UK: The transgender rights deficit

[ftmichael]

http://guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/05/transgender-human-rights-europe

The transgender rights deficit
Across Europe transgender rights lag behind those of other groups. We're working to change that
Thomas Hammarberg
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 5 September 2009 09.00 BST

The human rights situation of transgender persons has long been ignored and neglected, although the problems they face are serious and often specific to this group alone. Transgender people experience a high degree of discrimination, intolerance and outright violence. Their basic human rights are often violated, including the right to life, the right to physical integrity and the right to health.

During my official visits to the 47 member States of the Council of Europe, I have been struck by the lack of knowledge about the human rights issues at stake for transgender persons, even among political decision-makers.
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Critiquing Whipping Girl [controversial]

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

When I first read Julia Serano's Whipping Girl a year or so ago I, like many people, was blown away. It seemed - still seems - to be saying all kinds of things about trans issues that no one else was saying that clearly, and creating a new vocabulary at the same time. How did we live all those years without "oppositional sexism"?

In other words, I was very impressed. And I was pleased to see other people in this community and others speaking highly of it too. At the same time, I was surprised there hadn't been more critical discussion of its many ideas, because even I felt in a few places that some of its contentions were at least debatable or in need of development (the concept of subconscious sex, for example), and when a book begins to be mentioned as if it were holy writ I get a little uncomfortable. (Of course, maybe there were all kinds of discussions happening that I wasn't aware of, but there you go.)

If anyone else feels the same, may I recommend the series of posts by aqueertheory that have been going up at Below the Belt over the last few weeks? They're here: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV. They present a sympathetic critique, and articulate a few problems with Serano's ideas (though none fatal, I'd say) that had been lurking at the back of my own mind. Mostly, though, I think it's an excellent chance to move the discussion on from Serano's own landmark book.