Women Born Transsexual

4 Responses to “Trans 101 #4: ‘TERF’ is Not a Slur”

1. edith pilkington Says:
   September 14, 2018 at 9:43 pm

   This came up after the Rachel McKinnon video

   approx. 5:35 into the video . . .

   “Not only does it make trans women look like they’re in denial. . . but it also makes you look ableist . . . ”

   What is the difference between the reasoning of this self identified “TERF” and that of Jennifer Levi and the Gay and Lesbian Advocates’ position on “Gender Identity Disorder(GID)”, which was ensconced into law by the U S Tax Court decision on behalf of Rhiannon O’Donnabhain, litigated the same year “Gender Identity Disorder(GID)” was removed from the DSM-V?

   Compare:

   “(citing Jennifer Levi & Ben Klein, Pursuing Protection for Transgender People Through Disability Laws, in TRANSGENDER RIGHTS 74, 80–83 . . . Citing Levi’s work on utilizing disability law to litigate transgender claims . . . .”
   (“This criticism, however, is largely the product of ableist attitudes that have been adopted from society’s unjust biases against disabilities in general.”)”

   referring to:

   “142 Levi interview; see also McGowan, supra note 5, at 220 n.52 (“I find troubling the way in which [the critique of the medical model] seems to accept that stigma is a natural corollary of mental health diagnoses.”

   From the Rhiannon O’Donnabhain U S Tax Court Decision litigated by GLAD and Jennifer Levi. The following quotes

   . . . it is also important to the mental
   health of a male with severe GID to be able to “pass”
   convincingly in public as female–-that is, to be [“]perceived[“] as
   female by members of the public.

   . . . Moreover, Dr. Brown[arguing for the litigant/”petitioner”], O’Donnabhain?] observes, normal genetic males generally do not desire to have their penis
   and testicles removed. Such a desire is regarded in the
   psychiatric literature as a likely manifestation of psychosis
   (usually schizophrenia) or GID, followed by a range of other less
   likely explanations.

   . . . Notably, the regulations, mirroring the language of the Finance
   Committee report, treat “disease” as used in the statute as
   synonymous with “. . . mental defect or illness.”

   . . . language equating “mental defect” with “disease” was in the first
   version of the regulations promulgated in 1943 and has stood
   unchanged since.

   . . . Given the reference to “mental defect” in the legislative
   history and the regulations, it has also long been settled that
   “disease” as used in section 213 can extend to mental disorders.

   . . . respondent concedes that GID is a mental disorder[the petitioner went to a lot of work convincing the respondent what the respondent already believed]

   . . . Numerous cases have treated mental
   disorders as “diseases” for purposes of section 213

   . . . . panic disorder and obsessive-
   compulsive disorder . . . bulimia . . .anorexia[mental disorders similar to “GID”?]

   . . . intent of the
   regulations and legislative history to cover “mental defects”

   . . . Petitioner argues that GID is a “disease” for purposes of section
   213 because it is well recognized in mainstream psychiatric
   literature, including the DSM-IV-TR, as a legitimate mental illness

   [quotes Blanchard] . . . Cross-gender identity at any age,
   therefore, is appropriately regarded as a disorder and
   a possible reason for clinical intervention. * * *
   [>>>Green & Blanchard<<<, “Gender Identity Disorders”,

   . . . . the desire of a genetic male to have his genitals
   removed requires[Brown arguing for the petitioner]

   . . . remove his genitals, fashion simulated female genitals . . . After these procedures, petitioner “passed” as female[the "trans deceiver" trope]

   This why I don't want groups like GLAD representing me. GLAD has given the bigots of Massachusetts and any others way more than enough ammunition for their hate campaigns. How is referring to a post transsexual woman as a "genetic male" with "Gender Identity Disorder", a "mental defect" any less worse than what the self identified "TERF" does?
   • Suzan Says:
     September 15, 2018 at 6:10 am

     I’m not responsible for what You Tube follows a video with. It is something I have no control over.

     For the record there isn’t a penny’s worth of difference between TERFs, Nazis, racist, Antisemites or any other sort of bigot. Some may wave academic credentials while others burn crosses but they have one thing in common. They are bigots.

     As for GLAD… I’m actually happy with them representing trans-folk as a class. We got shut out of protection under the American’s with Disabilities Act and just about every other form of protection back in Jesse Helms day circa 1990. Legal cases hang on precedents.
     • edith pilkington Says:
       September 19, 2018 at 8:51 pm

       “Legal cases hang on precedents.” . . .
2. edith pilkington Says:
   September 14, 2018 at 9:50 pm

   Most of the “GID”/”Mental Defect” quotes from here:

   Click to access odonnabhain-tax-court-decision-02-02-10.pdf

   The rest of the quotes on ableism were from an analysis of the court decision in the Harvard Journal of Law and Gender

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