This entirely depends on which path the causality takes.
Trans folks are much more depressed and tend to have much higher levels of mental illness than the general population.*
Obviously, experiences are different for different people. But most trans people experience extreme discomfort in the gender roles they are expected to perform and have some form of gender dysphoria. I would expect these things to be present regardless if they knew that the label “trans” exists. If this is the reason for the higher rates of mental illness, then encouraging awareness of what trans is will let people do things to help fix some of these issues.
However, if the causal path is that people become aware of the idea of being trans, then realize that they do not fit the gender they were assigned at birth, leading to higher rates of mental illness, that would be a different issue.
Anecdotally, almost all the trans people I know have the experience of learning what being trans is, then having an “Oh! That’s I’m feeling” moment. This would be evidence for the first method.
(Side note: The term most trans people use is transgender rather than transexual, because it is the gender that is different. On a similar note, most trans people do not have the surgeries you were talking about.)
*I am not counting gender identity disorder as a mental illness, both because I don’t think it should be classified that way and because this statement would be pointless if I did.
Thinking about being the opposite sex → psychosomatic alteration of hormone levels during puberty-> structural differences in the brain → transgender.
I’m not saying this is plausible, or that I have evidence for it. This is not my field. But AFAIK I cannot rule it out.
*I am not counting gender identity disorder as a mental illness, both because I don’t think it should be classified that way and because this statement would be pointless if I did.
I would say that since transgender people are much more depressed, presumably due to being trapped in the wrong body (which, as we both mentioned, doesn’t apply to all trans people) then GID is a mental illness because it causes depression and suffering.
This doesn’t mean that transgender people need to feel bad about being trans, because that will just make matters worse. I know people who are trans and I know people who suffering from other mental illnesses and I hope I’m not coming across as insensitive but I just don’t see the point in mincing my words.
I would say that since transgender people are much more depressed, presumably due to being trapped in the wrong body (which, as we both mentioned, doesn’t apply to all trans people) then GID is a mental illness because it causes depression and suffering.
Although some of the depression could be caused by that, it seems pretty likely that a large portion of it could also because by being treated by society as a gender they aren’t, as well as more targeted transphobia. GLB people also have much higher rates of depression, which is probably for that reason and not some third link.
Furthermore, I think we need to go back to diseased thinking about diseases. When we call something a mental illness, it’s because we are trying to treat it in some way, or alleviate the effects. This is not something we want to do with trans people, the effects that we’re talking about are all other mental illnesses that we do want to treat the symptoms of.
Although some of the depression could be caused by that, it seems pretty likely that a large portion of it could also because by being treated by society as a gender they aren’t, as well as more targeted transphobia.
I’ve heard trans people say that simply having breasts is really disturbing, enough to require unconfortable breast-binding. I’ve also heard a trans person say that they enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror, because they are turned on by their own body.
Incidentally, are there separate words for ‘non gender identifying transgender’ and ‘trapped in the wrong body transgender’?
Anyway, clearly transphobia is going to make the problem worse.
When we call something a mental illness, it’s because we are trying to treat it in some way, or alleviate the effects. This is not something we want to do with trans people, the effects that we’re talking about are all other mental illnesses that we do want to treat the symptoms of.
Well, sex reassignment surgery clearly is a treatment. And the picture isn’t clear with certain other mental illnesses either (e.g. autism).
Incidentally, are there separate words for ‘non gender identifying transgender’ and ‘trapped in the wrong body transgender’?
I think what you are going for is non-binary/agender trans people vs. binary trans people.
But, I’m not sure which distinction you’re talking about. There are people who fit the classic “trapped in the wrong body,” who have a clear idea of what body parts they would/wouldn’t like (which could be anything from having a penis and breasts to no genitalia at all). There are other people who are completely fine with their physical body but are uncomfortable with the idea of identifying with the gender they were assigned at birth.
If you’re talking about that distinction, then people in the second category don’t necessarily identify as agender or non-binary, and people in the first category don’t always identify as a binary gender.
Well, I had a transgender friend who said that at a trans meeting two types of people turned up: those that didn’t strongly identify as either gender, and those that strongly identified as the gender opposite to their physical body. This is the distinction I am trying to describe.
This entirely depends on which path the causality takes.
Trans folks are much more depressed and tend to have much higher levels of mental illness than the general population.*
Obviously, experiences are different for different people. But most trans people experience extreme discomfort in the gender roles they are expected to perform and have some form of gender dysphoria. I would expect these things to be present regardless if they knew that the label “trans” exists. If this is the reason for the higher rates of mental illness, then encouraging awareness of what trans is will let people do things to help fix some of these issues.
However, if the causal path is that people become aware of the idea of being trans, then realize that they do not fit the gender they were assigned at birth, leading to higher rates of mental illness, that would be a different issue.
Anecdotally, almost all the trans people I know have the experience of learning what being trans is, then having an “Oh! That’s I’m feeling” moment. This would be evidence for the first method.
(Side note: The term most trans people use is transgender rather than transexual, because it is the gender that is different. On a similar note, most trans people do not have the surgeries you were talking about.) *I am not counting gender identity disorder as a mental illness, both because I don’t think it should be classified that way and because this statement would be pointless if I did.
I think there is a third causal path, which goes:
Thinking about being the opposite sex → psychosomatic alteration of hormone levels during puberty-> structural differences in the brain → transgender.
I’m not saying this is plausible, or that I have evidence for it. This is not my field. But AFAIK I cannot rule it out.
I would say that since transgender people are much more depressed, presumably due to being trapped in the wrong body (which, as we both mentioned, doesn’t apply to all trans people) then GID is a mental illness because it causes depression and suffering.
This doesn’t mean that transgender people need to feel bad about being trans, because that will just make matters worse. I know people who are trans and I know people who suffering from other mental illnesses and I hope I’m not coming across as insensitive but I just don’t see the point in mincing my words.
Sure, that path seems possible as well.
Although some of the depression could be caused by that, it seems pretty likely that a large portion of it could also because by being treated by society as a gender they aren’t, as well as more targeted transphobia. GLB people also have much higher rates of depression, which is probably for that reason and not some third link.
Furthermore, I think we need to go back to diseased thinking about diseases. When we call something a mental illness, it’s because we are trying to treat it in some way, or alleviate the effects. This is not something we want to do with trans people, the effects that we’re talking about are all other mental illnesses that we do want to treat the symptoms of.
I’ve heard trans people say that simply having breasts is really disturbing, enough to require unconfortable breast-binding. I’ve also heard a trans person say that they enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror, because they are turned on by their own body.
Incidentally, are there separate words for ‘non gender identifying transgender’ and ‘trapped in the wrong body transgender’?
Anyway, clearly transphobia is going to make the problem worse.
Well, sex reassignment surgery clearly is a treatment. And the picture isn’t clear with certain other mental illnesses either (e.g. autism).
I think what you are going for is non-binary/agender trans people vs. binary trans people.
But, I’m not sure which distinction you’re talking about. There are people who fit the classic “trapped in the wrong body,” who have a clear idea of what body parts they would/wouldn’t like (which could be anything from having a penis and breasts to no genitalia at all). There are other people who are completely fine with their physical body but are uncomfortable with the idea of identifying with the gender they were assigned at birth.
If you’re talking about that distinction, then people in the second category don’t necessarily identify as agender or non-binary, and people in the first category don’t always identify as a binary gender.
Well, I had a transgender friend who said that at a trans meeting two types of people turned up: those that didn’t strongly identify as either gender, and those that strongly identified as the gender opposite to their physical body. This is the distinction I am trying to describe.
And “agender trans people” is quite a mouthful.
You can just say “non-binary people” or “agender people.” In any case, binary and non-binary are the types you are talking about.