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Human sexuality topics

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Transgender persons & transsexuals:
Their beliefs on gender identity.
The cause(s) of their beliefs.
Are they just confused?
News about trans equality & civil rights.

The term "LGBT" is an acronym for "Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals,
transgender persons/Transsexuals. Sometimes, additional letters
are added, like "Q" for Queer or questioning, "I" for Intersexual.

An unidentified MTF transgender woman.
She was registered as male on her birth
certificate, and now identifies as female.

The main difference between sexual orientation and gender identity:

About transgender persons and transsexuals:

They are individuals whose current gender identity differs from their birth-identified gender.

• Most were identified as male at birth and now have a female gender identity.
  
  
• A minority were identified as female at birth and now have a male gender identity.
  
  
• A few identify as having no gender; the term gender has no real meaning to them.
  
  
• A few identify as having an intermediate gender, both male and female.
  
  
• A few alternate between male and female.

When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized gay marriages throughout the United States in 2015-JUN, much of the focus of the LGBT community switched to attaining equality for transgender persons and transsexuals. Much of the focus of conservative religious and other groups switched to prevent such equality.

Note about terminology:

The term "transgenderism" was once widely used to refer to transgender persons. It is still often used by religious conservatives and others in articles opposed to persons being transgender. However, among the LGBT community, it has largely been replaced by "being transgender." During 2017-NOV, this web site tracked down all of its 104 references to "transgenderism" and modified them.

The "International Journal of Transgenderism" still uses the term in their name.

The web site Quora had an interesting exchange of comments during 2017-FEB on the topic of: "Is "transgenderism" the correct word to use in regards to trans people?" See: https://www.quora.com/

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Topics covered in this section:

	A comparison of the three major current religious/secular conflicts: gender identity, abortion access, and sexual orientation: Introduction, abortion access, homosexuality and bisexuality, and transgender individuals, transsexuals, & gender identity.
	Transgender/transsexual terms. (It is a bit of a mind-stretching mine field)
	Conflicting beliefs about the cause and nature of being transgender or transsexual: A very brief, less than one minute, explanation. A more complete analysis of the main beliefs. A detailed discussion of the full range of beliefs described in 9 essays.
	Evangelical Christian anti-LGBT stance: The Nashville Statement of 2017 about homosexual and transgender persons. Two related essays by Contributing Editor Susan Humphreys: Three foundational flaws in the Nashville Statement against the LGBT community What it means to be human: An analysis of the Nashville Statement
	Background information: More about transgender terms. Photographs, and videos of transgender persons and transsexuals  Stories of transgender individuals: Kat, a transgender youth. A family with 2 transgender parents. The future of the transgender/transsexual debate. Additional information about transgender persons, transsexuals, etc. Womb transplants for MTF transgender persons and infertile cisgender women
	Understanding the terminology associated with being transgender & transsexual: 2014-FEB: Facebook changed how members define their gender identity. Contrasting views of gender identity. How there can be dozens of gender identities based on only two genders
	More medical information about the possible cause(s) of transsexuality:   Beliefs by conservative Christians, medical researchers, etc. about why transsexuals reject their birth-identified gender (2 parts) Fetal exposure to abnormal androgen levels? Genetically determined at conception?
	Causes of, and cures for, transsexuality according to religious groups: Beliefs of conservative Protestant groups: Part 1  Part 2 Beliefs of individual Christians Terms and concepts used by evangelicals Teachings of the Roman Catholic church: Part 1  Part 2
	Bible passages which may impact transgender/transsexual topics
	Estimates of the number of transgender persons in the U.S.

	Transsexuals in history
	Were transgender people mentioned in the Bible?
	Transitioning from female to male or vice versa
	Transitioning success rates
	How a lack of consensus about gender identity harms transgender individuals. Webmaster's rant
	Using medication to delay puberty in transgender pre-teens and teens
	Is transsexuality linked to homosexuality?
	Involuntary sexual reassignment of infants: Creating transgender persons via surgery
	Discrimination against transgender persons & transsexuals: Resolutions by the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association Homelessness Personal stories of success and difficulties transitioning Discrimination against transgender persons and transsexuals in the military: Part 1: 2011/2012: Overview. Support. Current military policies. Care for veterans. Part 2: 2016: Previous ends to discrimination by the military. Pentagon announces an end to discrimination against transgender members. Negative reactions. Part 3: 2016: More negative reactions to the ending of discrimination. Positive reactions. Part 4: 2017: Transgender persons in the U.S. Military Part 5: 2017: Trump bans transgender military service members Part 6: 2017: Impact of Trump's ban of military transgender members Part 7: 2017-JUL/AUG: Trump's memo. Public opinion polls. Court cases. Cost calculations Ending employment discrimination due to sexual orientation or gender identity (The federal ENDA bill) Title IX religious exemptions, religious colleges, and discrimination against the LGBT community Studies and polls about transgender persons: Polls on protection in employment Studies of employment discrimination Reports by APA; homelessness National study of discrimination against the transgender community. Pew Research national general study and a Massachusetts state study on discrimination 2011 polls concerning public opinions on transgender persons Discrimination and lack of protection of transgender persons by US state governments Acceptance and rejection within religious denominations: 2009 & 2012: Consideration of transgender persons by the Episcopal Church, USA Political and religious conflicts over sexual orientation & gender identity. Are they resolvable? Anti-discrimination laws across the U.S. Laws in other countries that oppress or protect LGBT persons Discrimination against the LGBT community in Northern Ireland International declarations on the rights of LGBT persons
	Glossary of terms relating to transgender persons: Words beginning with A to S Words beginning from T to Z
	Conflicts over who should use what public washrooms: "Bathroom bills:" Who gets to use a women's public washrooms and who gets to use a men's room. Two conflicts involving public washrooms or dressing rooms: 2011: An incident at Macy's in TX. 2015: A student in Gloucester, VA. 2016: North Carolina city ordinance and state law (Eleven essays) 2017: Texas "bathroom bill SB 6 allowing religious freedom to discriminate:" Part 1  Part 2 2017: Vermont House introduces a gender-neutral washroom bill; private school conflict in California
	Transsexual information sources: Web sites. Reviews of two books selected as recommended books by this web site. Books for transsexuals, their families, and co-workers. Biographies, books on transsexuality, books for therapists, etc.
	News & major transgender/transsexual developments 2008 until now: Note: Movement towards equal rights for transgender persons and transsexuals proceeded slowly until mid 2015. That was when religious, political, and social conservatives lost their fight against gay marriage in the U.S. Conservatives then switched their main focus to fighting against transgender equality. 2008 to 2014: News and information including events in 2014-FEB, when Facebook gave members 54 more options to describe their gender identity 2015-SEP: Students at Missouri high school hold demonstration to protest transgender student: Part 1  Part 2 2016-APR: The LGBT community takes new initiatives to overcome discrimination 2016: The LGBT community takes new initiatives to overcome discrimination Pastor warns God will allow attacks on U.S.; cites reaction to NC anti-LGBT law. Conflict between a Transgender teacher and a Catholic School board in Canada President Obama issues a proclamation for Mother's Day. International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT) Canada: Bill introduced in Parliament to protect transgender persons. Part 1  Part 2 Pope Francis condemns telling children that they can "choose their gender" Student Jesse Thompson files human-rights complaint against Ontario branch of Hockey Canada and wins Iowa couple accused of bigotry & hatred 2017: Comparing current discrimination against LGBTs and inter-racial couples in the past 2017-JAN: National Geographic's issue & documentary about gender identity, and transgender individuals: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4   Part 5  Part 6  Part 7 2017-JAN: The Boy Scouts of America changed their policy and now allowed transgender boys to join 2017: President Trump reversed his earlier position about the transgender community. Part 1: British Medical Association (BMA) published a new pamphlet. Dove soap has new TV commercial. Part 2: Catholic hospital refuses to allow operation on a transsexual man. 2017-MAY: President Trump's federal "religious freedom to discriminate" executive order: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5 2016-JUL to 2017-JUN: Transgender student Ash Whitaker in Wisconsin experiences problems at school 2017-JUN: Evangelical Christians vs. Child Protection Law in Ontario Canada 2017-JUN: Conservatives panic at new Canadian law to protect transgender individuals 2017-NOV: Danica Roem becomes the first openly transgender lawmaker elected in the Virginia House 2017-NOV: A Controversy at two Canadian universities about the use of gender-neutral, personal pronouns

References used:

1. Joyce Bailey, "Trans 101," undated, at: https://jmcl.wordpress.com/
2. "Sexual orientation and gender identity definitions," Human Rights Campaign," 2017, at: http://www.hrc.org/
3. Jennifer Brown, "Elsa's Story: Family learns to let girl live as 'truegender'," Denver Post, 2015-JUL-17, at: http://extras.denverpost.com/
4. Joseph Woo, "Special FAQ on the gender of the fetus," Obstetric Ultrasound, undated, at: http://www.ob-ultrasound.net/
5. "MYTH #10: Intersex is extremely rare," Intersex Society of North America, 2008, at: http://www.isna.org/
6. Zachary Green, "Transforming History: Transgender issues today are rooted in a decades-long struggle for inclusion," RetroReport/New York Times, 2015-JUN-15, at: http://www.nytimes.com/
7. "My authentic life," Transgender Law Center, 2014-MAY-01, at: https://www.youtube.com/ The first video has been watched by about 120,000 viewers during its first year online at YouTube.
8. Tom Murray produced and directed a video concerning transsexuality. It is titled: "Almost Myself: Reflections on mending and transcending gender." See: http://www.almostmyself.com/
9. "Sex Chromosome Abnormalities," at: http://anthro.palomar.edu/

Copyright © 2007 to 2017 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Original posting: 2007-JUN-08
Latest revision: 2017-DEC-12
Author: B.A. Robinson

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