according to the washington post, it seems that scientists are still mystified by “transgenderism”.
The American Psychiatric Association labels transgenderism a “disorder” but notes that “many transgender people do not experience their transgender feelings and traits to be distressing or disabling, which implies that being transgender does not constitute a mental disorder per se.”
Moreover, it says, “there is no generally accepted explanation for why some people are transgender,” listing genetics, prenatal hormones and early-life experiences as possible influences.
The absence of a concrete explanation for transgenderism, as well as the cultural norms it upsets, can alarm those accustomed to dealing with fixed gender categories.
perhaps these so called scientists ought to examine their misguided assumptions, that all people can be divided into two mutually exclusive categories they call “male” and “female”, and start observing what actually happens in reality. specifically, that not all people can be divided into two mutually exclusive categories called “male” and “female”.
and that if one happens to fall outside these false binary classifications, one is not necessarily “disordered”, but instead, the classifications these scientists created are disordered. perhaps they ought to start thinking outside the box.
an expanded article covering the same issue is published by usa today.
>>>“many transgender people do not experience their transgender feelings and traits to be distressing or disabling, which implies that being transgender does not constitute a mental disorder per se.”
Why don’t they hate themselves? WHY?
etc
Comment by queen emily — October 21, 2007 @ 7:04 am
thus the mystery ;p
Comment by nexy — October 21, 2007 @ 11:12 am
I just can’t make myself be surprised at this. Scientists that think outside the box are shunned by the rest of the scientific community and we all know what that’s like. New ideas in science seem to sprout all around us usually take years and years and decades of testing and convincing to coerce the rest of the community to accept them as hard science. And nobody likes floppy science.
Comment by Emily Grae — October 21, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
@queen emily — Just had to tell you, it’s been ten minutes since I read your comment and I’m still snickering.
Comment by Sara no H. — October 22, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
[...] queen emily’s sarcastic response (”Why don’t they hate themselves? WHY?”) is busy cracking [...]
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