Isn't that like putting a boat in a car show?
Maybe they should have two categories...Stock and Modified
Miss Universe Disqualifies Transgender Contestant: Fair or Discriminatory?
Good Morning America
2012/03/26 21:00:00
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Transgendered beauty pageant finalist Jenna Talackova was recently disqualified from the Miss Universe pageant. Is it fair or discriminatory?
Top Opinion
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kent 2012/03/26 21:17:04
This would be like saying you cant qualify if you were born with brown hair, or dark skin.
The qualifications said nothing about sex, only gender. If Jenna Talackova identifies as a woman, then she isn't in any violation. She is a woman.
If she had worn a pacemaker or something of the sort, would you all be arguing that she isn't really alive?
It wouldn't be fair to split it up either, because as transgendered people, they just want to be able to identify with the gender that they feel they are. It's not fair to take that away from someone who truly does feel like they're a female.
Either gender identity and the “Miss” in “Miss Universe” mean something concrete or the “Miss Universe” contest is an outdated event which is based on outdated rules. Jenna Talackova and the supporters of Jenna Talackova cannot have it both ways.
Okay, let us start with this question: What makes Ms. Talackova a female? Was Ms. Talackova a female when she was biologically a boy and she psychologically realized that she is a female or did she become a female after she underwent hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery and biologically became a woman?
Not just in the mind, not just psychologically, but physiologically. Remember, the brain and the mind are different things. The mind is the construct, the non-corporeal thing that you develop and grow. If it was just the mind, she would just think she is. The brain is the squishy organic bit between the ears. It's the organ you perform surgery on and the bit that can be scientifically studied. And THAT, in this case, has always been physiologically female.
I will have to do more scientific research on this issue. Scientifically, this issue is still very debatable, as illustrated by this article.
But, from what I do understand, the Brain-Sex Theory of Transsexualism does require the working synchronization and cross-referencing of two different definitions of gender identity—a neurological definition of gender identity and a corresponding psychological definition of gender identity.
So, in light of this, the question must be asked: How does one psychologically know that they are a member of a gender who was born in the wrong body?
Amelia Smith said: “No, she was a female from birth ... And THAT, in this case, has always been physiologically female.”
So, should the Miss Universe contest accommodate the Brain-Sex Theory of Transsexualism and allow people who externally appear as males to participate in the contest?
http://www.newscientist.com/a...
http://www.sciencedirect.com/...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
The last one is, clearly, not viable as a source on it's own, but look at the sources it lists, as it's a pretty comprehensive list of good sources.
And you know in the same way you know if you are born with the correct gender - you just know. You don't have to look between your legs to know what gender you are (and male soldiers that lose their penis in battle don't stop being men after their naughty bits fall off) you just know intrinsically.
But how does one know that what one “just knows” is not something which one firmly convinced themself of for some reason? Because they say so? Because you want to believe them?
And this is part of the reason trans* folks have to go to therapists and psychologists before transgender folk are allowed to get hormone therapy or surgeries - they question them, probe the reasons behind their transition, and see if there is another underlying issue that's in question. Seeing as you're neither a trained psychologist nor educated on the issue at hand, it makes sense to defer to their judgement when they say that someone is transgender.
But this answer begs the question at hand—that is, in terms of human potential in gender identity and sexual orientation, how does one know when one can change their psychological behavior and when one cannot do so? Put another way, exactly when and how do psychological behaviors act on and change the brain’s neurological structure and vice versa?
I keep seeing attempts to prove that all gender identity and sexual orientation is simply biologically fixed, yet I have yet to see any studies which address these questions. That is, except for controversial studies like Robert Spitzer's ex-gay study in 2003.
Amelia Smith said: “Seeing as you're neither a trained psychologist nor educated on the issue at hand, it makes sense to defer to their judgement [sic] when they say that someone is transgender.”
But an appeal to the said individuals’ authority *in and of itself* does not answer any questions—it is simply a way of saying “because they say so” and expressing blind faith in their judgments.
1. Gender is fluid. That means that it can, and does change. It can seem like a slow change or a sudden change- or maybe it won’t change at all. It’s one of life’s mysteries! It is none of your business if someone’s gender suddenly shifts. Use the correct pronouns and move on.
2. Gender does not mean conforming to stereotypes. A male or androgynous person can wear dresses or like cute things, and they are still male or androgynous. Someone who identifies as female does not have to like dresses or cute things, and she is still female. Accept their preferences and interests and get over it.
3. If someone you know does not seem to fit into the norm for trans* people, it can be confusing or frustrating. If you think that your friend or acquaintance is just confused and not really the gender they identify as, if you think that they are just going through a phase, or if you believe that they only want attention, follow these simple steps to handle the situation:
Realize it is none of your business
Do not talk about how “obviously” fake their iden...
1. Gender is fluid. That means that it can, and does change. It can seem like a slow change or a sudden change- or maybe it won’t change at all. It’s one of life’s mysteries! It is none of your business if someone’s gender suddenly shifts. Use the correct pronouns and move on.
2. Gender does not mean conforming to stereotypes. A male or androgynous person can wear dresses or like cute things, and they are still male or androgynous. Someone who identifies as female does not have to like dresses or cute things, and she is still female. Accept their preferences and interests and get over it.
3. If someone you know does not seem to fit into the norm for trans* people, it can be confusing or frustrating. If you think that your friend or acquaintance is just confused and not really the gender they identify as, if you think that they are just going through a phase, or if you believe that they only want attention, follow these simple steps to handle the situation:
Realize it is none of your business
Do not talk about how “obviously” fake their identity is
Use the correct pronouns and let them be happy with their life.
4. If someone you know seems to be confused with their gender, that’s okay. Not everyone can leap out of bed and declare themselves one gender or another and be sure of it. A changing gender and identity can be confusing, and it is perfectly okay to be unsure, to question oneself, and to go back and forth.
5. If a person does not appear to be the gender they identify as, that is also okay. An androgynous person might have a large chest or a large bulge. They are still androgynous, not a he or a she. Please respect them and use their preferred pronoun, not whatever pronoun you assume will work. Gender is not based on appearance, and you should not make assumptions on a person’s gender because of the way that they look.
6. Finally, please remember that no one’s gender is your business but your own. Do not push yourself into someone else’s space to tell them why they are wrong to identify as the gender that they do. Identity is a very personal thing, and you are not “solving” or “fixing” the other person by refusing to use their pronouns and insisting on disrespecting them.
Also!
there is a difference between
-having a penis
-being a male
-presenting as male
there is also a difference between
-having a vagina
-being female
-presenting as female
YOU CAN BE ANY COMBINATION OF THOSE!
you can be a transman who wears dresses! that’s okay! you don’t have to bind if you don’t want to.
you can be a transwoman who has a beard! that’s great!
your genitals do not determine your gender, and your gender does not determine what you wear or how you want to be seen by others.
I think that covers the basics! Now that you have a basic understanding, please get on with your life and be a little bit more respectful to people.
Everyone else go home, we have a winner.
I said, "what do you think of this girl?"
In a matter of seconds she said, "she looks like a dude."
As I've said on numerous occasions on the SH, this thing looks like a lumberjack with tits.