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transI just got spammed by an anti gay marriage protest email which was at the end advertising a Yahoo! group for their cause. I visited the group with the intent on spamming them back and generally, well, being not very nice to them when I saw a post that actually caught my eye. Someone had posted "The Natural History Of Transsexuality" which I read and found very interesting indeed. I have copied it below for your enjoyment.
The Natural History Of Transsexuality:
(original author unknown)
Since transsexuality is caused by hormonal alteration of the nervous system of developing
fetuses, and occurs in perhaps all mammalian species, it would be reasonable to infer that
it has been around for a very long time. Indeed, since birth defects in general are just part
of nature, it would be unthinkable to imagine an era of Man devoid of transsexuals. We
have always been, and from time to time, history has recorded that fact.
The only clues we have of paleolithic transsexuals would be by considering the societies of
aboriginal peoples still living with stone age technologies. The few left remaining on the
earth, in the rain forests of South America, or the remaining unspoiled lands of Africa, all
have reverential positions for the transsexuals that are born to them. In such societies,
Transsexuals are considered magical, kin to the gods or spirits, and possessed of
shamanic powers.
Every society in history has had some name, role or way of relating to the transsexual,
from ancient Canaan and Turkey to India, even to the present day.
Examples abound. For instance, in ancient Rome existed the 'Gallae', Phrygian worshipers
of the Goddess Cybele. Once decided on their choice of gender and religion, physically
male Gallae ran through the streets and threw their own severed genitalia into open
doorways, as a ritualistic act.
The household receiving these remains considered them a great blessing. In return, the
household would nurse the Gallae back to health. The Gallae then ceremoniously received
female clothes, and assumed a female identity. Commonly, they would be dressed as
brides, or in other splendid clothing.
In India, ritual practices for transsexual individuals continue to the present day. Called
Hijiras, this sect also worship a Goddess, and undergo a primitive sort of sex reassignment
surgery. The Hijiras are treated in a rather hypocritical fashion within Indian society
however, in that they are both despised and revered at the same time. Hijiras often are
paid to attend a bless weddings, and to act as spiritual and social advisors, but are also
shunned as less than worthy eunuchs. Yet in other circumstances, such as social
situations, they are accorded the status of true females.
The Dine, or Navajos of the southwest United States, recognize three sexes instead of
only two. For the Dine, there are Males, Females, and Nadles, which are considered
somewhat both and neither. While those born intersexed or hermaphroditic are
automatically considered Nadle, physically 'normal' individuals may define as Nadle based
on their own self-definition of gender identity. The Nadle once possessed far greater
respect before the Navaho were conquered and their culture all but obliterated by the
forced assumption of Catholicism.
Among the Sioux, the Winkte served much the same function, and individuals could
assume the complete role of their preferred gender. Physical females lived as male
warriors, and had wives, while physical males lived their lives completely as women. In
Sioux society no special magic was associated with this, it was just considered a way of
correcting a mistake of nature. Winkte would also perform primitive reassignment
operations of a sort, and history records the process used by physical males: riding for
days on a special hard saddle to crush the testicles and thus effectively castrate the
individual.
Being transsexual in ancient cultures took a special form of courage too, even if society
may have been embracing of the Transsexed!
Whether it is the Sererr of the Pokots of Kenya, the Xaniths of Islamic Oman, the Mahu of
Tahiti, or even the Sekrata of Madagascar, the story is essentially the same: transsexuality
was a fact of life, and a place in society was made for the gender dysphoric to be
themselves.
The modern classification of transsexuality and the medical intervention of sex
reassignment was first attempted in Germany in 1930. Einar Wegener sought treatment
and was operated upon. Afterwards, she lived as Lily Elbe, but alas not for long...the
surgery had tragic complications. The first well known, surviving post operative
transsexual was American ex-G.I. George Jorgensen, who became Christine Jorgensen in
1953. Christine became the centre of a whirlwind of publicity despite an effort to avoid it,
and had little choice but to capitalize on the misfortune. Christine became the first 'Media
Transsexual' - or as some transsexuals put it 'Transie Martyr' , and suffered both the
benefit and curse of fame. Christine starred in several hollywood movies as a result, and
became celebrity enough to bring transsexualism out of the closet and into view of post-
industrial society.
For decades only the rare individual physician dared treat the transsexual, while the
mainstream medical community considered transsexuality to be a mere mental disorder
without a biological basis. The first professional to truly try to help transsexuals with
compassion and scientific study was Dr. Harry Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin carefully treated
and studied the cases of transsexuals, essentially devoting most of his career to the
project. The results of his carefully documented studies were published in 1966 in his
book "The Transsexual Phenomenon". This work led directly to the benefits that we
modern transsexuals enjoy, for it opened the door to serious study of the condition.
Currently, the worldwide Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association
continues his work, and helps to set standards of care for the treatment of transsexuals by
the medical establishment.
Recent study of brain functioning has shed important light on the causes of transsexuality,
and surgical techniques as well as overall treatment continue to improve. Society is slowly
becoming accepting once again of the inevitable transsexual in it's midst, and it may well
be that the future will hold even greater help for the transsexuals born into future ages.
Perhaps someone will recognise where this is originally from, if so please comment and let me/us know. Thanks.
The Natural History Of Transsexuality:
(original author unknown)
Since transsexuality is caused by hormonal alteration of the nervous system of developing
fetuses, and occurs in perhaps all mammalian species, it would be reasonable to infer that
it has been around for a very long time. Indeed, since birth defects in general are just part
of nature, it would be unthinkable to imagine an era of Man devoid of transsexuals. We
have always been, and from time to time, history has recorded that fact.
The only clues we have of paleolithic transsexuals would be by considering the societies of
aboriginal peoples still living with stone age technologies. The few left remaining on the
earth, in the rain forests of South America, or the remaining unspoiled lands of Africa, all
have reverential positions for the transsexuals that are born to them. In such societies,
Transsexuals are considered magical, kin to the gods or spirits, and possessed of
shamanic powers.
Every society in history has had some name, role or way of relating to the transsexual,
from ancient Canaan and Turkey to India, even to the present day.
Examples abound. For instance, in ancient Rome existed the 'Gallae', Phrygian worshipers
of the Goddess Cybele. Once decided on their choice of gender and religion, physically
male Gallae ran through the streets and threw their own severed genitalia into open
doorways, as a ritualistic act.
The household receiving these remains considered them a great blessing. In return, the
household would nurse the Gallae back to health. The Gallae then ceremoniously received
female clothes, and assumed a female identity. Commonly, they would be dressed as
brides, or in other splendid clothing.
In India, ritual practices for transsexual individuals continue to the present day. Called
Hijiras, this sect also worship a Goddess, and undergo a primitive sort of sex reassignment
surgery. The Hijiras are treated in a rather hypocritical fashion within Indian society
however, in that they are both despised and revered at the same time. Hijiras often are
paid to attend a bless weddings, and to act as spiritual and social advisors, but are also
shunned as less than worthy eunuchs. Yet in other circumstances, such as social
situations, they are accorded the status of true females.
The Dine, or Navajos of the southwest United States, recognize three sexes instead of
only two. For the Dine, there are Males, Females, and Nadles, which are considered
somewhat both and neither. While those born intersexed or hermaphroditic are
automatically considered Nadle, physically 'normal' individuals may define as Nadle based
on their own self-definition of gender identity. The Nadle once possessed far greater
respect before the Navaho were conquered and their culture all but obliterated by the
forced assumption of Catholicism.
Among the Sioux, the Winkte served much the same function, and individuals could
assume the complete role of their preferred gender. Physical females lived as male
warriors, and had wives, while physical males lived their lives completely as women. In
Sioux society no special magic was associated with this, it was just considered a way of
correcting a mistake of nature. Winkte would also perform primitive reassignment
operations of a sort, and history records the process used by physical males: riding for
days on a special hard saddle to crush the testicles and thus effectively castrate the
individual.
Being transsexual in ancient cultures took a special form of courage too, even if society
may have been embracing of the Transsexed!
Whether it is the Sererr of the Pokots of Kenya, the Xaniths of Islamic Oman, the Mahu of
Tahiti, or even the Sekrata of Madagascar, the story is essentially the same: transsexuality
was a fact of life, and a place in society was made for the gender dysphoric to be
themselves.
The modern classification of transsexuality and the medical intervention of sex
reassignment was first attempted in Germany in 1930. Einar Wegener sought treatment
and was operated upon. Afterwards, she lived as Lily Elbe, but alas not for long...the
surgery had tragic complications. The first well known, surviving post operative
transsexual was American ex-G.I. George Jorgensen, who became Christine Jorgensen in
1953. Christine became the centre of a whirlwind of publicity despite an effort to avoid it,
and had little choice but to capitalize on the misfortune. Christine became the first 'Media
Transsexual' - or as some transsexuals put it 'Transie Martyr' , and suffered both the
benefit and curse of fame. Christine starred in several hollywood movies as a result, and
became celebrity enough to bring transsexualism out of the closet and into view of post-
industrial society.
For decades only the rare individual physician dared treat the transsexual, while the
mainstream medical community considered transsexuality to be a mere mental disorder
without a biological basis. The first professional to truly try to help transsexuals with
compassion and scientific study was Dr. Harry Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin carefully treated
and studied the cases of transsexuals, essentially devoting most of his career to the
project. The results of his carefully documented studies were published in 1966 in his
book "The Transsexual Phenomenon". This work led directly to the benefits that we
modern transsexuals enjoy, for it opened the door to serious study of the condition.
Currently, the worldwide Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association
continues his work, and helps to set standards of care for the treatment of transsexuals by
the medical establishment.
Recent study of brain functioning has shed important light on the causes of transsexuality,
and surgical techniques as well as overall treatment continue to improve. Society is slowly
becoming accepting once again of the inevitable transsexual in it's midst, and it may well
be that the future will hold even greater help for the transsexuals born into future ages.
Perhaps someone will recognise where this is originally from, if so please comment and let me/us know. Thanks.