Blogpost # 929  A BOY NAMED MELISSA

Analytic discussions concerning the seemingly, eternal persistence of ignorant and reductive, bias in the area of gender identity (as well as “prejudice,” in general) is to us, as emotionally and intellectually, affective, as the experience of finding oneself, irretrievably, drawn to view roadkill.

It appears to be fruitless and ineffective to insist (to gender bigots) that biological factors, such as genetic influence, prenatal hormone levels and early life experiences, all contribute, objectively, and involuntarily, to the transgender phenomenon. Despite such empirically, involuntary causation, transgender citizens experience bias, in employment, education, the legal system, real estate, and, at times, in subtle intra-family relationships. Too often, many are targets of hate crimes as well as being victims of subtle discrimination. It is unfortunate to observe that, generally, anti-discrimination laws do not protect transgender people from discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression and as a consequence, transgender people in most cities and states find themselves unprotected by law.

This writing is concerned with the horrendous, practice of unjustified and irrational, loathing and abuse of innocent Americans, who by biological happenstance, find themselves, emotionally and psychologically, identified with a gender, other than the one they were assigned at birth. “Michael” cannot be held culpable for emotionally, feeling like, and psychologically identifying as, as “Melissa.” We have always continued to wonder at the bizarre fact that his/her gender has been of such perverse interest (or any interest) to totally, unaffected, bigoted, third parties.

We read that the same hormones that promote the differentiation of sex organs in the mother’s womb, also elicit puberty and influence the development of gender identity. Different amounts of these male or female hormones can result in behaviors and, even, external genitalia that does not match the norm of the sex, officially, assigned at birth.

In our modern times, gender incongruity is no longer considered a pathology, since, as alluded to, above, the considerable scientific evidence that has recently emerged, demonstrates a durable, biological element underlying gender identity. Individuals, we note, may make choices due to other factors, but there do not seem to exist, external forces that cause individuals to seek a change in gender identity.

The indisputable empirical facts, relative to the indisputable, non-existence of personal choice by the newborn, regarding inherited skin color, familial religion, ethnos, or, thematically, chromosomal-hormonal inheritance, are, nevertheless, no discouragement for the existing bigot, who is as resolute in assigning hatred, as he is lacking in any modicum of clear reason and sense of humanistic propriety. By sheer contrast, bigotry, itself, is not inherited, but apparently a matter of perverse choice.

A matter which has eternally, confounded us, in any event, is the fundamental source of the special interest in, and behaviors regarding, the transsexual individual (or, indeed, other targets of bigotry) when the most facile alternative is simply to choose to avoid their company.

-p.