Trans Golfer Forced To Play In Men's Qualifier
by The Associated Press
Posted: July 19, 2004 8:21 pm ET
(Fort Wayne, Indiana) A golfer who was born a hermaphrodite was banned from a woman's tournament because her birth certificate lists her gender as male.
Instead, 40-year-old Danielle Swope will play in Saturday's qualifier for the Fort Wayne Men's City Tournament.
"I have respect for the men for at least giving me the opportunity to play. The women I don't have any respect for," Swope told The Journal Gazette for a story Sunday.
Swope, who was born in Meridian, Miss., said she was born with both male and female reproductive organs and underwent gender-reassignment surgeries to become completely female.
But her Mississippi birth certificate states that she was born male.
The Fort Wayne Women's Golf Association said that was why Swope could not play in the Women's City Golf Tournament, which begins Saturday. Swope, who took up golf about two years ago, also was barred from last year's tournament.
"I feel sorry for her all around," said Linda Franze, president of the Fort Wayne Women's Golf Association.
"I can't imagine what she's going through. But there are rules and they apply to all of us."
The LPGA Tour, U.S. Golf Association and the Ladies European Tour have policies that players must be female at birth. The Indiana PGA and the Indiana Women's Golf Association adopted similar rules last fall after Swope entered the Indiana Women's Open.
"Up until Danielle entered one of our events last year, we hadn't considered how to handle that situation," said Mike David, executive director of the Indiana PGA.
Swope, who said she was outclassed, withdrew from the Women's Open without finishing the first round.
"This policy wasn't put in place because participants were concerned Danielle might go out and win," David said. "We wanted to make sure everything was fair as we moved forward with the playing fields."
The USGA put the "female at birth" clause in its entry forms in 1989, while the LPGA Tour added the restriction in 1991.
The reason for that restriction was Charlotte Wood, a transsexual who was 50 when she finished third in the 1987 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur, and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.
Unlike Wood or Australia's Mianne Bagger - both of whom were born male - Swope was born with both ovaries and testicles, reported The Journal Gazette, which reviewed her medical records. Swope was raised as a boy and her mother had her undergo a hysterectomy at age 11, she said.
Swope moved to Indiana in 1992. From 1995-97, she said, she underwent a series of surgeries to make her completely female. She legally changed her name from Daniel Swope to Danielle Swope in 1996.
Swope, who is 5-foot-4 and weighs 160 pounds, has a handicap index of 11.2.
She said Fort Wayne women's golf officials told her they were concerned she might "overpower" the tournament competition.
Officials did not understand that her body does not produce testosterone at the same levels as someone who was born completely male, Swope said.
Franze, the Fort Wayne golf official, said it was Swope's birth certificate - not competitive concerns - that kept her out of the tournament.
"That was never a point in this," Franze told The Journal Gazette.
"The point is she was born male, and our participants have to be born female. That's the bottom line. The USGA and the Indiana state association go by that."
Swope wants to have her birth certificate changed to state she was born female. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, such a change could be made under a court order, though the change would have to be noted on the document.
©Associated Press 2004


This just really get my goat. Ignorance is not bliss, but our society sure acts as if it is.

Taylor

As a journalist, the AP story is ugly and has gone through a few too many spin cycles.

Here is the original story:
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journa...ews/9184811.htm

And here is another story:

http://www.planetout.com/news/elect...ml?2004/07/20/4

Betsy

__________________
Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is. --Margaret Mitchell

I am little up set about the artcle whoever wrote. The intersex is termed "transexed person".
Are we the intersexed sexed people under the term "Transsex","Transgender",,,,, and people in the society generaly percieved us "transvestite"? Then, are we called "Cross-dresser"?


jaynez31

I am little up set about the article like this:
http://upn33.com/apsports/GLF--Tran...urces_news_html

Until read whole story, the person with intersex condition is termed "a transexed person".
I don't think the intersexed people shold have to be termed the "Transgender golfer". I think majority of people in the society may not be able to differentiate a person with gender identity disorder vs a person with intersexed condition. Once this type of edusive concept in terms of Transgender and Intersex embeded into people's knowldge. A person with intersexed condition may be called a transgender, then some low educated folks think that a person with intersexed condition may be a "Transvestite". Some people use those categories inter-exchable and over-lapping those terms elusively.

Then, I have to consider what DSM-IV is saying about the transvistite; Transvistite is"Psychiatric Disorder". I do not think that I am psychiatric disorder which DSM-IV suggested the symptom, TREATMENT, and prognosis if person who are termed "transvistite".

Actually, I do have one psychiatric disorder; eating disorder, but not sexual diviation.

Here is some description of the Transvistite as a major sexual disorder:


"Paraphilias and Sexual Disorders

Common Characteristics
Paraphilias all have in common distressing and repetitive sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors. These fantasies, urges, or behaviors must occur for a significant period of time and must interfere with either satisfactory sexual relations or everyday functioning if the diagnosis is to be made. There is also a sense of distress within these individuals. In other words, they typically recognize the symptoms as negatively impacting their life but feel as if they are unable to control them.



Disorders in this Category

Exhibitionism
Fetishism
Frotteurism
Pedophilia
Sexual Masochism
Sexual Sadism
Transvestic Fetishism
Voyeurism

Transvestic Fetishism

Category
Paraphilias and Sexual Disorders

Etiology
There are different theories related to this disorder, many stemming from the psychoanalytic camp. They suggest that childhood trauma (e.g., sexual abuse, or other significant sexual experience) or significant childhood experiences can manifest itself in exhibitionistic behavior.

Symptoms
This diagnosis is used for heterosexual males who have sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving cross-dressing (wearing female clothing). To be considered diagnosable, the fantasies, urges, or behaviors must cause significant distress in the individual or be disruptive to his or her everyday functioning.

Treatment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Treatment typically involves psychotherapy aimed at uncovering and working through the underlying cause of the behavior.

Prognosis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prognosis is fair. With some individuals, there may also be an underlying discomfort with gender identity which will complicate treatment prognosis. As with most disorders in this category, other issues may arise as treatment progresses and should be addressed.
http://allpsych.com/disorders/paraphilias/index.html


Haaa, am I little bit paranoid?

jaynez31

So, once I am identified as a person with intersex, then a person "A" called me a transgender. Next day, spouse of the "A" would call me trans/intersex. Following day, Mom and Dad of the "A" might call me "transgender/transsex". Following week, association or some of church freinds of the "A", might call me "transsex/Transvistite". Then, some semi-professional friends of "A" might be the term "transvistite" which DSM-IV classified as Sexual disorders like;
Exhibitionism
Fetishism
Frotteurism
Pedophilia
Sexual Masochism
Sexual Sadism
Transvestic Fetishism
Voyeurism.

Haaa, am I little bit paranoid?

jaynez31

No intersexism? Interesting...

It really gets into how she identifies herself/ However, at the network I freelance at did manage to get them to change hermaphrodite into person with an intersex condition. Not sure it matters, but we do service about 3/4s of domestic affiliates (CBS, ABC, and FOX)

Betsy

__________________
Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is. --Margaret Mitchell

Jayne,

I read what you wrote yesterday and thought about writing you. Then thought, maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. Then I saw what you wrote today and thought, ok, I should possibly open my mouth after all. I have had this very debate with my own mother.

I consider myself a trans-intersexed person and she hates it! But here is why:

1. I was born intersexed assigned the wrong sex and transitioned because of it. (Transitioning is a process not a condition)

2. The very science of biology is what screwed my life up to begin with. It is the science that has required many of us to go through a great deal of pain. I refuse to use that very same science as a method of justifying my existance as a IS person verses a TS person. It just makes no sense to me. It is like embracing the enemy.

3. Intersexed persons are forced to accept a role assigned to them based on biological "evidence".

4. Transsexual persons are forced to accept a role assigned to them based on biological "evidence". Hmmm.

We cannot physically observe the differences in a transsexual person, but we can physically "today" observe the difference in a IS person. That was not always the case. I believe from the research that is coming out, we are going to find that the sex of a person is not found between the legs. I know it was true for me, thousands of other IS people and TS people as well.

5. fearing what others will think, and things being twisted around and being called incorrect names/labels, is a justifiable fear. Had it actually happen to me, nearly destroyed my life when it did. It was one of the worse experiences I have ever been through and that is saying something. BUT I also learned that fear held power over me. I want to be empowered today.

6. I do not believe that true transsexualism is a mental condition anymore than I believe Homosexuality ever was. And it was removed from the DMS-IV, and TS will be too. Gender Dysphoria is a joke of a label and is being torn to shreds these days (Highly Challenged these days). I am not saying that there are not people considered TS that are not mentally ill, all populations of people have this issue.

Well I just wanted you to hear a different perspective. I know it will not help your fears, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. It has not assisted my mom any either. She is so afraid that people will think of me as a mental person instead of someone with a "valid" condition.

Hope you don't mind my responding to what you wrote, I meant only respect to your feelings in doing this.

Take Care,

Taylor

Hey Taylor just saying great speech

That is how i feel. Also wanted to mention that if you look up the term sexual reassignment in a medical dictionary. That itll mention that it applies to both transgendered and to the intersexed. Not all intersexed but many. Alot has to do with the conditions that you were born with and what doctors did threw surgery.
I feel as you do. Was raised as a boy. but shouldnt have been. all of the medical information that i have been able to get a hold of for a xy/xo male child born with mixed gonadol disgenisis. that is possessing both ovaries/ovo-testies internally and testies externally. That i shoud of been reassigned as a female. Would have been happy that way too. Instead i ended up being assigned male and had awhole lot of surgery to correct things to make me appear as a normal male. Yet i still have the extra gonads inside. I know i should reassign, if i have to be labled as a transexual to get that done so be it. I am intersexed a true hermaphrodite by all the medical, anatomical requirements. I once believed that i had a uteris tooo but i have since been proving wrong, its just that things hook up weird inside, and well depending on the angle at which you see things well it looks interesting.
Also apparently this all started from a news article? What does a reporter know? Only what he/she is told. And as for as that goes what were the sources of information. What do Doctors actually think about IS or TS? Do they all Consider it the same or similar enough that they dont make much about either being different in anyway.

Just a few thougts to both help and hurt. I dont mean to do that but sometimes it happens. I'll Apologize now " I am sorry if anyone feels bad about some of those statements or questions. I didnt mean to offend anyone. This is just my observations so far. I would imagine everyone else has at some point had to deal with this issue at some point, I'm sorry should anything i type here cause grief, anguish or despair. I didnt mean for it too",.

Rudy A. Alaniz

__________________
Screaming Banshee

Hello Taylor:) .....Hello Rudy:) ;

Thanks to both of you for sharing your feelings; and for the sincerity and sensitivity (for others) that you expressed ; As Betsy once said, we have to be our own advocates.......we can't be swayed by nay-sayers or by those who refuse to (or cannot) acknowledge what we know about ourselves to be true. As we, with education, collectively have to "chip away" at the ignorance of the world to gain some understanding; so we may also have to chip away at ourselves; at the years of indoctrinated blindness to our own realities wrought by that same ignorance and "bad training"....so we may come to understand ourselves as we are and have been....and not what others have perceived, conceived or deceived us to be.

Take care; both of you.


Dana

__________________
Andy Dufresne (from the movie Shawshank Redemption): "It's my life. Don't you understand? IT'S MY LIFE!'