Transgender Oppression

Transgender oppression is happening all around us, everyday.  Unfortunately, most transgender people are seen as having an illness, and are not taken seriously.  The problem lies at the heart of America.  This can be seen in our medical system and our government.  Whenever the issue of transgender people is brought up, there are immediate negative responses.  Whether these responses are in the medical field or the justice system, there always seems to be a negative connotation placed on these individuals.  Why?  Are these people not really people?  Why is America treating them as if they have a problem?  It is obvious to me that the only problem is in the eyes of the close-minded people, who cannot see around the differences. 

In “Mutilating Gender”, by Dean Spade, a childhood account is given enabling us to understand some of the oppression, which is going on.  Dean speaks of a time when he was trying to seek free counseling so that he could get a letter written to a surgeon, allowing him to have a procedure.  The specific procedure, which Dean was trying to have done, is called a double mastectomy.  A double mastectomy is a surgical procedure, which simply means removal of the breasts.  Dean felt that this procedure would help him in passing for a male (Spade, 2006).

During these difficult times, Dean sought various counselors and one, in particular, stuck in his mind.  The counselor asked him, “When did you first know you were different?”  Dean went on to describe his childhood and how he was an underprivileged child living on welfare, who was also non-Christian.  This, in and of itself, would already be hard.  Before the feelings of being different sexually had emerged, Dean was already feeling oppression from many other levels as well.  All of these things put together, seemed to not even scratch the surface of his oppression.  What startled Dean the most was the fact that he had to answer questions about why he was feeling like he had to go through with a surgery to change his physical appearance.  If we stopped right there we would see that the counselor obviously saw this as a problem.  Like I stated earlier, the problem lies in the eyes of society.  It is a difference, which most Americans are insecure with.  Why do people have to answer questions about why they want to have this done?  It seems as though, before you can even have a procedure done to change your physical appearance, you must first convince the “professionals” that you are different.  This concept is so backwards and flagrantly discriminatory that it makes me sick (Spade, 2006).