<center>Straight Talk about Trannies, Androgynes and Transsexuals
by Alyras de Cygne</center>
Alyras on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/alyras
{Parents of minors, this is a candid, albeit brief review of sex and gender differentiation, solely intended for educational purposes. If this subject is uncomfortable for you, please read through this blog post; perhaps it will alleviate much of that discomfort and enable you to be better prepared to answer your kid's questions about this area of life, if and when they arise.}
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This is not meant to be an all inclusive discourse on gender and sex identity. It is simply meant to address the rising questions among the general population, (more than ever before), about what is and what is not represented by such terms as "tranny," "transgender," and "transsexual." Essentially, this is a string of clarifying statements relative to the "rainbow within the rainbow." More in depth information can be found readily on the 'Net using either of the subject line terms as keywords to search for it.
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Firstly, a word about gender and sexual identity/orientation. Gender is between the ears; sex is primarily between the legs, with secondary characteristics in many places elsewhere in the body, predominantly in the hips, breasts and neck+face. Gender is "boy" or "girl", "man" or "woman"; sex is "female" or "male." Gender is understood to be hard wired and fixed; sex is malleable - you can change the latter, but the former is what it is. Sexual identity is about who you're having any kind of sexual intercourse with; gender identity is about how you see yourself having it with them, as well as all other activities you may have or envision having with them, from just passing by on the street to building a castle or any normal, human activity. The predominant psychological profiles relative to gender identity evidence most people whose bodies were born with penises naturally, comfortably and preferably gravitate toward behaviors that are clearly consistent with and representative of manhood. Therefore, based on this prevalence, society automatically regards babies with penises as "boys" and later "men." Likewise, most persons born with vaginas naturally, comfortably and preferably gravitate toward behaviors that are clearly consistent with and representative of womanhood, hence the stereotypical designation of them as "girls" and "women." In other words, their sex is "congruent" with their gender. However, some people with vaginas between their legs are wired like men between their ears; their femaleness is inconsistent or "incongruent" with their hard wired, gender identity. Likewise, the inverse, for some persons born male; male sex characteristics and male behavior are just incongruent with their gender identity. This is a case of nature, not nurture, the result of recombinant DNA; it is not the rebellious or deviant choice of the individual, nor a product of faulty upbringing and no amount of nurturing and behavioral modification can resolve the incongruity between their sex and gender, ("gender incongruity.") Between those who live in gender congruity and gender incongruity is a very broad spectrum compromising a very small percentage of the general population. That group consists of androgynes and persons who qualify as members of the LGBT community's "T" or "transgender" contingent.
<center>Androgynes</center>
Androgynes [man+woman] are persons who have an innate self identification with being both genders, masculine and feminine, man and woman, simultaneously and continually; regardless of their sex. Many indigenous peoples and even some great civilizations, including the Greeks, have understood androgynes as members of an inherent "3rd gender" in their communities. Typically, such persons are regarded as bringers of Light and higher consciousness into their communities. Most are completely straight, preferring heterosexual partners; however, they may be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or perhaps even transsexual. None are happy being forced to present only half of their psyches as the norm. More on that in my article, "Androgyne: The Union of Opposites Within": http://www.themereproject.org/intro.html
<center>Transgender</center>
This is an umbrella term referring to all variations of human behavior involving a deep seated need to overtly express the sex characteristics and/or behaviors of the gender opposite that traditionally associated with one's biological sex. Thus, persons born female have an overriding need to present themselves as men, (more than the female masculinity of dykes), emphazing character traits and behavior most commonly associated with manhood. Likewise vice verse, male-born persons who have an overriding need to present themselves in ways consistent with womanhood. Such persons may or may not wish to change their bodies' sexual characterstics. Those who do not, and pointedly dress and present themselves as the opposite sex, typically fall into categories such as "tranny" or "genderqueer." Those who do seek to change their bodies' sex characteristics are "transsexual."
(Most transgender persons are not transsexual. All transsexuals are transgender.)
Apparently, as with androgynes, the vast majority of all gender variances represented by the T group are hard wired in the brain. (There are persons who explore their T potential and conclude that their gender variances are not consistent with the "trans community", eventually not defining themselves as transgender.)
<center>Tranny (Transvestites)</center>
This group consists of male or female born persons who have no wish to change their body's sex characteristics and are compelled to dress and present themselves in the clothing, form and behavior of the opposite sex and gender. For them, there is an overriding psychological and emotional satisfaction in dressing up as and presenting themselves in ways that are overtly representative of the opposite sex - they get off on it and gotta do it, whether they "pass" or not. When you hear terms such as "tranny", "t-girls/t-gurls/t-grrrls", "drag king", "CD" or "drag queen," you're hearing about members of this end of the "trans spectrum". However, other than the dressing up and related play, they primarily identify with being and live fairly normal lives as men and women, according to their traditionally associated gender roles. This is the near end of the trans spectrum.
<center>Genderqueer</center>
I think this is a Generation X term for persons who are neither tranny nor transsexual, per se, and who do not squarely identify with either pole of the trans spectrum, regarding themselves as varying degrees of blends of the two poles and needing to express a relative balance of the two, in dress and behavior, according to the blend that best represents their self identities. Socially and psychologically, they are the most fluid of all T members. Many of these persons are actually androgynes, on the path to establishing a consistently comfortable gender balance and harmony.
<center>Transsexual</center>
This group represents the far (and least understood) end of the trans spectrum. All transsexuals have a physical self identification as being a member of the sex that's opposite to what's between their legs at birth. (In other words, internally, transsexual persons who are societally classified as boys at birth see their bodies with female sex characteristics and vice verse.) Transsexuals are born transsexuals; environment does not change this neurological encoding - our DNA recombines to invest this self perception and perspective and it cannot be behaviorly modified out of us. As far as the numerous clinical studies indicate to date, little "boys" brains who are truly transsexual are wired as girls and, vice verse, little "girls" are wired as boys and, whether they overtly show it or not, this is irrevocable. For transsexuals, they must change their bodies to conform to their brains, to enable them to be uniformly regarded and interacted with in a manner consistent with their true gender, the one opposite what's commonly associated with their biological sex. (They are not necessarily trannies, although some initially identify as being such; in the long run, cross dressing gives transsexuals very little satisfaction - when they remove the clothes, the incongruity of their physical bodies with their true gender is still the big ass elephant in the broom closet. Certainly, most transsexuals I've spoken with do not identify with nor really understand the motivations of trannies and card carrying trannies would never think of actually going to the extent that mtf and ftm persons do to establish gender congruity. In many ways, being at either end of the trans spectrum, they generally don't mingle. And, no self respecting transsexual who is aware of the community specific connotations of tranny would appreciate being labeled as one.) Transsexuals first learn and master the traditional gender roles assigned to them, then, finding it impossible to maintain the psychological stresses and distress entailed in doing so, they either enter a transgender process, shifting from one gender to the other, or they cascade into profound mental and/or emotional illness, perhaps accompanied by alarming self destructive behavior. This shift is known as "transition." The purpose of transition is to reach "gender congruity," that state where their socially perceived gender is in harmony or congruent with their hard wired, true gender. Typically, the transition period is underscored by the use of sex hormones, altering their bodies' secondary sex characteristics to conform to their encoded gender identity.
Typically, transsexuals use hormones to physically transition from male to female, "MTF", or female to male, "FTM," many without seeking surgery of any kind. Surgery or not, this process is regarded as "gender reassignment." Those who elect surgery may do so minorly or majorly. Some FTMs eventually undergo "top surgery," entailing radical mastectomy and find personal balance and satisfaction with that degree of surgical intervention. Some eventually have phalloplasty, or "bottom surgery", ergo the surgical creation of a penis and all related parts. Likewise, some MTFs undergo top surgery, having breast implants (and, perhaps, facial surgery) and some undergo bottom surgery, ergo vaginoplasty, the surgical creation of a vagina, labia and cervix. Bottom surgery for both genders is known as "sex reassignment surgery" or "srs." All transsexuals undergo gender reassignment. Not all transsexuals undergo srs. Those who do not have srs are called "pre-op" or "non-op" and those who do are called "post-op."
The range of gender expressions and sexual identities among transsexuals is as wide as that of all persons identifying with traditional gender roles. Many ftm men are straight, many are gay, some are bi. Likewise for mtf women; some only date men, some only date women and some date both. FTMs range from [what my state's governor has coined as] "girlie men" to burly men. MTF women range from "girlie girl" to "hard butch". Many straight girls who like boys and then transition to become men identify as gay men. Likewise, many straight boys who like girls and then transition to womanhood identify as lesbians. But, nothing about transsexual sexual identity can be taken for granted, just as you can't pick someone at random, with no foreknowledge of them and be certain that they are straight, gay, bi, bestial or whatever, just by looking at them or talking with them.
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We are on the verge of a major rise in the media's representations of persons within the trans community. This document is presented as a primer, to help people to be clear about what the terms soon to be most commonly bandied about in reference to us actually mean. It is not a clinical lexicon, just an attempt to allay the distortions and exaggerations of the truth and the perpetuation of negative stereotypes projected upon this overall group of persons by the media, the Church, the ignorant and the detractors. As I said, it's a very generalized view, but one that is also appropriately foundational.
There are more transsexuals on earth than there are persons with Multiple Sclerosis and more are born [of traditional, straight parents] every day. I write this out of the belief that, if we don't tell you the basic truth about who we are, you're gonna just get more of the same ol', same ol' myopic and prejudicial perspectives perpetuated about us, furthering ignorance generated fear of us - the fear that results in transgender youth making up 30-40% of all homeless [family rejected] youth and an extremely high youth suicide statistic. We're all more alike than we are different. This info is a drop in the bucket of Light illuminating the Truth of the above differences in ways that will enable others to a) more easily understand and, hopefully, to be remarkably less prejudicial about and discriminatory against transgender persons in all communities and b) find common ground between us to develop new and healthy relationships, regardless of sex and gender orientation.
<center>Why I am Out as a Transgender Entertainer
by Alyras de Cygne</center>
Seven years ago, shortly after moving to San Francisco, I was having a conversation with a young[, preop FTM (female-to-male)] man about social responsibility as an artist; relative to one's being queer and out. He thought it's very important to be out for others who do not have the capacity to be so; to enable them to have positive models. Accordingly, he felt that is was my duty to be open about who I am. I strongly, no, adamantly disagreed. "That's my business!", I told him. "I'm not ...obligated to anyone to be out. Besides, there are a lot of others who will take that step." "You're wrong", he retorted. "They're too afraid and, as a transperson, there's nobody like you who can stand up and communicate to the Black community." Neither of us budged from our positions on that matter.
I was living in stealth when we had that conversation and I felt (and continue to feel) that I deserve to be as closeted as I wanna be in order for me to not have to deal with rejection and heat from the world about my being a transwoman. It indescribably hurts to develop heartfelt relationships with people who see me and get to know me without the transsexual label [and all its relative terms], to then have them learn of that aspect of my being and to instantly feel their flow of Love to me shift to fear and rejection, to see the look in their eyes turn from genuine warmth and appreciation to genuine loathing, scorn and, sometimes malice - sunshine to darkness, frequently within 2-3 seconds, just because of that single thing. Can you imagine that?? Can you imagine what it's like to be the recipient of that reaction?? If you can, even remotely, then understand, I have experienced that too frequently to even try to count. And I'm fortunate; my mama and daddy gave me great DNA and I can just blend in, with no prob. If I don't want people to know I'm transsexual, all I need to do is not disclose that info. In my business, it's not considered as good PR. In fact, historically (and in my personal experience), in BIG show business, being openly transgender typically has had an overwhelmingly detrimental effect on one's career; and I think BIG. So, why change my personal and quite comfortable status quo to out myself?
Well, the initial shift began after my friend and I had that conversation, which inspired me to join the Transcendence Gospel Choir, resulting in my being publicly out around the country as we toured, and around the world as a result of press and films about us. But, other than my original inspirational music and the Choir, I separated my sacred music life and profile from that of my secular music, (and I'm primarily a secular musician). From the Choir and other creative activities here in the City, many people in the local queer community knew of my being a transperson, but otherwise, it wasn't generally known. A couple of years ago, speaking as one of my elders, a friend of my mother's told me, "People have to get to know you to accept you. For them to know you, they have to see you and spend time with you." He was speaking of a specific community; naturally, I extrapolated his comment to include the entire galaxy, and I pondered what he'd said. For awhile.
Eventually, (and somewhat recently), I began coming across articles by journalists addressing the dirth of black transgender public figures. The Black community's rejection of us is insidious; it inspires us to hide out, to lay lowwwww. ~ (Particularly, the backstabbing of the Black church. Church goin' folks will just lo-o-o-o-ove all over you; hugs, blessings, smiles, positive words, invitations, introductions, the whole shebang - until they discover you're gay, lesbian and, God forbid, "don't go there", a transgender person. Then, it's ice, venom, curses and steel; and that's the real deal, from the pulpit and the pantry. For most black people in America, church is important and that's typical Black church love towards transgender people; or, rather the denial of it. Faced with a life impairing and threatening denial, most black transgender persons either leave the church or keep quiet and lay lowwwww. That double denial, that of love and that of positive public role models results in scores of black, transgender youth suicides every year. There, but for the grace of God, went I. Transgender people tend to be gifted and highly intelligent people; those kids take unusual degrees of talent, skill and capacity with them, lessening the entire world. (It will continue until some of us have the courage to just be real about who we are, to help our own community displace its collective negative baggage about transgenderism - which is completely accommodated by the words of Jesus Christ Himself, Matt. 19: 11, 12, though [as He Himself said] not everybody can accept it. - I'm glad He loved us enough to directly speak up for us!!) ~ A few days ago, I received an email from a fan with link to a blog posting about transgender persons being completely left out of BET's "Who's Who In Black GLBT America". When I read it online, it was linked to an article about the sorrowful lack of positive, black transgender roles models, period. I decided to spend some time doing my own research into fellow, out, black transwomen musicians. After well over two hours, I could only find 5; all female, one singer, four singer/songwriters, the latter set all on Myspace, myself included, two of us here in the San Francisco Bay Area, three in CA. (Surely, there are more, but where are they?? ?? ??)
My mother's friend was correct. Years earlier, my young friend was correct. We're not seen, so we're not known, so we're not accepted and the hundreds of black kids out there who were born like us are not given the certainty that it's just ok to be themselves, as we are, and create, or teach, or design buildings, or lead companies or parent, or whatever we do, as we do. Being out, as I am now, was a very difficult choice; like most people do with difficult choices, I finally made it when the cost of maintaining stealth became greater than the value, in the big picture. For me to have to dig and only find 3 other genuine expressions of professional, black, transgender musical talent in addition to my was an appalling slap in the face. Minimal presence equals minimal support; in evidence, community failure - thus far, even the black, creative LGBT community has failed to acknowledge us. If we're not even acknowledged by our own community, how can the world EVER get to the point of being able to do so? (About 4 years ago, the fortune in my fortune cookie said something like, "People are looking for you. They just don't know where to find you.") At some point, as the author of the blog wrote, we need to start makin' a noise, tooting our own horn as out, creative transwomen in order to let people know we're here and where we are, so they can hear us. Our community may deny us, be we'll not deny ourselves, or others the blessings that come from knowing us.
I confess, my initial choice to be out was primarily motivated by my not wanting to get post relationship rejection in my business dealings any more. That disclosure-rejection paradigm in business, after having spent perhaps years developing and tuning good relationships, is career devastating; (my career once evidenced that.) My attitude was, "If people are going to reject me, I'd rather have them do so before them getting into relationship with me and wasting precious time and my life force." Now, as it was with the Choir, my choice is motivated by Love. Years ago, I asked God why He created transgender persons. His answer was, "To increase your families' capacity to Love." That being said, I joined the Choir. That being said, I'm an out transgender entertainer in order to increase my community's capacity to Love and, therefore, my country's and, therefore, the world's. If my being out makes it possible for one little boy or girl, perceived now as a girl or boy respectively, to be loved by their family enough to be supported, [to get the therapy and evaluation and confirmation necessary for them] to have an optimally healthy transition, while also being enabled and even empowered to explore expressing their talents and gifts as the genuine persons they are (regardless of their age), my following the wise counsel of good friends will make my choice to be so a very worthwhile decision. Certainly, it assures me that those who do decide they want to partner with me to capitalize on my talents and resources are mostly likely going to be in my corner for a long ride, with no ejection seat. Either way, "it's not easy being green", but Love is furthered. Now, that being said, let me entertain you!
<center>Both of these articles have been reposted
with the express written consent of author.
Written by Rev. Michaele Alyras de Cygne.
Copyright by de Cygne. All rights reserved.</center>