THE Surgery

A good friend and I recently had a conversation about being trans and how our identities within the trans spectrum has affected our transitions. In talking, I came to a conclusion: while still recognizing that its tough to identify as transsexual, there are days when it would be easier to be able to identify as a transsexual given that identifying as genderqueer comes with no rules, no boundaries, no suggestions, no guidelines, no standards, no certainties. 

I think that one of the hardest aspects of identifying as genderqueer is knowing what that means in terms of transitioning and medical options. 

See, there are people who identify as women and identify with their vagina. These people are recognized as women. There are people who identify as women and identify with their penis. These people are often also recognized as women. There are people who identify as men who identify with their penis. These people are recognized as men. And there are people who identify as men who also identify with their vagina. These people are often also recognized as men. So what of someone who doesn't identify as a man or a woman and doesn't identify with either a penis or a vagina? Or just doesn't identify with the parts they were given at birth?

The Standards of Care (SOC) for a transsexual state that in order to gain access to genital reconstructive surgery (more commonly known as SRS or as THE Surgery) they have to undergo therapy, gain a diagnosis as having gender identity disorder or body dysmorphia, hormone treatment, and a real life test. At the minimum.

So here's the rub: the SOC were designed for people who have a clear desire to move from being male to female or from being female to male. It doesn't give any room for someone who wants to go from male to neither or from female to neither (in terms of their physical body). The SOC and the medical world provide no option other than having a penis or a vagina. They also don't provide the option for someone who doesn't identify as female to get a vagina or for someone who doesn't identify as male to get a penis. What if someone doesn't identify with having a penis and wants a vagina simply as an alternative? What if someone doesn't identify with having a vagina and wants a penis simply as an alternative? The SOC would frown upon this quite heavily.

This is where we enter a grey area. Genital mutilation and body modification happens all the time, especially in the trans community by people who feel like they have no other options. They recognize that it's hard to access the SOC and that for many the SOC don't apply. It becomes a situation of desperation. What else can they do? Of course, for people who were given a penis, the act of genital mutilation could produce a result of having no penis or scrotum but also no vagina or clitoris or lips. That's something. And can that really be considered a mutilation if it is simply just a correction of a mishap at birth? Of course, the problem with this method is that it's very dangerous (infections, and blood loss, etc). It also produces someone who is sexually unresponsive to many methods/forms of sex. It's unfortunate on both accounts. 

So here's where I think a change needs to be made. The SOC should be opened up so that rather than gatekeeping and limiting the number and type of people who can access services, they should recognize the diversity found in the trans community and provide options for their services as well. Stop limiting who can and can't get a vagina or a penis- there are lots of us who want to be sexual, just not with the parts we currently have. We also want to be able to have a set of parts that we feel comfortable with and can grow to identify with having. Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.