Screening/gatekeeping of fictional characters

submitted by [deleted] from self.GCdebatesQT

If you ran a gender clinic, how would you screen those who were trans from those who were just gender non-conforming?

Here's a case study:-

Jo March is in her late teens/early twenties, has opted for short hair, identifies as a boy, has changed name to something more masculine, wears masculine clothes, has masculine hobbies and doesn't identify with womanhood but has feminine pronouns.

A little family context: Jo grew up in a traditional, religious community and the expectations on women are particularly strict and onerous. Once married, she would be expected to be a baby machine/domestic worker and to limit her emotions for the comfort of others like her mother does who reports she is "angry every day" but never seems to be.

Would Jo be happier as NB or trans? Should Jo be given hormones and surgery? What information would you need to know to make the call?

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[–]grixitperson 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Jo would be happier telling society to stuff it and recognizing that she is in fact a women, no matter what her interests are, and no one has the right to tell her what is appropriate for her sex.

[–]Spikygrasspod 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Excellent question.

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I would try to ddx (differentially diagnose) the behavioral drivers.

Some questions to work though with Jo might start like this . . .

If you're unable to leave your family/community, what do you (ideally) want your life to look like?

If you are able to leave your family/community, what do you want your life to look like?

(Aim: help Jo figure out whether her boy self-identity is an expression of who she feels she is, or a protective reaction to her oppressively gendered family environment)

IAW, which sex/gender expressions feel innate and meaningful? Which feel protective and compensatory? What might that look like outside of family enmeshment? Etc. And go from there.

(edit for clarity)

[–]CatbugMods allow rape victim blaming in this sub :) 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Nobody should be given hormones and surgery.

Interesting that we know how jo performs gender but have no idea what she might think feel or want.

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

She's said she'd rather stay single and paddle her own canoe. She feels like femininity might be a trap.

[–]CatbugMods allow rape victim blaming in this sub :) 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Why on earth would anyone think she needs to take testosterone and get a pseudo penis?

Femininity is a trap. Doesn’t make anyone trans.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

but she's calling herself a boy. What are the diagnostics used in clinics?

[–]CatbugMods allow rape victim blaming in this sub :) 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

What does she think a boy is? What does male and female mean to jo? Does she still say she’s a boy after it’s explained to her that doing things that are called boy things by a gender conformity obsessed society doesn’t actually make her a boy?

[–]peakingatthemomentTranssexual (natal male), HSTS 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I feel like she is fine just the way she is. If she’s not and feels like she needs to transition or identify differently, that’s really up to her. I don’t think you can make those determinations for someone else. Therapy might be good especially to deal with those expectations she may have internalized from growing up in that family.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Gender clinics have to make that call, though, right? And with only a few hours in person with the client.

[–]peakingatthemomentTranssexual (natal male), HSTS 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I don’t really approve of the way gender clinics do things right now. I feel like people should get at least 3-6 months of therapy before you’d be given a referral for hormones or anything like that.

[–]uwubunny 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

If a black kid in a racist society decided that he wanted to look whiter in order to avoid racist expectations, would it be appropriate for doctors to prescribe a skin bleaching treatment, or would we see this as an issue of social injustice and racism that medicine shouldn't support harming individuals over? And would the treatment in fact be doing harm to the entire black community?

I know it's not a perfect analogy, but it seems to be similar in important ways.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Jo would be happier as a mother and wife to a loving family.