids from ages 13-22.

Panelists:

"Michelle", age 23. Describes self as "pre-op male-to-female". Severely obese, with a 5 o'clock shadow, dressed all in black. Came out at 16. As child displayed no masculinity at all; played with dolls. No family contact now except for sister. Hard school life, was teased, got into fights, and says even attempted suicide in school bathroom. Became comfortable when started to transition; says she/he is happy now.

"Mike", age 29. Describes self as "female-to-male trans-man". Dressed as male, breasts apparently removed. Came out at 14 at Newton North High School. Said she was always clearly different and often androgynous. Appeared androgynous in childhood pictures; hard to tell her apart from brother. Lot of dysfunction in family, but very liberal family and always there for her. Helped start GSA at Newton North High School. Went to BAGLY from 1993-99. Involved in queer activism and trans activism, which she considers to be two separate communities. Went to Northeastern University in criminal justice. Had a tough time at school, but says she wouldn't trade it. Now has career in "queer-trans activism", is Director of SpeakOut, and is currently attracted to men. (She said she was originally a lesbian female, then transgendered to male, but retained her preference for women at the time, making her a straight male. She then changed her preference to men, making her a gay male.) [Editor's Note: It seems that a preponderance of so-called transgendered people continue to be sexually attracted to their biologically opposite sex.]

"Alexi" or "Lexi", age 19. Describes self as "pre-op male-to-female." Dressed all in black; obese. Came out at age 14. From 13-17, was in many different foster homes and came out in each one. Then was in DSS Waltham House (for gay youth) until 18. Dropped out of high school, got GED. Spoke at Youth Pride last year and last year's GLSEN conference. Has spoken at DSS offices on how to deal w GLBT community in DSS.

In addition, there were two other apparently male-to-female transgendered people in the audience, for a total of six "trans" people in the room: five male-to-female, and one female-to-male.

INTRODUCTION / OVERVIEW

Diagram of terms drawn on classroom blackboard for workshop.

Grace began the session with an overview of terms and definitions. In particular, the word "gender" presents difficulties; is defined by the culture. Here's what kids need to know:

Gender: Not just sex. Anything that a given culture at a given point in time defines as appropriate identity, expression. Only two genders? Can be three, four, five or more depending on culture.

Gender identity: We all have a gender identity, at least one. It is your own: how you identify your gender. Some people change their identity over time as they get older. For some, it's more fluid , they're identified in a variety of ways at once.

Gender expression: Everything that any of us do that indicates to the outer world what we want to say about our gender identity -- make-up, hairstyle, color, scent, job, car… In an ideal world, gender expression would represent how we identify.

Gender attribution or gender perception: How we see other people. What was your reaction when you saw someone, and weren't sure if it was a male or female? [Girl answers, she saw a man who looked like a woman. Second girl: How could a person have such a strong feeling when they're discriminated against that they'd want to do that and maybe get beat up?] Problems encountered, ex. using a bathroom. Reactions? Discomfort, curiosity. People have looked at her trying to figure out if she's male or female, and she's done that looking at others. What we're most often trying to figure out is biological sex, not gender identity.

Sexuality: Biological attraction, but also broader than that. Includes sexual preferences, has cultural and gender meaning: the kind of sex considered appropriate or not, with whom; the kind of sex men can have or women can have. Ex: woman who identified as lesbian attracted to women, but deeply attracted to femme women, an important part of her sexuality.

Thus, said Grace, we've come full circle on triangle: sex, gender, and sexuality are all related.

Other terms:

Transvestite: Male attracted to women but likes to wear female clothes.

Transsexual: Someone born either male or female, but identifying as opposite. Not same as intersex. Transsexuals may or may not have surgery. Discussion of surgery: expensive, health concerns. Hair removal.

Transgender: Middle ground between cross dresser and transsexual. Non-operative; person may be on hormones, etc. Newer term from about 15 years ago; became community and political term in 90's, then definition of term started breaking down. Question of separation/connection to GLB community.

Trans: Newer general term, covers lots of possibilities. At BAGLY, many young people now part of trans spectrum. Lots of new terms like "gender queer", "butch dyke". Lots of intersex, intergender people feel like they're not trans anything.

Intersex: Term "hermaphrodite" now replaced with broader term, "intersex". "Intersex" people born neither male nor female, with ambiguous genitals. The physician usually decides which way to go, performs surgery. As these people grow up, some identified differently from the label given at birth. (Mentions Intersex Society of North America.) People not really on either end of the gender spectrum. Natural that some people are not either sex. Old thinking: true for 1.5-2.5% of population. New research may show 3.5-4%. Problem: This is radical concept in our culture; no cultural support for raising child of indeterminate gender. But many "intersex" people wish they'd been given choice; surgery should not be automatic.

DISCUSSION

Discussion with session attendees then began with panelists' stories. This was sad and depressing. The discussion included these exchanges:

What if a son says, "Mom, Dad, I'm bringing home a man." vs. "Mom, Dad, I'm bringing home a trans man."?
Our language breaks down… What do you call a trans-man attracted to a woman? [and other combinations.] This culture is not set up for trans people. Grace Stowell said she tells men right up front, "I'm a transgender woman." Most of the men she's been with were either gay men or bisexual men.
Marriage is not a priority for trans people. They're more concerned with basic survival issues -- being safe on the street, having a job. No safe section of town for trans people.
Male-to-female participant said before she started going through the change, she was not perceived as a gay man. People would address him/her as a lady, even though she (?) still had facial hair…people "must have thought I was a butch femme."
Panelist Michelle: Since she's pre-op, she still has "...titties and a penis, so it's just more to play with."
Panelist Mike: Likes "bears" and his current friend is a bear. [Some of the audience members murmured in reaction to this. …A bear, or sometimes "teddy bear," is a slang term for a big, fat, hairy man.]
Lesbian female attendee said how she used to date another lesbian female, but that lesbian female transitioned to a male. However, she doesn't now consider herself to be straight; she claimed she is still a dyke. Panelist Mike affirmed this phenomenon, stating that "there are a lot of lesbian couples where one transitions."
A teenage female attendee stated how her younger cousin, a boy around 6-10 (?) years old likes to cross dress in skirts and other clothes for females, but his parents disapprove and don't let him. Therefore, whenever he comes to visit her house, she lets him dress in her clothes.