Hello...I come in peace

[Rachel L.H.]

Hello. I am a graduate student trying to prepare undergraduate curriculum on transgender, transsexual, and intersex human rights issues. I would like to use a questionnaire for undergrads, kind of a "You: In Context" thing to get them thinking about ideas of gender privilege and their role in that. However, I am not part of the trans/intersex community, thus I feel it would be insensitive and presumptuous to try to create one without feedback. I'm looking for questions that would directly reflect the trans/intersex experience while also reflecting the gender privilege most students have unwittingly enjoyed. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much,
Rachel Lopez-Hohenshell
MFA candidate, creative writing and environment, Iowa State University

[Peter]

Hi Rachel,

I think that probably the best thing that you can do in terms of developing a curriculum on transsexual, transgender, and intersex rights is to assign the writings of people with first hand experience of these issues. What are your thoughts about gender privilege? In my experience, people who use the term "privilige" are generally nice middle class kids, who feel guilty about things that they should not feel guilty about, like having access to running water, a roof over their heads, and being able to read. In college, they tend to get warehoused in majors like sociology, psychology, and gender studies. It's less expensive for the state to have a lecture hall full of social studies students than provide research laboratories for training in the sciences. I remember once talking with a doctor, and saying that there sure are a lot of college students majoring in sociology. As I recall it, she responded "Yes, and the other half are in psychology." (This was back in the 1970's, when social science majors were all the rage.) As I have said elsewhere on this forum, transsexual, transgender, and intersex people will never be considered front office material by the corporate world, and it is best to get the technical training that might allow one to get a half-decent job.

Peter

[Peter]

Hi Rachel,

For transsexual and transgender issues, you might want to contact Dr. Wal Torres, with GenderCare in San Palo, Brazil. I am not transsexual, but I did take an online survey there once, which had questions along the lines of (not exactly quoted):

Have you ever tried to commit suicide?
Did your parents ever kick you out of the house?
Have you ever been homeless, and living on the street?
Have you ever been physically assaulted?

I thought that the survey was well designed.

Peter

[Rachel L.H.]

Peter, thanks for your response. I agree with your assessment of the sociopolitical PC-babble we're currently feeding undergrads. I teach English, and as much as I try to just give them the straight skinny, it's hard to bring them out of their bubbles without introducing the idea of privilege. For the record, I am a nontrad student (I'm 36), a writer, and was a street kid---I now specialize in urban studies---so this is WWAAYYYY out of my box, but I like it that way. I also teach poetry with juvenile justice kids; I can only imagine that between the two teaching forums, someone will be experiencing these issues. I'd like to be someone who can foster understanding.

That said, I'm looking for questions that challenge students' perceptions of their own experiences, such as "What are your first memories of gender assignment (bows in the hair, little slugger jammies...)? Were you comfortable with them? What if you hadn't been?" But I don't feel I have enough experience/ understanding to pose these questions in the most incisive way. Make sense?

Thanks so much again,
Rachel

[JOS]

Welcome to BLO and thanks for coming to ask for intersex views

I'm really sorry to sound a bit stupid but I'm not entirely sure what you're asking for?

would you mind giving some examples of the sort of thing you mean because I'd like to help if I can but just can't quite get it.

I remember a study where they wanted to see the assumptions people made
they had a bunch of stereotypical "male" and stereotypical "female" toys and they looked to see which toy the adult offered a baby to play with

Each adults had two attempts first with the baby dressed in a "blue/boy" outfit and then in a "pink-girl" outfit.
There was only one instance where the stereotype didn't match up and that was because the adult actually held the baby near enough to the table with the toys on, for the baby to grab whichever it wanted :)

could you start off getting them to see that their own assumptions about others could be flawed? maybe use pictures?
The problem is that other people start to put a gender onto an infant before its even born... it doesn't mean this tallies up with what the child would have actually chosen!
in my opinion, it seems like it's only the really really brave who actually go against this and risk everything to say "no, you got it wrong" there are possibly countless others, who are perhaps on a spectrum, who just never were brave enough to outright buck the social conformity they were forced into.

so... if a girl didn't like having ribbons put in her hair... I'm not sure what that says?? my sister didn't want them so nor did I ... she's "normal"... I have CAIS... I'm not sure how you'll interpret the answer?

well, good luck with it :)
jos

[Kailana]

just thinking of a question that might get people thinking.

Have a doctor ever asked you during any of your appointments, "are you happy being a girl", or "are you happy being a boy?"

I was thinking of this as years ago I had asked my brother if our mom and doctor had ever asked him if he was happy being a boy? Which he said nope why would they.

[notodd]

just thinking of a question that might get people thinking.

Have a doctor ever asked you during any of your appointments, "are you happy being a girl", or "are you happy being a boy?"



And that Kailana, is something that's been bugging me for years. I was asked when I was quite young, but I didn't understand what was going on and I didn't know what the difference was, as I was happy being me.

Unfortunately, my mother died a number of years ago, so I can't ask her and my dad won't talk to me on the subject. I am hoping that my medical records will show something when I get them.

[Kailana]

sorry to read of your mom passing. Are you sure your dad won't talk about it?

I assume you know him well enough to know allready, just thinking that you should never give up. could be he isn't ready now to talk but some day maybe he will.

I honestly think that alot of people won't really understand without actually experiencing being asked, by family or doctors as a kid. I know my memories are not perfect, meaning exact times I was a kid ya know.
Still I think alot of the confusion I had been dealing with as a kid, was alot harder then it needed to be. Just be asked over and over only made it harder for me, it's like constantly being reminded that your not a boy, yet no one will tell you why they are asking and all that leaves you with is well being confused and for me at least left me knowing that something must really be wrong with me since they keep asking, and then ignoring me when I ask them why they are asking me. <--alot of depression just from this issue.

for LH again, if your bringing up topics in a lecture type setting you might start off with something basic a simple question for all those attending. I really do think it would be a good place to start.

[JOS]

Hi Rachel L.H.

I'm just wondering... have you considered what sort of support you might offer to your students post questionnaire?

some of your questions may bring deep-seated feelings to the surface that some of them may not be ready to deal with or equipped for.

as you can see... these issues cause quite a stir even amongst those who have been "living it" for quite some time

and you only have to look at recent news articles to see some of the backlash on individuals this topic can cause, will your questionnaire remain confidential?

I don't mean to dissuade... just to prepare :)