Interesting article from Thailand's Pattaya Daily News about transgender issues in the States. It's nice to get a perspective from outside the USA as to what they think about our community here, especially when it that perspective comes from a writer based in Thailand, which has a more tolerant attitude toward its transgender people.
Once y'all check out the article, you can leave your thoughts and comments in this thread. International readers, this will also be your invitation to chime in as well. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts and discovering from your comments what the rep of the USA transgender community is outside our borders.
Well, I would have to say the hit they nail on the head. In particular in how they described those professionals in the US that a transperson should be able to turn to for help only to discover that they have to be the educator. While the reality of transgendered folk is not new, they've been around forever, it does seem like in the US at least its a new topic in many ways. So little is known by the average person and most of that incorrect and prejudicial, that it is an uphill battle to bring light on the subject. Even people who are open to learning about transgender people and their lives know very little.
ReplyDeleteA good article. What I find disturbing is that the professionals exert a lot of control know little or nothing about who we are. What's wrong with this picture?
ReplyDeleteSounds familiar doesn't it Genny?
ReplyDeleteTB Texan
That knowledge gap is why TransGriot and a host of transgender blogs and websites exist.
Other than the use of the 1:30000 number rather than a more recent estimate, it was an interesting article.
ReplyDeleteErin: It's not the age of the estimate that is a problem, it's the source. The APA prefers to pretend that there aren't too many of us. I doubt we'll see a more accurate figure in the DSM-V.
ReplyDeleteErin, that bothered me too. I use Lynn Conway's more accurate 1 in 250 as well.
ReplyDelete