The Transgender Phenomenon [Paperback]

This book aimed to describe the evolution our Euro-American culture has gone through in the past in terms of individuals who do not fit the dominant cultures idea of male or female. The two authors take a sociological approach that attempts to explore differences in identity.

The first chapter briefly defines the structure of the book in which it deals with four different processes or modes of trangendering. This term includes many other aspects of sexuality including transsexual and transvestite.

The first category of transgendered individuals is based on our current cultures binary view of gender. This category abides by three rules; there are only two genders (M/F) of which you must pick one or the other, and there is no switching back and forth between them. Individuals who wish to migrate to the other gender do so in various methods. The author's describe it literally as a move, or switch to the other side, with no intention of turning back. This process can include body modification or substitutions which can range from surgery to altering clothes. While there is evidence throughout history of transgendered people there was little that could be done until medical technology's advancement. Prior to 1970 there were many cases of self castration or body mutilation. "Passing" in society is now a realistic option with improvements of hormone replacement therapy and reassignment surgery. It wasn't until 1966 that at John Hopkins the first sex change operation was performed.

Christine Jorgensen is one of the earliest cases of a full MTF operation. In Jorgeson's case the medical profession agreed to castrate him as hope to cure his homosexuality. It wasn't until publicity of the case did doctors treat it as reassignment surgery. The view of the 50's and 60's was that behavior, society, and environment shaped your gender not genes. Psychologist John Money coined the term "gender identity" in which he naively assumed he could select the sex of a child and raise it either way successfully. This lead doctors and psychologists awareness of differences between anatomical and psychological sex.

Virginia Prince coined the term, "transgenderist" (1979) and believed that there were three aspects to sexuality including the sexual, psychological, and social. Prince considers herself a male woman who cross dresses and makes some body substitutions whose concerns are psychological and social, not sexual. Dr. Fisk views true transsexuals as those who are intensely consistently uncomfortable in their assigned gender. Anne Lawrence and Ray Blanchard have identified two categories of MTF transsexuals. Those who are masculine in behavior and attracted to men (autogynephilia) and those are feminine boys (homosexual transsexual).

The third chapter also is based on the assumption that there are two genders. This includes people who oscillate back and forth. The author compares it to tourism, or crossing the border, but there is always a return "home". Any modification to the body or behavior is temporary and usually done through clothing substitutions. It is commonly done by transvestites which literally means, opposite clothing. Most cases of cross dressing are accounted back to childhood in which there was a preoccupation with the other sex's clothing. It is categorized in the DSM as a paraphilia, or fetish. True transvestites are defined as heterosexual and usually married with children. "Drag" is a more comfortable term for those who are in performance. There is no such thing as a closet drag queen/king.

The next chapter is where things get a little "different". The third orientation includes those who wish/have gone through un-gendering. They wish to negate their gender entirely so they can either erase, or substitute for something else. There are many examples in fantasy fiction literature that speak about people who are neither male nor female. Throughout history there have been great leaders who were eunuchs who did not have to be distracted or influenced by their sexuality. Several examples of "male sissy maids" were used to demonstrate instances in which people currently are un-gendered. These sissy maids make up a 3rd gender in which males become submissive house maids to dominating women. Many steps are taken to erase their maleness including shaving, gaffing, general neutral clothing, etc. While at first it appeared to me as a form of role playing but apparently it is a real profession in which no sexual exchanges are made. From the impression I got, male sissies do not have sexual relations with males or females, but rather themselves through masturbation and often "pink rubber sheets". I thought this whole scenario seemed a bit fictitious. Just because a handful of people take part in this fetish activity does not mean it deserves a whole chapter in a book. Unlike other examples of transgendered people I find this identity as less substantial and not entirely related to gender but perhaps other disorders. It would make more sense to me if it were part of an oscillating behavior, but not a permanent lifestyle.

The final category including those who are "transcending" gender, which involves gender "outlaws". They share an ambition to create a new gender in which males/females are intermixed. The biggest obstacle they face is the discrepancy between society's ultimate values of freedom of expression and their actual behaviors/attitudes on that matter. Even though identity is temporary and fluid I think a collapse of binary gender is not possible in society today. Our gender is integrated into every institution and aspect of our lives. It would be more of a political obstacle than anything else. Maybe in the future, we will all be sterilized and use techniques of assisted reproduction so gender won't matter. This model is also influenced by postmodernist theory and queer theory. Although I am familiar with the first, I wish queer theory would have been explained in more detail. Photographer Del laGrace Volcano identifies as a "hermself" gender queer. While he uses the male pronoun he identifies also as intersexed and as a "gender terrorist". His appearance and performance has been quite fluid throughout his life, and he represents both genders at the same time.

Obviously the last two models are the most unique. Over time I can see even more labels being created out of necessity as people continue to explore their sexuality and identities. I found the book really interesting and thought it read like a romance/science fiction/futuristic novel. Considering the authors are both sociologists I would have preferred less personal instances or "case studies" and more representable categories. I also liked all the chronological references that helped put the issue in a historical context.

While it is clear that our sex (genitalia) is firmly responsible for reproduction our gender however can operate independent of the restrictions and norms society places upon it.