Social Stigma

Transsexual individuals still suffer from a great deal of torment within society because of misinformation and intrusive, sensationalised media coverage of peoples lives. This is something TForm believes should start to be addressed through many different avenues so that as normal law abiding members of society, trans people can get on with their lives in as much peace as possible

Unfortunately through the years there has been quite a lot of hate directed towards us because because people have quite a few varied and wrong ideas about why we are who we are. It's often looked on as if we're looking for some kind of sexual kick, it's a lifestyle choice or we're mentally ill. Because of this trans individuals have been faced with a lot of hate crime through the years and as a result they have not only suffered immensly, but also retreated into a world which makes them seem even more of a taboo subject. This effectively adds to the fire and doesn't do us any favours.

People have been disowned by their families because they don't truly understand what it all means (or don't care to), they have lost contact with their children because their partners may resent them coming out as well as some seeing it as a kind of perversion! People have lost jobs, income, friends, homes and most importantly their self respect. Familes usually seek to separate someone suffering with Gender Dysphoria from the rest of the family members in an attempt to make them change their minds about their actions and about coming out. Only a lucky few manage to transition without any of these issues, but more often than not all of the above can drive a transsexual individual into severe depression and perhaps even suicide. In fact suicide is more common among trans people than any other community.

Trans people struggle for many years with a condition known as Gender Dysphoria which means to be unhappy with the gender you were assigned at birth. They feel very strongly that their inner gender identity does not match the outward gender which is portrayed through their genitals, body shape, face and voice.

It's a difficult struggle, but more than people initially realise. For many finding out that your friend or family member is not happy with their gender and wishes to seek medical help to change it would be the first time you ever knew about the problem, but for the person concerned it will have been a source of personal turmoil for many many years.

It's a huge personal struggle just to get to a point where you can realise "okay, this is me, where now?". Trans people are then faced with a wealth of appointments with GP's, Pyschiatrists, Psychologists, Endocrinologists and Surgeons. In addition they then have to face society's problems which can be very difficult.

It is therefore or should be therefore, very obvious that this descision is not taken lightly and is only taken as a last attempt to climb out of the darkness they find themselves in. To think this is a lifestyle choice is both very misinformed and very arrogant.

I can tell you from personal experience that no-one would make this choice if they didn't have to. Surely it would be easier to keep all your friends and family, your job and your income? Why then do we do do it, why don't we just struggle on with our inner secret?

Trans people go to the most extreme afforts to try and fit in and be accepted as who they know they are. It's the ultimate goal. But we try for years and years to keep our feelings subdued and away from prying eyes, but eventually this becomes just too much and we have no choice but to start to transition. As we do it becomes ever more important to try and work our way into society as the people we are.

It's worth noting also that Trans people do not suffer from a mental disorder in any way. Gender Dysphoria is caused by a mis-match in the brain and genitals during growth in the mothers womb. The closest we get to a mental disorder is depression, which is very common.

Transsexual individuals (once out), do not have a problem. They are usually very confident about who they are, who they want to be and how they want to live the remainder of their lives. Society has the problem and society perpetuates it by not allowing itself to be educated. We hope in the future just as other peoples rights have been realised, that so will ours.

TForm