What's The 4-1-1 With The DSM-V And Trans People?

Ever since the announcement was made Saturday that the APA Board of Trustees approved the changes made to the DSM-V, confusion has reigned over whether the trans community was depathologized or what exactly happened to the Gender Identity Disorder diagnosis.

Was it a watershed event similar to what happened when homosexuality started in 1973 on the road to being depathologized across several DSM's?  Is it as some people are arguing a status quo event?  Or is it as some people are contending we didn't get depathologized and in fact the trans community is in an even worse position than we were in previously?

From Naomi Fontanos, executive director of Ganda Filipinas who also sits on the board of WPATH:

To my friends who are asking about the confusing reports about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) V of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Here are the facts:

1. Gender Identity Disorder (GID) will only be replaced with a new name, Gender Dysphoria (GD), which is still classified as a sexual disorder in the DSM. GD will still be used to psychopathologize transgender and gender diverse people of all ages including children.

2. GID was not delisted from the DSM like homosexuality was delisted in 1973.

3. The DSM V will also include Transvestic Disorder that will replace Transvestic Fetishisim. Transvestic Disorder will include anyone who engages in sexual activity and wears the clothing of the gender that one was NOT ASSIGNED to him or her at birth. This diagnosis affects a large portion of transcommunities around the world.

Until GD is removed from the DSM, the fight to depsychopathologize the humanity of transgender people continues!

Kelley Winters, who has been fighting the GID reform battle for years, had this to say: in her post breaking down the gender diagnoses

"Despite retention of the unconscionable Transvestic Disorder category, I believe that the Gender Dysphoria category revisions in the DSM-5 will bring some long-awaited forward progress to trans and transsexual people facing barriers to social and medical transition. I hope that much more progress will follow."

Julia Serano also commented on the DSM-5 controversy.

In case you're wondering what the TransGriot's postion is on this DSM-V revision hereit is.:I'm in favor of trans being depathologized and removed from both the DSM and the ICD, but have a medical protocol in place so that trans related healthcare can be covered by insurance.
So stay tuned, the debate is still raging over what exactly did happen concerning the trans community and the DSM-V. 

But what it does do is heighten the importance that the international trans community gets busy collectively making sure the job of trans depathologization is done properly as the World Health Organization takes up the task of revising their ICD-11 manual.